Native American owned disaster, mitigation and risk consultingOffices in Kansas and Oklahoma · nationwide delivery
chrischambers@oklariskadvisors.com
Planning and recoveryOverviewDamage assessmentTribal plansLocal plansPublic AssistanceTribal recoveryHow it gets funded

Mitigation planning and disaster recovery

Two halves of one problem: getting the plan in place before the disaster, and getting the money right after it. These service lines serve tribal nations, local governments, school districts, nonprofits, and the primes that support them, organized by where you are in the cycle.

Before the disaster

Eligibility is decided before the event, not after it. A FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan is the prerequisite for non-emergency mitigation funding.

Why tribal nations need a plan

Most federally recognized tribes do not have a current FEMA-approved mitigation plan. This page explains what is at stake, what the plan requires, who pays for it, and how to close the gap.

FEMA plan status tool
Eligibility
HMGP · BRIC

After the disaster

Once a declaration is issued, the insurance settlement and the FEMA obligation have to be reconciled on the same buildings, or money is lost on both sides.

The planning cycle

Approval lasts five years, and the clock does not pause

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program money becomes available right after a declaration, which is exactly the moment nobody has capacity to run a twelve month planning process. The plan has to already be current when the event happens.

The five-year mitigation plan cycle, worked backward from expirationFEMA approval of a mitigation plan lasts five years. Working backward from the expiration date: twelve to fifteen months out, decide on the update and secure planning funds. Nine to twelve months out, convene the planning team and issue the data request. Six to nine months out, refresh the risk assessment and run public involvement. Three to six months out, send the draft to the FEMA regional office. Zero to three months out, address revisions, adopt by council resolution and receive approval. THE FIVE-YEAR CLOCK, WORKED BACKWARD FROM EXPIRATION PLAN EXPIRES 12–15 MONTHS Decide and fund Commit to the update, secure a planning subapplication, procure 9–12 MONTHS Convene Planning team named, kickoff held, data request issued 6–9 MONTHS Build the record Risk assessment refreshed, action status documented, public input 3–6 MONTHS FEMA review Draft to the regional office for review against the guide 0–3 MONTHS Adopt and approve Revisions addressed, council resolution passed, approval issued On the expiration date the plan stops satisfying the requirement, and the nation is no longer eligible for Hazard Mitigation Assistance as a recipient.

Working backward from the expiration date is the only schedule that reliably lands an approved update before the gap opens. Plan requirements under 44 CFR 201.7

Why this firm

  • Both sides of the moneyMost mitigation planners have never adjusted a claim, and most adjusters have never written a project worksheet. This firm works where the grant and the insurance policy collide.
  • Fluent in tribal governmentAn office inside the Choctaw Nation reservation, a graduate degree in Indigenous Peoples Law, and working familiarity with council process, tribal procurement, and the federal trust relationship.
  • In most cases, not paid from tribal general fundsMitigation planning is typically funded by FEMA's HMA grant programs. PA consulting is funded from the federal share of the recovery. The cost to the tribe is usually limited to the local match, often met with in-kind contributions.
Tribal service credentials
FEMA training45 Independent Study courses
Mitigation planningIS-318.b, IS-328.a, IS-393.b
Public Assistance16 courses, IS-1000 series
Damage assessmentIS-559, IS-556, IS-284.a
Tribal coordinationIS-650.b
Field experience25+ years catastrophe damage assessment
EducationMLS, Indigenous Peoples Law
NAICS541620 / 541611
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Guides across both practices

44 CFR 201.7 plan requirementsWhat FEMA scores, the five year clock, and where plans fail review.→Requesting a tribal disaster declarationDirect request or subrecipient under a state, and what each pathway carries.→Stafford Act Section 312How the insurance offset works and what a defensible reconciliation contains.→FEMA Region 6Tribal and government disaster support across the Region 6 footprint.→

Start with a free plan status check.

The firm can verify your current plan status with FEMA, identify whether an update is due, and outline the path forward. No charge for the initial conversation.

Check your plan status

Notice

Okla Risk Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. The firm does not act as a public adjuster and does not represent policyholders. The firm is not affiliated with or endorsed by FEMA, DHS, SBA, BIA, IHS, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, or any other government or tribal government. Indian Economic Enterprise status is self-certified under the Buy Indian Act and the SBA 8(a) application is pending. Read the full disclosures.