Welcome

Welcome to the Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (OHSEM) Web site. Updated daily, this Web site gives you the tools to get informed, get prepared, and get involved. An involved community is a well prepared community and your family’s partnership with Harris County is the foundation of our homeland security and emergency management strategy. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and OHSEM hope you will visit our site often. Download HCOHSEM Disaster Preparedness Guide here Download National Preparedness Month 2010 brochure here

What Can You Do to Lower the Risks and Costs?

Be aware of the natural hazards (floods, hurricanes, coastal storms, tornadoes, wildfires, etc.) that will affect you and your community. Learn more about hazard mitigation techniques and disseminate this information throughout the community. Conduct a risk assessment of public-owned property and take corrective actions. Get to know your town planner, local/regional planning staff and association, and other planning officials in your community. Establish a local hazard mitigation team of government, community and business leaders to help develop a strategic mitigation plan before disasters occur. Participate in the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) which provides credits in the form of reduced flood insurance premiums for policyholders in communities performing floodplain management activities. What is Hazard Mitigation? What are the Benefits? What are the Tools Hazard Mitigation?