Napa County along with each participating jurisdiction will develop an update to the Napa County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan 2013 update to reduce losses resulting from natural disasters. Hazard mitigation is the use of long-term actions to reduce the loss of life, personal injury, and property damage that can result from a disaster. Benefits of mitigation planning include:
- Identifying actions for risk reduction that are agreed upon by stakeholders and the public,
- Focusing resources on the greatest risks and vulnerabilities,
- Building partnerships by involving citizens, organizations, and businesses,
- Increasing education and awareness of threats and hazards, as well as their risks,
- Communicating priorities to State and Federal officials, and
- Aligning risk reduction with other community objectives.
Planning efforts could include capital projects and other pragmatic activities that can mitigate the impacts of hazards. The 2019 MJHMP Update will cover each of the major natural hazards that pose risks to County infrastructure and residents. Recognizing that successful mitigation planning efforts must be communicated and understood by the public, the County approach will include stakeholder participation and input with the use of cutting edge GIS technology to map and update the hazard information for each hazard profiled in the 2020 MJHMP.
Participating Jurisdictions
The 2020 MJHMP update will include, at a minimum, the jurisdictions listed below. It is understood that the County also encompasses areas of land controlled by federal and state land management agencies including the California Department of Forest and Fire Protection, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation as shown in the map below. While the federal government ultimately has jurisdiction in these parts of the County, the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan could also be used to document and coordinate mitigation efforts between federal and local jurisdictions. In addition, it will be important to invite organizations such as public and private utility companies to be stakeholders during the update process. The following jurisdictions will meet FEMA guidelines and requirements as a formal participating agency:
Municipalities
- City of American Canyon
- City of Calistoga
- City of St. Helena
- Town of Yountville
Additional Participating Jurisdictions
- Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
- Napa County Office of Education
- Napa Valley College
- Howell Mountain Mutual Water Company
Update Requirements and DMA 2000
A current and approved hazard mitigation plan is a prerequisite for jurisdictions wishing to pursue funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) if a State or Federal disaster should occur. The Robert T. Stafford Act constitutes the statutory authority for most Federal disaster response and recovery activities especially as they pertain to FEMA and FEMA programs.
On October 30, 2000, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act was amended by Public Law 106-390 and is referred to as the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000). As a DMA 2000 requirement, the Napa County MJHMP must be updated every five (5) years to remain in compliance with regulations and Federal mitigation grant conditions. Federal regulations require hazard mitigation plans to include a plan for monitoring, evaluating, and updating the hazard mitigation plan. A current and approved hazard mitigation plan is a prerequisite for jurisdictions wishing to pursue funding under the Robert T. Stafford Act.
Floodplain Management Plan
The 2019 MJHMP Update will be compliant with all Community Rating System (CRS) 510 activities and CRS repetitive loss category “C” (50 or more unmitigated repetitive loss properties). Following the 10-step process described in CRS Activity 510 (Floodplain Management Planning) the planning team will develop a more comprehensive plan for flood damage reduction within the multi-hazard mitigation plan update. The Plan will also include additional mapping of Repetitive Loss Properties and aim to increase CRS points for future insurance premium discounts for residents across the County.
Flood Inundation Mapping
The Local Planning Project Management Team will identify areas where Flood Inundation mapping products would be most beneficial for internal emergency response and mitigation planning personal. As part of this effort a series of public outreach maps will be developed to communicate anticipated flood depths in populated areas of the County. Areas of mapping will be determined later through planning team analysis.
Project Funding Information
Napa County is using funding from the County to complete the MJHMP update under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The County has contracted with Dynamic Planning + Science (DP+S) to update the County’s current Hazard Mitigation Plan. DP+S will provide on-site process facilitation, stakeholder outreach, data collection and analysis, plan writing, and strategy development.