Los Altos Hills City Council
September 19, 2024

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 15: Tsunami 346
The Pacific tsunami warning system evolved from a program initiated in 1946. It is a cooperative effort involving 26 countries along with numerous seismic stations, water level stations and information distribution centers. The National Weather Service296 F 297 operates two regional information distribution
centers. One is located in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and the other is in Palmer, Alaska. The Ewa Beach center also serves as an administrative hub for the Pacific warning system.

The warning system only begins to function when a Pacific basin earthquake of magnitude 6.5 or greater triggers an earthquake alarm. When this occurs, the following sequence of actions occurs:
 Data is interpolated to determine epicenter and magnitude of the event.  If the event is magnitude 7.5 or greater and located at sea, a TSUNAMI WATCH is issued.  Participating tide stations in the earthquake area are requested to monitor their gages. If unusual tide levels are noted, the tsunami watch is upgraded to a TSUNAMI WARNING.  Tsunami travel times are calculated, and the warning is transmitted to the disseminating agencies and thus relayed to the public.
 The Ewa Beach center will cancel the watch or warning if reports from the stations indicate that no tsunami was generated or that the tsunami was inconsequential.

This system is not considered to be effective for communities located close to the tsunami because the first wave would arrive before the data were processed and analyzed. In this case, strong ground shaking would provide the first warning of a potential tsunami.

15.2.6 Extent
The extent of Tsunami can be measured through the new tsunami intensity scale which was proposed by Papadopoulos and Imamura in 2001. This intensity scale defines the ranges of anticipated intensities of Tsunami as:

Table 116: Tsunami Intensity Scale297F
298
Category Description
I. Not Felt a) Not felt even under the most favorable
circumstances.
b) No effect.
c) No damage.

II. Scarcely Felt a) Felt by a few people on board in small vessels.

Not observed in the coast.
b) No effect.
c) No damage.

III. Weak a) Felt by most people on board in small vessels.

Observed by a few people in the coast.
b) No effect.
c) No damage.
297 National Weather Service. (n.d.). Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. https://www.tsunami.gov/?page=history 298 UNESCO. (n.d.) The New Tsunami Intensity Scale. https://neamtic.ioc-unesco.org/images/Neamtic/PDF/intensityscale.pdf

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 15: Tsunami 347
Category Description
IV. Largely Observed a) Felt by all on board in small vessels and by few people on board in large vessels.
b) Few small vessels move slightly onshore.
c) No damage.

V. Strong a) Felt by all on board in large vessels and
observed by all in the coast. Few people are
frightened and run to higher ground.
b) Many small vessels move strongly onshore, few
of them crash each other or overturn. Traces of
sand layer are left behind in grounds of favorable
conditions. Limited flooding of cultivated land.
c) Limited flooding of outdoor facilities (e.g.
gardens) of near-shore structures.

VI. Slightly Damaging a) Many people are frightened and run to higher ground.
b) Most small vessels move violently onshore, or
crash strongly into each other, or overturn.
b) Damage and flooding in a few wooden
structures. Most masonry buildings withstand.

VII. Damaging a) Most people are frightened and try to run in higher ground.
b) Many small vessels damaged. Few large vessels
oscillate violently. Objects of variable size and
stability overturn and drift. Sand layer and
accumulations of pebbles are left behind. Few
aquaculture rafts washed away.
c) Many wooden structures damaged, few are
demolished or washed away. Damage of grade 1
and flooding in a few masonry buildings.

VIII. Heavily Damaging a) All people escape to higher ground, a few are washed away.
b) Most of the small vessels are damaged, many
are washed away. Few large vessels are moved
ashore or crashed each other. Big objects are
drifted away. Erosion and littering in the beach.

Extensive flooding. Slight damage in tsunami
control forest, stop drifts. Many aquaculture rafts
washed away, few partially damaged.
c) Most wooden structures are washed away or
demolished. Damage of grade 2 in a few masonry
buildings. Most RC buildings sustain damage, in a
few damage of grade 1 and flooding is observed.

IX. Destructive a) Many people are washed away.
b) Most small vessels are destroyed or washed
away. Many large vessels are moved violently
ashore, few are destroyed. Extensive erosion and
littering of the beach. Local ground subsidence.

Partial destruction in tsunami control forest, stops
drifts. Most aquaculture rafts washed away, many
partially damaged.
c) Damage of grade 3 in many masonry buildings,
few RC buildings suffer damage grade 2.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 15: Tsunami 348
Category Description
X. Very Destructive a) General panic. Most people are washed away. b) Most large vessels are moved violently ashore,
many are destroyed or collided with buildings.

Small boulders from the sea bottom are moved
inland. Cars overturned and drifted. Oil spill, fires
start. Extensive ground subsidence.
c) Damage of grade 4 in many masonry buildings,
few RC buildings suffer damage grade 3. Artificial
embankments collapse, port water breaks
damaged.

XI. Devastating Lifelines interrupted. Extensive fires. Water backwash drifts cars and other objects in the sea.

Big boulders from the sea bottom are moved
inland. Damage of grade 5 in many masonry
buildings. Few RC buildings suffer damage grade
4, many suffer damage grade 3.

XII. Completely Devastating Practically all masonry buildings demolished. Most RC buildings suffer at least damage grade 3.

15.3 Cascading Impact
One additional direct impact a tsunami wave may have on the Santa Clara County OA is through floating debris that can cause damage to any affected areas. The removal of this debris would also take OA time and resources.

Another cascading hazard includes tsunami-triggered fires. This refers to fires that burn after a tsunami event in spilled oil, debris, cargo, vehicles, vegetation as well as residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. These fires could result in injury, death, damage, and contamination of the environment by releasing potentially toxic gases and smoke into the air.

Inundation of wastewater treatments plants, three out of four which sit close to the mapped Tsunami Inundation Area, would also be of concern. This could release raw sewage, waste chemicals, and chemicals used in the treatment of wastewaters into the OA.

15.4 Exposure and Vulnerability
Changes in conditions: no change in vulnerability
 No changes in conditions leading to the occurrence of a tsunami have changed.  Development is not taking place in the potential tsunami hazard, so vulnerability is not increasing.

15.4.1 Population
The population of the Santa Clara County OA is located outside of a tsunami inundation area; therefore, no population exposure exists for the tsunami hazard. No residential properties were identified in the potential tsunami evacuation zone. Minimal risk may be present to employees or recreational visitors to the two parks in the area.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 15: Tsunami 349

15.4.2 Property
Based on the National Structure Inventory, 14 commercial buildings and 2 industrial buildings are potentially vulnerable to tsunami. These buildings have a total value of $6.7 million. Limited additional information is currently available about these facilities to determine additional impacts.

15.4.3 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
Critical facilities and infrastructure in the Santa Clara County OA that are located within the tsunami inundation area include 5 ports, 3 railroad bridges, 4 highway bridges, 2 parks, and 1 open space.

Port location data was obtained from Hazus but little additional information about the function or these facilities and potential impacts from interruption or loss of operation. Two highway bridges are located on McCarthy Blvd near the northern border of Milpitas and San Jose. These are located near the outer edge of the potential inundation area and alternative routes are nearby. Another is located in Mountain View, also on the outer-most edge of the hazard area where alternate routes are available. A forth is in San Jose in the Alviso area, across the Guadalupe River which also has alternate routes. Two of the Southern Pacific railway bridges are also in the Alviso area, which is near the outer edge of the hazard zone. However, one bridge on this rail line is located closer to the shoreline and may experience more severe effects from a tsunami.

15.4.4 Environment
Waterways originating from southern portion of San Francisco Bay would be exposed to the effects of a tsunami or seiche; inundation of water and introduction of foreign debris could be hazardous to the environment. All wildlife inhabiting the area is exposed. Erosion and the destruction of naturally occurring marine habitats would be a concern. All of San Francisco Bay is in the Tsunami Hazard Area. The vulnerability of aquatic habit and associated ecosystems would be highest in low-lying areas close to the southern portion of San Francisco Bay coastline.

Tsunami waves and seiches can carry destructive debris and pollutants that can have devastating impacts on all facets of the environment. Millions of dollars spent on habitat restoration and conservation in the OA could be wiped out by one significant tsunami. There are currently limited tools available to measure these impacts. However, it is conceivable that the potential financial impact of a tsunami or seiche event on the environment could equal or exceed the impact on property. Community planners and emergency managers should take this into account when preparing for the tsunami hazard and considering future development.

15.5 Future Trends in Development
Land along the coast in the OA which could be impacted by a tsunami is primarily already developed or preserved as green space. Most of the land is classified as parks, including CPAD open space, Williamson Act parcels, and conservation easements according to the Plan Bay Area 2050. Additionally, the Tsunami Hazard Area in the OA is within flood hazard areas that are already regulated under floodplain management regulations. However, current FEMA flood maps do not consider tsunami flood risk. Additional data is needed to understand tsunami risk. FEMA has produced the website, “Thinking Beyond Flood Maps – Using FEMA’s Coastal Data to Reduce Risk and Build Resilience” as well as other non-regulatory products to support coastal communities’ development. FEMA also participates in the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP), which is administered by NOAA. The NTHMP works to reduce the impacts of tsunamis through collaboration, communication, and financial and technical support. The Mitigation and Education component provides recommendations to reduce tsunami risk. Additionally, NOAA, through the National Weather Service, sponsors the NWS TsunamiReady Program which helps communities minimize the risk posed by tsunamis through better

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 15: Tsunami 350
risk assessment, planning, education, and early warning systems. Resources like these provide planning partners and developers with the tools needed to ensure any future development is at reduced risk from tsunami events.

15.6 Scenario
The worst-case scenario that may directly impact the OA is a local tsunami or seiche event originating in the San Francisco Bay triggered by a seismic event. This event could occur anytime and could be particularly severe given the limited warning time. There is potential for loss of life and injury. Property and business in the Tsunami Hazard Area could impacted. The series of floodwater waves that would occur would carry damaging debris and cause environmental impacts deep into the OA. These environmental impacts may be the longest impacts felt after the event, particularly if complex debris, crude oil, legacy contaminants, or other pollutants get into the nearby coastal marine environments or onshore. This could potentially have a long-term impact on the immediate local economy.

The largest kind tsunami event that may indirectly impact the OA would be a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami along one of the faults near California. For example, in anticipation of a full rupture along the 800-mile-long Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) which lies off the northwest coast of the United States, the State of California is preparing for impacts of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunami waves, aftershocks, and flooding. Historical evidence suggests that an event of this magnitude will occur within the next 200 years. It is assumed this will be a “no-notice” event. If the CSZ experiences a full fault rupture, it will have a significant impact on surrounding areas, including other counties, states, and countries. According to the California Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake and Tsunami Response Plan, there may be over a thousand deaths, 1,500 injured, and 28,000 structures damaged or destroyed in northern coastal California alone. The cascading impacts of this event would also be substantial. It can be assumed if this were to occur, there would be an immediate need for support from first responders, volunteers, NGOS, and public health and medical services from outside the affected area. The 20 hospitals in Santa Clara County and mass care sheltering venues would need to be prepared to support survivors, including the injured. There would also be a noticeable impact to the daily life of OA residents, including potential disruption to critical infrastructure such as transportation, energy, telecommunications, utility systems, and public health and medical systems. The region, the State, and the Nation may face long-term economic repercussions.

The Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) Tsunami Scenario298F 299 includes additional information
on potential tsunami scenarios on the California pacific coast. This, and other resources, were consulted when developing the consequence analysis in Table 117: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Tsunami.

15.7 Issues
Important issues associated with tsunamis in the OA include the following:
 As tsunami warning technologies evolve, the tsunami warning capability within the OA will need to be enhanced to provide the highest degree of warning.
 With the possibility of climate change, the issue of sea level rise may become an important consideration as probable tsunami inundation areas are identified through future studies.

Special attention will need to be focused on the vulnerable communities in the tsunami zone and on hazard mitigation through public education and outreach. 299 U.S. Geological Survey. (2013). The SFARR Tsunami Scenario. https://www.usgs.gov/publications/safrr-scienceapplication-risk-reduction-tsunami-scenario

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 15: Tsunami 351
Table 117: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Tsunami
Subject Ranking Impacts/Tsunami
Public Minimal to
Moderate
Home and property owners within the Tsunami Hazard
Area are most at risk of impacts from a tsunami event.

Impacts to the public include potential for injury or loss of life, destruction and or/loss of lands and property, and contamination of water due to flooding. Flood water can pose health risks even after the initial wave. Post-tsunami cleanup would also have to be done appropriately to
reduce exposure to pollutants in water, debris, and moldy structures. Educating the public in advance on their
tsunami risk and ways to mitigate their risk will enhance the public’s ability to respond and recover.

Responders Minimal First responders, such as fire and police, would be relied upon to respond to this event. The impact on responders is expected to be minimal with proper training. The impact could be severe if there is a lack of training. It is important responders are aware and on the lookout for the
secondary effects of tsunamis.

Continuity of
Operations (including
continue delivery of
services)
Minimal Temporary relocation may be necessary in the unlikely event inundation affects government facilities. Delivery of services could be impacted if there is any disruption to the roads and/or utilities due to the inundation.

Property, Facilities, and
Infrastructure
Minimal to
moderate
Potential damages include damage or loss of properties, temporary impacts to transportation routes, debris build up, and potential stormwater system and wastewater
overload. Communication systems could also be limited.

The localized impact could be significant for facilities and infrastructure in the inundation area of the incident. The farther away from the incident area, the more likely the damage will lessen, from moderate to minimal.

Environment Minimal to
severe
The impact to the environment could be severe,
depending on the size and unique characteristics of a
tsunami. There may be significant and complicated debris removal required including a diverse array of pollutants spilling into the environment. Marine habitats may be
damaged by contaminants, which may have a short or
long-term impact on the environment and health of the
coastal ecosystem. The shoreline may erode. The
environmental impacts may not be limited to waterways.

Debris, toxins, airborne ash after a tsunami-related fire, and more could enter the surrounding land and air.

Economic Conditions Minimal to
severe
Impacts on the economy will greatly depend on the scope of the inundation and the amount of time it takes for the water to recede as well as any leftover debris or
contaminants. Secondary hazards experienced will also
impact the economy’s recovery. Industries such as fishing, tourism, and environmental recreation may experience
more significant impacts.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 15: Tsunami 352
Subject Ranking Impacts/Tsunami
Public Confidence in
the Government
Minimal to
severe
The public’s confidence will vary, depending on the
perception of whether the failure could have been
prevented, the warning time, and the time it takes for
response and recovery. Proactive preparation in advance of a tsunami event and effectively implementing response plans will support confidence in government.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 16: Other Hazards of Interest 353
16 Other Hazards of Interest
Definitions
 Terrorism: The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments. Terrorism is either foreign or domestic, depending on the origin, base, and objectives of the terrorist or organization.  Weapons of Mass Destruction: Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive weapons associated with terrorism.
 Active Threat: An active threat is a situation involving an individual or individuals using or threatening to use deadly physical force on others in a confined and populated area.  Cyber Threat: Any circumstance or event with the potential to adversely impact organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, or individuals through an information system via unauthorized access, destruction, disclosure, modification of information, and/or denial of service.
 Technological Hazards: Hazards from accidents associated with human activities such as the manufacture, transportation, storage, and use of hazardous materials.  Epidemic/Pandemic: An epidemic is a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in a specific area. A pandemic is an epidemic that occurs over a broad geographic region, usually nationally or globally.  Fog: visible cloud water droplets that are low-lying and influenced by nearby bodies of water, topography, and wind conditions.

16.1 General Background
In addition to the hazards of concern presented in the preceding sections, four other hazards of interest, which were addressed in the 2017 Plan, are also included in this MJHMP:

1. Intentional criminal, malicious acts, including acts of terrorism, cyber threats, and active threats.

2. Technological incidents that arise accidentally from human activities such as the manufacture, transportation, storage, and use of hazardous materials; transportation accidents; pipeline failure and release; and utility failure.

3. Epidemics and pandemics of human disease.

4. Fog
Although they may not be traditionally profiled in hazard mitigation plans like some of the other hazards in the plan, they are included for the following reasons:
 This plan takes a proactive approach to disaster preparedness to protect the public safety of all citizens.
 Preparation for and response to an event involving these hazards of interest will involve many of the same staff, critical decisions, and commitment of resources as a natural hazard.  The multi-hazard mitigation planning effort is an opportunity to inform the public about all hazards, including those beyond the natural hazards of concern.
 The likelihood of an event involving one of these hazards of interest in the Santa Clara County OA is greater than some of the identified natural hazards in this plan.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 16: Other Hazards of Interest 354
The sections below provide short profiles of each of the four other hazards of interest. No formal risk assessment was performed and mitigation actions for these hazards are not mandatory under 44 CFR Section §201.6(c)(2)(i). The “Identified Needs” identified at the end of this section shall serve in the place of a formal action plan. All planning partners for the MJHMP should be aware of these hazards and take steps to reduce the risks they present whenever it is practical to do so.

16.1.1 EMAP Consequence Analysis
The planning team decided to include one comprehensive analysis for all of the other hazards of interest. The analysis results are provided in Table 118.

Table 118: EMAP Consequence Analysis: Other Hazards of Interest Subject Ranking Impacts
Public Severe
Impact of the immediate area could be severe, especially in the event of intentional hazards. Impact for less affected areas could be moderate to light.

Responders Severe
Impact to responders could be severe for unprotected
personnel and moderate to light for prepared personnel. In the event of some hazards, responders may be specifically targeted.

Continuity of Operations
(including continued
delivery of services)
Moderate
There is some expectation of execution of the COOP. This will vary depending on the severity of the event. Services may need to be conducted at a secondary and secure
location.

Property, Facilities, and
Infrastructure Severe
Critical facilities are often targeted, making impacts
potentially severe. Utilities, technology, transportation systems, and infrastructure are most likely to be damaged or impacted.

Environment Severe
Surrounding environment of targeted or impacted areas can be severe. The greatest impact will be to trees, bushes, foliage, crops, and wildlife.

Economic Conditions Minimal to
Severe
Impacts to the economy will greatly depend on the severity of the event, and any damages sustained such as utilities and roads. In a localized event damages may be minimal, but economic impacts can become severe when the event is more widespread.

Public Confidence in the
Government
Minimal to
Severe
Response and recovery will be in question if not timely and effective.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 16: Other Hazards of Interest 355

16.2 Intentional Hazards

16.2.1 Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction
Terrorist activities are those that involve an illegal use of force or violence against people and property in violation of criminal laws of the United States with the intent to intimidate, coerce, or ransom. FEMA states that acts of terrorism include the use of weapons of mass destruction, including biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological weapons; arson, incendiary, explosive and armed attacks; industrial sabotage and intentional hazardous materials releases; agro-terrorism; and cyber-terrorism29F 300. The threat
of violence is also a component of terrorism. The following are potential methods used by terrorists that could affect the Santa Clara OA as a direct target or collaterally:
 Bombings; improvised explosive devices  Conventional firearms/mass shootings  Suicide attacks  Secondary attacks
 Chemical or biological weapons  Cyber-terrorism
 Radiological dispersal device  Agro-terrorism
 Vehicle/aircraft attacks  Kidnappings/assassinations  Conventional firearms/mass shootings  Nuclear weapons (fission or thermonuclear)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) categorizes two types of terrorism in the United States30F 301:
 International Terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (statesponsored).  Domestic Terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, or environmental nature.

The effects of terrorism can include injuries, loss of life, property damage, or disruption of services such as electricity, water supplies, transportation, or communications. Effects may be immediate or delayed.

Terrorists often choose targets that offer limited danger to themselves and areas with relatively easy public access. Foreign terrorists look for visible targets where they can avoid detection before and after an attack, such as international airports, large cities, major special events, and high-profile landmarks.

Cal OES and local governments have identified high profile targets for potential terrorists within their jurisdictions. Large business centers, high visibility tourist attractions, transportation providers, and critical infrastructure in Santa Clara County may become a target for terrorism and can present security challenges of an ongoing nature. Multiple incidents can happen simultaneously, and typically require a multi-agency, multijurisdictional response.
300 FEMA. (n.d.) Terrorism.
https://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/terrorism.pdf#:~:text=Terrorism%20is%20the%20use%20of%20force%20or% 20violence,States%20for%20purposes%20of%20intimidation%2C%20coercion%2C%20or%20ransom. 301 Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.) Terrorism. https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism

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Those involved with terrorism response, including law enforcement, fire and rescue, public health and public information staff, are trained to deal with the public’s emotional reaction swiftly as response to the event occurs. The area of the event must be clearly identified in all emergency alert messages to prevent those not affected by the incident from overwhelming local emergency rooms and response resources therefore reducing service to those actually affected. The public will be informed clearly and frequently about what government agencies are doing to mitigate the impacts of the event. The public will also be given clear directions on how to protect the health of individuals and families.

Table 119 provides a hazard profile summary for terrorism-related hazards. Most terrorist events in the United States have been involved detonated and undetonated explosive devices, tear gas, pipe bombs, and firebombs.

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Table 119: Event Profiles for Terrorism301 F
302
Hazard Application Modea Hazard Durationb
Static/Dynamic
Characteristicsc
Mitigating and
Exacerbating Conditionsd
Conventional
Bomb
Detonation of
explosive device on
or near target;
delivery via person,
vehicle, or projectile.

Instantaneous; additional
secondary devices, or
diversionary activities
may be used,
lengthening the duration
of the hazard until the
attack site is determined
to be clear.

Extent of damage is
determined by type and
quantity of explosive.

Effects generally static other
than cascading
consequences, incremental
structural failure, etc.

Overpressure at a given standoff is
inversely proportional to the cube of the
distance from the blast; thus, each
additional increment of standoff provides
progressively more protection. Terrain,
forestation, structures, etc. can provide
shielding by absorbing and/or deflecting
energy and debris. Exacerbating
conditions include ease of access to
target; lack of barriers and shielding;
poor construction; and ease of
concealment of device.

Chemical
Agent
Liquid/aerosol
contaminants
dispersed using
sprayers or other
aerosol generators;
liquids vaporizing
from puddles/
containers; or
munitions.

Hours to weeks,
depending on the agent
and the conditions in
which it exists.

Contamination can be
carried out of the initial
target area by persons,
vehicles, water, and wind.

Chemicals may be corrosive
or otherwise damaging over
time if not remediated.

Air temperature can affect evaporation of
aerosols. Ground temperature affects
evaporation of liquids. Humidity can
enlarge aerosol particles, reducing
inhalation hazard. Precipitation can
dilute and disperse agents but can
spread contamination. Wind can
disperse vapors but also cause target
area to be dynamic. The micrometeorological effects of buildings and terrain can alter travel and duration of
agents. Shielding in the form of
sheltering in place can protect people
and property from harmful effects.
302 Federal Emergency Management Agency (2003). Integrating Manmade Hazards into Mitigation Planning. https://gema.georgia.gov/document/publication/howto7pdf/download

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Hazard Application Modea Hazard Durationb
Static/Dynamic
Characteristicsc
Mitigating and
Exacerbating Conditionsd
Arson/
Incendiary
Attack
Initiation of fire or
explosion on or near
target via direct
contact or remotely
via projectile.

Generally minutes to
hours.

Extent of damage is
determined by type and
quantity of device,
accelerant, and materials
present at or near target.

Effects generally static other
than cascading
consequences, incremental
structural failure, etc.

Mitigation factors include built-in fire
detection and protection systems and
fire- resistive construction techniques.

Inadequate security can allow easy
access to target, easy concealment of
an incendiary device, and undetected
initiation of a fire. Non-compliance with
fire and building codes, as well as failure
to maintain existing fire protection
systems, can substantially increase the
effectiveness of a fire weapon.

Armed Attack Tactical assault or
sniping from remote
location, or random
attack based on fear,
emotion, or
mental instability.

Generally minutes to
days.

Varies based on the
perpetrators’ intent and
capabilities.

Inadequate security can allow easy
access to target, easy concealment of
weapons, and undetected initiation of an
attack.

Biological
Agent
Liquid or solid
contaminants
dispersed using
sprayers/ aerosol
generators or by
point or line sources
such as munitions,
covert deposits, and
moving sprayers.

Hours to years,
depending on the agent
and the conditions in
which it exists.

Depending on the agent used
and the effectiveness with
which it is deployed,
contamination can be spread
via wind and water.

Infection can spread via
humans or animals.

Altitude of release above ground can
affect dispersion; sunlight is destructive
to many bacteria and viruses; light to
moderate wind will disperse agents but
higher winds can break up aerosol
clouds; the micro-meteorological effects
of buildings and terrain can influence
aerosolization and travel of agents.

Agro-terrorism Direct, generally
covert contamination
of food supplies or
introduction of pests
and/or disease
agents to
crops and livestock.

Days to months. Varies by type of incident.

Food contamination events
may be limited to specific
distribution sites, whereas
pests and diseases may
spread widely. Generally, no
effects on built environment.

Inadequate security can facilitate
adulteration of food and introduction of
pests and disease agents to crops and
livestock.

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Hazard Application Modea Hazard Durationb
Static/Dynamic
Characteristicsc
Mitigating and
Exacerbating Conditionsd
Radiological
Agent
Radioactive
contaminants
dispersed using
sprayers/ aerosol
generators, or by
point or line sources
such as munitions.

Seconds to years,
depending on material
used.

