Signal Hill residents can review the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and take a survey to inform future updates.
The recent downpour that swept through Southern California served as a damp reminder to prepare for natural disasters and hazards in all their forms.
Signal Hill began updating its city-wide preparations outlined in the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, and is asking residents to contribute through a public survey.
A Local Hazard Mitigation Plan requires all cities, states and tribal territories to create a framework with strategies and approaches designed to reduce the loss of life and property in the event of a disaster. Cities must update their plan every five years due to the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 in order to qualify for certain types of non-emergency disaster assistance.
The main goals of the plan are to protect life and property, enhance public awareness, protect natural systems, encourage partnerships and implement and strengthen emergency services.
The Signal Hill Police Department is leading the update efforts in partnership with multiple City departments.
Signal Hill recently updated its Hazard Mitigation Plan in January 2024, identifying five main hazards that pose threats to the city:
- Earthquake: Signal Hill is especially susceptible to earthquakes due to its proximity to multiple fault lines
- Landslide: Areas of high elevation in Signal Hill are susceptible to landslides, particularly after a large seismic event or severe rainstorm
- Windstorm: The City is highly likely to high winds created by Santa Ana wind events
- Drought: Signal Hill, like much of California, has a history of experiencing drought, with the possibility of severe drought conditions in the future
- Flood: During a major rainstorm, some areas of Signal Hill may experience flooding
During the most recent rainstorm, the city had to shut down pedestrian access to the Panorama Walking Trail due to land erosion, and briefly had to shut down Panorama Drive to vehicles.
The plan outlines mitigation goals for each of these risks, such as integrating new earthquake hazard mapping data, encouraging construction design that can be added to steep slopes, encouraging electrical utilities to go underground, exploring the possibility of deepening water wells and identifying locations prone to flooding.
General goals outlined in the 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan include:
- Developing seismic inventory of at-risk City-owned buildings and infrastructure. (According to city documents, Community Services and the Youth Center have been evaluated so far)
- Installing and improving back-up power in City-owned critical facilities
- Maintaining a fully operational Emergency Operations Center
- Providing emergency operations training and conducting exercises
According to City documents, the City was exploring developing mutual aid systems between Signal Hill and surrounding cities for emergency building assessment and training, but the idea was cut due to lack of funding.
Signal Hill has released an online survey for residents to participate in the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update.
Survey questions include:
- Have you been impacted by a hazard?
- What type of hazard have you been impacted by?
- Select the top three hazards that are a concern to you.
- How do you get information about emergency preparedness?
- What steps has your household taken to prepare for a disaster?
- What types of hazard insurance policy do you have on your current residence?
- How can the City help you become better prepared for a disaster?
The City is also inviting residents to use the Map Your Neighborhood program, which encourages residents nationwide to coordinate with their neighbors in order to rely on each other during the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
Interested residents can receive a brief one-on-one training session from the Signal Hill Emergency Operations Coordinator. Once that training is completed, residents will be asked to contact their neighbors and give a 90-minute program on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster.
