Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
Every five years our LHMP is required to be updated and submitted to the State Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The LHMP presents a strategy for reducing the City's vulnerability to the impacts of natural hazard events such as wildfire, earthquakes, and drought. This plan will identify opportunities for the City to become more resilient to hazards in the future.
WHAT IS A HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN?
A Hazard Mitigation Plan is a framework that guides our community in making decisions and developing policies to reduce or eliminate risks to life and property. The plan identifies the types of hazards that threaten our community, evaluates our vulnerability to those threats, and outlines a strategy to reduce or eliminate the risk posed by those threats.
WHY IS THE PLAN IMPORTANT?
The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires that a community have an approved hazard mitigation plan to be eligible to apply for and receive certain types of FEMA hazard mitigation funds. Receipt of these funds can be critical to the implementation of identified hazard mitigation programs that break the cycle of disaster, damage, restoration, and repeated damage.
HOW IS A LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN DEVELOPED?
The ultimate goal of an LHMP is to identify and address hazards specific to South Pasadena, identify mitigation actions to reduce the severity and impact of each hazard, and achieve certification by FEMA for hazard mitigation funding.
THE LHMP PRIMARILY CONSISTS OF THREE COMPONENTS:
Hazard Profiles: type, location, extent, previous occurrences, probability of future events;
Vulnerability Assessment: impacts of hazards, vulnerability to each hazard, repetitive loss, potential dollar losses; and
Mitigation Strategies: overarching goals, specific actions, and prioritization of those actions to reduce hazard impacts.
The LHMP is developed from a process-oriented approach, utilizing the experience of community partners such as neighboring cities, Orange County, and outside agencies. The community partners provide key stakeholder input on the hazard profiles, vulnerability assessment, and mitigation strategies as outlined above. This participation is documented and incorporated into the LHMP. Additionally, the LHMP will identify how the plan will be monitored, evaluated, and updated within a five-year cycle.
Once completed, the LHMP is submitted to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and FEMA for review and comment. Once conditional approval is received from Cal OES and FEMA, the LHMP is approved locally by the City.
HOW CAN THE PUBLIC BECOME INVOLVED IN THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING PROCESS?
Public participation in the process is important because it helps raise awareness of the hazards we face in the City of South Pasadena and the actions needed to mitigate those hazards. By participating in the process, you will be taking time to consider the hazards in our community, the impact of those hazards on life and property, actions that need to be taken to reduce that impact, and the priority of these actions. The LHMP Planning Team will consider all input from the public and integrate it into the plan where appropriate. Opportunities for the community to provide input, ask questions, and review/comment on draft documents will be provided throughout the planning process. Your comments, questions, ideas, and concerns will have a significant role in the plan’s preparation.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Stakeholder meetings have taken place since June of 2022. Those stakeholders include external and internal representatives including City Commissioners and allied agency representatives. A Public Hearing was held on April 11, 2023 to engage the public and provide further opportunities for community input. A second Public Hearing will take place at a regular session of the City Council on July 19, 2023.
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT LHMP
The DRAFT Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (PDF) will be reviewed at a Public Hearing during regular session of the City Council on August 16. If accepted by Council it will be delivered to the California Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for approval.