Initial effects will be localized
to site of attack; depending
on meteorological conditions,
subsequent behavior of
radioactive contaminants
may be dynamic.

Duration of exposure, distance from
source of radiation, and the amount of
shielding between source and target
determine exposure to radiation.

Nuclear Bomb Detonation of
nuclear device
underground, at the
surface, in the air, or
at high altitude.

Light/heat flash and
blast/shock wave last for
seconds; nuclear
radiation and fallout
hazards can persist for
years.

Electromagnetic pulse
from a high- altitude
detonation lasts for
seconds and affects only
unprotected electronic
systems.

Initial light, heat, and blast
effects of a subsurface,
ground or air burst are static
and determined by the
device’s characteristics and
employment; fallout of
radioactive contaminants
may be dynamic, depending
on meteorological conditions.

Harmful effects of radiation can be
reduced by minimizing the time of
exposure. Light, heat, and blast energy
decrease logarithmically as a function of
distance from seat of blast. Terrain,
forestation, structures, etc. can provide
shielding by absorbing and/or deflecting
radiation and radioactive contaminants.

Intentional
Hazardous
Material
Release (fixed
facility or
transportation)
Solid, liquid, and/or
gaseous
contaminants
released from fixed
or mobile containers
Hours to days. Chemicals may be corrosive
or otherwise damaging over
time. Explosion and/or fire
may be subsequent.

Contamination may be
carried out of the incident
area by persons, vehicles,
water, and wind.

Weather conditions directly affect how
the hazard develops. The micrometeorological effects of buildings and terrain can alter travel and duration of
agents. Shielding in the form of
sheltering in place can protect people
and property from harmful effects. Noncompliance with fire and building codes, as well as failure to maintain existing fire
protection and containment features, can
substantially increase the damage from
a hazardous
materials release.
a. Application Mode: Application mode describes the human acts or unintended events necessary to cause the hazard to occur. b. Duration: Duration is the length of time the hazard is present. For example, a chemical warfare agent such as mustard gas, if un- remediated, can persist for hours or weeks under the right conditions.

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c. Dynamic or Static Characteristics: These characteristics of a hazard describe its tendency, or that of its effects, to either expand, contract, or remain confined in time, magnitude, and space. For example, the physical destruction caused by an earthquake is generally confined to the place in which it occurs, and it does not usually get worse unless aftershocks or other cascading failures occur; in contrast, a cloud of chlorine gas leaking from a storage tank can change location by drifting with the wind and can diminish in danger by dissipating over time. d. Mitigation and Exacerbating Conditions: Mitigating conditions are characteristics of the target and its physical environment that can reduce the effects of a hazard. For example, earthen berms can provide protection from bombs; exposure to sunlight can render some biological agents ineffective; and effective perimeter lighting and surveillance can minimize the likelihood of someone approaching a target unseen. In contrast, exacerbating conditions are characteristics that can enhance or magnify the effects of a hazard. For example, depressions or low areas in terrain can trap heavy vapors, and a proliferation of street furniture (trash receptacles, newspaper vending machines, mailboxes, etc.) can provide hiding places for explosive devices.

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16.2.2 Active Threat
Active Shooter
Active shooter attacks are typically motivated by the desire to maximize human casualties. They are differentiated from other attack types by the indiscriminate nature of the victims, who often are targets of opportunity. Active shooter attacks range from “lone wolf” shooters who act alone and without any organizational affiliation to organized groups acting in concert to achieve a specific objective. Active shooter tactics sometimes employ a blend of lone shooters and multi-person teams as part of a larger assault.

Active shooters may use small arms, light weapons, or a combination of the two depending on the type of attack. Small arms are revolvers, automatic pistols, rifles, shotguns, assault rifles, light machine guns, etc.

Light weapons are medium caliber and explosive ordinance, grenade launchers, rocket propelled grenades, etc. Attackers can increase their likelihood of success by using a wider array of weapons, including improvised explosive devices.

Biological Attack
Biological hazards include disease-causing microorganisms and pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, which multiply within a host and cause an infection. Some bacteria and viruses can spread from one individual to another. Infections typically occur as a result of airborne exposure, skin contact, or ingestion. In general, exposure to bacteria and viruses can occur through inhalation (as is the case with airborne B. anthracis spores, which cause anthrax), ingestion of contaminated food or water (the case with E. coli, which causes gastrointestinal infection), contact with infected individuals, or contact with contaminated surfaces (which may be harboring, for example, viruses that cause influenza). Domestic and transnational threat groups have considered targeting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems of large commercial buildings.

Anthrax has been used as a weapon for nearly 100 years and is one of the most likely agents to be used in a biological threat. Its spores are easily found in nature, can be produced in a lab, and can last for a long time. It can be released quietly and without anyone knowing. Microscopic spores can be put into powders, sprays, food, and water. Due to their size, victims may not be able to see, smell or taste them.302 F
303 Terrorists may release anthrax spores in public places. In 2001, letters containing powdered anthrax spores were sent through the U.S. mail, causing skin and lung anthrax in 22 people. Five people died, all due to lung anthrax.30F
304
If a biological attack were to occur in the Santa Clara County OA, a large number of personnel could be impacted. Buildings in the impacted area and transportation infrastructure might be closed for investigation and cleanup. These areas would not be accessible until cleanup is completed, which would impact the businesses. Hospitals could become overwhelmed with people coming in fearing contamination. Residents and businesses may need to shelter in place in the area of the attack. 303 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.) The Threat of an Anthrax Attack. https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/bioterrorism/threat.html
304 Chan, C. & Pan, E. (n.d.). Anthrax in the air? San Francisco Department of Public Health. https://www.sfcdcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/SFDPH.Anthrax_in_the_Air._SF_Med._Society_article.pdf

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Chemical Attack
Chemical weapons are poisonous vapors, aerosols, liquids, and solids that have toxic effects on humans, animals, and plants. A chemical attack is the spreading of toxic chemicals with the intent to do harm. A wide variety of chemicals could be made, stolen, or otherwise acquired for use in an attack. Harmful chemicals that could be used in an attack include:304 F 305
 Chemical weapons (warfare agents) developed for military use;  Toxic industrial and commercial chemicals that are produced, transported, and stored in the making of petroleum, textiles, plastics, fertilizers, paper, foods, pesticides, household cleaners, and other products; and
 Chemical toxins of biological origin such as ricin.

Exposure pathways include inhalation, skin contact, ingestion, or injection. Depending on the severity of exposure, impacts may include temporary illness or injury, permanent medical conditions, or death. An attack using chemicals can come without warning. Signs of a chemical release include difficulty breathing; choking or eye irritation; losing coordination; nausea; or a burning sensation in the nose, throat, and lungs.305F
306
A chemical release in the Santa Clara County OA could lead to closure of streets and major transportation routes (including bridges) for extended periods of time, causing transportation delays and traffic. Many homes and businesses would also be impacted as they would need to be evacuated for an extended period of time. There could also be impact on the environment and/or natural resources that would require cleanup. Hazardous material response teams and fire-rescue would be needed to respond to the incident and coordinate cleanup efforts.

Radiological Attacks
The radiological accident hazard has been identified in the State hazard mitigation plan with a low probability. Terrorist acts involving radiological or nuclear materials (e.g., radiological dispersion device or an improvised nuclear device) is presented as an example of potential radiologic releases but not discussed further.

Explosive Devices
Improvised explosive device (IED) attacks are a favored method of terrorist groups around the world. The evolution in explosive materials and firing devices and their ease of concealment and delivery have increased the effectiveness of this hazard. IED attacks are typically motivated by the desire to maximize human casualties. The intention may also be to create fear in the community. Explosive incidents account for 70 percent of all terrorist attacks worldwide. These types of attacks range from small-scale letter bombs to large-scale attacks on specific buildings.

IEDs generally consist of TNT equivalent explosives (e.g., black or smokeless powder) in a container (e.g., galvanized pipe, paint can, etc.). These propellants are easily purchased on the commercial market.

IEDs may also contain added shrapnel to induce greater casualties or shaped charges that direct the force of the explosive toward the target. Devices may be hidden in everyday objects such as briefcases, flowerpots, or garbage cans, or on the person of the attacker in the case of suicide bombers. The most commonly used container is galvanized pipe, followed by PVC pipe. 305 Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Chemical Attack Fact Sheet: Warfare Agents, Industrial Chemicals, and Toxins. https://www.dhs.gov/publication/chemical-attack-fact-sheet 306 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.). Chemicals and Hazardous Materials Incidents. https://www.ready.gov/hazmat#during

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When shrapnel is added to the device, the type of shrapnel varies—bullets and other small pieces of hardware are common, as are glass and gravel.

An attack using IEDs or other explosive device in the Santa Clara County OA has potential large-scale consequences that may require multi-agency and multijurisdictional coordination. Depending on the location of the attack, businesses and other venues may be closed for investigation and due to damage. If the attack occurred in or near residences, evacuations and/or sheltering may occur.

Fire as a Weapon
The use of fire for criminal, gang, and terrorist activities, as well as targeting first responders, is one of numerous increasingly complex approaches to terrorism. This tactic can include arson, improved incendiary devices (IIDs), deliberate forest fires, and more. Human-causes are the leading cause of wildfires in California. Between the last plan update and 2022, the annual acres burned due to arson caused wildfires ranged from 483 acres (2022) to 44,609 acres (2020).306F 307 Fire, and incendiary devices
such as Molotov cocktails, have been used more frequently recently both during civil disturbances and in an attempt to break up otherwise peaceful protests. IID incidents have also increased. Between 2019 and 2020 alone, IID incidents targeting government facilities increased 210%, incidents targeting critical infrastructure facilities increased 141%, and incidents targeting commercial facilities increased 113 percent.307F
308

16.2.3 Hazard Profile
Past Events
The South Bay Area has not experienced a major regional terrorism event. According to the Cal OES Terrorism Response Plan, California has had a long history of defending the public against domestic and foreign terrorists. Domestic terrorist groups in California have been focused on political or social issues, while the limited internationally based incidents have targeted the state’s immigrant communities due to foreign disputes. Advanced technologies and communication have allowed these groups to become more sophisticated and better organized, with remote members linked electronically.

In California, most terrorist events have involved explosives, followed by incendiaries and firearms, as shown in Figure 72. During a recent three-month period, the Bomb Squad from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office was called out three times:308F
309
 September 5, 2022: Explosive Material Mitigation: The Bomb Squad was called to the scene of a man that was attempting to manufacture homemade explosives causing an explosion at his home. The explosion took off the suspect’s right hand and caused serious trauma to his lower face. Bomb Technicians deployed bomb disposal robots to extract the explosive material and precursor chemicals from the trailer to facilitate a controlled demolition and render the scene safe.  October 31, 2022: Suspected IED Mitigation: The Bomb Squad was called for a suspicious item suspected of being an IED that was abandoned on the side of the roadway. The item was made to look like an IED but was not viable.
307 Cal Fire. (December 2022). Arson Caused Wildfires – Acres Burned. https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/calfire-website/images---misc/arson-acres-burned2022.jpg?rev=83a9dd360a794b6cb627bdf7371f2791&hash=7F588C79EC88FF533701B966B2E0138A 308 Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (n.d.). Fire As A Weapon. https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Fire%20as%20a%20Weapon%20Action%20Guide_Final%20508 %20%2804.12.21%29v.2_1.pdf
309 Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. (2023). Military Equipment Use Report, 6-Month Report. Military Equipment Use 6-Month Report_FINAL DRAFT (2.15.23).pdf (sccgov.org)

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 November 15, 2022: Suspected IED Mitigation: The Bomb Squad was called to a Lockheed Martin Facility in Santa Clara for a reported IED in the shipping and receiving room. The item was made to look like an IED but was not viable.

Other agencies responded to two other incidents involving explosives.  March 1, 2023: Explosive Material Mitigation: The City of San José bomb squad was called to a South San José home as part of an investigation into someone possessing explosives and illegal drugs.
 February 7,2020: Suspected Terrorist Attack: Assailants in a vehicle opened fire on a Sikh police officer patrolling in Morgan Hill, California, United States. A Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy was injured in the assault. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.” These are not the first incidents in the OA. One other example includes an attack in 2014 at a PG&E Corporation’s Metcalf transmission substation in San José when an unknown person entered an underground vault and cut telephone cables. Within half an hour, snipers opened fire on a nearby electrical substation. Shooting for 19 minutes, the persons were able to knock out 17 giant transformers that funnel power to Silicon Valley. Electric-grid officials were able to reroute power around the site and requested power plants in Silicon Valley to produce more electricity, but it took utility workers 27 days to conduct repairs and make the substation functional. The Wall Street Journal reported the incident at the time was called “the most significant incident of domestic terrorism involving the grid that has ever occurred.” There have been no arrests or persons charged for the incident.309F 310
Figure 73: Weapon Types Used in Terrorist Events in California310F 311
310 Smith, Rebecca. (February 2014). Assault on California Power Stations Raises Alarm on Potential for Terrorism; April Sniper Attack Knocked Out Substation, Raises Concern for Country’s Power Grid. Assault on California Power Station Raises Alarm on Potential for Terrorism - WSJ
311 Global Terrorism Database. (n.d.). Database Search Results. https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/Results.aspx?charttype=bar&chart=target&search=california

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Terrorist attacks can occur anywhere in the Santa Clara County OA. Past targets in California have included businesses, private citizens, government, educational institutions and many more. In California, as shown in Figure 74, businesses are the most frequent targets, accounting for 28 percent of all terrorist attacks in the state.

Figure 74: Targets of Terrorist Attacks in California31F 312
Severity
The severity of terrorist attacks ranges from inconsequential when the attack fails, to catastrophic. The effects of terrorism can include injuries, loss of life, property damage, or disruption of services such as electricity, water supplies, transportation, or communications. Effects may be immediate or delayed.

Terrorists often choose targets that offer limited danger to themselves and areas with relatively easy public access. Foreign terrorists look for visible targets where they can avoid detection before and after an attack, such as international airports, large cities, major special events, and high-profile landmarks. In recent months, there has been a rise in physical attacks against utility infrastructure in North Carolina and the Pacific Northwest.312F
313 Attackers targeted substations and used guns, fire, metal chains, and other weapons during their attack. As of this writing, the FBI is currently investigating. 312 Global Terrorism Database. (n.d.). Database Search Results. https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/Results.aspx?charttype=bar&chart=target&search=california 313 Oregon Public Broadcasting. (December 2022). String of electrical grid attacks in Pacific Northwest is unsolved. https://www.opb.org/article/2022/12/08/string-of-electrical-grid-attacks-in-pacific-northwest-are-unsolved/

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Warning Time
For this hazard, warning time relates to warnings to local law enforcement from federal authorities and other law enforcement agencies as well as warnings to the public. In dealing with terrorism, the unpredictability of human beings must be considered. While education, heightened awareness, and early warning of unusual circumstances may deter terrorism, intentional acts that harm people and property are possible at any time. Public safety entities must react to the threat, locating, isolating, and neutralizing further damage and investigating potential scenes and suspects to bring criminals to justice.

People with a desire to perform such acts may seek out targets of opportunity that may not fall into established lists of critical areas or facilities. First responders in the Santa Clara County OA train to respond not only to organized terrorism incidents, but also to random acts by individuals who may choose to harm others and destroy property. The Intelligence Unit of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is comprised of a Sergeant and a Deputy that are assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC) respectively with the goal of helping safeguard the Santa Clara County community by conducting terrorism investigations, sharing criminal intelligence and threat assessment information with regional partners, and by processing and assessing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) submitted by local law enforcement and the public.

AlertSCC is the County of Santa Clara’s official emergency alert and warning system for the most up-todate information on emergencies and disasters happening in the area.

Critical Facilities, Infrastructure, and the Environment Critical facilities, infrastructure, and the environment are common targets of terrorist attacks. The environment may be impacted depending on the size and location of the terrorist attack. Human-caused fires pose a serious threat, as well as hazardous materials release.

Future Trends in Development
Terrorist attacks in urban areas would cause significantly more harm, injury, death, or property damage than it would rural areas. As the Santa Clara OA continues to develop, the target area for terror attacks expands as does the number of potential victims of an attack.

Cascading Impacts
A completed terror attack on critical facilities and infrastructure and the environment could involve multiple other hazards including power outage, utility failure, and hazardous materials release.

16.2.4 Cyber Threats
A cyber threat is an intentional and malicious crime that compromises that digital infrastructure of a government, person, or organization, often for financial or terror-related reasons. Such attacks vary in nature and are perpetrated using digital mediums or sometimes social engineering to target human operators. Generally, attacks last minutes to days, but large-scale events and their impacts can last much longer. As information technology continues to grow in capability and interconnectivity, cyber threats become increasingly frequent and destructive. In 2014, internet security teams at Symantec and Verizon indicated that nearly a million new pieces of malware—malicious code designed to steal or destroy information—were created every day.31F
314
314 Symantec. (2015). Protection from Advanced Threats with Symantec Insight and SONAR. Broadcom. https://docs.broadcom.com/doc/protection-from-advanced-threats-with-insight-sonar-en.

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Cyber threats can vary in their severity, based on the systems affected by an attack, the warning time, and the ability to preempt an attack.314F
315 They also differ by motive, attack type and perpetrator profile.

Motives range from the pursuit of financial gain to political or social aims. Types of threats include using viruses to erase entire systems, breaking into systems and altering files, using someone’s personal computer to attack others, or stealing confidential information. Municipalities and private businesses within the Santa Clara County OA are susceptible to the most current and common cyber-attacks, such as socially engineered Trojans, unpatched software, phishing attacks, network-traveling worms, and advanced persistent threats. Many of these attacks are engineered to automatically seek technological vulnerabilities. Possible cyberterrorist targets include the banking industry, power plants, air traffic control centers, and water systems. The spectrum of cyber risks is limitless, with threats having a wide range of effects on the individual, community, organizational, and national threat.315F 316
“[The cyber threat] has exploded. It has become more diffuse, more sophisticated, more dangerous than ever before.”
Lisa O. Monaco, Deputy Attorney General (DAG)
Address at Annual Munich Cybersecurity Conference (Feb. 17, 2021)316F 317
This risk assessment includes cyberattacks and cyberterrorism. The terms often are used interchangeably, though they are not the same. While all cyberterrorism is a form of cyberattack, not all cyberattacks are cyberterrorism.

Cyberattack
Public and private computer systems are subject to a variety of cyberattacks, from blanket malware infection to target attacks on system capabilities. Cyber-attacks seek to breach IT security measures designed to protect an individual or organization. The initial attack if followed by more severe attacks for the purpose of causing harm, stealing data, or financial gain.

One of the most common cyber threats is malware. Malware refers to malicious software that a cybercriminal or hacker has created to disrupt or damage a legitimate user’s computer. It is often spread via an unsolicited email attachment or other legitimate-looking download. Types of malware include the following:
 Viruses: A self-replicating program that attaches itself to clean file and spreads throughout a computer system, infecting files with malicious code.
 Trojans: Programs disguised as legitimate software where the victim is tricked into uploading trojans onto their computer where they cause damage or obtain sensitive and/or valuable data.  Spyware: This malicious software is designed to enter your computer or other device, gather data about you, and forward it to a third-party without your consent. In December 2022, a U.S. lawmaker predicted spyware hacks of U.S. government employees could be in the hundreds, including diplomats.317F
318
315 Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (n.d.). Cyber Threats and Advisories. https://www.cisa.gov/topics/cyber-threats-and-advisories 316 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2022). Cybersecurity. https://www.ready.gov/cybersecurity#:~:text=1%20Accessing%20your%20personal%20computers%2C%20mobile% 20phones%2C%20gaming,services.%205%20Impacting%20transportation%20and%20the%20power%20grid. 317 U.S. Department of Justice. (2022 July). Comprehensive Cyber Review. https://www.justice.gov/media/1232936/dl?inline=
318 Center for Strategic & International Studies. (2023). Significant Cyber Incidents. https://www.csis.org/programs/strategic-technologies-program/significant-cyber-incidents

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 Ransomware: Ransomware is a type of malware used by cyber actors to extort owners of computer systems. Since 2013, ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly common. On April 22, 2021, an apparent ransomware attack on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), paralyzed many of the agency’s computer systems for days.318F 319 The hacker group claimed
that it stole 150 gigabytes of data from the transit authority and threatened to post it publicly if VTA does not “cooperate.”
 Malvertising: Malware downloaded to a system when the victim clicks on an affected ad.

Other types of cyber threats include the following:
 Phishing: Malicious email messages that ask users to click a link or download a program.

Phishing attacks may appear as legitimate emails from trusted third parties.  Man in the Middle Attack: Man-in-the-Middle is a type of cyber threat where a cybercriminal intercepts communication between two individuals in order to steal data.  Denial of Service Attacks: These attacks that focus on disrupting service by flooding computer networks and servers with traffic until the network can no longer function.  Advanced Persistent Threat (APT): An attack in which the attacker gains access to a network and remains undetected. APT attacks are designed to steal data instead of cause damage.

With millions of threats created each day, the importance of protection against cyberattacks becomes a necessary function of everyday operations for individuals, government facilities, and businesses. The increasing dependency on technology for vital information storage and the often automated method of infection means higher stakes for the success of measurable protection and education.

Cyberterrorism
Cyberterrorism is the use of computers and information, particularly over the internet, to recruit others to an organization’s cause, cause physical or financial harm, or cause a severe disruption of infrastructure service. Such disruptions can be driven by religious, political, or other motives. Like traditional terrorism tactics, cyberterrorism seeks to evoke very strong emotional reactions, but it does so through information technology rather than a physically violent or disruptive action. Cyberterrorism has three main types of objectives:319F
320

1. Organizational: Cyberterrorism with an organizational objective includes specific functions outside of or in addition to a typical cyber-attack. Terrorist groups today use the internet daily for recruitment, training, fundraising, communication, or planning. Organizational cyberterrorism can use platforms such as social media as a tool to spread a message beyond country borders and instigate physical forms of terrorism. Additionally, organizational goals may use systematic attacks as a tool for training new members of a faction in cyber warfare.

2. Undermining: Cyberterrorism with undermining as an objective seeks to hinder the normal functioning of computer systems, services, or websites. Such methods include defacing, denying, and exposing information. While undermining tactics are typically used due to high dependence on online structures to support vital operational functions, they typically do not result in grave consequences unless undertaken as part of a larger attack. Undermining attacks on computers include the following:
319 The Mercury News. (2021, April 22). VTA Targeted in Apparent Ransomware Attack, Hackers Threaten to Release Trove of Data. https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/04/22/cyberattack-targets-vta-unclear-if-personalinformation-breached/ 320 INFOSEC. (2012, December 21). Cyberterrorism Defined (as distinct from “Cybercrime”). https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/topic/cyberterrorism-distinct-from-cybercrime/

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a. Directing conventional kinetic weapons against computer equipment, a computer facility, or transmission lines to create a physical attack that disrupts the reliability of equipment. b. Using electromagnetic energy, most commonly in the form of an electromagnetic pulse, to create an electronic attack against computer equipment or data transmissions. By overheating circuitry or jamming communications, an electronic attack disrupts the reliability of equipment and the integrity of data.
c. Using malicious code directed against computer processing code, instruction logic, or data.

The code can generate a stream of malicious network packets that disrupt data or logic by exploiting vulnerability in computer software, or a weakness in computer security practices.

This type of cyber-attack can disrupt the reliability of equipment, the integrity of data, and the confidentiality of communications.

3. Destructive: The destructive objective for cyberterrorism is what organizations fear most. Using computer technology and the internet, the terrorists seek to inflict destruction or damage on tangible property or assets, and even death or injury to individuals.

16.2.5 Hazard Profile
Past Events
Previous cyberattacks have occurred against the local government, critical infrastructure, and businesses in the OA. For example, in 2021, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority experienced a ransomware cyberattack, with the intention of obtaining data and disrupting essential services.

The location of Silicon Valley within the OA also makes the area a significant target to major cyberattacks on businesses. In 2022, Nvidia, a major chip manufacturer based in Santa Clara, experienced a cyberattack in which valuable data was stolen. The attackers demanded a ransom to protect Nvidia’s data.

Location
Cyberattacks are local in nature. They can occur from anywhere.

Severity
A cyberattack, even a successful one, could have a minor impact on the victims or it could be catastrophic, depending on the situation.

Warning Time
The severity and timing of cyber threats are impossible to predict. There may be no warning. Some cyber incidents take weeks, months, or even years to be discovered and identified.320F 321
Critical Facilities, Infrastructure, and the Environment Critical facilities and infrastructure are common targets of cyberattacks. There is not expected to be significant environmental impacts.
321 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2022). Cybersecurity. https://www.ready.gov/cybersecurity#:~:text=1%20Accessing%20your%20personal%20computers%2C%20mobile% 20phones%2C%20gaming,services.%205%20Impacting%20transportation%20and%20the%20power%20grid..

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Future Trends in Development
Future development is unlikely to be significantly influenced by cyber-attacks. However, cyberattacks that could impact larger populations could cause significantly more harm, injury, death, or property damage.

Expanding the local economy also presents additional targets for cyber-attacks.

