Guide to 

Expanding Mitigation

MAKING THE CONNECTION TO COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS 
Cover photo: Businesswoman talking on telephone at desk 

Photo: Farmer with digital tablet in crop field 

Photo: Security officer working in control room 

Communications systems keep communities connected. From phone calls to 

internet browsing, virtual learning to streaming movies, our world is broadened 

and brought together by the technology around us. 

In times of crisis, it is even more important for communities to have resilient 

communications systems. 

• Before a disaster, these systems can broadcast warning information about what 

is happening and prompt people to take action to protect property and lives. 

• During a disaster, they allow essential communications to keep critical 

local and government services running for disaster response, safety, reporting, 

and emergency care. 

• After a disaster, communications systems can provide a way for people to 

connect to important resources or provide safety and general welfare updates 

through emergency calls, text messages, or social media updates. 

Disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and wildfires can jeopardize 

communications systems by compromising their infrastructure and power supplies. 

Considering such impacts of intense heat, severe winds and rising waters in hazard 

mitigation plans and projects can bolster a community’s communications systems 

now, before the next disaster hits. 

This Guide to Expanding Mitigation provides 

recommendations for working with the public and 

private sectors in telecommunications to support 

hazard mitigation, especially in the planning process 

and project development. This guide is designed to 

help community officials engage in a conversation 

about mitigation investments that can help make 

communications systems more resilient. 

This Guide to Expanding 

Mitigation is part of a series 

highlighting innovative 

and emerging partnerships 

for mitigation. 

Cover photo: Businesswoman talking on telephone at desk 
 

HOW NATURAL DISASTERS AFFECT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS 

In the wake of disasters, communications systems are vulnerable to physical 

destruction, lack of compatibility between technologies and network overload or 

delays if too many users are using the same technology. Network infrastructure 

may also be weakened physically due to a low degree of redundancy or backup 

systems in case the primary system fails. Even radio waves can be disrupted by 

atmospheric changes caused by hazards like hurricanes or typhoons. 

Our reliance on internet service also adds to the impact of disasters on 

communications systems. In many communities, internet is only available through 

old telephone and cable television network copper wires rather than more modern 

fiber optic cables. Disruption to supporting infrastructure like power and cooling 

systems can also cause communications systems to fail during disasters. Power 

outages and insufficient fuel for power generators are the main reasons for 

stopping communications. Cooling system failures and difficulty transporting fuel 

supplies and backup power sources can also affect telecommunications systems. 

Connectivity is crucial in times of crisis. Telecommunications are needed for 

early warning systems before disasters, as well as for response during and 

recovery after events. Maintaining a stable and efficient communications 

system is key to creating a resilient community and engaging with experts 

in this sector will help ensure your community stays connected. 

Photo: Team has meeting via video conference 

COMMUNICATIONS AND THE PANDEMIC 

The recent pandemic revealed how communications systems are critical to 

maintaining day-to-day operations, especially for governments. Pivoting to a 

virtual setting enables us to stay connected through telework, telemedicine, 

online education for all levels of learning and services like delivery of goods 

and foods. In an environment of overlapping disasters like hurricanes and 

wildfires on top of a pandemic, communications systems enable flexibility 

and are essential in our ability to keep society running through the future. 

COMMUNICATIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITY 

Keep in mind that connectivity and intensity of use can vary between urban and rural 

environments and across resource-constrained individuals and communities. 

• Broadband is not deployed evenly across the nation, which limits the use of certain 

communication channels such as websites, apps and social media. 

• Many Americans have broadband access but do not subscribe because the cost 

is prohibitive; they instead turn to mobile networks as their primary internet 

access point. 

A number of efforts are underway across many communities to help address issues 

of access and equity to telecommunications. Many rural areas have rural electric 

cooperatives that support telecommunications initiatives and are working to upgrade 

infrastructure in their communities. 

In urban areas with limited broadband access, community organizations are 

similarly deploying ad hoc wireless systems to help ensure that everyone has 

access to the internet. 

The telecommunications sector is diverse in application, infrastructure and technology. 

The way your community interfaces with it may be just as diverse. Identifying and 

learning more about the vulnerabilities in your infrastructure systems can be helpful 

for communities seeking to design more effective mitigation strategies that strengthen 

those essential resources, so they are available when needed. 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates that more than 

18 million Americans lack access to fast broadband. Are you curious about 

how your service compares? Most internet service providers have online 

speed tests. 
 

