Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

The City of Aliso Viejo is preparing the city’s first Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). This plan will help create a safer community for residents, businesses, and visitors. The LHMP allows public safety officials and city staff, elected officials, and members of the public to understand the threats from natural and human-caused hazards in our community. The plan will also recommend specific actions to proactively decrease these threats before disasters occur. This plan will open a five-year eligibility window for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to assist in funding hazard mitigation projects within the City, as well as financial assistance from the state once formerly adopted by City Council.

Why have an LHMP?

An LHMP will let Aliso Viejo better plan for future emergencies. Usually, after a disaster occurs, communities take steps to recover from the emergency and rebuild. An LHMP is a way for the City to better prepare in advance of these disasters, so when they do occur, less damage occurs, and recovery is easier. Our community can use LHMP strategies to reduce instances of property damage, injury, and loss of life from disasters. Besides protecting public health and safety, this approach can save money. Studies estimate that every dollar spent on mitigation saves an average of four dollars on response and recovery costs. An LHMP can also help strengthen the mission of public safety officers, such as police and fire department staff, providing them with clear roles and responsibilities to build a safer community.

Besides helping to protect Aliso Viejo, our LHMP will make the City eligible for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that can be used to further improve safety and preparedness in the community. Having an adopted LHMP can also make Aliso Viejo eligible to receive more financial assistance from the State when disasters do occur.

What is in our LHMP?

The City of Aliso Viejo LHMP includes four main sections:

  • A summary of the natural and human-caused hazards that pose a risk to our community. This will include descriptions of past disaster events and the chances of these disasters occurring in the future.
  • An assessment of the threat to Aliso Viejo, which will describe how our community is vulnerable to future disasters. The plan will look at the threat to important buildings and infrastructure, such as OCSD and OCFA stations, hospitals, roads, and utility lines. It will also look at the threat to community members, particularly vulnerable populations.
  • A hazard mitigation strategy, which will lay out specific policy recommendations for Aliso Viejo to carry out over the next five years. These recommendations will help reduce the threat that our community faces from hazard events.
  • A section on maintaining the plan, which will help ensure that our LHMP is kept up-to-date. This will make it easier for us to continue to proactively protect ourselves, and will also keep the City eligible for additional funding.

What hazards will our LHMP help protect against?

The City anticipates addressing the following potential natural hazards within the plan:

  • Wildland Fires
  • Seismic Hazards and Geologic Hazards
  •  Flood
  • Severe Weather (Winds, Drought, and Storms)
  • Other Hazards that may be exacerbated by Natural Hazards

Our LHMP will also look at how climate change may affect these hazards and may include other hazards that pose a threat to our community.

How is our LHMP being prepared?

The City has assembled a Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee (HMPC), which includes representatives from City Departments and supported by key stakeholders, and technical consultants. Together, these participants form the project team responsible for guiding the overall development of our LHMP.

When will our LHMP be done?

The project team plans to release a first draft of the Aliso Viejo LHMP for public review in Fall 2023. After members of the public provide comments and feedback, the City will revise the plan and send it to the California Office of Emergency Services and FEMA for review and approval. Once approved by these agencies, the Aliso Viejo City Council will adopt the final LHMP. We hope to have the plan ready for adoption in late 2023/early 2024, but it may be later depending on how long state and federal review takes.

How can I get involved?

You can get involved in preparing our LHMP in different ways.

  • The City will share information about our LHMP at upcoming community outreach events. 
  • The City is collecting public feedback via an online survey. The City would like to hear about your past experiences with natural hazards and how our LHMP can be the most useful. Take our survey and encourage your friends and family to do the same, especially if they live and/or work in Aliso Viejo. You can also access the survey via the QR code:

LHMP Survey QR Code

  • The City will release a draft of the completed LHMP for public review in Fall 2023. Please review and provide comments on this document, either at in-person meetings or in writing.
  • Reach out to the project team lead, the City’s Emergency Manager, by emailing disasterprep@avcity.org or calling 949-425-2598 for more ways to stay involved.

What can I do now to be better prepared for disasters?

  • Know the hazards that may affect you at your home, work, or school. You can find out more at http://myhazards.caloes.ca.gov/. 
  • Assemble an emergency kit for your home. In a disaster, you may have to rely on supplies in your emergency kit for at least three days. Be sure to include supplies for any pets and anyone in your home with special needs. Learn more at avcity.org/disasterpreparedness.  
  • Have a disaster plan for your household, including how people should contact each other if a disaster occurs and where you should meet.
  • Learn about your neighbors and how to help them. In a disaster, emergency responders may not be able to reach your neighborhood for a while. Know if your neighbors have any special needs, and be sure to check on them as soon as you can.
  • Make sure your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers you from disasters such as earthquakes and floods. If these disasters occur, having good insurance coverage will help you recover easier.
  • Volunteer with an emergency response or community service organization that does work on disaster education and preparation.
  • Speak to your employer about creating a disaster recovery, workforce communication, and/or business continuity plan. If they already have one or more of these plans in place, make sure you and your co-workers know it.
  • Attend the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy. Training is free and offered annually. More information can be found at avcity.org/disasterpreparedness.