Cascading Impacts
Cyberattacks can have many cascading impacts depending on the target, timeframe, and success of the attack. As stated in the 2018 State of California Hazard Mitigation Plan, “Computer system failures have the potential to result in cascading hazards such as energy outages, hazardous materials release, oil spills, transportation accidents, or dam failure.”321F
322

16.3 Technological Incidents
Technological hazards are associated with human activities such as the manufacture, transportation, storage, and the use of hazardous materials. Incidents related to these hazards are assumed to be accidental with unintended consequences. Given the complex system of transportation networks, the large population, and the number of businesses in California, incidents occur on a regular basis throughout the state, as reported by the news media. Technological hazards can be categorized as follows:
 Hazardous materials incidents
 Transportation incidents
 Pipeline and tank hazards
 Utility failure
Hazardous Materials Incidents
A hazardous material is any substance that is flammable, combustible, corrosive, poisonous, toxic, explosive, or radioactive. Hazardous materials are present across the United States in facilities that produce, store, or use them. For example, water treatment plants use chlorine on-site to eliminate bacterial contaminants, and dry-cleaning businesses may use solvents that contain perchloroethylene.

Even the natural gas used in homes and businesses is a dangerous substance when a leak occurs.

Hazardous materials are transported along interstate highways and railways daily. The following are the most common types of hazardous material incidents:
 Fixed-Facility Hazardous Materials Incident: This is the uncontrolled release of materials from a fixed site capable of posing a risk to health, safety, and property. It is possible to identify and prepare for a fixed-site incident because laws require those facilities to notify state and local authorities about what is being used or produced at the site.  Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident: This is any event resulting in uncontrolled release during transport of materials that can pose a risk to health, safety, and property.

Transportation incidents are difficult to prepare for because there is little if any notice about what materials could be involved should an accident happen. These incidents can occur anywhere, although most occur on major federal or state highways or major rail lines. In addition to materials such as chlorine that are shipped throughout the country by rail, thousands of shipments of radiological materials (mostly medical materials and low-level radioactive waste) take place via ground transportation across the United States.
322 California Office of Emergency Services. (2018). 2018 State of California Hazard Mitigation Plan. https://www.caloes.ca.gov/office-of-the-director/operations/recovery-directorate/hazard-mitigation/state-hazardmitigation-planning/

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 Many incidents occur in sparsely populated areas and affect few people. However, hazardous materials have been involved in accidents in areas with much higher population densities, as shown in Figure 74.

Figure 75: Highly Populated Areas with Hazardous Material Incidents Within Santa Clara County32F
323
 Pipeline Hazardous Materials Incident: Numerous natural gas pipelines, heating oil, and petroleum pipelines run through the Santa Clara County OA and surroundings. These are used to provide these products to utilities in the region and to transport the materials from production facilities to end users.

Federal regulations govern the transportation of hazardous materials in all modes of transportation: air, highway, rail, and water (Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations; Transportation, Code of Federal Regulations, Hazardous Materials Regulations). Title 49 CFR lists thousands of hazardous materials, including gasoline, insecticides, household cleaning products, and radioactive materials. California regulated substances that have the greatest probability of adversely impacting the community are listed in state code (Title 19, Division 2, Chapter 4.5, Sections 2735-2785; Hazardous Material Management Plan/Hazardous Material Inventory).

Even though information for 2022 is not complete, it appears that the total number of hazardous material incidents in Santa Clara County has decreased in the last few years. The number of injuries and fatalities has also decreased. The total incidents are outlined in Table 120. 323 National Pipeline Mapping System. (n.d.). NPMS Public Viewer. https://pvnpms.phmsa.dot.gov/PublicViewer/

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Table 120: Santa Clara County Hazardous Materials Spills 2019–202232F 324
Year Total
Incidents
Type
Injuries Fatalities Petroleum Chemical Sewage Railroad Railroad Derailment
Vapor Other
2019 196 22 13 27 24 4 9 4 11 12
2020 153 76 11 17 20 2 3 19 10 7
2021 157 70 13 20 20 2 7 18 9 11
2022 87 42 8 14 13 3 3 13 6 8
Santa Clara County has four Certified United Program Agencies that administer hazardous materials, hazardous waste, and underground storage tank programs within their jurisdictions:
 Hazardous Materials Compliance Division of the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health (for all areas of Santa Clara County other than the cities of Santa Clara, Gilroy, and Sunnyvale)  Santa Clara City Fire Department
 Gilroy Building, Life, and Environmental Safety to Community Development Department, Fire Prevention Division  Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety
Participating Agencies are local fire agencies that coordinate their activities under a memorandum of understanding with Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health:
 Milpitas Fire Department
 Mountain View Fire Department
 Palo Alto Fire Department
 Santa Clara County Fire Department
324 California Office of Emergency Services. (n.d.). Spill Release Reporting. https://www.caloes.ca.gov/office-of-the-director/operations/response-operations/firerescue/hazardous-materials/spill-release-reporting/

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 16: Other Hazards of Interest 373
Transportation Incidents
Transportation incidents are those involving air, road or rail travelers resulting in death or serious injury.

The potential for transportation accidents that block movement through the OA is significant, as is the likelihood of hazardous material incidents resulting from a traffic or rail accident.

The Bay Area has a number of airports, including the San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, and San José International Airport, as well as San Martin Airport and Reid Hillview Airport, which are smaller municipal airports that enhance the potential for an air disaster. Major transportation routes in the OA include the following:
 Major highways include Interstates 880 (Nimitz Freeway) and 280; U.S. Highway 101 and Highway 237; and State Routes 87, 85, and 17.
▪ The 49 miles of light rail serving Santa Clara County is operated by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), which oversees public transit services in the county. The Santa Clara VTA is continuing development for Phase II of its BART Silicon Valley Extension.

The project is planning four stations: 28th Street/Little Portugal Station, Downtown San José Station, Diridon Station, and Santa Clara Station. Construction of Phase II is estimated to carry 54,600 passengers each weekday to destinations throughout the Bay Area by 2040.324F 325
 Amtrak has a train station in San José at Santa Clara University.  The Santa Clara Depot, in the City of Santa Clara, is served by the Caltrain from San Francisco and the Altamont Corridor Express from Stockton.
 The Great America station in the City of Santa Clara hosts Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor trains and Altamont Corridor Express trains. The station is close to Levi’s Stadium and California’s Great America.
 There are 15 Caltrain stations in the OA. Caltrain is a commuter rail between San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.
 The Santa Fe railroad has a right of way that parallels U.S. Highway 101 through the eastern edge of the county.
 Daily commuter traffic is very high in the OA due to Silicon Valley’s dense-employment population.

Pipeline Hazards
Approximately 300,000 miles of gas transmission pipelines and 170,000 miles of hazardous liquid pipelines move their products throughout the United States every day. Transmission pipelines connect urban areas, and only occasionally traverse highly populated areas. Numerous natural gas pipelines, heating oil, and petroleum pipelines run through the Santa Clara County OA and surroundings (see Figure 76).
325 Valley Transportation Authority. (n.d.). VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II. https://www.vta.org/projects/bart-sv/phase-ii

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 16: Other Hazards of Interest 374
Figure 76: Gas and Hazardous Liquids Pipelines in Santa Clara County325F 326
Pipeline Systems and Risks
Around 1945, the United States invested in the development of a nation-wide system of pipelines for the purpose of transporting natural gas and petroleum products. Most of these materials are moved by hazardous liquid and gas transport operators through a system of pipelines ranging in diameter from 20 to 42 inches. These pipes reach from the material origin wells to their destination in refineries that further process the material. Although pipelines are the safest and most reliable way to transport natural gas, crude oil, liquid petroleum products, and chemical products, there is still an inherent risk due to the nature of the hazardous materials.

Transmission pipelines are those that transport raw material for further refinement. These pipes are large and far reaching, operating under high pressure. Distribution pipelines are those that provide processed materials to end users. Distribution pipelines serve homes and businesses and thus are located where people live and work. These are smaller in diameter, some as small as a half an inch, and operate under lower pressure. Because of the extensive reach of the distribution system, incidents have the potential to be far reaching. For example, a pipeline leak may release material into a migration pathway, such as a sewer line, and reach an ignition source far from the location of the actual leak. Due to the far-reaching underground and unpredictable nature of the pipeline failure hazard, it is difficult to gauge the extent to which the hazard affects the Santa Clara County OA. Minor pipe leaks may remain undetected for years until identified during renovation, excavation, or maintenance. In some scenarios, such leaks may go undetected until the severity has increased, resulting in a noticeable smell or, in the worst-case scenario, an explosion.

Incident causes are grouped as follows:
 Corrosion: Incidents caused by galvanic, atmospheric, stray current, microbiological, or other corrosive action.
 Excavation Damage: Incidents resulting directly from excavation damage by operator’s personnel (oftentimes referred to as "first party" excavation damage), by the operator’s contractor (oftentimes referred to as "second party" excavation damage), or by people or contractors not 326 National Pipeline Mapping System. (n.d.). NPMS Public Viewer. https://pvnpms.phmsa.dot.gov/PublicViewer/

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 16: Other Hazards of Interest 375
associated with the operator (oftentimes referred to as "third party" excavation damage). This cause type also includes those incidents determined to have resulted from previous damage due to excavation activity.
 Incorrect Operation: Incidents caused by operating, maintenance, repair, or other errors by facility personnel, including but not limited to improper valve selection or operation, inadvertent over pressurization, or improper selection or installation of equipment.  Material/Weld/Equipment Failure: Incidents in main or service pipe, or in welds, joints, or connections joining main pipe or service pipe due to faulty manufacturing procedures; defects resulting from poor construction, installation, or fabrication practices; and in-service stresses such as vibration, fatigue, and environmental cracking. also included are incidents resulting from equipment failures such as: malfunction of control/relief equipment (valves, regulators, or other instrumentation); failures of the body of equipment, vessel plate, or other material; and all other equipment-related failures.
 Natural Force Damage: Incidents resulting from earth movement, earthquakes, landslides, subsidence, lightning, heavy rains/floods, washouts, flotation, mudslides, scouring, temperature, frost heave, frozen components, high winds, or similar natural causes.  Other Outside Force Damage: Incidents caused by non-excavation-related outside forces, such as fire or explosion; damage by vehicles or other equipment; nearby industry; failures due to mechanical damage; and intentional damage including vandalism and terrorism.

The greatest risk to the public regarding pipelines is the unintended release of a material being transported through the system. These materials are hazardous and have the capability to severely impact the surrounding environment, population, and property. These impacts may lead to severe injury or death. Combustible material transported through these pipelines may ignite or explode. Hazardous liquids may contaminate water systems. Families that rely on the transported material to heat their households may experience disruption of service. Pipeline failures also have the potential to negatively impact the economy, causing business interruptions or severely damaging vital infrastructure.

Depending on the pipeline material, age of the system, and transported product, pipelines may experience one or more general types of corrosion. Table 121 identifies corrosion types and a description of each.

Table 121: Corrosion Type
Corrosion
Type Description
External External corrosion occurs due to environmental conditions on the outside of the pipe.

Internal Corrosion on the internal wall of a natural gas pipeline can occur when the pipe wall is exposed to water and contaminants in the gas, such as O2, H2S, CO2, or chlorides.

Atmospheric Atmospheric corrosion occurs on a steel surface in a thin wet film created by the humidity in the air in combination with impurities.

Stress
Cracking
Stress corrosion cracking is the initiation of cracks and their propagation, possibly up to complete failure of a component, due to the combined action of tensile mechanical loading and a corrosive medium.

Pipeline material plays an important role in the possibility of experiencing a pipeline failure. The main causes for both hazardous liquid and gas transmission pipelines failure are corrosion, material or welding

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failure, or damage due to excavation.326F
327 Plastic pipes installed for natural gas distribution systems from the 1960s through the early 1980s may be vulnerable to cracking, resulting in gas leakage and potential hazards to the public. Hundreds of thousands of miles of plastic pipe have been installed, with a significant amount installed prior to the mid-1980s. While distribution systems may widely vary in terms of construction material, nearly all transmission pipeline systems are constructed from high-strength steel treated with an anti-corrosive chemical.327F
328
Pipeline incidents may lead to severe injury or death. Combustible material transported through these pipelines may ignite or explode. In the case of a spill, the released product becomes a hazard by dispersing in the environment, contaminating water bodies, soil, and potentially affecting people and wildlife. Families that rely on the transported material to heat their households may experience disruption of service. Pipeline failures also have the potential to negatively impact the economy, causing business interruptions or severely damaging vital infrastructure.

Pipelines are monitored by system control and data acquisition systems that measure flow rate, temperature, and pressure. These systems transfer real-time data via satellite from the pipelines to a control center where valves, pumps, and motors are remotely operated. If tampering with a pipeline occurs, an alarm sounds. The ensuing valve reaction is instantaneous, with the alarm system isolating any rupture and setting off a chain reaction that shuts down pipeline pumps and alerts pipeline operators within seconds.

Pipeline Oversight
Pipelines are regulated in California by the Office of the State Fire Marshal Pipeline Safety Division.

CERCLA, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, and California law require responsible parties to report hazardous material releases if certain criteria are met. CERCLA requires that all releases of hazardous substances exceeding reportable quantities be reported by the responsible party to the National Response Center. If an accidental chemical release exceeds the Right-to-Know Act applicable minimal reportable quantity, the facility must notify state emergency response commissions and local emergency planning committees for any area likely to be affected by the release and provide a detailed written follow-up as soon as practicable. Information about accidental chemical releases must be made available to the public.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) serves as the state regulation authority regarding pipeline operations. The CPUC conducts operation and maintenance compliance inspections and accident investigations. It reviews utilities’ reports and records, conducts construction inspections, conducts special studies, and acts in response to complaints and inquiries from the public on issues regarding gas pipeline safety. The CPUC also endorses the system safety approach embodied in federal government regulations.

The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is responsible for providing federal regulatory oversight of transmission pipelines. The agency’s Integrity Management Program is a transmission pipeline program started in 2000. This program focuses on regulations for transmission pipelines in high consequence areas, such as pipelines passing through high population centers or particularly sensitive ecological areas. 327 Pipeline Association for Public Awareness. (2023). Pipeline Safety Facts and Statistics. https://pipelineawareness.org/safety-information/pipeline-safety-factsstatistics/#:~:text=According%20to%20government%20and%20industry,failure%2C%20human%20error%20and%20 corrosion.
328 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. (2023, May 4). Pipeline Safety: Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair. https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2023- 05/Gas%20Pipeline%20Leak%20Detection%20and%20Repair%20NPRM%20-%20May%202023.pdf

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The Integrity Management Program specifies how pipeline operators must identify, prioritize, assess, repair, and validate the integrity of their pipelines through comprehensive analysis.

PHMSA’s 2005 Distribution Integrity Management Program Phase One report found a lack of risk-based assessment in managing distribution pipeline systems. A guidance document was developed to assist operators in deciding what actions are needed to comply with standards of the distribution integrity management program.328F
329
In 2002, PHMSA released control guidelines for gas leakage. The guidelines included a regulatory classification for leakage severity, as shown in Table 122.

Table 122: Leak Classifications
Grade Description Examples Action Criteria
1 A leak that represents an
existing or probable
hazard to persons or
property and requires
immediate repair or
continuous action until the
conditions are no longer
hazardous.

Any leak which, in the
judgment of operating
personnel at the scene is
regarded as an immediate
hazard.

Escaping gas that has
ignited.

Any indication of gas which
has migrated into or under a
building or into a tunnel.

Any reading at the outside
wall of a building or where
gas would likely migrate to
an outside wall of a building.

Any leak that can be seen,
heard, or felt and which is in
any location that may
endanger the general public
or property.

Requires prompt action to protect
life and property. Action may
require one or more of the
following:
 Implementing a company
emergency plan
 Evacuating premises
 Blocking off an area
 Rerouting traffic
 Eliminating sources of ignition
 Venting the area
 Stopping the flow of gas by
closing valves or other means
 Notifying police and fire
departments
2 A leak that is recognized
as being non-hazardous
at the time of detection,
but requires scheduled
repair based on probable
future hazard.

Any leak which, under
frozen or other adverse soil
conditions, would likely
migrate to the outside wall of
a building (Note: This type of
Grade 2 leak must be
repaired ahead of seasonal
freeze/thaw conditions).

Any leak which, in the
judgment of operating
Leaks should be repaired or
cleared within one calendar year
but no later than 15 months from
the date they were reported. In
determining the repair priority,
criteria such as the following
should be considered:
329 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. (2005). Gas Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) Integrity Management for Gas Distribution: Report of Phase 1 Investigations.https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/gas-distribution-integrity-management/dimp-integrity-managementgas-distribution-report-of-phase-1-investigations-2005

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 16: Other Hazards of Interest 378
Grade Description Examples Action Criteria
personnel at the scene, is of
sufficient magnitude to
justify scheduled repair.
 Amount and migration of gas
 Proximity of gas to buildings
and subsurface elements
 Extent of pavement
 Soil type and soil conditions
such as frost cap, moisture,
and natural venting
3 A leak that is nonhazardous at the time of
detection and can be
reasonably expected to
remain non-hazardous.

Because petroleum gas is
heavier than air and will
collect in low areas
instead of dissipating, few
leaks can safely be
classified as
Grade 3.

Any reading under a street
in areas without wall-to-wall
paving where it is unlikely
the gas could migrate to the
outside wall of a building.

These leaks should be reevaluated during the next
scheduled survey, or within 15
months of the date reported,
whichever occurs first, until the
leak is re-graded or no longer
results in a reading.

Source: PHMSA, 2002

16.3.2 Hazard Profile
Past Events
PHMSA records of natural gas pipeline events in the State of California do not include any events in Santa Clara County. The Bay Area has not experienced a hazardous materials release event with a regional impact. Hazardous material releases are often localized due to the limited release of such events.329F
330
Location
All technological hazards including hazardous materials incidents, transportation incidents, pipeline hazards, and power failure are local in nature, but may cross jurisdictional lines.

Severity
The impact of leaks or spills of hazardous materials on the environment depends on the scale of the incident, the materials involved and the location of the spill. Spills along the California coast are well documented.

Warning Time
There is rarely any warning time before a leak or spill of hazardous materials. Explosions or fires associated with pipeline incidents can occur instantly and escalate quickly. 330 California Office of Emergency Services. (2018). 2018 State of California Hazard Mitigation Plan. https://www.caloes.ca.gov/office-of-the-director/operations/recovery-directorate/hazard-mitigation/state-hazardmitigation-planning/

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 16: Other Hazards of Interest 379
Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
It is unlikely that an oil spill will have a direct impact on most critical facilities and infrastructure. An important exception would be an oil spill near the intake of a water treatment plant, a power plant that uses water for cooling, or an industrial facility that uses water in its processing.

Environment
The impact of leaks or spills of hazardous materials on the environment depends on the scale of the incident, the materials involved and the sensitivity of the spill location. Spills can impact air quality, waterways, fish, and wildlife as well as damage habits.

Future Trends in Development
The anticipated additional development in the county’s urban areas, which are already near the pipelines (see Figure 75), will increase the number of people and businesses exposed to this hazard.

Cascading Impacts
Cascading impacts associated with the pipeline hazard include:
 Urban structure fires;
 Public health consequences for pipeline failures; and  Potential significant environmental impacts both long and short term, depending on the pipeline location.

16.3.3 Utility Failure, Power Outages, and Public Safety Power Shutoff Utility Failure
Utility failure is defined as any interruption or loss of utility service due to disruption of service transmission caused by accident, sabotage, natural hazards, or equipment failure. A significant utility failure is defined as any incident of a long duration, which would require the involvement of the local and/or state emergency management organizations to coordinate provision of food, water, heating, cooling, and shelter. Widespread outages can occur without warning or as a result of a forecasted event.

Generally, warning times are short in the case of utility failure. In cases where a failure is caused by natural hazards, greater warning time is possible.

Except for the cities of Palo Alto and Santa Clara, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is responsible for operating and maintaining the electrical transmission and distribution system in the OA. The utility supplies electricity to an approximate population of 1.7 million residential and business customers in 1,260 square miles of the OA. PG&E has both overhead and underground lines throughout the OA. The Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority was created to help generate electricity from clean sources in the OA and currently serves 270,000 residents and businesses.

Wastewater and potable water utility restoration are essential to community continuity and recovery.

Interruption of these services may have cascading economic and environmental impacts.

Utility failure can cause cascading impacts including:
 Chemical accidents can occur after power is restored to industrial facilities. Power interruptions at chemical handling plants are of particular concern because of the potential for a chemical spill during restart (EPA, 2001).
 Without proper procedures for backup of data and systems, the loss of data, systems, and telecommunications is a risk incurred by utility failure. Data and telecommunications provide a primary method for service to the community by the government and the private sector. A loss of

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data or a system could result in loss of emergency dispatch capabilities, emergency planning services, infrastructure monitoring capabilities, access to statistical data, and loss of financial and personnel records. Loss of communication capability by first responders could have negative impacts on public safety. Backup systems such as amateur radio operators may be required during disaster to augment communications capabilities. Power outages can also lead to instances of civil disturbance, including looting.

Power Outages
Power outages are defined as any electrical system failure due to an unplanned disruption of service transmission caused by natural hazards, cyber-attacks, transportation accidents, accidental constructionrelated damage, sabotage, equipment failure or an intentional interruption through rolling blackouts or power shutoffs.

A significant outage is an incident of a long duration, which would require the involvement of the local and/or state emergency management organizations to coordinate provision of food, water, heating, cooling, and shelter. Widespread outages can occur without warning or as a result of a forecasted event.

Generally, warning times are short in the case of utility failure. In cases where a failure is caused by natural hazards, greater warning time is possible. In the OA, electric power is provided to the cities by ten utilities, as shown in Table 123.

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Table 123: Electric Providers in Santa Clara County30F
331
Jurisdiction
Commercial
Energy of
California
Freedom
Energy
Hudson
Energy
Pacific
Gas and
Electric
Company
Palo Alto
Utilities
Pilot
Power
Group
Public
Power &
Utility of
Maryland
San José
Clean
Energy
Silicon
Valley
Power
StateWise
Energy
Campbell 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Cupertino 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Gilroy 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Los Altos 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Los Altos
Hills

14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Los Gatos 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Milpitas 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Monte
Sereno

14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Morgan Hill 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Mountain
View

14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Palo Alto 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 90.88% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% San José 12.52% 12.52% 12.52% 12.52% 12.52% 12.52% 12.52% 12.38% 12.52% 12.52% Santa Clara 49.92% 50.08%
Saratoga 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% Sunnyvale 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 14.29% 331 Find Energy LLC. (2022 August 9). Santa Clara County, California Electricity Rates and Statistics. https://findenergy.com/ca/santa-clara-county-electricity/#citycoverage

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16.3.4 Hazard Profile
Public Safety Power Shutoff
In 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) ruled that the California Public Utility Code gives electric utilities the authority to shut off electric power to protect public safety, since power supply systems have the potential to ignite wildfires.

These shutoffs typically end within 24 hours after the weather conditions have subsided but may extend beyond the 24-hour timeframe, depending on conditions. An extended power outage due to a power shutoff, is likely to have the same impacts on a community as described above for an unplanned power outage.

Past Events
The California Public Utilities Commission collects and compiles data on public safety power shutoffs Their records from 2019 through October 2021 show that the number of days with power shutoffs anywhere in the system has increased each year (see Table 124).

Table 124: Power Shutoffs Statewide31F
332
Year
Calendar Days
with a Power
Shutoff
Anywhere in
California
Power Shutoff Duration
Shortest Longest
2019 26 0 days, 1 hr., 19 min. 5 days, 21 hr., 0 min.
2020 31 0 days, 0 hr., 16 min. 5 days, 10 hr., 32 min.
2021 (through 10/22/21) 42 0 days, 2 hr., 52 min. 4 days, 18 hr., 38 min.

Location
Each power shutoff is linked to a specific circuit, but on many days, multiple circuits experience shutdowns, resulting in widespread power outages. Power loss from other causes is typically limited to local areas but could also affect larger regions.

Severity
The severity of power loss of any type relates to the number of days without power and the situation of the population and businesses without power. A 16-minute power loss is not significant to most, but to a person with a critical electrical medical device the loss would be severe. A loss of power for four days would be considered severe by all.
332 Union of Concerned Scientists. (2022, February 2). California Utilities Shut Off Power for Fewer People, But Too Many Are Still in the Dark. https://blog.ucsusa.org/mark-specht/california-utilities-shut-off-power-for-fewer-people-buttoo-many-are-still-in-the-dark/

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 16: Other Hazards of Interest 383
Warning Time
Warning time for power outages will depend on the cause. An outage caused by hitting a distribution line or by an accident at a substation will occur without warning. However, an outage caused by weather conditions may come with some advance notice. Public safety power shutoffs are intended to provide adequate warning time.

Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
The impact of power outage on the facilities themselves is likely to be minimal but disruption of critical services would be significant.

Environment
The impact of power outage on the environment is unlikely but not impossible.

Future Trends in Development
In a growing community, more people and more businesses mean more are inconvenienced and/or negatively impacted by power outages.

Cascading Impacts
A county or city in the dark because of a power outage or shutdown could see an increase in crime.

