California Hazard Mitigation Plan

California Hazard Mitigation Plan
Name	California Hazard Mitigation Plan
Jurisdiction	California
Agency	California Governor's Office of Emergency Services
First adopted	2013
Updated	2022

Contents

California Hazard Mitigation Plan The California Hazard Mitigation Plan is a statewide strategic framework that guides California's approach to reducing impacts from natural and human-caused hazards. The Plan integrates risk assessments, mitigation priorities, and funding strategies to align with federal programs such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's hazard mitigation grant streams and state-level authorities including the California Office of Emergency Services and the California Natural Resources Agency. It informs actions across agencies including the California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and local jurisdictions like the Los Angeles County and San Diego County governments.

Overview

The Plan synthesizes multi-hazard science and policy from sources such as the United States Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Army Corps of Engineers, California Geological Survey, and academic partners like the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and California Institute of Technology. It addresses hazards including seismic events linked to the San Andreas Fault, wildfire dynamics studied by CAL FIRE and the National Interagency Fire Center, flood risk informed by the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta studies, coastal erosion along the Pacific Coast, and landslides in regions like the Sierra Nevada. The Plan also considers cascading risks observed during incidents such as the Northridge earthquake, Camp Fire (2018), and historic floods affecting the Central Valley.

Statutory authority and administrative responsibilities derive from state statutes and federal requirements including the Stafford Act and guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Oversight involves the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services coordinating with the California State Legislature, the California Senate, the California Assembly, and executive offices such as the Office of the Governor of California. Implementation requires alignment with regulatory entities like the California Environmental Protection Agency, California Coastal Commission, and permitting agencies including the United States Army Corps of Engineers for floodplain actions. Legal instruments referenced include California statutes on emergency services, the National Environmental Policy Act processes when federal funds are used, and interagency memoranda with partners such as the California Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Mitigation priorities combine structural projects—levee upgrades near the Sacramento River, seismic retrofits for facilities at the California State University campuses, and fuel reduction in wildlands managed by CAL FIRE—with non-structural measures like land-use planning coordinated with city governments such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Projects include floodplain restoration with partners like the Nature Conservancy and Sierra Club chapters, coastal resilience efforts involving the California Coastal Commission and municipal agencies, and energy resilience initiatives with the California Independent System Operator and investor-owned utilities like Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Southern California Edison. The Plan promotes retrofits addressing seismic vulnerability in historic structures overseen by the California Office of Historic Preservation and public-health preparedness coordinated with the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Implementation draws funding from federal sources such as the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, and state appropriations allocated by the California State Legislature and administered through the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. Coordination mechanisms engage regional entities including the Bay Area Regional Water Board, the Southern California Association of Governments, tribal governments like the Yurok Tribe and Hoopa Valley Tribe, and metropolitan planning organizations such as SACOG and SCAG. Private-sector partners include utilities PG&E and infrastructure firms, insurers such as State Farm, and philanthropic organizations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation that fund resilience pilots. Implementation also leverages technical assistance from federal partners including the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Monitoring uses performance metrics tied to outcomes overseen by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and reporting requirements aligned with Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance. Evaluation employs hazard indicators from agencies such as the National Weather Service and U.S. Geological Survey and program audits by the California State Auditor and legislative committee reviews in the California State Assembly. Plan maintenance mandates periodic updates incorporating new science from institutions like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, lessons learned from events such as the Camp Fire (2018) and Northridge earthquake, and stakeholder input from municipal governments including Oakland, Sacramento, and Irvine. Continuous engagement includes workshops with academia (UC Davis, UCLA), NGOs (American Red Cross), and federal partners to ensure adaptive management and resilience across California's diverse regions.

Category:Emergency management in California