San Mateo is seeking support from residents to create a Local Risk Mitigation Plan for hazards such as earthquakes, floods, and more.
Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
San Mateo County, led by the Office of Emergency Services, has begun developing the updated Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, with the goal of addressing hazards such as earthquakes, flooding, extreme heat and landslides.
In response, the county has asked for residents' help in identifying solutions to problems associated with natural hazards.
For Phase 1, the County invites the public to participate in the hazard mitigation plan by filling out a survey about natural hazard risks in San Mateo through the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RG5GTPSThe first virtual public workshop will be held on Thursday, March 25 at 4:00 p.m. on the site https://cmo.smcgov.org/events/march-25-2021-preparing-hazards-san-mateo-county-local-hazard-taller-público-del-plan-de-mitigación.
He also called for a virtual meeting of the Steering Committee to be held on March 22 at 2:00 p.m. on the website: https://cmo.smcgov.org/events/march-22-2021-hazard-mitigation-plan-update-steering-committee-meeting.
The county detailed in a release that an updated Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan will serve as an important foundation for a more resilient and sustainable area.
"The plan looks at how San Mateo County and its planning partners can reduce the impact of natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, extreme heat and landslides," he said.
He added that once approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the plan ensures that San Mateo County and its partners remain eligible for grant funding for pre- and post-disaster mitigation projects.
This, he said, through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs and other non-emergency disaster assistance, such as the agency's new Building Resilient Communities and Infrastructure (BRIC) program.
The current San Mateo County Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan expires in September 2021, as each plan is updated every five years.
The planning process will be organized in three phases and each phase will include opportunities for public comment and input.
Phase 2 will begin in May-June, with an interactive and evolving component of the project website. In addition, there will be a Steering Committee meeting on May 24, 2021 and June 28, 2021 at 2:00 pm. To which residents are also invited.
For Phase 3 to be held in July-August, it will be possible to attend the second public workshop on July 22, 2021 at 4:00 pm, as well as attend another Steering Committee meeting on July 26, 2021 and August 23, 2021 at 2:00 pm.
For more information on the San Mateo County Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan or for ways to get involved in the development you can visit the project website at: https://cmo.smcgov.org/multijurisdictional-local-hazard-mitigation-plan.