Other impacts could include the following:
 Individuals would not have use of power-dependent medical equipment.  Chemical accidents can occur after power is restored to industrial facilities. Power interruptions at chemical handling plants are of particular concern because of the potential for a chemical spill during restart.32F
333
 Disrupting communications.
 Without proper procedures for backup of data and systems, the loss of data, systems, and telecommunications is a risk incurred by power outages. Data and telecommunications provide a primary method for service to the community by the government and the private sector. A loss of data or a system could result in loss of emergency dispatch capabilities, emergency planning services, infrastructure monitoring capabilities, access to statistical data, and loss of financial and personnel records. Loss of communication capability by first responders could have negative impacts on public safety. Backup systems such as amateur radio operators may be required during disasters to augment communications capabilities.  Closing retail businesses, grocery stores, gas stations, ATMs, banks, and other services.  Causing food spoilage and water contamination.
 Discomfort for those living without heat or without cooling during the outage.  Power outages can also lead to instances of civil disturbance, including looting. 333 Environmental Protection Agency. (2021, February). Risk of Chemical Accidents During Process Startup. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02/documents/ncistartupsafety-enforcementalert.pdf

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16.4 Epidemic and Pandemic
An outbreak occurs when there are more cases of a particular disease than expected in each area, or among a specific group of people, over a particular period of time. Epidemic has a similar definition, but generally refers to when a larger number of people or larger geographic area are experiencing an outbreak. In an outbreak or epidemic, it is presumed that the cases are related to one another or that they have a common cause.3F
334 A pandemic then refers to an epidemic which has spread over a large area such as an entire country, or even a continent, usually affecting a larger number of people.

The Santa Clara County Department of Public Health is responsible for protecting and improving the health of the community within the OA. The public health department responds to public health related emergencies and disasters and supports field responders at medical and rescue incidents. The OA has numerous health care facilities within its borders, including the following:
 The Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital in Stanford  El Camino Hospital in Mountain View
 Santa Clara Medical Center, in Santa Clara
 Good Samaritan Hospital in San José
 Kaiser Permanente San José Medical Center
 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford
The following sections describe commonly recognized human health hazards that are a concern in the OA.

COVID-19
In late 2019, patients were reported exhibiting symptoms of an abnormal flu-like illness. The initial outbreak rapidly expanded across the world over the next few months and became known as COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a type of coronavirus. The disease spreads from personto-person, usually through close contact such as when someone in conversational distance coughs, sneezes, speaks, sings, or breathes.34F
335 The disease can also spread through the air in congested areas where people tend to conjugate and through touching surfaces contaminated by the virus.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fevers, chills, and sore throat. Other symptoms include muscle aches, severe fatigue or tiredness, headache, new and persistent cough, shortness of breath, and loss or change of sense of taste or smell. Symptoms usually begin within 5-6 days from the time of exposure.

However, some people with the disease remain asymptomatic. It is believed that some asymptomatic people may have been able to transmit the disease to others, but further research is needed. Everyone is able to be infected although older people, people with pre-existing conditions, and people who are pregnant are more likely to be infected or have a serious infection.

By March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency to make additional resources available, formalize emergency actions already underway across multiple state agencies and departments, and help the state prepare for broader spread of COVID-19. The proclamation came as the number of positive California cases rose and following one official COVID-19 death. Since then, cases 334 Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Lesson 1: Introduction to Epidemiology. https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section11.html 335 World Health Organization. (December 2021). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): How is it transmitted? https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/coronavirusdisease-covid-19-how-is-ittransmitted?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_oSJxvnq_gIVFdiGCh2sYQe4EAAYASAAEgJByfD_BwE

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continued to rise and over 1.1 million people died of COVID-19 in the United States alone. Measures were implemented to reduce the rapid spread including social distancing, mandatory testing, and isolation and quarantine policies.

Figure 77 illustrates the course of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County from onset through January 2023. As this plan is being prepared, the California COVID-19 State of Emergency ended on February 28, 2023, and the COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency is scheduled to end on May 11, 2023.

Figure 77: Santa Clara COVID Cases 2020–202335F
336
Almost 7,000 cases of COVID-19 per day were recorded across the county at the peak of the pandemic, as shown in Table 125, but the percentages of each city’s population that were infected ranged from 9.6% in Monte Sereno to 37.3% in Gilroy.
336 Santa Clara County Public Health. (2023). COVID Cases and Deaths Dashboard. https://covid19.sccgov.org/dashboard-cases-and-deaths

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Table 125: COVID-19 Cases Countywide and by City of Residence36F 337
County/City Cases Population Rate City Cases Population Rate Santa Clara
Countya
496,338 1,885,508 26.3% Monte Sereno 331 3,492 9.5%
Campbell 10,005 42,470 23.6% Morgan Hill 13,696 43,876 31.2% Cupertino 8,523 60,614 14.1% Mountain
View
13,885 80,993 17.1%
Gilroy 20,715 55,525 37.3% Palo Alto 10,714 67,019 16.0% Los Altos 4,913 30,588 16.1% San José 285,709 1,026,658 27.8% Los Altos
Hills
1,231 8,517 14.5% Santa Clara 27,388 126,209 21.7%
Los Gatos 6,805 30,922 22.0% Saratoga 4,540 30,886 14.7% Milpitas 17,293 77,457 22.3% Sunnyvale 27,079 152,323 17.8% a Countywide total (includes city cases).

The spread and scope of COVID-19 was more than sufficient for it to be declared a pandemic. The only comparable outbreak in modern times could be the 1918 flu pandemic which affected an estimated one third of the world’s population. The two pandemics shared similar characteristics; their exact origins are unknown, it took multiple years for the diseases to run their course, and they required significant local, regional, and global efforts to respond and recover from.

Today, COVID-19 still represents a series threat however, some of that threat has been mitigated by the development of COVID testing capabilities and vaccines. COVID vaccines have been shown to effectively decrease the severity and likelihood of infection. COVID-19 is expected to be endemic, meaning that it will remain present in certain parts of the world with relatively low spread except for occasional outbreaks.

For this reason, it will continue to be a challenge that public health professionals will have to prepare for and respond to. There are still many unknowns about the disease as well. One significant threat is being referred to as “long COVID” or Post-COVID Conditions (PCC). Some people who develop the disease are experiencing long-term symptoms that continue or develop after the initial infection. These symptoms can include a wide range of problems including tiredness, fatigue, fever, difficulty breathing, coughing, difficulty thinking of concentrating, and more. While scientists work to develop effective treatment, the public, government, and private sector should be aware of this poorly understood condition.37F 338
Disease Outbreaks
In addition to COVID-19, there have been other major disease outbreaks within Santa Clara County since 2018 (see Table 126).38F
339
337 Santa Clara County Public Health. (2023). COVID Cases and Deaths Dashboard. https://covid19.sccgov.org/dashboard-cases-and-deaths
338 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (December 2022). Long COVID. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-termeffects/index.html?s_cid=11841:%2Blong%20%2Bcovid:sem.b:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY23 339 California Office of Emergency Services. (2023). California State Hazard Mitigation Plan – Part 3. https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Hazard-Mitigation/Documents/California-SHMP_PublicReview_Vol1- Part3.pdf

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Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by certain bacteria (called Borrelia burgdorferi) that can spread from the bite of an infected western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease may start as a mild illness that begins 3 to 30 days after a tick bite and might easily be mistaken for other common illnesses like a cold or flu. Signs and symptoms also can include a red, painless rash that may spread over time. If Lyme disease is not treated, it might develop into more severe health problems.39F
340
Valley Fever
Valley fever (also called coccidioidomycosis or “cocci”) is a disease caused by a fungus that grows in the soil and dirt in some areas of California and the southwestern United States. People and animals can get sick when they breathe in dust that contains the Valley fever fungus. This fungus usually infects the lungs and can cause respiratory symptoms including cough, fever, chest pain, and tiredness.340F 341
West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne disease that was first detected in the United States in 1999. WNV first appeared in California in 2003, and by 2004, WNV had spread to all 58 counties. In 2022, there was one human case, 26 dead birds and 23 mosquito samples taken.341F 342
Risk of infection is reduced through the coordinated efforts of local and state public health and vector control agencies. People can protect themselves from WNV by taking precautions to prevent mosquito bites.342F
343
Table 126: Disease Outbreaks Identified in Santa Clara County, 2018–202234F 344
Disease Outbreaks 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
COVID-19 x x x
Lyme Disease x x
Valley Fever x x x x x
West Nile Virus x x x x
Other Diseases of Concern
Influenza
Epidemics of the flu typically occur in the fall and winter. Because flu seasons fluctuate in length and severity, a single estimate cannot be used to summarize influenza-associated deaths. Figure 78 depicts the weekly percentage of emergency department visits for influenza-like illness in Santa Clara County by influenza season. The most recent reports are for February 22, 2023. 340 California Department of Public Health. (n.d.) Lyme Disease. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/LymeDisease.aspx 341 California Department of Public Health. (n.d.). What is Valley Fever? https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/pages/Coccidioidomycosis.aspx 342 California Department of Public Health. (n.d.) 2022 West Nile Virus Activity in California. West Nile. https://westnile.ca.gov/
343California Department of Public Health. (n.d.) West Nile Virus. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/WestNileVirus.aspx 344 California Department of Public Health. (n.d.) Diseases and Conditions. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/allDiseases.aspx

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Figure 78: Weekly Percentage of Emergency Department Visits for Influenza-Like Illness in Santa Clara County, 2019, to February 22, 202334F
345
H1N1
In April 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a health advisory on an outbreak of influenzalike illness caused by a new subtype of influenza A (A/H1N1) in Mexico and the United States. The disease spread rapidly, and in June the WHO declared an H1N1 pandemic, marking the first global pandemic since the 1968 Hong Kong flu. In October, the U.S. declared H1N1 a national emergency. In August 2010, the WHO declared an end to the pandemic globally. H1N1 viruses and seasonal influenza viruses are co-circulating in many parts of the world. It is likely that the 2009 H1N1 virus will continue to spread for years to come, like a regular seasonal influenza virus.

H5N1/H7N9
The highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus is an influenza A subtype that occurs mainly in birds, causing high mortality among birds and domestic poultry. Outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 among poultry and wild birds are ongoing in a number of countries.

H5N1 virus infections of humans are rare, and most cases have been associated with direct poultry contact during poultry outbreaks. Rare cases of limited human-to-human spread of H5N1 virus may have occurred, but there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission. Nonetheless, because all influenza viruses have the ability to change and mutate, scientists are concerned that H5N1 viruses one day could be able to infect humans more easily and spread more easily from one person to another, potentially causing another pandemic.
345 Santa Clara County Public Health. (2023). Influenza Report. https://publichealthproviders.sccgov.org/diseases/influenza/influenza-report

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While the H5N1 virus does not now infect people easily, infection in humans is much more serious when it occurs than is infection with H1N1. More than half of people reported infected with H5N1 have died.

Infections in humans and poultry by a new avian influenza A virus (H7N9) continue to be occasionally.

The last outbreak was in 2017 in China. Another case was reported in Malaysia. While mild illness in human cases has been seen, most patients have had severe respiratory illness, and some have died.

Source investigation by Chinese authorities is ongoing. Many of the people infected with H7N9 reportedly have had contact with poultry. However, some cases reportedly have not had such contact. Close contacts of confirmed H7N9 patients are being followed to determine whether any human-to- human spread of H7N9 is occurring. No sustained person-to-person spread of the H7N9 virus has been found at this time. However, based on previous experience with avian flu viruses, some limited human- to-human spread of this the virus would not be surprising.

As of the time of this writing, there is currently an outbreak of avian flu in birds. Over 58 million birds have been impacted, primarily in North and South Dakota345F
346. Santa Clara County has not reported any cases
of avian influenza. The first case of influenza A (H5N1) in humans was reported in the U.S. in April 2022.

Despite the unlikely transmission of the bird flu to humans, the CDC still recommends preventative measures for those exposed to infected birds. No cases of H7N9 have been detected in people in the United States.

Smallpox
Smallpox is a sometimes-fatal infectious disease. There is no specific treatment, and the only prevention is vaccination. Symptoms include raised bumps on the face and body of an infected person. The oldest evidence of smallpox was found on the body of Pharaoh Ramses V of Egypt who died in 1157 BC.

Outbreaks have occurred from time to time for thousands of years, but the disease is now eradicated after a successful worldwide vaccination program. The last case of smallpox in the United States was in 1949. The last naturally occurring case in the world was in Somalia in 1977. As of the publication of this document, there are no cases of smallpox in the world. Currently only two locations in the world have samples of smallpox: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta and the Ivanovsky Institute of Virology in Russia.

After the disease was eliminated, routine vaccination among the general public was stopped. Therefore, any cases of smallpox in the world would be considered an immediate international emergency. In 2003, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health conducted an investigation of state residents who became ill after having contact with prairie dogs. The cases appeared in May and June of 2003, and symptoms in the human cases included fever, cough, pox-like rash and swollen lymph nodes. CDC laboratory test results indicated that the cause of the human illness was Monkeypox, an orthopox virus that could be transmitted by prairie dogs. This outbreak, and the potential use of smallpox as a weapon of bioterrorism, brought the fear of smallpox back to the forefront of the population. A detailed nationwide smallpox response plan created at the end of 2002 is designed to quickly contain a potential outbreak and vaccinate the population.
346 U.S. Department of Agriculture. (May 2023). 2022-2023 Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-diseaseinformation/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks

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Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers
Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of illnesses caused by several distinct families of viruses.

VHF describes a multisystem syndrome (multiple systems in the body are affected). Characteristically, the overall vascular system is damaged and the body’s ability to regulate itself is impaired. These symptoms are often accompanied by hemorrhage (bleeding); however, the bleeding itself is rarely life- threatening.

While some types of hemorrhagic fever viruses can cause relatively mild illnesses, many cause severe, life-threatening disease.

The viruses that cause VHFs are distributed over much of the globe. However, because each virus is associated with one or more particular host species, the virus and the disease it causes are usually seen only where the host species live. Some hosts, such as the rodent species carrying several of the New World arenaviruses, live in geographically restricted areas. Therefore, the risk of getting VHFs caused by these viruses is restricted to those areas. Other hosts range over continents, such as the rodents that carry viruses that cause the Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in North and South America, or the rodents that carry viruses that cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Europe and Asia.

Ebola
The 2014 Ebola virus outbreak was unprecedented in geographical reach and impact on health care systems across the globe. This was the largest and deadliest Ebola virus outbreak ever recorded. It was the first time the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Mali, and Senegal saw the virus. Ebola is more common in Central African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, where it was first discovered in 1976. It was also the first time that Ebola made it to the United States and Europe, prompting world-wide preparedness and response efforts. The outbreak was closely monitored, and traveler screenings were developed for those returning from West Africa.

In August 2014 two U.S. healthcare workers returned to the United States for treatment for Ebola. The case that most impacted the health care system in the United States was a patient diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas, Texas who died due to Ebola in October 2014. The nurse who provided care for him later tested positive for Ebola. This caused responses across the country from hospitals, emergency medical teams, fire departments and public health agencies to enhance isolation precautions, develop emergency policies, train with personal protective equipment, and conduct multi-agency emergency exercises in case the spread of Ebola became a pandemic.

Before the 2014 outbreak, only 2,200 cases of Ebola had been recorded and 68 percent were fatal.

Twenty percent of new Ebola infections were linked to burial traditions in which family and community members wash and touch dead bodies before burial. In Guinea, 60 percent of Ebola infections were linked to traditional burial practices.

Plague
Plague is a potentially fatal infectious disease of animals and humans caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium. People usually get plague from being bitten by a flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an infected animal. Today, modern antibiotics are effective against plague, but if an infected person is not treated promptly, the disease is likely to cause illness or death.

Plague is an ancient disease but outbreaks throughout the world continue. Major plague epidemics occurred in the middle of the sixth century in Egypt, Europe, and Asia; during the 14th century in Europe, following caravan routes; in the 18th century in Austria and the Balkans; and in the late 19th century worldwide (but mostly in China and India). Manchuria in 1910–1911 witnessed about 60,000 deaths due to pneumonic plague with a repeat in 1920–1921. A minor outbreak occurred as recently as the summer of 1994 in Surat, India, closely following an earthquake in September 1993. Globally, the WHO reports 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague every year.

In North America, plague is found in certain animals and their fleas from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains, and from southwestern Canada to Mexico. The last urban plague epidemic in the United States

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occurred in Los Angeles in 1924–25. Since then, human plague in the U.S. has occurred as mostly scattered cases in rural areas (an average of 10 to 15 persons each year per the CDC). Most human cases in the United States occur in northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada.

Zika Virus
Zika is a disease transmitted by yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). An Aedes mosquito can only transmit Zika virus after it bites a person who has this virus in their blood. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild, with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually do not get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they rarely die from the Zika virus. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. However, Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly (abnormally small head and brain), as well as other severe fetal brain defects. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections. Zika virus is not spread through casual contact but can be spread by infected men to their sexual partners. There is a growing association between Zika and Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a disease affecting the nervous system.

The mosquitos that carry Zika are not native to California and from 2015 to the publishing of this document, there has been no local mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus in California.346F 347 However,
infestations have been reported in multiple counties in California. Most cases were documented in people who were infected while traveling outside the United States. The CDC maintains a list of countries where zika has been reported. Required reporting for Zika in California began in 2016. These numbers may be underestimated given multiple factors, including the fact many people are asymptomatic. Currently, the represent a decrease in cases in Santa Clara County. Thirty-six cases were reported from 2015 to 2016, 14 in 2017, 8 in 2018, 3 in 2019, and no cases since.

16.4.2 Hazard Profile
Location
These diseases are a worldwide threat, occasionally increasing in severity in some locations. Areas with higher concentrations of vulnerable populations are more likely to experience a serious outbreak.

Severity
The severity can range from very localized, in just case of just a few infected, to severe with widespread infection and complications. Widespread sickness and loss of life have resulted from the COVID-19 Pandemic. The most recent totals available as this plan is being written show a total of 496,338 confirmed cases and 2,714 deaths in Santa Clara County.

Warning Time
The first human cases of the diseases discussed in this MJHMP appeared with very little warning, as did the start of recent outbreaks. Air travel radically increases the speed at which disease spreads around the world. Today’s communication does provide warning to local communities of diseases which could be a problem for them in the future.
347 The Mercury News. (2016, March). Four Zika virus cases reported in Bay Area. https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/03/03/four-zika-virus-cases-reported-in-bay-area/

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Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
No direct impact is expected on the facilities, but the operation of medical-related facilities can and have been overwhelmed. The operation of critical infrastructure can be impacted by employee absence due to illness.

Environment
Epidemic, pandemic, and vector-borne diseases can be directly or indirectly tied to environmental impacts. Air pollution in California dropped suddenly during the COVID-19 lockdown between March 19 and May 7, 2020. Changes in the environment, due to human stressors or climate change, may increase vector-borne diseases and drive disease emergence in wildlife which could be transmitted to humans.347F 348
Future Trends in Development
Future development in Santa Clara County is not anticipated to have any direct impact on the risk of epidemic/pandemic disease. There could be an indirect impact from the development of buildable lands in that the population that could be exposed to this hazard would be increased. However, no direct impact is expected.

Cascading Impacts
In general, cascading impacts are not anticipated. A widespread pandemic like COVID-19 could threaten global supply chains and the local economy due to disruptions, delays, and shutdowns due to preventative employee health measures and lack of healthy workers.

16.5 Fog
The National Weather Service describes nine types of fog.348F 349 Fog in the Santa Clara County OA has
different origins depending on the time of year. In summer, fog forms when warm, moist, and stable air is blown across a cooler surface (land or water). The air temperature falls until the dew point is reached and condensation occurs. Fog typically occurs in the Bay Area in June, July, and August. It is usually foggy in the morning, with fog burning off as the temperatures rise.

In winter, fog typically originates from the Great Valley. Radiation (ground) fog forms in the moist regions of the Sacramento River Delta and arrives to the region via Suisun and San Pablo Bays and San Francisco Bays on cool easterly winds. While this type of fog is less frequent than summer fog, appearing one winter and not again for years, it is typically denser and more likely to lead to significantly reduced visibility.349 F
350
The fog typical for the San Francisco Bay Area is known as advection fog. This type of fog forms when warm, moist, and stable air is blown across a cooler surface (land or water). The air temperature falls until the dew point is reached and condensation occurs. Fog typically occurs in the Bay Area in the June, July, and August. It is usually foggy in the morning, with fog burning off as the temperatures rise. 348 Semenza JC, Rocklöv J, Ebi KL. (May 2022). Climate Change and Cascading Risks from Infectious Disease. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9334478/
349 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (n.d.). National Weather Service Glossary. https://w1.weather.gov/glossary/index.php?word=fog
350 L.A. Times. (n.d.). Inside the return of Tule fog in California’s Central Valley. https://www.latimes.com/projects/return-tule-fog-california-central-valley

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16.5.1 Hazard Profile
Past Events
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Storm Events Database reports 5 events of dense fog since the last plan update. Dense fog means the visibility was limited to a quarter of a mile or less.

However, this database does not account for the more common fog events in the OA, which typically occur in the morning when the temperatures are cool, and the relative humidity is high.

Location, Frequency, and Warning Time
Fog can occur almost anywhere during any season and is classified based on how it forms, which is related to where it forms. Certain seasons are more likely to have foggy days or nights based on a number of factors, including topography, nearby bodies of water, and wind conditions. Fog can form overnight. Local National Weather Service offices issue a Dense Fog Advisory when widespread dense fog develops. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has implemented a fog detection and warning system that uses speed and visibility detectors to assess road conditions, traffic management software to process data and control the field devices, and changeable message signs to provide information to the traveling public.350F
351
Severity
Heavy fog is particularly hazardous when it reduces visibility to ¼ mile or less. Although fog seems like a minor hazard, it can have significant impacts. Severe fog incidents can close roads, cause vehicle accidents, cause airport delays, and impair the effectiveness of emergency response. The California Highway Patrol records and news reports describe highway accidents, many with serious injuries or deaths, due to low visibility in dense fog. Many of those accidents involve chain reaction crashes including recent crashes in Santa Clara County. Financial losses associated with transportation delays caused by fog have not been calculated in the United States, but it is likely to be substantial.

Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
Critical facilities and infrastructure in the Santa Clara County OA would only be impacted indirectly by the fog hazard.

Environment
In the context of the MJHMP Update, fog is considered to be a hazard, but fog plays a key role in California’s ecosystems and agricultural sector.

Future Trends in Development
As more lands are developed in the Santa Clara County OA and more people use the area’s highways, the fog hazard’s impact will increase.

Cascading Impacts
Potential cascading impacts of dense fog involve delays in response to all other hazard events in the vicinity and relate to highway accidents, some of which could involve hazardous materials. 351 Berman, M., Liu, J., and Justison, L. (2009). Caltrans Fog Detection and Warning System. https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/27652

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Scenario
The worst-case scenario for the fog hazard is probably the situation today. The negatives of delays, inconvenience, and potential traffic accidents are clear. Increases in temperatures in the Santa Clara County OA and likely related decreases in fog could have a more long-term negative impact on the environment and agriculture.

16.6 Identified Needs
This assessment of the other hazards of interest led to identification of the following needs throughout the Santa Clara County OA:
 Continue regular and redundant emergency preparedness training for field level responders (police, fire, and public works) and public information staff in order to respond quickly in the event of a disaster associated with the identified hazards of interest. Enhance awareness training for all local government employees to recognize threats or suspicious activity in order to prevent an incident from occurring.
 Continue all facets of hazardous materials team training and response through commitment of resources from the Environmental Health Department, local fire departments, and potential funding through homeland security budgets.
 Continue to improve response times for public safety throughout the Santa Clara County OA so as to reduce exposure to human-caused incidents. Maintain appropriate staffing levels of public safety personnel to address vulnerabilities identified in this section.  Continue to implement the hazardous materials business plan with enhancements, as warranted by the type of uses in the Santa Clara County OA and innovative technologies in preventing hazardous materials incidents.
 Continue to work proactively with industrial businesses regarding placards and labeling of containers, emergency plans and coordination, standardized response procedures, and notification of the types of materials being transported through the Santa Clara County OA. On at least an annual basis, conduct random inspections of transporters as allowed by the business; install mitigating techniques at critical locations; implement routine hazard communication initiatives; enhance security along the transportation corridors; and continuously look to the use of safer alternative products to conduct all business and transportation operations.  Participate in regional, state, and federal efforts to gather terrorism information at all levels and keep public safety officials briefed at all times regarding any local threats. Further develop response capabilities based on emerging threats.
 Commit support to the Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative by dedicating fire, emergency medical services, emergency management grant managers, and police personnel to the program as funded with Homeland Security grants.
 Participate in the Cal OES Disaster Resistant California annual conference and other training sessions sponsored by regional, state, and federal agencies.  Use Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in future planning efforts as well as enhancing existing infrastructure and buildings to prevent or mitigate human-cause incidents.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design is an urban planning design process that integrates crime prevention with neighborhood design and community development. The process is based on the theory that the proper design and effective use of the built environment can reduce crime and the fear of crime and improve the quality of life. It creates an environment where the physical characteristics, building layout, and site planning allow inhabitants to become key agents in ensuring their own security.

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 Participate in regional training exercises per the requirements of Homeland Security Presidential Directive #8 in support of national preparedness. These training exercises may be sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security San José office, the Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative, local government offices of homeland security, grant funds through Cal OES, or FEMA.

