All of the counties in Northwest Michigan are vulnerable to a wide range of natural, technological, and human-related hazards. The intent of a hazard mitigation plan is to inventory hazards of an area, providing a comprehensive reference source for planning and mitigation activities, and educate policy makers and emergency service organizations about local risks and vulnerabilities. Every county in the region currently has an emergency management plan that addresses emergency action guidelines. These plans address response, but do not address prevention.

To address this issue, FEMA issued a directive for a regional entity to develop Hazard Mitigation plans for each county. Regional Planning and Community Development has fulfilled that directive. Staff wrote the plans for each county and obtained approval from county governments. Each plan, along with maps identifying natural hazard areas, are available for download on the NWMCOG Publications site.