Photo: Two women working with computer in server room 

MAKING COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS MORE RESILIENT 

A resilient communications network can maintain the same level of functionality 

when faced with internal and external disturbances from natural disasters. As 

local communities are able to strengthen their telecommunications sector and 

infrastructure, this can help a community be more resilient before, during and 

after a disaster. Leaders collaborating with telecommunications professionals 

may consider asking these questions: 

• How is the communications system mapped, and where do we see 

potential vulnerabilities? 

• Who owns and/or manages the infrastructure and equipment for this 

resource? How can we best engage and collaborate with them? 

• How can we create an ecosystem where it is easier to collaborate with 

competitors on mitigation efforts? 

• How do hazards such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods or earthquakes affect 

the communications infrastructure? 

• How can we increase the reliability of our communications system by 

diversifying it and adding redundant system components? 

• What impact have past disasters had on this system? What was the impact 

to connectivity? What component(s) of the system failed? What component(s) 

of the system functioned through the disaster? 

Resilience in telecommunications requires both structural and operational 

interventions. At the structural level, resilience is achieved through redundancy 

and diversity. Redundancy includes both replication of components and 

communications links; redundant parts pick up the task of any failing entities. 

Diversity helps avoid challenges of the same kind affecting system components 

in the same way. At the operational level, resilience is achieved through active 

detection, remediation, and recovery actions. 

To maintain continuity of operations during and after a disaster, it is important 

to install flexible infrastructure that can be up and running in the critical days 

following the event. This period is when the most lives can be saved. 

In addition to evaluating how hazards affect communications operations, emergency 

managers and local officials should include mitigation actions for communications 

systems in hazard mitigation plans. Telecommunications professionals recommend 

considering the following mitigation strategies for communications systems: 

1. Regular Upgrades and Inspections: Reinforce or upgrade infrastructure to 

mitigate the risk of physical damage. Perform regular inspections of both 

physical infrastructure (cables, server rooms, telephone poles, etc.) and digital 

infrastructure (software updates). 

2. Autonomous Power Supplies: Provide an autonomous power supply and enough fuel 

for generators because electricity failure may last for a long time. Consider alternative 

power sources like wind or solar to ensure continuity in the event of power outages. 

3. Safer and More Accessible Equipment Locations: Install equipment in safer places 

that are farther from at-risk areas. When reviewing or updating the location of 

essential equipment, make sure it is accessible, that it has security measures like 

fencing, and that surrounding vegetation is trimmed. 

4. Critical System Backups: Ensure redundancy and backups for critical systems and 

implement interoperable systems and diversified access technologies. 

5. Computer System Networking: Embrace mesh topologies to provide redundancy 

routes and reduce the risk of network failure. 

6. System Monitoring: Install a warning system that uses sensors to monitor and 

provide digital data about environmental conditions. 

7. Co-location with Other Utilities: Work with other utility sectors, including electric 

power, to ensure resilient communication considerations, like undergrounding, are 

addressed within their mitigation plans and projects. 

WHAT ARE “MESH TOPOLOGIES”? 

In a mesh topology, the network is set up where each node (computers and network 

devices) is interconnected with at least one other node and usually to more than one. These 

nodes act as relays, passing on a message toward its final destination. This setup allows 

for most transmissions to be distributed even if one of the connections goes down. The 

advantage of mesh topologies is that a failure of one device does not cause a break in the 

network or transmission of data since traffic can be rerouted to other nodes. Full mesh 

topologies can be costly to implement, so partial mesh topologies are often deployed to 

balance cost and the need for redundancy. Military organizations and emergency services 

often use mesh topologies to ensure that communications systems are reliable. Wireless 

mesh networks are gaining popularity because they are simple and cheap to connect using 

radio signals. For example, in New York City the youth-development nonprofit Red Hook 

Initiative built a local mesh network using interconnected wireless routers. Red Hook is a 

low-income community that is highly vulnerable to flood risk and was significantly damaged 

during Hurricane Sandy. This Wi-Fi network provides the neighborhood a communication 

alternative to broadband providers to use during disasters and all other times. 
DON’T FORGET ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY
 

Not all individuals within a community have the same access to, or knowledge of, 

digital and communications technologies and how to most effectively use them. 