Training exercises test and evaluate the ability to coordinate the activities of local and state government first responders, volunteer organizations and the private sector in responding to terrorism and technological hazards. The trainings enhance interagency coordination, provide training to staff, test response and recovery capabilities, and implement the Standardized Emergency Management System, the National Incident Management System, and the California and national mutual aid systems.
 Work with the private sector to enhance and create business continuity plans to be followed in the event of an emergency.
 Review existing automatic aid and mutual aid agreements with other public safety agencies to identify opportunities for enhancement.
 Identify, relocate, or construct a redundant Emergency Operations Center in a location away from hazards.
 Maintain an emergency services information line that the public can contact 24 hours a day during an emergency to ask questions of emergency staff.  Coordinate with all school districts in the OA and individual cities to ensure that their emergency preparedness plans include preparation for human-caused incidents.  Encourage local businesses to adopt information technology and telecommunications recovery plans.
 Promote 72-hour self-sufficiency through the United Neighborhoods of Santa Clara County and other neighborhood associations, emergency preparedness efforts through local governments, emergency preparedness websites of local governments, civic organizations and the private sector, public outreach, and other means. Ensure inclusion of program information for people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.  Prepare and present the human-caused hazard risk and preparedness program to the public through meetings, town hall gatherings, and preparedness fairs and outreach.  Maintain any and all citizen advisory groups and periodically e-mail emergency preparedness information including human-caused hazard preparedness instructions and reminders.  Support disease prevention through vaccination and personal emergency and disaster preparation to help reduce the impacts of human health hazards.  Integrate medical and response personnel in a unified command to provide care when needed in response to human health hazards.
 Adequately train and supply medical and response personnel.  Carry out up-to-date and functional all-hazard contingency planning.  Develop a system for informing the public with a unified message about the human health hazard.  Provide health agencies and facilities with surge capacity management and adaptation to the rising number and needs of the region.

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16.7 Related Plans
The following plans also address issues related to the “other hazards,” including response priorities.

Santa Clara County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan and Annexes
The Santa Clara County OA Emergency Operations Plan is an all-hazards document describing the OA’s Emergency Operations organization, compliance with relevant legal statutes, other guidelines, and critical components of the Emergency Response System. The Emergency Operations Plan consists of threat summaries based on a Santa Clara County OA hazard analysis. This hazard analysis was conducted by Santa Clara County OEM staff, providing a description of the local area, risk factors and the anticipated nature of situations that could occur in the Santa Clara County OA. The Emergency Operations Plan is activated during extraordinary emergency situations associated with large-scale disasters or emergencies affecting the Santa Clara County OA.

Santa Clara County Public Health Department Plan
This Santa Clara County Public Health Department Plan outlines the efforts to prepare for response to a disaster that has a medical/health component. The Countywide Medical Response System plan is focused on the goal of terrorism preparedness, and addresses topics such as risk communications, decontamination, personal protective equipment, mass prophylaxis, education, training, and exercises.

Each topic identifies participating agencies, including fire, law enforcement, hospitals, emergency management, schools, the medical examiner, mental health services, and many others. The plan further enumerates a list of responsibilities to the Countywide Medical Response System for each identified agency, as well as a list of public health commitments through the system that will assist those agencies.

Hazardous Materials Business Plans
Hazardous materials business plans are implemented by Certified Unified Program Agencies within their jurisdictions, along with local fire departments to protect human health and the environment from hazardous materials incidents.

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17 Mitigation Strategy

17.1 Goals and Objectives
Hazard mitigation plans must identify goals for reducing long-term vulnerabilities to identified hazards (44 CFR Section 201.6(c)(3)(i)). A guiding principle, a set of goals and measurable objectives for this plan were reviewed and approved by the larger Planning Team based on data from the preliminary risk assessment and updates to mitigation priorities since the previous MJHMP. The guiding principle, goals, objectives, and actions in this plan all support each other. Goals were selected to support the guiding principle. Objectives were selected that met multiple goals. Actions were prioritized based on the action meeting multiple objectives.

17.1.1 Guiding Principle
A guiding principle focuses the range of objectives and actions to be considered. This is not a goal because it does not describe a hazard mitigation outcome, and it is broader than a hazard-specific objective. The guiding principle for this hazard mitigation plan is as follows:

To equitably reduce risk and increase resilience by establishing and promoting a comprehensive mitigation program and efforts to protect the Whole Community and environment from identified natural and humaninduced hazards.

17.1.2 Goals
The following are the mitigation goals for this plan:

1. Actively develop community awareness, understanding, and interest in hazard mitigation and empower the Operational Area to engage in the shaping of associated mitigation policies and programs.

2. Minimize potential for loss of life, injury, social impacts, and dislocation due to hazards.

3. Minimize potential for damage to property, economic impacts, and unusual public expense due to hazards.

4. Minimize likelihood and impact of hazards causing environmental damage or damaging open space/nature preserves in the County and preserving ecological connectivity in the region and by working with residents to help build community capacity to respond and adapt to hazards and emergencies.

5. Effectively deliver essential information to the whole community that promotes personal preparedness and includes advice to reduce personal vulnerability to hazards.

6. Encourage programs and projects that promote community resiliency by maintaining the functionality of critical Operational Area resources, facilities, and infrastructure.

7. Pursue feasible, cost-effective, grant eligible, and environmentally sound hazard mitigation measures.

8. Increase adaptive capacity to reduce risk from hazard impacts that stem from a changing climate.

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9. Remove barriers for local governments to access mitigation funding (broad vs. specific) and reduce the administrative pain points to recipient agencies during the project deployment and auditing phases.

The effectiveness of a mitigation strategy is assessed by determining how well these goals are achieved.

17.1.3 Objectives
Each selected objective meets multiple goals, serving as a stand-alone measurement of the effectiveness of a mitigation action, rather than as a subset of a goal. The objectives also are used to help establish priorities and have been reviewed and approved by the Mitigation Strategy Working Group, and the larger Planning Team. The objectives are as follows:

1. Establish and maintain partnerships in the identification and implementation of mitigation measures in the Operational Area.

2. Implement hazard mitigation programs and projects that protect life, property, and the environment.

3. Develop and provide updated information about threats, hazards, vulnerabilities, and mitigation strategies to state, regional, and local agencies, as well as private sector groups, communitybased organizations, and non-profits.

4. Improve understanding of the locations, potential impacts, and linkages among threats, hazards, vulnerability, and measures needed to protect life, property, and the environment.

5. Encourage the incorporation of mitigation best management measures into plans, codes, and other regulatory standards for public, private, and non-governmental entities within the Operational Area.

6. Inform the public on the risk exposure to natural hazards and ways to increase the public’s capability to prevent, prepare, respond, recover, and mitigate impacts of these events.

7. Advance community and natural environment sustainability and resilience to future impacts through preparation and implementation of state, regional, and local projects.

8. Reduce repetitive property losses from all hazards.

9. Where feasible and cost-effective, encourage property protection measures for vulnerable structures located in hazard areas.

10. Improve the process on how public agencies select systems that provide warning and emergency communications for a broad array of agencies. This includes improving the selection process and ensuring warning and emergency communications processes are effective and accessible.

11. Partner with educational institutions that provide research, case studies and the like to help bolster agency communication that demonstrates the value of hazard mitigation.

17.2 Mitigation Alternatives
Catalogs of natural hazard mitigation alternatives were developed that present a broad range of alternatives to be considered for use in the OA, in compliance with 44 CFR (Section 201.6(c)(3)(ii)). One catalog was developed for each natural hazard of concern evaluated in this plan. The catalogs present alternatives that are categorized in two ways:
 By who would have responsibility for implementation:
▪ Individuals (personal scale).
▪ Businesses (corporate scale).

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 399
▪ Government (government scale).
 By what the alternative would do:
▪ Manipulate the hazard.
▪ Reduce exposure to the hazard.
▪ Reduce vulnerability to the hazard.
▪ Increase the ability to respond to or be prepared for the hazard.

Hazard mitigation actions recommended in this plan were selected from among the alternatives presented in the catalogs. The catalogs provide a baseline of mitigation alternatives that are backed by a planning process, are consistent with the established goals and objectives, and are within the capabilities of the planning partners to implement. Some of these actions may not be feasible based on the selection criteria identified for this plan. The purpose of the catalog was to provide a list of what could be considered to reduce risk of the flood hazard within the OA. Actions in the catalog that are not included for the partnership’s action plan were not selected for one or more of the following reasons:
 The action is not feasible.
 The action is already being implemented.
 There is an apparently more cost-effective alternative.  The action does not have public or political support.

The catalogs for each hazard are presented in Table 127 through Table 134.

Table 127: Alternatives to Mitigate the Dam and Levee Failure Hazard What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Manipulate the
Hazard
None. Remove dams.

Remove levees.

Harden dams.

Remove dams.

Remove levees.

Harden dams.

Reduce Exposure to
the Hazard
Relocate out of dam
failure inundation
areas.

Replace earthen
dams with
hardened
structures.

Replace earthen dams with
hardened structures.

Relocate critical facilities out of
dam failure inundation areas.

Consider open space land use
in designated dam failure
inundation areas.

Reduce
Vulnerability to the
Hazard
Elevate home to
appropriate levels.

Flood-proof
facilities within
dam failure
inundation areas.

Adopt higher floodplain
standards in mapped dam
failure inundation areas.

Retrofit critical facilities within
dam failure inundation areas.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 400
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Increase the Ability
to Respond to or Be
Prepared for the
Hazard
Learn about risk
reduction for the dam
failure hazard.

Learn the evacuation
routes for a dam failure
event.

Educate yourself on
early warning systems
and the dissemination
of warnings.

Educate
employees on the
probable impacts
of a dam failure.

Develop a
continuity of
operations plan.

Map dam failure inundation
areas.

Enhance emergency
operations plan to include a
dam failure component.

Institute monthly
communications checks with
dam operators.

Inform the public on risk
reduction techniques.

Adopt real-estate disclosure
requirements for the re-sale of
property located within dam
failure inundation areas.

Consider the probable impacts
of climate in assessing the risk
associated with the dam failure
hazard.

Establish early warning
capability downstream of listed
high hazard dams.

Consider the residual risk
associated with protection
provided by dams in future
land use decisions.

Table 128: Alternatives to Mitigate the Drought Hazard
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Manipulate the
Hazard
None. None. Groundwater recharge
through stormwater
management
Reduce Exposure to
the Hazard
None. None. Identify and create
groundwater backup
sources.

Reduce Vulnerability
to the Hazard
Drought-resistant
landscapes.

Drought-resistant
landscapes.

Water use conflict
regulations.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 401
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Reduce water system
losses.

Modify plumbing
systems through water
saving kits.

Reduce private water
system losses.

Reduce water system
losses.

Distribute water saving
kits.

Increase the Ability to
Respond to or Be
Prepared for the
Hazard
Practice active water
conservation.

Practice active water
conservation.

Public education on
drought resistance.

Identify alternative
water supplies for times
of drought and create
mutual aid agreements
with alternative
suppliers.

Develop drought
contingency plan.

Develop criteria
“triggers” for droughtrelated actions.

Improve accuracy of
water supply forecasts.

Modify rate structure to
influence active water
conservation
techniques.

Table 129: Alternatives to Mitigate the Earthquake Hazard What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Manipulate the
Hazard
None. None. None.

Reduce
Exposure to the
Hazard
Locate outside of hazard
area (off soft soils).

Locate or relocate
mission-critical
functions outside
hazard area where
possible.

Locate critical facilities
or functions outside
hazard area where
possible.

Reduce
Vulnerability to
the Hazard
Retrofit structure (anchor
house structure to
foundation).

Build redundancy for
critical functions and
facilities.

Harden infrastructure.

Provide redundancy for
critical functions.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 402
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Secure household items that
can cause injury or damage
(such as water heaters,
bookcases, and other
appliances).

Build to higher design.

Retrofit critical buildings
and areas housing
mission-critical
functions.

Adopt higher regulatory
standards.

Increase the
Ability to
Respond to or Be
Prepared for the
Hazard
Practice “drop, cover, and
hold.”
Develop household
mitigation plan, such as
creating a retrofit savings
account, communication
capability with outside, and
72-hour self-sufficiency
during an event.

Keep cash reserves for
reconstruction.

Become informed on the
hazard and risk reduction
alternatives available.

Develop a post-disaster
action plan for your
household.

Adopt higher standard
for new construction;
consider “performancebased design” when
building new structures.

Keep cash reserves for
reconstruction.

Inform your employees
on the possible impacts
of earthquake and how
to deal with them at
your work facility.

Develop a continuity of
operations plan.

Provide better hazard
maps.

Provide technical
information and
guidance.

Enact tools to help
manage development
in hazard areas (e.g.,
tax incentives,
information).

Include retrofitting and
replacement of critical
system elements in
capital improvement
plan.

Develop strategy to
take advantage of postdisaster opportunities.

Warehouse critical
infrastructure
components such as
pipe, power line, and
road repair materials.

Develop and adopt a
continuity of operations
plan.

Initiate triggers guiding
improvements (such as
<50% substantial
damage or
improvements).

Further enhance
seismic risk
assessment to target

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 403
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale high hazard buildings
for mitigation
opportunities.

Develop a postdisaster action plan
that includes grant
funding and debris
removal components.

Table 130: Alternatives to Mitigate the Flooding Hazard What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Manipulate the
Hazard
Clear storm drains and
culverts.

Use low-impact
development techniques.

Clear storm drains
and culverts.

Use low-impact
development
techniques.

Maintain drainage system.

Institute low-impact
development techniques on
property.

Dredging, levee construction,
and providing regional
retention areas.

Structural flood control, levees,
channelization, or revetments.

Stormwater management
regulations and master
planning.

Acquire vacant land or
promote open space uses in
developing watersheds to
control increases in runoff.

Reduce
Exposure to the
Hazard
Locate outside of hazard
area.

Elevate utilities above
base flood elevation.

Use low-impact
development techniques.

Locate critical
facilities or functions
outside hazard area.

Use low-impact
development
techniques.

Locate or relocate critical
facilities outside of hazard
area.

Acquire or relocate identified
repetitive loss properties.

Promote open space uses in
identified high hazard areas
via techniques such as:
planned unit developments,
easements, setbacks,

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 404
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale greenways, sensitive area
tracks.

Adopt land development
criteria such as planned unit
developments, density
transfers, clustering.

Institute low impact
development techniques on
property.

Acquire vacant land or
promote open space uses in
developing watersheds to
control increases in runoff.

Reduce
Vulnerability to
the Hazard
Raise structures above
base flood elevation.

Elevate items within
house above base flood
elevation.

Build new homes above
base flood elevation.

Flood-proof structures.

Build redundancy for
critical functions or
retrofit critical
buildings.

Provide floodproofing when new
critical infrastructure
must be located in
floodplains.

Harden infrastructure, bridge
replacement program.

Provide redundancy for critical
functions and infrastructure.

Adopt regulatory standards
such as freeboard standards,
cumulative substantial
improvement or damage, lower
substantial damage threshold;
compensatory storage, nonconversion deed restrictions.

Stormwater management
regulations and master
planning.

Adopt “no-adverse impact”
floodplain management
policies that strive to not
increase the flood risk on
downstream communities.

Increase the
Ability to
Respond to or
Be Prepared for
the Hazard
Buy flood insurance.

Develop household plan,
such as retrofit savings,
communication with
outside, 72-hour selfsufficiency during and
after an event.

Keep cash reserves
for reconstruction.

Support and
implement hazard
disclosure for sale of
property in risk
zones.

Produce better hazard maps.

Provide technical information
and guidance.

Enact tools to help manage
development in hazard areas
(stronger controls, tax
incentives, and information).

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 405
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Solicit cost-sharing
through partnerships
with others on
projects with multiple
benefits.

Incorporate retrofitting or
replacement of critical system
elements in capital
improvement plan.

Develop strategy to take
advantage of post-disaster
opportunities.

Warehouse critical
infrastructure components.

Develop and adopt a continuity
of operations plan.

Consider participation in the
Community Rating System.

Maintain and collect data to
define risks and vulnerability.

Train emergency responders.

Create an elevation inventory
of structures in the floodplain.

Develop and implement a
public information strategy.

Charge a hazard mitigation
fee.

Integrate floodplain
management policies into
other planning mechanisms
within the OA.

Consider the probable impacts
of climate change on the risk
associated with the flood
hazard.

Consider the residual risk
associated with structural flood
control in future land use
decisions.

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What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Enforce National Flood
Insurance Program.

Adopt a Stormwater
Management Master Plan.

Table 131: Alternatives to Mitigate the Landslide/Mass Movement Hazard What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Manipulate the
Hazard
Stabilize slope (dewater,
armor toe).

Reduce weight on top of
slope.

Minimize vegetation
removal and the
addition of impervious
surfaces.

Stabilize slope (dewater,
armor toe).

Reduce weight on top of
slope.

Stabilize slope (dewater,
armor toe).

Reduce weight on top of
slope.

Reduce Exposure
to the Hazard
Locate structures
outside of hazard area
(off unstable land and
away from slide-run out
area).

Locate structures outside
of hazard area (off
unstable land and away
from slide-run out area).

Acquire properties in
high-risk landslide areas.

Adopt land use policies
that prohibit the
placement of habitable
structures in high-risk
landslide areas.

Reduce
Vulnerability to the
Hazard
Retrofit home. Retrofit at-risk facilities. Adopt higher regulatory standards for new
development within
unstable slope areas.

Armor/retrofit critical
infrastructure against the
impact of landslides.

Increase the
Ability to Respond
to or Be Prepared
for the Hazard
Institute warning system
and develop evacuation
plan.

Keep cash reserves for
reconstruction.

Educate yourself on risk
reduction techniques for
landslide hazards.

Institute warning system
and develop evacuation
plan.

Keep cash reserves for
reconstruction.

Develop a continuity of
operations plan.

Produce better hazard
maps.

Provide technical
information and
guidance.

Enact tools to help
manage development in
hazard areas: better

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 407
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Educate employees on
the potential exposure to
landslide hazards and
emergency response
protocol.
land controls, tax
incentives, information.

Develop strategy to take
advantage of postdisaster opportunities.

Warehouse critical
infrastructure
components.

Develop and adopt a
continuity of operations
plan.

Educate the public on
the landslide hazard and
appropriate risk
reduction alternatives.

Table 132: Alternatives to Mitigate the Inclement Weather Hazard What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Manipulate the
Hazard
None. None. None.

Reduce Exposure
to the Hazard
None. None. None.

Reduce
Vulnerability to
the Hazard
Insulate house.

Provide redundant
heat and power.

Insulate structure.

Plant appropriate trees
near home and power
lines (“Right tree, right
place” National Arbor
Day Foundation
Program).

Relocate critical
infrastructure (such as
power lines)
underground.

Reinforce or relocate
critical infrastructure
such as power lines to
meet performance
expectations.

Install tree wire.

Harden infrastructure such as
locating utilities underground.

Trim trees back from power
lines.

Increase the
Ability to
Respond to or Be
Prepared for the
Hazard
Trim or remove trees
that could affect power
lines.

Trim or remove trees
that could affect
power lines.

Create redundancy.

Support programs such as
“Tree Watch” that proactively
manage problem areas
through use of selective

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 408
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Promote 72-hour selfsufficiency.

Obtain a NOAA
weather radio.

Obtain an emergency
generator.

Equip facilities with a
NOAA weather radio.

Equip vital facilities
with emergency power
sources.
removal of hazardous trees,
tree replacement, etc.

Increase communication
alternatives.

Modify land use and
environmental regulations to
support vegetation
management activities that
improve reliability in utility
corridors.

Modify landscape and other
ordinances to encourage
appropriate planting near
overhead power, cable, and
phone lines.

Provide NOAA weather radios
to the public.

Table 133: Alternatives to Mitigate the Tsunami Hazard
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Manipulate the
Hazard
None. None. Build wave abatement
structures (e.g., the
“Jacks” looking
structure designed by
the Japanese).

Reduce
Exposure to the
Hazard
Locate outside of hazard
area.

Locate structure or
mission critical functions
outside of hazard area
whenever possible.

Locate structure or
functions outside of
hazard area whenever
possible.

Harden infrastructure
for tsunami impacts.

Relocate identified
critical facilities
located in tsunami
high hazard areas.

Reduce
Vulnerability to
the Hazard
Apply personal property
mitigation techniques to your
home such as anchoring
Mitigate personal
property for the impacts
of tsunami.

Adopt higher
regulatory standards
that will provide higher

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 409
What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale your foundation and
foundation openings to allow
flow through.
levels of protection to
structures built in a
tsunami inundation
area.

Utilize tsunami
mapping once
available, to guide
development away
from high-risk areas
through land use
planning.

Increase the
Ability to
Respond to or
Be Prepared for
the Hazard
Develop and practice a
household evacuation plan.

Support/participate in the
Redwood Coast Tsunami
Working Group.

Educate yourself on the risk
exposure from the tsunami
hazard and ways to minimize
that risk.

Develop and practice a
corporate evacuation
plan.

Support/participate in the
Redwood Coast Tsunami
Working Group.

Educate employees on
the risk exposure from
the tsunami hazard and
ways to minimize that
risk.

Create a probabilistic
tsunami map for the
OA.

Provide incentives to
guide development
away from hazard
areas.

Develop a tsunami
warning and response
system.

Provide residents with
tsunami inundation
maps.

Join NOAA’s Tsunami
Ready program.

Develop and
communicate
evacuation routes.

Enhance the public
information program to
include risk reduction
options for the
tsunami hazard.

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Table 134: Alternatives to Mitigate the Wildfire Hazard What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Manipulate the
Hazard
Clear potential fuels on
property such as dry
overgrown underbrush
and diseased trees.

Clear potential fuels
on property such as
dry underbrush and
diseased trees.

Clear potential fuels on
property such as dry
underbrush and diseased
trees.

Implement best
management practices on
public lands.

Reduce Exposure
to the Hazard
Create and maintain
defensible space around
structures.

Locate outside of
hazard area.

Mow regularly.

Create and maintain
defensible space
around structures and
infrastructure.

Locate outside of
hazard area.

Create and maintain
defensible space around
structures and infrastructure.

Locate outside of hazard
area.

Enhance building code to
include use of fire resistant
materials in high hazard
area.

Reduce
Vulnerability to
the Hazard
Create and maintain
defensible space around
structures and provide
water on site.

Use fire-retardant
building materials.

Create defensible
spaces around home.

Create and maintain
defensible space
around structures and
infrastructure and
provide water on site.

Use fire-retardant
building materials.

Use fire-resistant
plantings in buffer
areas of high wildfire
threat.

Create and maintain
defensible space around
structures and infrastructure.

Use fire-retardant building
materials.

Use fire-resistant plantings in
buffer areas of high wildfire
threat.

Consider higher regulatory
standards (such as Class A
roofing).

Establish biomass
reclamation initiatives.

Increase the
Ability to
Respond to or Be
Prepared for the
Hazard
Employ techniques from
the National Fire
Protection Association’s
Firewise Communities
program to safeguard
home.

Identify alternative water
supplies for firefighting.

Support Firewise
community initiatives.

Create /establish
stored water supplies
to be utilized for
firefighting.

More public outreach and
education efforts, including
an active Firewise program.

Possible weapons of mass
destruction funds available
to enhance fire capability in
high-risk areas.

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What Alternative
Would Do Personal Scale Corporate Scale Government Scale Install/replace roofing
material with noncombustible roofing
materials.

Identify fire response and
alternative evacuation
routes.

Seek alternative water
supplies.

Become a Firewise
community.

Use academia to study
impacts/solutions to wildfire
risk.

Establish/maintain mutual
aid agreements between fire
service agencies.

Create/implement fire plans.

Consider the probable
impacts of climate change
on the risk associated with
the wildfire hazard in future
land use decisions.

17.3 Santa Clara County 2023 Mitigation Action Plan
An action plan is a detailed document that identifies specific steps required to achieve a particular goal.

The document breaks down the goal into actionable and measurable tasks that can be easily followed and tracked. These actions are determined by the risk of natural hazards impacting a community and the identifying solutions. The purpose of an action plan is to define specific steps necessary for achieving a certain goal, including required resources and a timeline for completing tasks.

The 2017 Santa Clara County MJHMP included action items for the entire Operational Area. The participants did not choose to continue to identify area-wide actions and opted for actions by jurisdiction only. The area-wide actions were integrated as appropriate in the Santa Clara County Annex and their status is summarized in Volume II Section 13. Each individual jurisdictions and special districts information can be found in each annex in Volume 2.

