Recap: Strategic Resilience Post-Disaster: Maximizing Mitigation through Code Enforcement and Recovery Planning

In a recent webinar, Melissa Boudrye, Resilience Branch Chief for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, outlined how communities can turn disaster recovery into a foundation for long-term resilience by pairing short-term code enforcement with strategic mitigation funding.

Melissa noted that while disasters are devastating, they are also revealing - exposing weaknesses in systems and highlighting where investments can make communities stronger. The critical question in the aftermath of a disaster, she emphasized, is whether to rebuild quickly to pre-disaster conditions or to rebuild stronger to reduce future risk and loss.

Melissa described a two-track approach for rebuilding stronger:

• Immediate recovery (FEMA Public Assistance): Use Category I to fund code enforcement and building inspections in the first 180 days, and PA 406 mitigation to strengthen damaged infrastructure.
  
  
• Long-term mitigation (HMGP 404): Use FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program - typically 15-20% of total federal recovery funds - for non-damaged assets. Through the 5% Codes & Standards and 5% Initiative set-asides, communities can update codes, train inspectors, and modernize permitting systems with up to four years to complete projects.

In Los Angeles’ 2024 recovery, this model guided their efforts. The city used Category I for early inspection work, then leveraged the full 10% HMGP allocation to train inspectors and launch a digital one-stop permitting system that helped residents rebuild faster and safer.

Her experience in Los Angeles underscored the importance of preparation and coordination. The team’s success stemmed from documenting baseline staffing and inspection capacity before disasters, establishing contracts and agreements to ensure support, and maintaining clear systems to track disaster-specific work for accurate reimbursement. Equally vital was proactive planning - developing HMGP application templates in advance and integrating post-disaster code enforcement strategies directly into local hazard mitigation plans.

Melissa closed with simple advice: decide your funding strategy early, submit HMGP projects as soon as possible, and align leadership and staff around the same priorities. Her takeaway was clear: “Don’t wait for the disaster to prepare for recovery. Set the strategy now so you can build back stronger when it hits.”

The presentation recording is below:

Want to build on the insights from the webinar? Forerunner helps communities plan smarter, respond faster, and recover stronger - all in one platform. From centralizing code records and streamlining damage assessments to managing debris and coordinating team operations, Forerunner turns complex recovery work into a coordinated response. Request a demo or reach out to hello@withforerunner.com - we’d love to connect.