Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Orange County Water District and participating agencies are preparing an update to our Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP). The plan allows public safety officials, agency 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, which will help create a safer community for residents, businesses and visitors.

You can help in the preparation of the MJHMP by submitting feedback on the draft plan. Please note, public comments are due November 26.

To learn more, click on the headings below.

An MJHMP will help participating agencies better plan for future emergencies. Usually, after a disaster occurs, communities take steps to recover from the emergency and rebuild. An MJHMP is a way for OCWD to better prepare in advance for these disasters so less damage occurs, and recovery is easier. It will:

  • Reduce instances of property damage, injury, and loss of life from disasters.
  • Save money. Studies estimate that every dollar spent on mitigation saves an average of four dollars on response and recovery costs.
  • 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.
  • Make OCWD 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 MJHMP can also provide eligibility to receive more financial assistance from the State when disasters occur.

The MJHMP includes four main sections:

  • A summary of the natural and human-caused hazards that pose a risk to our community
  • An assessment of the threat to participating agencies, which will describe how our community is vulnerable to future disasters
  • A hazard mitigation strategy, which will lay out specific policy recommendations to carry out over the next five years
  • A section on maintaining the plan, which will help ensure that our MJHMP is kept up-to-date

The MJHMP plans to include the following natural and human-cause hazards:

  • Power outage
  • Wildfire
  • Seismic hazards – ground shaking
  • Seismic hazards – liquefaction
  • High winds/Santa Ana winds
  • Drought
  • Dam/reservoir failure
  • Flood
  • Earthquake fault rupture
  • Landslide/mudflow
  • Contamination
  • Human-caused hazards – terrorism
  • Human-caused hazards – hazardous materials
  • Urban fire
  • Geologic hazards – land subsidence
  • Geologic hazards – expansive soils
  • Tsunami
  • Climate change
  • Coastal storms/erosion

OCWD and participating agencies have assembled a Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee (HMPC), which includes representatives from agency departments and is supported by key stakeholders and technical consultants. Together, these participants form the project team responsible for guiding the overall development of our MJHMP.

The project team released a Public Review Draft MJHMP in November 2024. After members of the public provide comments and feedback, participating agencies 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, OCWD will adopt the final MJHMP.