The planning partners utilized the following criteria to prioritize action items into the categories of high, medium, or low.
 High Priority— A project that:
▪ Meets multiple goals and objectives (i.e., multiple hazards); ▪ Addresses multiple hazards;
▪ Has benefits that exceed cost;
▪ Has funding secured or is an ongoing project;

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 412
▪ Meets eligibility requirements for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants; ▪ Can be completed in the short term (1 to 5 years);
▪ Addresses immediate short-term impacts of climate change; ▪ Benefits underserved and/or socially vulnerable populations; AND ▪ Considers the Multi-Benefit Criteria utilized by the Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative, including equity, long-term value, ecosystem benefit, community benefit, and crossjurisdictional alignment.  Medium Priority— A project that:
▪ Meets multiple goals and objectives;
▪ Addresses multiple hazards;
▪ Has benefits that exceed costs;
▪ Has funding has not been secured, but that is grant eligible under Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants or other grant programs;
▪ Project can be completed in the short term (1-5 years), once funding is secured. Medium priority projects will become high priority projects once funding is secured; ▪ Addresses immediate short-term impacts of climate change; ▪ Benefits underserved and/or socially vulnerable populations; AND ▪ Considers the Multi-Benefit Criteria utilized by the Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative, including equity, long-term value, ecosystem benefit, community benefit, and crossjurisdictional alignment.  Low Priority— A project that:
▪ Will mitigate the risk of at least one hazard;
▪ Has benefits that do not exceed the costs or are difficult to quantify:
▪ Does not have secured funding;
▪ Is not eligible for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant funding; ▪ Has a timeline for completion that is long term (greater than 5 years). Low priority projects may be eligible for other sources of grant funding from other programs; ▪ May address impacts of climate change;
▪ May benefit underserved and/or socially vulnerable populations; AND ▪ Considers the Multi-Benefit Criteria utilized by the Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative, including equity, long-term value, ecosystem benefit, community benefit, and crossjurisdictional alignment.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 413
Table 135 County of Santa Clara 2023 Action Items
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC-1* Maintain, implement, and update as
appropriate, the County
unincorporated CWPP, while
expanding the planning scope to
integrate all of the Operational
Area’s jurisdictions. Create
defensible space programs on a
county-wide basis. Using the 2023
Santa Clara County CWPP as a
guide, implement fuel management
and fuel reduction treatment
throughout the county specifically
adjacent to areas classified as high
and extreme risk to structures to
reduce the potential for catastrophic
wildfire.

Wildfire Santa Clara County
Fire Department- orFireSafe Council
SCCFD
General
Budget;
County OEM
General
Budget;
HMGP;
PDM; EMPG
Ongoing Low

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 414
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC-2* CAL FIRE, South County Fire, and
the Santa Clara County Fire
Department should prepare for
coordinated wildfire response
operations through the
development of a Wildfire Annex to
the County's Emergency
Operations Plan. In August 2020 in
response to the SCU Lightning
Complex, the Wildfire Annex was
used to shed light into the response
and recovery activities that
unfolded.

Wildfire County OEM SCCFD
General
Budget;
County OEM
General
Budget;
HMGP;
EMPG
Short-term Low
SCC-4* Continue to promote programs that
mitigate vegetation fire, such as
diseased tree removal, creating
defensible space, and FireWise
community programs. In
accordance with the 2023 CWPP,
promote public education and
outreach to engage citizens in
helping to reduce risk around
individual property, particularly in
areas with larger drive times from
fire response. Utilize Fire Safe
Councils free chipping programs,
teach Firewise landscaping
techniques, and organize
community cleanup and green
waste removal in high risk areas to
reduce ignitability.

Wildfire Santa Clara County
Fire Department
SCCFD
General
Budget;
County OEM
General
Budget;
South
County Fire
General
Budget;
HMGP; and
EMPG
Ongoing Low

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 415
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC-8* Develop, update, and maintain GIS
inventories of essential facilities, atrisk buildings and infrastructure and prioritize mitigation projects. Ideas
for Implementation: • Identify critical
facilities at risk from natural hazards
events. • Develop strategies to
mitigate risk to these facilities, or to
utilize alternative facilities should
natural hazard events cause
damage to the facilities in question.
• Identify bridges at risk from flood
or earthquake hazards.

All Hazards, Flood,
Earthquake, Wildfire
ISD (GIS) County ISD
Budget,
County
OEM
Budget,
Emergency
Management
Performance
Grant
Program,
HMGP;
PDM;
FMA; EMPG
Longterm/Ongoing
Medium
SCC-9* Maintain the WebEOC system so
that it is up to date. For example,
review the WebEOC vendor's Road
Map, assess the vendor
technology's fitness relative to the
needs of the County's situational
awareness process and IT
infrastructure; consider upgrading
to a new system if necessary.

All Hazards, Wildfire,
Flood, Inclement
Weather – Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River, Inclement Weather
– High Winds
ISD (GIS) County ISD
Budget,
County
OEM
Budget,
Emergency
Management
Performance
Grant
Program,
HMGP;
PDM;
FMA; EMPG
Short-term Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 416
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC10*Participate in statewide effort to
collaborate on spatial data
standardization, data sharing
platform, common operating
procedures.

All Hazards, Earthquake,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/Extreme
Temperatures/High
Winds/Space Weather,
Drought, Climate
Change, Dam/Levee
Failure, Flood,
Landslide/Mass
Movement
TSS (GIS) County ISD
Budget,
County
OEM
Budget,
Emergency
Management
Performance
Grant
Program,
HMGP;
PDM;
FMA; EMPG
Ongoing Medium
SCC11*Develop and provide the Indoor
Mapping, Evacuation Routing to
Emergency Response Personnel.

All Hazards, Wildfire TSS (GIS) County ISD
Budget,
Emergency
Management
Performance
Grant
Program,
HMGP;
PDM; FMA;
EMPG
Long-term Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 417
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC13A*Identify county facilities vulnerable
to earthquakes and develop
appropriate actions.

Identify county facilities vulnerable
to earthquakes (may include
building age, soft story structures,
building materials more vulnerable
to earthquake damage). Consider
options to retrofit, relocate or
consider alternate methods to
minimize earthquake damage and
maintain response functionality.

Earthquakes ISD (GIS) County ISD
Budget Fleet
and Facilities
Budget
Emergency
Management
Program,
HMGP;
PDM; FMA;
EMGP
Long-term Medium
SCC13B*Identify the most seismically
vulnerable bridges on county roads.

Establish priorities for repair,
retrofit, or other efforts to harden
bridges against earthquake damage
to maintain transportation
functionality and facilitate
emergency response.

Earthquakes ISD (GIS) County ISD
Budget Fleet
and Facilities
Budget
Emergency
Management
Program,
HMGP;
PDM; FMA;
EMGP
Long-term Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 418
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC15*Deploy plume modeling software
and enable OEM staff to manage
data input to assess hazardous
materials atmospheric risk. Due to
the COVID-19 global pandemic
there has been no progress on this
ongoing capability.

All Hazards, Wildfire,
Climate Change,
Inclement Weather –
High Wind
County Fire, Consumer
and Environmental
Protection Agency
(Department of
Environmental Health)
County ISD
Budget,
County
OEM
Budget;
County
Public
Health
Budget;
SCCFD;
EMPG; the
State
Homeland
Security
Grant
Program
Long-term Medium
SCC18*Miguelito Road Repairs for two road
sections (located in east side of
San Jose): Section 1, located near
the intersection of Camino Vista
Way and Miguelito Road, would
replace the current soldier pile wall
with a new retaining wall and
repave the roadway. Section 2,
located near the intersection of Rica
Vista Way and Miguelito Road,
would repair the slope failure.

All Hazards, Landslide Roads and Airports County
Roads and
Airports
Budget;
County OEM
Budget;
HMGP;
PDM; FMA
Long-term Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 419
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC21*Alma Bridge Road Slide Repair
(located in Los Gatos): Project site
is 0.75 mile south of the Los Gatos
Rowing Club @ Lexington
Reservoir
Dam Failure,
Landslide
Roads and Airports County
Roads and
Airports
Budget;
County OEM
Budget;
HMGP;
PDM; FMA
Long-term Medium
SCC23*Review and implement selected
recommendations detailed in the
Loma Fire Watershed Emergency
Response Team Final Report,
October 25, 2016 (CA-SCU006912). Potential actions may include, but are not limited to
deployment of an early warning
system, infrastructure
improvements, establishment of a
Firewise community program,
waterway clearance, general
watershed restoration, etc.

Wildfire County OEM County
Roads and
Airports
Budget;
County OEM
Budget;
HMGP;
PDM; FMA
Long-Term Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 420
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC24*Review critical facilities and capital
projects for mitigation project
potential- including, but not limited
to: water drainage, power
production maintenance/ upgrades,
etc.

Review flood risk assessment of
critical facilities at risk to 100 and
500 year flood. Initiate further study
to determine appropriate methods
to reduce flood risk, which might
include stormwater capture or
drainage, use of permeable
surfaces, changes to landscaping,
flood control structures, relocation,
or alternatives.

All Hazards
Flood
Fleet and Facilities County
Roads and
Airports
Budget,
County OEM
Budget,
County Fleet
and Facilities
Budget,
County
Roads and
Airports
Budget,
County
Planning &
Development
Budget;
HMGP;
PDM; FMA;
EMPG; the
State
Homeland
Security
Grant
Program
Short-term Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 421
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC25*Provide technical information and
guidance to public on individual risk
identification using information
sharing/ GIS platforms.

Use GIS tools such as StoryMaps
or other GIS platforms or web
applications for public education
and outreach. Provide a method for
residents to understand where they
are in relation to potential hazards,
and educate them on what actions
they can take to reduce their
personal risk.

All Hazards, Wildfire,
Drought, Climate
Change, Flood
ISD (GIS) County ISD
Budget,
County OEM
Budget,
SCCFD;
EMPG; the
State
Homeland
Security
Grant
Program
Short-term High
SCC26*Develop strategy to take advantage
of post disaster opportunities
through the development of
Disaster Recovery Planning,
Disaster Cost Recovery Planning,
etc.

All Hazards, Earthquake,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/Extreme
Temperatures/High
Winds/Space Weather,
Drought, Climate
Change, Dam/Levee
Failure, Flood,
Landslide/Mass
Movement
County OEM County OEM
Budget;
SCCFD;
County
Finance
Agency
Budget;
EMPG; the
State
Homeland
Security
Grant
Program;
HMGP
Long-term Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 422
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC27*Develop and adopt a COOP for
County Departments, as
appropriate.

All Hazards, Earthquake,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/Extreme
Temperatures/High
Winds/Space Weather,
Drought, Climate
Change, Dam/Levee
Failure, Flood,
Landslide/Mass
Movement
County OEM County OEM
Budget;
SCCFD;
County ISD;
EMPG; the
State
Homeland
Security
Grant
Program;
HMGP
Short-Term Medium
SCC28*Maintain existing data and gather
new data needed to define risks
and vulnerabilities impacting the
County. New data should be
integrated into County policies,
including but not limited to
stormwater management, postdisaster recovery, real estate disclosures, environmental
protection, climate change, fire
suppression, and seismic activity.

All Hazards, Climate
Change, Wildfire,
Earthquake
County OEM County OEM
Budget;
SCCFD;
County ISD;
EMPG; the
State
Homeland
Security
Grant
Program;
HMGP
Ongoing Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 423
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC29*Maintain existing data and gather
new data needed to define risks
and vulnerability impacting the
County. New data should be
integrated into County plans,
including but not limited to the
County's General Plan, Capital
Improvement Plan, Stormwater
Plan, Habitat Conservation Plan,
Community Wildfire Protection
Plan, Forest Management Plan,
Climate Action Plan, Emergency
Operations Plan, Threat & Hazard
Identification & Risk Assessment,
Post-Disaster Recovery
Framework, Continuity of
Operations Plan, and Public Health
plans.

All Hazards, Earthquake,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/Extreme
Temperatures/High
Winds/Space Weather,
Drought, Climate
Change, Dam/Levee
Failure, Flood,
Landslide/Mass
Movement
County OEM County OEM
Budget;
SCCFD;
County ISD;
EMPG; the
State
Homeland
Security
Grant
Program;
HMGP;
BRIC
Ongoing Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 424
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC30*Develop a Debris Collection and
Management Plan.

Earthquake, Wildfire,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/ /High Winds,
Dam/Levee Failure,
Flood, Landslide/Mass
Movement
County Roads and
Airports
County OEM
Budget;
SCCFD;
County ISD;
County
Roads &
Airports
Budget;
County
Public Health
Budget;
EMPG; the
State
Homeland
Security
Grant
Program;
EMPG
Short-term High
SCC32*Integrate the hazard mitigation plan
into other plans, ordinances, and
programs that dictate land use
decisions within the community.

All Hazards, Earthquake,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/Extreme
Temperatures/High
Winds/Space Weather,
Drought, Climate
Change, Dam/Levee
Failure, Flood,
Landslide/Mass
Movement
County OEM County OEM
Budget,
SCCFD
Budget,
County
Planning &
Development
Budget
Ongoing Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 425
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC33*Development and implement a
program to capture perishable data
significant events (e.g. high water
marks, locations of poor draining
following heavy rain, roadways or
culverts that have been damaged in
flood events, damage from high
wind events, preliminary damage
estimates, damage photos) to
support future mitigation efforts
including the implementation and
maintenance of the hazard
mitigation plan.

All Hazards, Earthquake,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/Extreme
Temperatures/High
Winds/Space Weather,
Drought, Climate
Change, Dam/Levee
Failure, Flood,
Landslide/Mass
Movement
County OEM County OEM
Budget,
SCCFD
Budget,
County

ISD/GIS
Budget,
County
Finance
Agency
Budget
Long-term Medium
SCC34*Actively participate in the plan
maintenance protocols outlined in
Volume 1 of the hazard mitigation
plan.

All Hazards, Earthquake,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/Extreme
Temperatures/High
Winds/Space Weather,
Drought, Climate
Change, Dam/Levee
Failure, Flood,
Landslide/Mass
Movement
County OEM County OEM
Budget,
HMGP,
BRIC
Ongoing Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 426
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
SCC35*Coordinate with the private sector
on prioritization of critical facilities
before and during restoration of
utility services.

All Hazards, Earthquake,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/Extreme
Temperatures/High
Winds/Space Weather,
Drought, Climate
Change, Dam/Levee
Failure, Flood,
Landslide/Mass
Movement
County OEM County OEM
Budget
Ongoing Medium
1 Address gaps in data and missing
information within this Annex for the
next plan update.

All Hazards, Earthquake,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality,
Inclement Weather –
Heavy
Precipitation/Atmospheric
River/Extreme
Temperatures/High
Winds/Space Weather,
Drought, Climate
Change, Dam/Levee
Failure, Flood,
Landslide/Mass
Movement
All Departments General
fund,
Short term Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 427
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
2 Maintain a coordinated, multilingual public awareness campaign to educate and engage the public
about hazard risk, preparedness,
and safety to provide real-time
health related information during
extreme heat and poor air quality
warning days and information on
cooling center, resiliency hubs,
emergency shelters, and other
preparedness and post disaster
resources for the region.

Inclement Weather –
Extreme Temperatures,
Wildfire/Wildfire
Smoke/Air Quality
County OEM General fund Ongoing Medium
3 Consider nature-based solutions
such as a goal to plant 1,000 trees
annually Countywide in areas to
address issues such as urban heat
islands, low tree canopy, poor air
quality and stormwater
management. Work with local
governments, agencies, and
nonprofit partners to build a
comprehensive urban forest.

Inclement Weather –
Extreme Temperatures,
Flood
Office of Sustainability General
fund, BRIC
Medium-term Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 428
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
4 In coordination with SCVWD, host
regular workshops and classes on
water conservation, including
providing information on droughttolerant landscaping, available rebates for water retrofits, and
water efficiency strategies in new
buildings. Distribute outreach
materials for water conservation.

Drought County OEM? General
Fund
Medium-term Medium
5 Work with local jurisdictions in dam
inundation zones to ensure
residents and businesses are
aware of the potential risk, and that
dam inundation mitigation
strategies are integrated into local
planning efforts. Work with local
jurisdictions to identify vulnerable
populations and unique information
needs to communicate their risk.

Use GIS mapping for risk analysis
and communication as appropriate.

Dam/Levee Failure County OEM General
Fund
Medium
Term
Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 429
Action
Item
Number
Action Item Description Hazard(s) Mitigated
Lead Position, Office,
Department, or
Division Responsible
for Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected
Timeline for
Completion
Priority
6 Identify facilities to serve as
warming or cooling centers/shortterm severe weather shelters in an effort to reduce loss of life. Assist
vulnerable populations by
facilitating and also notifying them
about warming centers (a shortterm emergency shelter that operates when temperatures or a
combination of precipitation, wind
chill, wind and temperature become
dangerously inclement).

Extreme Heat, Extreme
Cold, High Wind, Heavy
Rain
County OEM General
Fund
Medium
Term
Medium
7 Identify areas with above ground
utilities at risk to damage from high
wind and evaluate feasibility of
pursuing funding for
undergrounding of utilities.

Consider areas where powerlines
may be near areas with high wildfire
risk.

High Wind, Wildfire County OEM General
Fund
Medium
Term
Medium

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 430

17.4 Financial Capabilities
Determining current and/or potential funding sources is an important step of the mitigation planning process. By exploring, identifying, and evaluating alternative sources now, planning partners are positioned to select and implement actions which are financially obtainable.

This plan is written in accordance with federal guidelines in order to ensure participants remain eligible for certain mitigation funds. Under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 44, Part 201.6 (44 CFR §201.6), Local Mitigation Plans, local governments must have a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-approved plan in order to apply for and/or receive hazard mitigation project grant funds for hazard mitigation programs including:
 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
 HMGP Post Fire Program (HMGP-PF)
 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)  Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)
 Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program
It is important to consider a variety of funding streams. Mitigation actions can and should be funded through multiple different avenues. Funding opportunities may include federal agencies; state, local, and tribal programs, as applicable; or private funding. Potential Federal, State, and Local funding opportunities are described below.

17.4.1 Federal
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants fund eligible mitigation measures to reduce future disaster losses. Eligible applicants include state agencies, local governments, special districts, federally recognized tribes, and private non-profit organizations.

California’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) administers hazard mitigation assistance grants on behalf of FEMA. Cal OES supports outreach to inform eligible jurisdictions of available grants, reviews applications, and provides technical assistance. Cal OES is also responsible for submitting applications to FEMA by FEMA’s stated deadline. When eligible entities are interested in applying for these funds, the State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) can provide additional guidance and education about available grants and the grant application process.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 431
Table 136: FEMA Mitigation Funding Sources
Program Timeframe Description Lead Agency
or Agencies Resource(s)
Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program
(HMGP / 404
Mitigation)
Post-disaster -
application period
opens on the date of
the presidential
declaration.

Provides funding to state, local, tribal,
and territorial governments to develop
hazard mitigation plans and implement
mitigation products to reduce or
eliminate future disaster losses. Eligible
project types including planning and
enforcement, flood protection,
retrofitting, and construction. An
approved hazard mitigation plan is
required to receive funding. Because
the State of California has an enhanced
HMP, the State is eligible for additional
HMGP funds, up to 20% of the federal
share of disaster assistance provided
after a federally declared disaster.

FEMA https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation
/hazard-mitigation
https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation
/hazard-mitigation-assistance-guidance
HMGP Post Fire
(HMGP-PF)
State’s first FMAG
declaration of the fiscal
year to 6 months after
the end of that fiscal
year
Helps communities implement hazard
mitigation measures after wildfires
disasters. Funding depends on the 10-
year national average assistance
provided under Fire Management
Assistance Grants (FMAG)
declarations for States.

FEMA https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation
/hazard-mitigation-assistance-guidance
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files
/2020-07/fema_DRRA-1204-policy.pdf
Fire Management
Assistance
Grants (FMAG)
Post-Fire Management
Assistance Declaration
Available to states, local and tribal
governments for the mitigation,
management, and control of fires on
publicly or privately owned forests or
grasslands.

FEMA https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files
/documents/fema_fmagppg_063121.pd
f
Public Assistance
406 Program
Post-federal disaster
declaration
Public Assistance funded mitigation
measures for disaster-damaged
facilities. Limited to eligible counties
and eligible damaged facilities, as well
FEMA https://www.fema.gov/pressrelease/20220328/fema-hazardmitigation-grants-404-and-406

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 432
Program Timeframe Description Lead Agency
or Agencies Resource(s)
as only the parts of the facility that are
damaged. Designed to reduce the
potential of future losses through a
similar disaster to the same eligible
facility.

Flood Mitigation
Assistance (FMA)
Annual Funding for cost-effective measures to
reduce or eliminate the long-term risk
of flood damage to buildings,
manufactured homes, and other
structures insured under the National
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

FEMA https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation
/floods
Building Resilient
Infrastructure and
Communities
(BRIC)
Annual Provides funding to states, local
communities, tribes, and territories to
implement mitigation projects. This
program is designed to support
capability- and capacity-building,
promote partnerships, and enable large
projects. It emphasizes nature-based
solutions, community lifelines, and
benefitting underserved communities.

Each State has allocated funds as well
as a nationally competitive fund.

FEMA https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files
/documents/fema_bric-policy-fp-008-
05_program_policy.pdf
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files
/documents/fema_riskmap-naturebased-solutions-guide_2021.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files
/documents/fema_fy-22-mitigationaction-portfolio.pdf
Pre-Disaster
Mitigation (PDM)
Congressionally
appropriated
Makes funding available for state, local,
tribal, and territorial governments to
plan for and implement sustainable
cost-effective measures designed to
reduce the risk to individuals and
property from future natural hazards.

Previously replaced by the BRIC
program, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2022
reauthorized PDM for FY22.

FEMA https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation
/pre-disaster

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 433
Program Timeframe Description Lead Agency
or Agencies Resource(s)
Rehabilitation of
High Hazard
Potential Dam
(HHPD) Grant
Program
Annual Provides technical, planning, design,
and construction assistance in the form
of grants for rehabilitation of eligible
high hazard potential dams. The dam
must be located in a jurisdiction with a
FEMA-approved plan that includes dam
risks.

FEMA https://www.fema.gov/emergencymanagers/risk-management/damsafety/rehabilitation-high-hazardpotential-dams https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files
/documents/fema_hhpd-fact-sheet_05-
19-2020.pdf
National Flood
Insurance
Program (NFIP)
Ongoing Eligible property owners, renters and
businesses who purchase flood
insurance through the NFIP may be
eligible for funds to repair their
property. Increased Cost of
Compliance (ICC) claim benefits may
be available for compliance activities
including elevation, flood-proofing,
relocation, and demolition.

FEMA https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance
Planning partners may soon have access to additional mitigation funds through FEMA’s new Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program. The Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act became law on January 1, 2021, and authorized FEMA to provide grants to eligible entities including the State of California for the development of a revolving loan fund for hazard mitigation initiatives.

Once established, this revolving loan fund will provide low interest loans to jurisdictions to reduce vulnerability to natural disaster, foster resilience, and reduce disaster suffering. These loans may be used as the non-federal cost match for other HMA grant applications. The first application for STORM is currently open as of the time of this writing.

FEMA funds should not be the only source of mitigation funding a community considers. Other federal resources are described in Table 137.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 434
Table 137: Additional Federal Funding Sources
Program Timeframe Description Lead Agency
or Agencies Resource(s)
Community Development
Block Grant – Disaster
Recovery (CDBG-DR)
Congressionally
Appropriated
Grants to states and local governments to
develop viable communities (e.g., housing,
suitable living environment, expanded economic
opportunities) and recover from federally
declared disasters. Principally for low- and
moderate-income areas.

U.S.

Department of
Housing and
Urban
Development
(HUD)
https://www.hud.gov/progr
am_offices/comm_plannin
g/cdbg
CDBG-Mitigation (CDBGMIT)Congressionally
Appropriated
Supports a range of mitigation activities focused
on reducing or eliminating the long-term impacts
of future disasters.

HUD https://www.hud.gov/progr
am_offices/comm_plannin
g/cdbg-dr/cdbg-mit
Section 108 Loan
Guarantee Program
Upon request Provides low-cost, long-term financing for economic development and community
development projects, including improvements
to increase resilience.

HUD https://www.hudexchange.
info/programs/section108/section-108-programeligibilityrequirements/#overview Natural Resources
Conversation Services
(NRCS)
Ongoing Can provide funding and technical assistance to communities to address threats to watersheds,
including conducting damage assessment and
evaluating potential solutions.

U.S.

Department of
Agriculture
(USDA)
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov
/
Urban Waters Small
Grants Program
Every two years Program that protects and restores urban waters by improving water quality through
activities that also support community
revitalization and other local priorities.

U.S.

Environmental
Protection
Agency (EPA)
https://www.epa.gov/urban
waterspartners/urbanwaters-smallgrants#:~:text=Overview% 20Since%20the%20incept
ion%20of%20the%20Urba
n%20Waters,with%20indiv
idual%20award%20amou
nts%20of%20up%20to%2
0%2460%2C000.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/
default/files/2016-
10/documents/uwsg_flyer
_october2016.pdf

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 435
Program Timeframe Description Lead Agency
or Agencies Resource(s)
Clean Water State
Revolving Fund (CWSRF)
Annual Provides low-cost financing for a range of water infrastructure projects.

EPA https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf
https://www.epa.gov/nps/f
unding-resourceswatershed-protection-andrestoration
WaterSmart Annual Funding opportunity to support adequate and safe water supplies through water conservation,
water management, and restoration projects.

Bureau of
Reclamation
https://www.usbr.gov/wate
rsmart/
Partners for Fish and
Wildlife
Ongoing Financial and technical assistance to private
landowners, corporations, local governments,
and universities interested in pursuing
restoration projects affecting wetlands and
riparian habitats.

U.S. Fish and
Wildlife
Service (FWS)
https://www.fws.gov/progr
am/partners-fish-andwildlife
National Coastal
Resilience Fund
Annual Funds nature-based solutions designed to
improve the resilience of coastal communities
and ecosystems.

National Fish
and Wildlife
Foundation
https://www.nfwf.org/progr
ams/national-coastalresiliencefund?activeTab=tab-1
Flood Risk Management
Program (FRMP)
Upon request Program designed to focus the policies,
programs, and expertise of the Corps toward
reducing overall flood risk. USACE works with
local government partners to coordinate flood
risk management within the context of shared
responsibility, including helping communities
understand their flood risk, communicate flood
risk to the public, and develop solutions.

