Integrating Historic Property and Cultural Resource Considerations into Hazard Mitigation Planning
The importance of integrating historic property and cultural resource considerations into mitigation planning has been made all too apparent in disasters that have occurred in recent disasters, such as the Northridge Earthquake, the Midwest floods, and Hurricane Katrina. Whether a disaster impacts a major community museum, a historic "main street," or collections of family photographs, the sudden loss of historic properties and cultural resources can negatively impact a community's character and economy, and can affect the overall ability of the community to recover from a disaster. "How-To" Guide #6 (FEMA 386-6) shows communities, step by step with the needed tools and resources, how to develop and then implement a pre-disaster planning strategy for historic properties and cultural resources. While the emphasis is on the built environment, this Guide includes cultural institutions to address the mitigation of cultural heritage, including museum collections, works of art, and books and documents.