Emergency Management can involve the Mitigation that is practiced in EITHER a Structural or a Non-structural sense. Structural Mitigation is the physical changes or act of PROTECTION from disasters or hazards. For example, structural mitigation would be when a family reinforces there home to make it more wind proof, or earthquake proof. In addition, other structural mitigation examples would be things like creating a sandbag barrier around the home when a flood might occur. In general structural mitigation is the direct actions that people take, build, or move in order to better preserve their life and or property.

Non-structural mitigation in emergency management involves what people can do on a personal LEVEL that is not structurally or physically evident as a PROTECTIVE defense such as a surge wall or a storm shelter. Non- structural mitigation in general would involve things such as having flood insurance. In addition another example would be a family creating a family emergency plan.  Any mental PREPAREDNESS, training, insurance, discussion, and planning would be considered items of non-structural mitigation