• For example, when you are shifting activities to a digital setting, you may 

consider pairing those efforts with a public outreach initiative so that the 

community is familiar with the new systems. 

• Providing essential or important information through more than one type of 

communications channel ensures that no individuals or groups are left out. 

These essential communications may be shared through in-person meetings, 

postcards, reverse 9-1-1/4-1-1, physical flyers posted in key locations, text 

messages and other ways. 

COMMUNICATIONS REPRESENTATIVES 

Which organizations should you invite to engage in the planning process? 

The answer will vary from county to county and state to state, but consider 

individuals and/or organizations like these: 

• Municipal technology officers. 

• Public works department. 

• Telecommunications providers (e.g., phone, cable, broadband, satellite, etc.). 

• Utility companies. 

• Academic institutions—especially those with programs in telecommunications 

and energy. 

• Local chapters of relevant trade unions (e.g., International Brotherhood 

of Electrical Workers, Communications Workers of America, Utility Workers 

of America). 

• Rural electric cooperatives, including those who focus on solar and wind power. 

• State agencies or departments responsible for public utilities or 

telecommunications oversight. 

• Local businesses with subject matter experts in telecommunications and/or 

electrical providers. 

Photo: Man using smart phone on subway train in New York, N.Y. 
 

RESOURCES 

Guides to Expanding Mitigation 

https://www.fema.gov/mitigation-risk-reduction 

Link to all available Guides to Expanding Mitigation. 

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Planning 

https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/hazardmitigation-planning 

Review standards and guidance for the planning process. 

FCC Bridging the Digital Divide for All Americans Initiative 

https://www.fcc.gov/about-fcc/fcc-initiatives/bridging-digital-divide-all-americans 

Learn about FCC initiatives to increase broadband access. 

FCC Lifeline Program for Low-Income Consumers 

https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-consumers 

Learn about discount phone services for qualified consumers. 

USDA e-Connectivity Initiatives 

https://www.usda.gov/broadband 

Learn about programs for rural communities. 

Photo: Communication towers sit atop Steptoe Butte in eastern Washington 

REFERENCES 

Anderson, M. 2019. “Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2019.” Pew 

Research Center: Internet and Technology. Pew Research Center. pewresearch.org/ 

internet/2019/06/13/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2019/ 

Burrington, I. 2017. “What Happens to the Internet After a Disaster?” New York 

Magazine. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/10/what-happens-to-the-internetafter-a-disaster.html 

Khaled, Z.E.L. and Mcheick, H. 2019. “Case Studies of Communications Systems 

During Harsh Environments: A Review of Approaches, Weaknesses, and Limitations to 

Improve Quality of Service.” International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks 15(2). 

Mauthe, A., et al. 2016. “Disaster Resilient Communication Networks: Principles and 

Best Practices.” 2016 8th International Workshop on Resilient Network Design and 

Modeling (RNDM), 1-10 (IEEE). 

Sterbenz, J.P.G., et al. 2013. “Evaluation of Network Resilience, Survivability, and 

Disruption Tolerance: Analysis, Topology Generation, Simulation, and Experimentation.” 

Telecommunication Systems 52: 705-736. 

Steward, E. 2020. “Give Everybody the Internet.” Vox. https://www.vox.com/ 

recode/2020/9/10/21426810/internet-access-covid-19-chattanooga-municipalbroadband-fcc 

Stone, M. 2020. “To Fight Climate Change, Democrats Want to Close the ‘Digital 

Divide.’” Grist. https://grist.org/politics/to-fight-climate-change-democrats-want-toclose-the-digital-divide/ 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

We thank the following organizations, whose staff contributed their time toward 

advancing our understanding of mitigation and communications systems: 

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; FEMA Region 2; Qri; 

University of Pennsylvania; and Witt O’Brien’s. 

ENGAGE WITH US
 

Are you a state, local, tribal or territorial official interested in making the 

connection between telecommunications and hazard mitigation? Are you 

a telecommunications professional interested in connecting with local 

officials to reduce risk from hazards? Please contact us at 

FEMA-ExpandingMitigation@fema.dhs.gov.