Following stakeholder planning meetings over the course of a year and a public survey period in January, the city of Santa Clarita’s 2021 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) draft update enters the next phase in the approval and adoption process.

The LHMP draft update has been sent to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and is available for residents to review at santa-clarita.com/LHMP.

As part of the public update process, residents completed an online survey and provided insight and feedback to help the City plan ahead for and reduce the potential impacts of natural and man-made disasters in Santa Clarita. Survey responses were used to assist in the development of the 2021 LHMP, which is a comprehensive plan that identifies hazards affecting Santa Clarita and ways that the City can work independently and with other agencies to reduce damage to life and property.

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 is federal legislation that requires all local agencies to have a Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan in place to be eligible for both pre-and post-disaster federal funding. Every five years, the City of Santa Clarita evaluates its LHMP and makes updates as necessary.

Following review and approval by Cal OES, the City’s LHMP draft update will be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for approval. Once approved by FEMA, the 2021 LHMP will be presented at a future City Council meeting for adoption.

The 2021 LHMP draft update is available for public review and comment until Thursday, April 22, 2021. To submit comments on the draft, please email emergencymanagement@santa-clarita.com.