The Port of Tacoma is currently updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) ‒ a critical document that identifies natural hazard risks in and around the Port and outlines strategies to reduce or eliminate their impacts.
You can view the Port’s draft updated HMP here.
As part of this process, we invite you to share your feedback. Please take a few minutes to complete our brief survey ‒ it should take less than five minutes. You’re also welcome to leave comments on the draft HMP at the end of the survey or via the email below.
Updating the HMP helps the Port reduce the cost of disaster response and recovery, qualify for federal and state mitigation grants, and enhance safety for Port workers and surrounding communities. Your input in valuable in helping us build a more resilient future. Thanks for participating!
Questions or comments? Contact Sam Hudson, Associate Planner, email: shudson@portoftacoma.com
More information and answers to frequently asked questions:
What is hazard mitigation?
Hazard mitigation is a crucial part of emergency management. Mitigation is the act of reducing or avoiding the impacts of disasters, including risk to life and property. Mitigation can keep natural hazards from having catastrophic impacts, which helps communities recover more quickly after a disaster occurs. Some examples of mitigation strategies include seismic retrofit of buildings, redundancy of water systems and fuel systems, and tree planting to reduce heat in urban areas.
What is a Hazard Mitigation Plan?
Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) is prepared by local governments and special purpose districts (like ports) in response to the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, with the goal of reducing risk to loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. Jurisdictions with valid mitigations plans can be eligible to apply for and receive mitigation grants, such as those offered through FEMA. FEMA requires HMPs to be updated every five years.
Does the Port currently have a Hazard Mitigation Plan?
The Port’s current 2015-2020 Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) can be found here. The Port’s HMP is included within the Pierce County Region 5 Hazard Mitigation Plan, which consists of 80 local jurisdictions' mitigation plans and the Pierce County Unincorporated Hazard Mitigation plan.
What hazards does the Port’s plan address?
The plan addresses the natural hazards that could impact the Port of Tacoma, including avalanche, earthquake, landslide, tsunami, volcanic eruption, climate change, drought, flood, severe weather, fire, civil disturbance, dam failure, energy emergency, epidemic hazardous materials, pipeline failure, terrorism, and transportation emergency. FEMA has recently added wildfires, equity, and climate adaptation as additional hazard areas to be addressed in the plan.
What is the process and timeline for updating the Port’s plan?
The Port is working with Pierce County Emergency Management, who is assisting its partners and stakeholders with the update process.
The draft of the Port's updated plan will be available for viewing on this website in Early August 2025.
After the Port’s updated plan is approved by Pierce County and FEMA, it will then be presented to Port Commission for approval and adoption in October 2025.