U.S. Army
Corps of
Engineers
https://www.iwr.usace.arm
y.mil/Missions/Flood-RiskManagement/Flood-RiskManagementProgram/Partners-inSharedResponsibility/State-andLocal/

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 436
Program Timeframe Description Lead Agency
or Agencies Resource(s)
Community Wildfire
Assistance
Ongoing Technical and funding assistance for wildfire
mitigation measures and training.

Department of
Interior Bureau
of Land
Management
https://www.blm.gov/sitepage/programs-publicsafety-and-fire-fire-andaviation-regionalinformation-montanadakotas-3 Emergency Management
Performance Grant
(EMPG)
Annual Grant designed to support state, local, tribal,
and territorial emergency management
agencies in the implementation of the National
Preparedness System and the National
Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient
nation. FY23 EMPG program also included an
emphasis on the national priorities of equity;
climate resilience; and readiness.

DHS/FEMA https://www.fema.gov/gran
ts/preparedness/emergen
cy-managementperformance
Emergency Watershed
Protection
Ongoing Program that offers technical and financial
assistance to help local communities relieve
imminent threats to life and property caused by
natural disasters that impair the watershed.

USDA https://www.nrcs.usda.gov
/programs-initiatives/ewpemergency-watershedprotection Watershed and Flood
Prevention Operations
(WVFPO) Program
Ongoing Provides technical and financial assistance to
help plan and implement watershed projects.

USDA https://www.nrcs.usda.gov
/programsinitiatives/watershed-andflood-preventionoperations-wfpoprogram#:~:text=The%20 Watershed%20Protection
%20and%20Flood%20Pre
vention%20%28WFPO%2
9%20Program,Watershed
%20and%20Flood%20Pre
vention%20Operations%2
0%28WFPO%29%20Prog
ram%20OVERVIEW

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 437

17.4.2 State
The State of California proactively invests in hazard mitigation and climate adaptation in order to develop more resilient communities. Open grants can be found online through the California Grants Portal. Table 138 lists some of the state-led funding sources available or likely to become available.

Table 138: State Mitigation Funding Sources
Program Timeframe Description Lead Agency
or Agencies Resource(s)
Prepare California As Funded Initiative to advance local capabilities through funding additional staff and covering the nonfederal cost share for mitigation actions.

Cal OES https://www.caloes.ca.gov/
office-of-thedirector/operations/recove
ry-directorate/hazardmitigation/preparecalifornia/
Earthquake Brace + Bolt
(EBB) Program
TBD Grants for qualified homeowners with eligible
houses in higher-earthquake-risk areas to
seismically retrofit their house.

California
Earthquake
Authority
https://portal.earthquakea
uthority.com/DiscountsGrants/Brace-and-BoltGrants#:~:text=CEA%20of fers%20two%20brace%20
%2B%20bolt%20grant%2
0programs,help%20CEA
%20policyholders%20pay
%20for%20a%20seismic
%20retrofit.

Proposition 84 Ongoing The California Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal
Protection Bond Act (Proposition) makes new
funding available for flood protection and water
management programs.

Multiple http://bondaccountability.r
esources.ca.gov/p84.aspx
http://bondaccountability.r
esources.ca.gov/PDF/Pro
p1E/PROPOSITION_84_f
act.pdf

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 438
Program Timeframe Description Lead Agency
or Agencies Resource(s)
Integrated Regional Water
Management Grant
Program
Ongoing A collaborative grant program that covers
planning, project implementation, and
disadvantaged communities and tribes in order to
implement water management solutions on a
regional scale.

Department of
Water
Resources
https://water.ca.gov/Progr
ams/Integrated-RegionalWater-Management
Urban Community
Drought Relief Funding
As Funded Offers financial assistance to address drought impacts, including drought resilience planning,
climate resilience activities, and water
conservation activities.

Department of
Water
Resources
https://water.ca.gov/Water
-Basics/Drought/UrbanDrought-Grant
https://water.ca.gov/-
/media/DWRWebsite/WebPages/WaterBasics/Drought/Files/Urba n-Community-DroughtRelief/FrequentlyAskedQu
estions.pdf
Wildfire Prevention Grants Annual Funding for eligible applicants to conduct hazardous fuels reduction activities, wildfire
prevention planning, and wildfire prevention
education.

CAL FIRE https://www.fire.ca.gov/wh
at-we-do/grants/wildfireprevention-grants
Wildfire Resilience Block
Grants
As Funded Provides technical and financial assistance for forest management including reducing the risk of
wildfires.

CAL FIRE https://www.fire.ca.gov/wh
at-we-do/natural-resourcemanagement/wildfireresilience#ResilienceGran tAnchor

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 439
Program Timeframe Description Lead Agency
or Agencies Resource(s)
Listos California Funded for
2023
Local resilience grants for community-based
organizations throughout the state to provide
disaster training and resources to vulnerable and
diverse populations.

Cal OES https://www.grants.ca.gov/
grants/2022-23-listoscalifornia-statewide-grantls-program-rfp/ https://news.caloes.ca.gov
/cal-oes-released-2023-
funding-opportunities-forlistos-california-campaign/
California Climate
Investments
Ongoing Over 70 programs that fund various projects
related to climate change and climate resilience.

More than 20
state agencies
https://www.caclimateinve
stments.ca.gov/allprograms
Resilient California Ongoing Resources for climate resilience including grant programs.

Governor’s
Office of
Planning and
Research
https://resilientca.org/topic
s/investing-in-adaptation/
Integrated Climate
Adaptation and Resiliency
Program (ICARP)
Ongoing Three grant programs designed to support
mitigation and climate adaptation through
adaptation planning, climate resilience efforts, and
preparing for the impacts of extreme heat.

Governor’s
Office of
Planning and
Research
https://opr.ca.gov/climate/i
carp/
Climate Smart Land
Management Program
Funded for
2023
New grant opportunity to implement projects and
develop plans that increase climate action on
California’s natural and working lands
Department of
Conservation
https://www.conservation.
ca.gov/dlrp/grantprograms/Pages/ClimateSmart-Land-ManagementProgram.aspx

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 440

17.4.3 Local
Local capability to fund mitigation actions can come from a variety of sources. Some sources local jurisdictions may have access to include:
 Capital improvements project funding.
 Taxes levied for specific purposes.
 User fees for water, sewer, gas, or electric services.  Stormwater utility fees.
 General obligation bonds.
 Special tax bonds.
 Private activity bonds.
 Development impact fees for homebuyers or developers.  Public or private partnerships.

The individual resources of each participating planning partner are discussed in each annex in Volume 2.

17.5 Action Plan Prioritization
The planning partners utilized the following criteria to prioritize action items into the categories of high, medium, or low.
 High Priority— A project that:
▪ Meets multiple goals and objectives (i.e., multiple hazards); ▪ Addresses multiple hazards;
▪ Has benefits that exceed cost;
▪ Has funding secured or is an ongoing project;
▪ Meets eligibility requirements for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants; ▪ Can be completed in the short term (1 to 5 years);
▪ Addresses immediate short-term impacts of climate change; ▪ Benefits underserved and/or socially vulnerable populations; AND ▪ Considers the Multi-Benefit Criteria utilized by the Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative, including equity, long-term value, ecosystem benefit, community benefit, and crossjurisdictional alignment.  Medium Priority— A project that:
▪ Meets multiple goals and objectives;
▪ Addresses multiple hazards;
▪ Has benefits that exceed costs;
▪ Has funding has not been secured, but that is grant eligible under Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants or other grant programs;

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 441
▪ Project can be completed in the short term (1-5 years), once funding is secured. Medium priority projects will become high priority projects once funding is secured; ▪ Addresses immediate short-term impacts of climate change; ▪ Benefits underserved and/or socially vulnerable populations; AND ▪ Considers the Multi-Benefit Criteria utilized by the Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative, including equity, long-term value, ecosystem benefit, community benefit, and crossjurisdictional alignment.  Low Priority— A project that:
▪ Will mitigate the risk of at least one hazard;
▪ Has benefits that do not exceed the costs or are difficult to quantify:
▪ Does not have secured funding;
▪ Is not eligible for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant funding; ▪ Has a timeline for completion that is long term (greater than 5 years). Low priority projects may be eligible for other sources of grant funding from other programs; ▪ May address impacts of climate change;
▪ May benefit underserved and/or socially vulnerable populations; AND ▪ Considers the Multi-Benefit Criteria utilized by the Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative, including equity, long-term value, ecosystem benefit, community benefit, and crossjurisdictional alignment.

17.5.1 Benefit-Cost Review
One of the criteria used to prioritize proposed mitigation actions was a benefit-cost review. This review was not of the detailed benefit-cost analysis required by FEMA for project grant eligibility under Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants. A less formal approach was used because some projects may not be implemented for up to 10 years, and associated costs and benefits could change dramatically in that time.

Therefore, a review of the apparent benefits versus the apparent cost of each project was performed.

Parameters were established for assigning subjective ratings (high, medium, and low) to the costs and benefits of these projects.

Cost ratings were defined as follows:
 High—Existing funding will not cover the cost of the project; implementation would require new revenue through an alternative source (for example, bonds, grants, and fee increases).  Medium—The project could be implemented with existing funding but would require a reapportionment of the budget or a budget amendment, or the cost of the project would have to be spread over multiple years.
 Low—The project could be funded under the existing budget. The project is part of or can be part of an ongoing existing program.

Benefit ratings were defined as follows:
 High—Project will provide an immediate reduction of risk exposure for life and property.  Medium—Project will have a long-term impact on the reduction of risk exposure for life and property, or project will provide an immediate reduction in the risk exposure for property.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 442
 Low—Long-term benefits of the project are difficult to quantify in the short term.

Using this approach, projects with positive benefit versus cost ratios (such as high over high, high over medium, medium over low, etc.) are considered cost-beneficial and are prioritized accordingly.

For many of the strategies identified in this action plan, financial assistance may be available through FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants, all of which require detailed benefit/cost analyses. These analyses will be performed on projects at the time of application using the FEMA benefit-cost model. For projects not seeking financial assistance from grant programs that require detailed analysis, “benefits” can be defined according to parameters that meet the goals and objectives of this plan.

17.6 Plan Adoption
A hazard mitigation plan must document that it has been formally adopted by the governing bodies of the jurisdictions requesting federal approval of the plan (44 CFR Section 201.6(c)(5)). For multi-jurisdictional plans, each jurisdiction requesting approval must document that is has been formally adopted. Once the MJHMP has received FEMA Approvable Pending Adoption (APA) status, each participating jurisdiction or special district will take the plan to their governing body for final public comment and adoption. Copies of the resolutions adopting this plan for all planning partners can be found in Appendix B of this volume.

17.7 Plan Maintenance Strategy
A hazard mitigation plan must present a plan maintenance process that includes the following (44 CFR Section 201.6(c)(4)):
 A section describing the method and schedule of monitoring, evaluating, and updating the mitigation plan over a 5-year cycle (44 CFR Section 201.6(c)(4)(i)).  A process by which local governments incorporate the requirements of the mitigation plan into other planning mechanisms, such as comprehensive or capital improvement plans, when appropriate (44 CFR Section 201.6(c)(4)(ii)).
 A discussion on how the community will continue public participation in the plan maintenance process (44 CFR Section 201.6(c)(4)(iii)).

This section details the formal process that will ensure that the hazard mitigation plan remains an active and relevant document and that the planning partners maintain their eligibility for applicable funding sources. The plan maintenance process includes a schedule for monitoring and evaluating the plan annually and producing an updated plan every five years. This section also describes how public participation will be integrated throughout the plan maintenance and implementation process. It also explains how the mitigation strategies outlined in this plan will be incorporated into existing planning mechanisms and programs, such as comprehensive land-use planning processes, capital improvement planning, and building code enforcement and implementation. The plan’s format allows sections to be reviewed and updated when new data become available, resulting in a plan that will remain current and relevant.

Pursuant to 44CFR 201.6(c)(4)(i), the plan maintenance matrix shown in Table 139 provides a synopsis of responsibilities for plan monitoring, evaluation, and update, which are discussed in further detail in the sections below.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 443
Table 139: Plan Maintenance Matrix
Task Approach Timeline Lead
Responsibility
Support
Responsibility
Monitoring Preparation of status
updates and action
implementation
tracking as part of
submission for Annual
Progress Report.

January to
February, or upon
comprehensive
update to General
Plan or major
disaster
Jurisdictional
points of contact
identified in
Volume 2 annexes
Local Planning
Team Members
identified in
Volume 2 annexes
Evaluation Review the status of
previous actions to
assess the
effectiveness of the
plan
Progress report
completed and
submitted to
MJHMP County
Project Manager
each year
Jurisdictional
points of contact
identified in
Volume 2 annexes
MJHMP County
Project Manager,
as appropriate
Update Reconvene the
planning partners, at a
minimum, every 5
years to guide a
comprehensive
update to review and
revise the plan.

Every 5 years, or
upon
comprehensive
update to General
Plan or major
disaster
MJHMP County
Project Manager
Jurisdictional
points of contacts
identified in
Volume 2 annexes

17.8 Plan Implementation
Each planning partner is responsible for implementing specific mitigation actions as described in the mitigation strategies located in the annexes. In each mitigation strategy, every proposed action is assigned to a specific department or division in order to assign responsibility and accountability and increase the likelihood of subsequent implementation. This approach enables individual participants to update their unique mitigation strategy as needed, without altering the broader focus of the countywide plan. The separate adoption of participant-specific actions also ensures that each plan member is not held responsible for monitoring and implementing the actions of other jurisdictions or special districts involved in the planning process.

The Santa Clara County MJHMP Project Manager is the lead position for plan implementation and will work with the planning partner to ensure mitigation actions are implemented according to jurisdictional or special district capabilities and planning procedures. Each partner will implement the plan and their individual mitigation actions, as resources permit, through existing plans, programs, and policies and in the timeframe appropriate for their planning processes. This implementation will be done by reviewing the MJHMP and mitigation strategy during the update of the planning mechanisms identified.

As necessary, partners may consider seeking outside funding sources to implement mitigation projects in both the pre-disaster and post-disaster environments. When applicable, potential funding sources have been identified for proposed actions listed in the mitigation strategies.

17.9 Plan Maintenance Element
Planning partner points of contact will continue to collaborate as a planning group in coordination with the Santa Clara County MJHMP Project Manager. Primary contact will be through emails and conference calls. Partner points of contact will jointly lead the plan maintenance and update process by:
 Discussing methods for continued public involvement and education;

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 444
 Documenting successes and lessons learned;
 Researching new or updated data, laws, policies, regulations, or initiatives that can contribute to hazard histories, risk assessments, loss estimates, vulnerabilities of assets, or action items for plan participants;
 Reviewing potential funding availability, including state and federal grant program Notices of Funding Opportunities;
 Assessing the progress of previously implemented actions that reduce vulnerability and losses, and any new opportunities for mitigation actions; and
 Maintaining and completing documentation of the MJHMP maintenance process.

Each planning partner is responsible for monitoring and tracking the progress of action items identified by their jurisdiction or special district in this MJHMP and submitting a status summary to the County’s project manager on a yearly basis.

Additionally, each planning partner point of contact will work with their Local Planning Teams and other jurisdictional or special district representatives to:
 Review existing action items to determine appropriateness for local funding;  Prioritize potential mitigation projects; and
 Update decision makers on progress of the plan.

17.9.1 Plan Update
The planning partners intend to update the hazard mitigation plan on a 5-year cycle from the date of initial plan adoption in accordance with the update schedule outlined in the DMA 2000. This cycle may be accelerated to less than 5 years based on the following triggers:
 A Presidential Disaster Declaration that impacts the OA.  A hazard event that causes loss of life.
 A comprehensive update of a planning partner’s general plan.

It will not be the intent of future updates to develop a completely new hazard mitigation plan for the OA.

The update will, at a minimum, include the following elements:
 The update process will be convened through a new planning partner group.  The hazard risk assessment will be reviewed and, if necessary, updated using best available information and technologies.
 The action plans will be reviewed and revised to account for any actions completed, no longer relevant, or changed and to account for changes in the risk assessment or new policies identified under other planning mechanisms.
 The draft update will be sent to appropriate agencies and organizations for comment.  The public will be given an opportunity to comment on the update prior to adoption.  planning partner governing bodies will adopt the updated plan.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 445

17.9.2 Grant Monitoring and Coordination
Santa Clara County OEM intends to be a resource to the planning partnership in the support of project grant writing and development. The degree of this support will depend on the level of assistance requested by the partnership during open windows for grant applications. It is not Santa Clara County OEM’s intent to lead any grant application effort for any specific planning partner requesting assistance. It will be the role of Santa Clara County OEM staff to provide support to a lead jurisdiction by providing or identifying resources for project development, scoping, feasibility, grant writing, environmental/historic preservation application, and benefit/cost analyses. As part of grant monitoring and coordination, Santa Clara County OEM agrees to provide the following:
 Notification to planning partners about impending grant opportunities.  A current list of eligible, jurisdiction-specific projects for funding pursuit consideration.  Notification about mitigation priorities for the fiscal year to assist the planning partners in the selection of appropriate projects.
 Training on the FEMA benefit-cost analysis tool upon request.  Training on the sub-applicant system upon request.
 Grant writing technical assistance upon request.
 Technical review of the completed sub-applicant package upon request.

Grant monitoring and coordination is expected to occur on an annual basis in coordination with the annual progress report or as needed based on the availability of non-HMA or post-disaster funding opportunities.

17.9.3 Continuing Public Involvement
Each planning partner has agreed to provide links to the hazard mitigation plan website on their individual jurisdictional websites to increase avenues of public access to the plan. Santa Clara County OEM has agreed to maintain the hazard mitigation plan website. This site will not only house the final plan, but it will also become the one-stop shop for information regarding the plan, the partnership and plan implementation. The plan will be posted to the Office of Emergency Management’s website, where there will be an opportunity for continued public feedback and engagement with the County mitigation planning team by providing their contact information. To ensure continued public engagement on issues relating to hazard mitigation, all comments received from the public and from interested agencies on this hazard mitigation plan will be reviewed as part of the plan maintenance procedures.

Public participation will be sought throughout the implementation, evaluation, and maintenance of the MJHMP. This participation can be sought in a multitude of ways, including but not limited to periodic presentations on the plan’s progress to elected officials, schools, or other community groups; questionnaires or surveys; public meetings; and postings on social media and participant websites.

Each participant in this plan is responsible for creating and documenting continued public involvement opportunities throughout the life of the MJHMP. The Santa Clara County NHMP Project Manager may facilitate countywide public involvement strategies that include plan participants, such as partnering with the countywide groups and organizations to distribute and disseminate public surveys and information related to mitigation. Copies of the MJHMP and annual revisions will be posted on the websites of plan participants, as appropriate.

The Santa Clara County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan acts as a foundation plan for the entire County. MJHMP will inform many other planning efforts such as plans relating to infrastructure projects (green or otherwise), the County of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan, the County of Santa Clara Disaster Recovery Framework (currently in draft), and the Office of Emergency Management

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 446
Strategic Visioning Plan. Additionally, all other County plans that require a review of hazards and vulnerability will be informed by the MJHMP.

17.9.4 Incorporation into Other Planning Mechanisms
The information on hazard, risk, vulnerability, and mitigation contained in this plan is based on the best science and technology available at the time this plan was prepared. The general plans of the planning partners are considered to be integral parts of this plan. The planning partners, through adoption of general plans and zoning ordinances, have planned for the impact of natural hazards. The plan development process provided them with the opportunity to review and expand on policies contained within these planning mechanisms. The planning partners used their general plans and the hazard mitigation plan as complementary documents that work together to achieve the goal of reducing risk exposure to the citizens of the OA. An update to a general plan may trigger an update to the hazard mitigation plan.

All municipal planning partners are committed to creating a linkage between the hazard mitigation plan and their individual general plan. Additionally, all planning partners are committed to being in full compliance with California Assembly Bill 2140 and Senate Bill 379, which promote the integration of local hazard mitigation plans and general plans and mandate that these plans address climate change. Other planning processes and programs to be coordinated with the recommendations of the hazard mitigation plan include the following:
 Emergency response plans.
 Training and exercise of emergency response plans.
 Debris Management Plans.
 Recovery Plans.
 Capital improvement programs.
 Municipal codes.
 Community design guidelines.
 Water-efficient landscape design guidelines.
 Stormwater management programs.
 Water system vulnerability assessments.
 Community Wildfire Protection Plans.
 Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plans.
 Resiliency Plans.
 Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery action plans.  Public information/Education plans.

Santa Clara County understands the importance of integrating plans in order to align efforts and increase the chances of success. Plan integration, including working closely with the County’s Safety Element update team and the countywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan team, has been a key element of this plan update. In addition to collaborating with these plan updates to integrate public feedback and wildfire risk data, the County will integrate this plan into other planning mechanisms as well. The MJMHP acts as a foundation plan for the entire County. It will inform many other planning efforts such as plans relating to infrastructure projects (green infrastructure or otherwise), the County of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan, the County of Santa Clara Disaster Recovery Framework (currently in draft),

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Section 17: Mitigation Strategy 447
and the Office of Emergency Management Strategic Visioning Plan. Additionally, all other County plans that require a review of hazards and vulnerability will be informed by the MJHMP. Including a broad range of internal partners helps ensure the planning partners that participated in this plan update will be able to carry over knowledge of this plan and its actions into other planning mechanisms. Additional information on how each plan participants will integrate this plan into other planning mechanisms is included in Volume II.

Some action items do not need to be implemented through regulation. Instead, these items can be implemented through the creation of new educational programs, continued interagency coordination, or improved public participation. As information becomes available from other planning mechanisms that can enhance this plan, that information will be incorporated via the update process.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-1
Appendix A: Public Engagement Results
Public Survey Results
A 35-question survey was available to the public for seven weeks, from April 4–May 19, 2023. The survey results helped the Planning Team learn how the public viewed their risks and vulnerabilities to the hazards they felt could occur in the OA along with their viewpoint on impacts from climate change.

With this survey, the MJHMP planning process better supported the viewpoints and concerns of the public.

Figure 79: Sample of Public Survey Advertisement
The MJHMP public survey received 588 responses. There were 576 responses to the English survey, ten (10) responses to the Chinese survey, and two (2) responses to the Spanish survey.

The survey asked participants to pick a statement that best described their level of concern for each hazard. These levels of concern include:
• Not Concerned
• Somewhat Concerned
• Very Concerned
• Not Sure – Not Enough Information
The survey results are provided in the following tables.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-2
Table 140: Survey Results Level of Hazard Concern
Hazard Very Concerned Somewhat
Concerned Not Concerned Not Sure/Needs More Information Drought 355 180 45 6
Earthquake 296 245 38 4
Thunderstorms 29 152 268 34
Flood 85 268 200 30
Dam/Levee
Failure
44 160 316 62
Terrorism 67 209 248 58
Tsunami 11 48 456 70
Extreme
Heat/Cold
161 234 170 19
Hazardous
Materials
69 252 218 44
Atmospheric
River
148 264 149 24
Smoke/ Air
Quality
304 193 73 14
Weapons of
Mass
Destruction
73 146 291 74
Wildfire 208 217 138 20
Landslide 54 202 284 43
Tornadoes 11 46 458 69
Windstorms 110 279 172 21
Pandemics 162 275 129 18
Space
Weather/Other
25 90 319 149
Table 141: Level of Concern for Climate Change Impacts
Climate Effect Very
Concerned
Somewhat
Concerned Not Concerned Not Sure/Needs More Information Sea Level Rise 120 260 173 2
Increased Severity of
Hazard Events
227 229 99 0
Hotter Temperatures 285 201 83 1
Damage to the
Environment
310 175 84 1
Human Health Issues 227 247 93 0

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-3
Climate Effect Very
Concerned
Somewhat
Concerned Not Concerned Not Sure/Needs More Information Increased Frequency of
Hazard Events
232 231 92 0
Decreased Water
Resources
392 147 37 2
Damage to Structures Not
Built for Climate Change
232 216 108 1
Harm to Food Production 224 239 97 2
Decreased Outdoor
Worker Productivity
109 264 173 2
Effect on Vulnerable
Populations
245 194 112 1
Table 142: Types of Stakeholders Represented
Group Represented Response (%)
Academia 6.4
Community Based Organizations 15.6
Special District 1.7
Neighboring Community 6.2
Healthcare Agency 2.1
Faith Based Organization 8.3
Private Organization 8.3
Private Utility 0.3
Table 143 lists comments received from the public survey and how this input that was taken into account during the plan update. Comments that didn’t relate to the hazard mitigation plan or were not a suggestion were not included.

Table 143: Public Comments
Public Comment Response
Our traditional methods for planning and
preparation cannot keep pace with the changing
natural hazard landscape. The current planning
cycles are simply too slow.

The Plan Maintenance Strategy in this plan
update emphasizes the need for more
engagement and timely update to information as
appropriate.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-4
Public Comment Response
I like the hazard maps. Nice to know I'm not in a
tsunami zone but was surprised that part of the
Baylands is in a tsunami zone - and yet proposals
to build homes and businesses quite close to the
bay keep coming. We should be building near 280
not near the SF Bay. I was shocked Saltworks on
an average of 1 foot of elevation in Redwood City
was even considered. I think there are big projects
scheduled for Brisbane and some in the East Bay
too. I have not seen any documentation of the
risks of sea rise affecting Facebook or Google or
NASA building very close to the bay. How can we
overcome the lure of building on the cheapest
land when that land is cheaper because of
hazards?
This plan includes additional information on the
Tsunami hazard which was not previously
profiled. This question is too broad for this plan
update to address but reflects a real concern for
the OA.

