Whittier’s Hazard Mitigation Plan

The City of Whittier is in the process of drafting a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) to identify and reduce losses resulting from natural disasters. Hazard mitigation is the use of sustained, long-term actions to reduce the loss of life, personal injury, and property damage that can result from a disaster. 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.

Every five years Whittier’s LHMP is required to be updated and submitted to the State Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to remain in compliance with regulations and Federal mitigation grant conditions. 

What is a hazard mitigation plan?

A Hazard Mitigation Plan is a framework that guides a 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 the city, evaluates its 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 Whittier, identify mitigation actions to reduce the severity and impact of each hazard, and achieve certification by FEMA for hazard mitigation funding. 

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 faced in the City of Whittier and the actions needed to mitigate those hazards. By participating in the process, you will be taking time to consider the hazards in the 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.

Opportunities for public participation will be posted on the City’s website over the next few months. For more information regarding our LHMP, please visit our website at:

https://mitigatehazards.com/whittierhmp/