A journal article titled, “Headwinds in the Heartland? Hazard Planning Lessons from Six Inland Jurisdictions in the Southern Plains,” was recently published in the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. It was authored by Dr. Ward Lyles, Penn Pennel, and Rachel Riley. The article describes the findings from a comparative case study analysis that was conducted in six inland cities and their associated counties across the Southern Plains. The study addressed the need to understand the status of hazard planning in oft-overlooked inland, small- to mid-sized cities. Evaluation of plan documents and interviews with key officials was conducted 2018-2019.
An excerpt from the Lyles et al. (2023) article, which describes an overarching finding of the research, is as follows:
The insights provided by the six cases reinforce and extend the cumulative findings of hazard mitigation planning research over the last 10 years. In short, evidence mounts that the current planning framework for long-term natural hazard risk reduction is mismatched with the problems at hand. In each of our cases, plan documents leave lots to be desired, even when on-the-ground efforts are robust. Who is at the table in mitigation planning processes-or not at the table-appears to shape the process and the outcomes. Unfortunately, the current constraints on mitigation planning may be insurmountable as long as mitigation is understood and tackled primarily through the realm of emergency management, which has a long history of success in preparedness and response efforts but less so in mitigation and recovery.
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The full journal article is available here. A one-page summary document is available here.