Bellevue developing new Hazard Mitigation Plan

Published September 23 2024

Online open house available now

What local natural hazards concern you most? How do you think the city could prepare for such hazards?

As the city develops its first comprehensive Hazard Mitigation Plan, we have launched an online open house to gather information about the community's concerns and experiences regarding natural hazards and mitigation measures. Please submit comments by Wednesday, Nov. 6.

The plan will help the city identify areas in Bellevue that are vulnerable to natural hazards. It will also assess risks and formulate actions to reduce or eliminate the impacts of these hazards. Natural hazards include droughts, earthquakes, severe weather and floods. Having such a plan helps reduce the cost of disaster response and recovery, allows the city to apply for federal and state grants which can help fund mitigation measures, and keeps people who live, work, play and study in Bellevue safe.

The city began developing the Hazard Mitigation Plan in the summer, starting with a risk assessment that evaluated localized vulnerabilities in Bellevue and the potential impacts of these natural hazards.

Input gathered from the open house will help tailor the plan to address specific needs of the Bellevue community. The open house features a short survey, a mapping exercise and a space to ask questions.

The city will work to draft the HMP once the online open house is complete. After the draft plan is prepared, the community will have the opportunity to review and comment on it during a two-week period in early 2025. The final plan may be adopted by the City Council next spring.

To learn more about the Hazard Mitigation Plan and other ways the city prepares for disasters and emergencies, visit the Office of Emergency Management.

For alternate formats or reasonable accommodations please phone at least 48 hours in advance 425-452-6807 or email [email protected]. For complaints regarding accommodations, contact the city's ADA/Title VI administrator at 425-452-6168.