Principles for Managing Community Relocation as a Hazard Mitigation Measure

Permanent relocation of communities away from hazard-prone areas is becoming an important mitigation option for emergency management authorities throughout the world. By moving citizens permanently, one realizes two special benefits. First, relocation prevents death or injury from hazards that are minimally subject to human control ‐ that is, where structural mitigation measures are ineffective and forewarning is insufficient for simple evacuation. Secondly, relocation provides monetary saving so that government hazard insurance programs need not pay for repeated restorations of the same residences in the same hazard areas over a period of years. Simultaneously, there are two inherent problems with the use of a relocation policy: it constitutes a serious intrusion into citizens’ lives; and non-hazard related relocations (such as for dam construction or urban redevelopment) have a long history of negative outcomes. This paper traces the history of a community relocation in the southwestern United States, documenting citizen needs and responses to the event. Then, based on the hazards research literature and the case data, a series of principles are elaborated for creating ‘positive’ relocation experiences. In closing, the paper looks at the international use of relocation and the potential for applying the principles.