MJHMP: Help us build a safer community!
Draft Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP).
Irvine Ranch Water District has been working with the Municipal Water District of Orange County and participating agencies on updates to a Multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan to help assess our community’s vulnerabilities to disaster, and identify appropriate action to guard against it.
The draft Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan is now available for public review and comment, which will run through November 26. You can access the draft plan by clicking on the links provided below.
- · To review the complete MJHMP containing Annexes from all participating water and wastewater agencies, please visit the Metropolitan Water District of Orange County’s Outreach page here.
- · Comments about the draft document can be provided here.
- · The draft MJHMP Base Plan can be accessed here.
- · The draft Annex O Irvine Ranch Water District plan can be accessed here.
Why have an MJHMP?
An MJHMP will help IRWD, MWDOC, and 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 IRWD to better prepare in advance for these disasters so less damage occurs, and recovery is easier. Our community can use MJHMP 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 MJHMP 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 protect our assets and properties within the planning area, our MJHMP will make IRWD 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.
What is in our MJHMP?
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 IRWD, MWDOC and 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.
What hazards will our MJHMP help protect against?
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-Cause Hazards – Terrorism
- · Human-Caused Hazards – Hazardous Materials
- · Urban Fire
- · Geologic Hazards – Land Subsidence
- · Geologic Hazards – Expansive Soils
- · Tsunami
- · Climate Change
- · Coastal Storms/Erosion
While many of these hazards may affect our specific agency, for those that are not relevant, the plan will provide an explanation regarding its exclusion.
How is our MJHMP being prepared?
MWDOC 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 are responsible for guiding the overall development of our MJHMP.
When will our MJHMP be done?
The project team plans to release a Public Review Draft MJHMP in Fall 2024. After members of the public provide comments and feedback, IRWD will work with MWDOC and Participating Agencies to revise the plan and send it to the California Office of Emergency Services and FEMA for review and approval. Once approved by these agencies, IRWD’s Board of Directors will adopt the final MJHMP.
How can I get involved?
You can get involved in preparing our MJHMP in different ways.
- · IRWD will have public engagement opportunities to share information about our MJHMP and obtain community feedback. Stay tuned for these opportunities.
- · Please take our online survey https://forms.gle/RmJDAJddw4CfnrXC7, which is available through August 2024. Please share this link with your family and friends.
- · IRWD will release a draft of the completed MJHMP for public review. Please review and provide comments on this document, either at community engagement opportunities or in writing.
- · Encourage members of IRWD’s Board of Directors to adopt the plan and begin implementing it.
- · Reach out to info@IRWD.com for more ways to stay involved.
