The East Baton Rouge Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies natural hazards and risks within East Baton Rouge Parish. Also, it recognizes the Parish's hazard mitigation strategy to make the Parish less vulnerable and more disaster resistant. While natural disasters cannot be prevented from occurring, the continued implementation of mitigation strategies identified in the plan will gradually, but steadily, make our communities more sustainable and disaster-resilient. Under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (42 USC 5165), a mitigation plan is required if the desiring Local, State or Tribal Government wishes to receive federal mitigation funds. With this plan the MOHSEP also participates in the Community Rating System (CRS) administered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which reduces the flood insurance premiums for properties in the Parish to reflect the flood protection activities that are being implemented.

The Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI) at Louisiana State University (LSU) assisted the MOHSEP in re-assessing hazard identification and risks throughout the Parish. The 2016 Hazard Mitigation Plan was officially approved by the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on August 18, 2017.

East Baton Rouge Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan

We’re planning for a resilient future.

In 2021, East Baton Rouge Parish began updating the EBRP Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Hazard Mitigation Plan details the risks faced by the Parish, both man made and naturally occurring, and outlines risk reduction strategies that can help lessen the impact of future disasters. 

The Hazard Mitigation Plan update will identify mitigation measures that East Baton Rouge Parish and its stakeholders can develop that may reduce the impact or severity of future events. The Hazard Mitigation Plan is a requirement to access disaster assistance programs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and also informs floodplain management planning under the Community Rating System (CRS) to improve CRS score and increase flood insurance discounts under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).