The goal of a safe and resilient California through hazard mitigation depends on the planning and actions of state partners across the state.
California has initiated a five-year update of the State Hazard Mitigation Plan (SHMP), which consists of the state’s hazard mitigation guidance document on the state’s historical and current hazards, as well as mitigation strategies, goals, and objectives.
“The SHMP reflects the state’s commitment to reduce or eliminate potential risks and impacts of natural and human-caused disasters by making California’s families, homes, and communities better prepared and more disaster-resilient.” said Cal OES Chief Deputy Director, Christina Curry.
The enhanced SHMP also allows the state to receive 20% of costs of a major disaster declaration to administer under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). HMGP funds projects aimed at long-term risk reduction and community resilience. This program also is the primary pathway for communities to access funding to create and then implement Local Hazard Mitigation Plans.
HMGP projects fund a variety of project types, including but not limited to wildfire home hardening and defensible space, post-fire reforestation and debris flow mitigation, utility and infrastructure hardening, earthquake retrofits of buildings and infrastructure, floodplain restoration, and local flood risk reduction.
California will receive $404- million under HMGP due to the major disaster declaration from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visit the 404 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program page on the Cal OES website for future announcements about deadlines to apply for funding under the program.