Please keep the urban forest a priority and please
push back when the state wants us to increase
our population. We do not have the natural water
for it.

Changes in development and planning for
hazards including drought which includes water
shortage is addressed in this plan.

Reduce flood risks and obvious fire risks.

Mitigation of flood risks from San Franciscquito
Creek should be immediately accelerated as
many are at known risk from this; homeowners
and businesses should be educated and
encouraged to reduce dry brush/fire risks,
including trimming dry trees/foliage from growing
up to affect such things as electrical lines. Code
enforcement should be stronger since we all see
dead wood, etc. close to and eventually affecting
power lines. Utilities should be required to
evaluate and remedy these when they pose a risk.

Actions to reduce flood and fire risk are included
in this plan.

More work needs to be done with clearing fallen
trees in creek and streams.

While not strictly speaking mitigation, this is an
ongoing theme of public feedback. Therefore,
multiple jurisdictions have in progress work
towards debris management plans, and others
selected to include actions related to debris.

As a CERT in Los Gatos, we practice responding
to large scale earthquakes. For the community,
not just my property, the risk of wildfire, landslide,
flooding, dam release, gas leaks is has high
probabilities in specific areas. So the survey
should not be confined to an individual’s property
alone. My property is near, but not on,
landslide/flooding/wildfire zones.

This survey was open to all. Individuals who live
near, but not in, high risk areas are welcome to
participate in future hazard mitigation
opportunities as relevant.

There is so little help for disabled people, and
most of it is useless in practice.

Equity in mitigation is an important concept. This
is integrated into the County and its stakeholders
approach to this plan update, and will be
something discussed in the future as well.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-5
Public Comment Response
In Louisiana, parishes have designated hurricane
evacuation routes. These are communicated to
the public and signs are posted along the routes
that say "Hurricane Evacuation Route." Should
Santa Clara County consider publishing
evacuation routes? Maybe it's no longer
necessary since we have Apple Maps. But one
would think the county should optimize the routes
and assign certain routes to certain
neighborhoods to minimize the chaos during
evacuations. For example, in New Orleans, they
convert all Interstate 10 lanes to westbound only
during evacuations to get twice the traffic flow out
of the city. Would something like this ever be
needed here?
Evacuation routes were not profiled as a part of
this plan update. However, other plans currently
be updated including the countywide Community
Wildfire Protection Plan will evaluate the current
evacuation route situation.

People are not well-informed about hazards in
their area and what can be done about it,
Multiple public education and outreach actions
were included as a part of the 2023 action items
listed in this plan in attempt to promote public
awareness of the risks to the OA and what can be
done about it, including mitigation.

I wish there had been a specific mention of softstory earthquake hazards in 2-story apartments built in the 1950s–1970s. There are dozens, if not
hundreds, of these in Mountain View alone. There
doesn't seem to be much progress on addressing
this well-known hazard. I also wish there had
been a way to share my level of concern about
large-scale environmental "tipping points" that
might lead to runaway rises in methane and
carbon dioxide. I am highly concerned about
them!
This is noted as a Jurisdiction-Specific
Vulnerability.

I would like to be involved. Gilroy is not well
represented or serviced in SCCo.

Gilroy was an active participate in this plan update
and because of this, will be eligible for future
mitigation funding opportunities. All are welcome
to participate in future plan maintenance and
implementation initiatives. Further information can
be found on Santa Clara County’s website.

How are you going to prioritize among all of the
issues and needs?
The planning teams prioritized each action in
accordance with the criteria listed in this plan.

Solutions should not be forced on residents,
rather provide them with a variety of options or
alternatives to pick from. Everyone wants the best
for the environment and wants to be safe, but no
one wants to be dictated to on exactly how, OR,
have their options taken away and left with only
one method.

The majority of hazard mitigation actions are
voluntary, not mandatory, initiatives. Multiple
jurisdictions selected additional public education
and outreach actions to take in order to share with
residents their options for conducting hazard
mitigation.

I believe everyone in coastal California should be
required to have earthquake insurance.

This suggestion was considered beyond the
scope of this hazard mitigation plan update.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-6
Public Comment Response
Building new housing needs to have support
infrastructure such as roads so people can
escape their neighborhoods in emergencies and
not be trapped due to traffic.

This suggestion was considered beyond the
scope of this hazard mitigation plan update
however, other current planning initiatives are
evaluating evacuation routes.

I’m concerned about the lack of communication
abilities when the cell phone towers are down.

Power failure was discussed during the planning
meetings as well. A variety of related mitigation
activities were identified in the plan participant’s
lists of mitigation actions.

Traffic hazards, such as the dangerous
southbound 101 entrance from Charleston should
be closed and replaced by one from San Antonio
Road with an auxiliary lane connecting to the offramp at Rengstorff.

Traffic incidents were not profiled in this plan
update as it focused on natural hazards in
accordance with FEMA local mitigation planning
guidance. However, it may be considered in future
updates.

Stronger support and funding are needed Mitigation is an ongoing process. Gathering support and funding for projects are common
challenges. Additional actions and funding
capabilities that could be enhanced to support this
goal are included in the list of 2023 actions.

The most concerning time for us was the 2020
wildfires that caused awful smoke throughout our
area.

Wildfire smoke was also a concern of the Core
Planning Team. It was considered important to
address this in this plan update, particularly given
recent events. Wildfire smoke was addressed
under the “Wildfire” hazard in this plan update.

Ban fires in the Santa Clara Valley. The smoke
enters my home and causes breathing problems.

The entire neighborhood is affected when people
hold bonfires.

This recommendation was considered beyond the
scope of this hazard mitigation plan update.

Wildfires were considered the primary source of
concern for smoke. Smoke from wildfires was
addressed in this plan update.

Despite heavy rains, still need to focus on future
drought conditions. Also, future pandemics. Would
anticipate domestic infrastructure also represent
increasing targets for domestic terrorism
Mitigation actions were identified for both
inclement weather and drought as a part of this
plan update. Terrorism was not profiled as this
plan update focused on natural hazards in
accordance with FEMA local mitigation planning
guidance. However, it may be considered in future
updates.

Never hear of any task force I can join Multiple plan participants selected additional public education and outreach as a part of their
mitigation actions. Future opportunities to
participate will be advertised publicly. All are
encouraged to review the Santa Clara County
website for additional information.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-7
Public Comment Response
There was no mention of pesticides/herbicides
esp. from professional gardeners. Also air
pollution from living near freeways and greatly
increased population driving in in SC Valley in
recent years. Affordable access to organic food
(vs. genetically modified and sprayed with
pesticides/herbicides). I've had a lot of ground
settling -- 1 foot drop since the Loma Prieta EQ in
1989, and with cold and wet weather recently
more ground settling and my front door latch
would hold the door closed so had to get a barn
latch put in -- lots of expansion and contraction of
house and building materials. ... Way too much
population increase in Silicon Valley, very
concerned about future resources, availability for
everyone, and costing more and getting less.

Food resources were not considered as a part of
this hazard mitigation update.

Offer inexpensive yet good coverage insurance The recommendation was considered beyond the scope of this hazard mitigation plan update but is
noted.

I hope some action is taken to secure Saratoga
Heights area where landslides happened in 80's
and now we see similar issues causing many
issues for residents, and all public utilities
providers like PG&E, SJ Water and
Cupertino/West Valley Sanitation District.

An action item was added by the City of Saratoga
to stabilize Saratoga Heights Drive to reduce the
possibility of landslide, erosion, and roadway
obstruction.

I would like to see more community projects that
encourage people to get involved in environment
preservation.

Noted.

Great job on forming this working group. I’m
hoping the working group incorporates all different
age/sex/race/disability groups, Including the
young, teens and differently abled folks. Telling
folks to get insurance, only solves the end result…
driving preemptive solutions would be more
effective. E.g. employing more environmental
solution minded folks and involving ALL in
discussions would be other suggestions.

The planning process was open to all. Further
public outreach and education as well as plan
maintenance opportunities can be targeted toward
a broad range of stakeholders.

The best thing you can do for county residents is
repave our roads and add drainage points.

The County included an action item on identifying
potential water drainage mitigation projects.

Resources need to be allocated toward hazards
affecting renters. The housing stock in SCC is old;
the majority of landlords appear reluctant to
update their properties to mitigate the hazards
that routinely impact renters (extreme heat/cold
events) or would we catastrophic if they occurred
(severe earthquake).

Multiple plan participants selected additional
public education and outreach initiatives as a part
of their mitigation actions. Renters are one group
that may need additional outreach to understand
their options.

Require use of EcoAtlas.org database of
headwater streams for all hillside community
planning. Require composite mapping of
landslides from property geotech reports in hillside
communities.

This suggestion was not included at this time.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-8
Public Comment Response
Please include multilingual community forums.

Please include changing street light post bulbs,
my community has very dim lightbulbs and some
streets are not safely lit.

Multilingual public education and outreach
opportunities was noted as a capability that could
be expanded.

Would like to see more communities build up
many more CERTs since we will need to rely on
each other during a disaster
CERTs were considered a capability of multiple
participating jurisdictions. Multiple plan
participants included mitigation actions regarding
support CERTs.

Thanks you for what you are doing -- and
especially for publicizing this in various
languages. These issues affect all of us in Santa
Clara County, and it's so important that the
information be disseminated in languages besides
English.

The Core Planning Team agreed. In addition to
the multilingual engagement conducted during this
plan update process, multilingual public education
and outreach opportunities was noted as a
capability that could be expanded. Multiple plan
participants highlighted public education and
outreach as a part of their mitigation actions.

Targeted marketing to neighborhoods and level
risks. Often, news and warnings are not relevant
to all neighborhoods.

Targeted outreach can be a great way to get
relevant information into the hands of the people
who need it the most. Multiple plan participants
selected to include additional public education and
outreach efforts as a part of their mitigation
actions.

We need to slow or stop growth due to traffic
congestion and the greater problems that creates
in an emergency, and due to the overbuilding
adding risk to more people, and stop building tall
buildings on corners of major intersections.

Traffic incidents were not profiled as a hazard in
this plan update as this plan focused on natural
hazards in accordance with FEMA local mitigation
planning guidance however, it could be
considered in future updates.

A lot of the rules have changed since the late
1970s early 1980 when I purchased my home in
San Jose. I have not heard of any Hazard
Mitigation being done in my area of San Jose.

A discussion of San Jose’s previous mitigation
action items and mitigation success stories is
included in the City’s annex in Volume II.

Trees offer significant protection against heat and
wind as well as soil moisture retention but the city
of San Jose has official policies which deforest the
city by burdening low-income residents with the
cost of maintaining trees and adjacent utility
infrastructure, a significant cost risk which
average households in the East Side and
downtown cannot bear.

This was not identified by the City as a concern
during their capability assessment or actions.

However, the city is currently developing other
environmental-focused plans which may consider
this point further.

I am very concerned about the environment of
Santa Clara County and the whole world. I would
like to learn more and be an advocate for change.

I would be happy to do some community outreach
to help reduce the plastic use in the valley and to
see more trees planted and to see the trees near
power lines and trees at risk of falling are pruned
for safety.

All are encouraged to become involved in future
plan maintenance and implementation
opportunities. Please refer to the Santa Clara
County website for more information.

Ensure that there is informed public review of
plan.

The public was provided a two-week opportunity
to review the plan and specific representatives of
community-based organizations were invited to
review it in additional to planning stakeholders.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-9
Public Comment Response
We need to keep water in Anderson to mitigate
fire risk and wildlife damage/death. Mitigation for
possible earthquake shouldn’t trump fire dangers
This suggestion was considered beyond the
scope of this hazard mitigation plan update
however it is noted.

Where are hazardous materials in my community
located? What are the disaster plans for my
community?
These are good questions which reflect the need
for additional public education and outreach.

Multiple plan participants selected these kinds of
actions in their action plan.

I’d like to see power and utility lines go
underground.

Multiple plan participants are actively working on
this or selected to include it as an action item.

From a wildland fire hazard perspective, all
communities south of Los Gatos served by the
Highway 17 corridor can only be honestly
described as death traps. A heavy emphasis on
evacuation, including fuels reductions along major
public roads, is the only way to prevent significant
loss of life. Mitigations would include adequate
defensible space, planned developments with
emergency exits, additional fire agency coverage,
a volunteer fire program for the Santa Clara side
as Santa Cruz side has, and last but not least,
cooperation with certain public and private
landowners who either do not care about or do not
have the funding to address significant wildfire
and fuel hazards. ESPECIALLY SAN JOSE
WATER COMPANY.

All of these types of mitigation measures have
been evaluated. Multiple plan participants listed
similar actions in their action plans. San Jose
Water was identified as a potential planning
partner however, they did not participate in this
plan update.

Fire risks are still extremely real. Homeowners
Insurance is tied to this risk. Defensible space is
the key. It’s neither fun or enjoyable work, but it’s
essential to community safety.

Defensible space is listed as a mitigation action
item for multiple plan participants.

You should include traffic planning as a possible
mitigation measure. With many communities
narrowing roadways to slow traffic, I'm concerned
that if people need to be moved from one area to
another, what was once a possible escape
corridor that could handle more traffic, has greatly
reduced the traffic flow capacity. The city has
installed permanent features that narrow the
roadway to a single lane in each direction with no
option to expand the flow if needed for an
evacuation.

This hazard mitigation plan focused on natural
hazards in accordance with FEMA local mitigation
planning guidance, but this can be reevaluated in
future updates.

Using social media to spread the word has
drawbacks — it can exclude many from
marginalized communities. Please be sure to
broaden your messaging beyond the suburban
upper-middle class.

Multiple in-person meetings were conducted as a
part of this plan update. Further, multiple plan
participants selected additional public education
and outreach as a part of their mitigation actions
moving forward.

Allow us to buy reasonably priced earthquake
insurance covering less than total destruction.

Allow us to remove trees next to houses for fire
safety even when they are healthy.

These suggestions were considered beyond the
scope of this hazard mitigation plan update but
are noted.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-10
Public Comment Response
Don’t let this winter’s record rainfall make you
forget that we live in a drought zone!
This hazard mitigation plan update focused on all
hazards, including both Heavy rain, heavy winds,
extreme temperatures and drought.
(1) Stanford climate scientist, Noah Diffenbaugh,
published peer-reviewed research showing that
we will be subject more frequently and regularly to
both extreme dry spells (leading to wildfires and
water shortages) and extreme wind & rain
patterns (leading to flooding, landslides, and
power outages), all lasting longer periods. We
need to plan for our critical infrastructure (i.e.
electricity and medical services) to sustain this
kind of situations.
(2) We need to be ready for a devastating
earthquake hitting in a bitter and rainy winter.

The Hazard Mitigation Plan is designed to help
communities plan to reduce risk to critical
infrastructure, including community lifelines. Both
climate change and cascading impacts are
considered throughout this plan update.

Fire evacuation in some parts of my community
(Los Altos Hills) will be severely hampered by
one-lane roads and bottlenecks (e.g., Moody
Road by Foothill College) if traffic is not actively
controlled (by a human) to keep vehicles moving.

Specifically, if traffic lights are not deactivated (or set to blink yellow), they alone will create a
massive logjam.

The evaluation of specific evacuation routes was
not a part of the scope of this plan update
however, other current planning processes around
the County are looking into evacuation routes.

Stop building more high density homes in a area
that has regular droughts, limiting people helps w
low supplies. Stop building in areas anyone w
common sense knows could be dangerous, like
below Anderson Dam during the last 25 years
when it was known to be not earthquake safe. The
life's that would have been loss are huge. Areas in
SJ that had landslides in the 1960's should never
be built on yet many are. See what I mean???
Look at how much concrete covers our land,
backyards, water tables cannot be replenished
like that. Common sense folks!!!!
This comment is considered beyond the scope of
this hazard mitigation plan however, integrating
the risk and changes in development information
listed in this plan into future planning
mechanisms, permitting, and development
decisions may lead to the result requested.

Please include local CERT members in you
group. I am currently work in quality and I am very
good at spotting potential hazards and developing
scenarios to fix the issues. SJ CERT program
manager can vouch for me & person in charge of
CERT, my instructor at Santa Clara County Fire
also can. My wife and I are always prepared,
100% all the time!
Stakeholders including CERT members were
invited to planning meetings. All were welcome to
attend the public meetings and provide feedback
on the plan during the review process. All are
welcome to participate in future plan maintenance
and implementation opportunities. More
information will be made available on the Santa
Clara County website.

We need to retrofit buildings in which housing is
built on top of garage or parking, due to increase
risk of collapse in an earthquake.

Mitigation includes retrofitting buildings at risk
from collapse during an earthquake. Multiple plan
participants listed seismic retrofitting as a part of
their mitigation actions.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-11
Public Comment Response
Please consider making a plan for an
electromagnetic pulse or a coronal mass ejection.

Also, i lost power 3 times in the last 2 years due to
pg&e’s equipment failure. Each of these times
was for 30 hours or more. Twice during a
heatwave. Last summer’s power outage cause me
heat exhaustion, with confusion and rapid heart
rate. It was 113 degrees in my neighborhood and
no power. This is so dangerous and I fear it will
happen again, it seems pg&e temporarily fixes the
problem but under strain the equipment breaks
again when we need it most.

Mitigation measures are important for the private
sector to consider as well. PG&E participated as a
stakeholder in this hazard mitigation plan but did
not develop specific actions as a participating
jurisdiction.

Educate hillside communities on the CA aquatic
resource inventory (EcoAtlas.org) by SFEI -
prohibit development near these small streams for
public safety. Compile complete map of all minor
and major landslide areas - most hillside
developments require GeoTech reports which
map these slides but a complete county-wide map
is not publicly available
These actions were not selected at this time.

Additional landslide mapping is available in
Volume II for each participating jurisdiction.

I have questions, how will all of this be funded?
Who pays?
Potential funding sources are listed in this plan
update for each action.

Thank you for doing this. The county needs to
consider a more proactive central role in disaster
planning that umbrellas the cities.

The County is actively involved in supporting
emergency management and hazard mitigation
efforts. The engagement between jurisdictions
and stakeholders that was conducted for this plan
update is described above as well as in each
annex.

Freeway exit at Arastradero from 280 North is
overgrown with weeds and has flammable debris
build-up. The area needs annual weeds/tree
debris mitigation, but this to my knowledge has
never been done. Fire from cigarettes or ignition
from other sources could spread quickly up hill
and into the surrounding fields and community.

Please attend to this area annually.

A related action was included in the community
where this comment came from.

Manage the water supply to homes effectively.

Invest in rainwater harvesting mechanisms at the
household level.

Multiple plan participants noted their support for
rainwater collection during their capability
assessment. Further education and outreach on
this topic could help residents implement this on a
household level. Multiple plan participants
indicated their support for additional public
education and outreach in their mitigation actions.

Hazmat releases are also concerning. This plan focused on natural hazards in accordance with FEMA local hazard mitigation
planning guidance however, this comment is
noted and can be evaluated during future
updates.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-12
Public Comment Response
Has the group done a mapping assessment to
understand the number and location of
multijurisdictional areas? We live in SCC, but 4
houses up and down is Los Altos. Across the
street is Los Altos Hills. We have several hazard
issues that need coordination.

Coordination is one of the main goals of the
multijurisdictional hazard mitigation planning
process. This plan update provided the
opportunity to map and assess risk across
jurisdictions in Santa Clara County as well as
bring partners together. Future opportunities for
plan maintenance and the next plan update are
intended to continue to promote coordination.

Make users pay to put power and water in the
urban forest interface if they want to live there.

Not a government or PGE function.

This suggestion was considered beyond the
scope of this hazard mitigation plan update but is
noted.

I am interested in boosting the flood control
around Palo Alto. My neighborhood association,
AMNA, has discussed it.

All are welcome to participate in future plan
maintenance and implantation opportunities.

Further information will be able on the Santa Clara
County website. Ideas for how to reduce flood risk
in Palo Alto are also listed in this plan update.

We could incorporate this hazard mitigation plan
into all other plans for the future of our community
to ensure that hazard mitigation is the standard
and not the bare minimum.

Future plan integration is a goal of all the plan
participants.

We were able to afford putting in some things like
a Big watertank, propane generator, solar cells for
the sole purpose of mobile electricity, Big bus
batteries to store it, etc. I wish there were small
kiosks where residents could go that they were
aware of--in plain sight, but not commonly
operational--for electricity and water (a tank that
was always filled, and then refilled during an
emergency, as needed). It could hand out masks,
tests, do shots, etc. This current system of trying
to figure out your insurance, etc, was too much.

We could use a single site that was passed
everyday by people, a 30-minute walk from
people during an emergency.

This recommendation was considered outside the
scope of this hazard mitigation plan update but is
noted.

How to protect communities in Santa Clara
County?
This plan addresses multiple actions and
alternatives which can help reduce risk from the
hazards Santa Clara County faces.

Need the City of Santa Clara to hold public
hearings on these topics!
Residents of the City of Santa Clara were
welcome to attend two virtual and five in-person
meetings on this plan update. Residents are
encouraged to keep in touch with the city via
social media for future opportunities.
consider incentive programs for personal
emergency preparedness: rebates on expenses.

This suggestion was considered beyond the
scope of this hazard mitigation plan update but is
noted.

As an apartment renter, unclear what I can do or
what I should ask for/about wrt(sic) hazard
mitigation.

Renters often need additional information to
understand their options. Multiple plan participants
included public education and outreach initiatives
as a part of their mitigation actions.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-13
Public Comment Response
Please create a plan and educate the community. Multiple plan participants included public education and outreach initiatives as a part of
their mitigation actions.

We are on a ridge, hence no personal concern
related to flood or dam failure. Built home in 1980.

Structure and property did just fine in Loma Prieta
quake so we feel very fortunate. Extremely
concerned about potential for wildfire issues
however. No problem with insurance so far, but
have intentionally avoided discussing the issue
with our long-standing provider. New buyers in our
neighborhood have been consistently turned
down for insurance due to fire hazard. I am
president of our small (20 properties) HOA and
would welcome being a conduit for any relevant
information. Many thanks to whoever is reading
this for all that you are doing for our county-wide
community!
All are welcome to participate in future plan
maintenance and implementation opportunities,
including HOAs. Further information will be
available on the Santa Clara County website.

Good Job on the survey. I think the most
important hazard is fire as we live in a valley
surrounded by hillsides. Sea Rise might be next
(flooding in Sunnyvale all the way to El Camino?)
and then earthquakes. I think more regular people
should be trained in emergency preparedness.

Thanks again for the opportunity to participate in
the survey.

All of the hazards listed are profiled in this hazard
mitigation plan update. Additional public education
and outreach initiatives were selected as part of
multiple plan participants’ mitigation actions.

Fire Hazard risk reporting system should be
available and a well-known like 911
The area we live in Cupertino has very high risk of
Fire Hazard due to poor maintenance of the open
area. But I still have not found an effective
authority to contact after many years
Issues like knowing who to contact can be
resolved through additional education and
outreach. Multiple plan participants included
additional public education and outreach activities
as a part of their mitigation actions.

Please get Caltrans and the State to clear the
overgrown and dead foliage on Highway 9
(Saratoga-Los Gatos Rd.) It's the only wildfire
evacuation route for my house and many others.

This activity was considered beyond the scope of
this hazard mitigation plan update but is noted.

I think it is time to re-implement natural disaster
and civil defense training & preparedness for
communities. Evacuation plans, how to shelter-inplace, community/neighborhood-based support groups. Better to be prepared than to panic.

Multiple plan participants included additional
public education and outreach activities as a part
of their mitigation actions.

It is vitally important to actively go into the
community and send specialists to observe survey
storm and any disaster damages to private
property, non-county maintained roads and
infrastructures, wells, etc. in unincorporated areas
of County-- so to NOT FAIL in acquiring
constituents needed relief, and Hazard Mitigation
funding for resilience planning for all Disasters,
including Wildfire.

The County actively supports obtaining Hazard
Mitigation funding and identified this as a
capability that can be increased this planning
cycle.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-14
Public Meeting Summary
A total of seven public meetings, two virtual and five in-person, were held across the OA. During these meetings, members of the public were surveyed in-person, invited to take the digital MJHMP survey, and had the opportunity to discuss their hazard-related concerns. The results helped the plan participants including the County learn about the public’s interests, hazard impacts, and awareness of their risks.

Figure 80: Sample Public Feedback on Hazard Impacts - Gilroy Meeting

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-15
Figure 81: Sample Public Feedback on Hazard Impacts - Campbell Meeting

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-16
Figure 82: Sample In-Person Feedback Option - Gilroy Meeting Table 144: General Feedback Received
Public Feedback
Wind is a real concern. Falling trees and powerlines are scary to deal with.

Residents are not universally affected by flooding.

Needs to be planning for evacuation on non-County maintained roads. How many residents are in Lexington Hills? No one is paying attention or communicating what is going on in these areas.

PG&E doesn’t care about their mess.

Power is slow to come back on in current event. (Note: There was a heat wave at the time of this meeting)
“Priorities” shift seasonally, but they are all important.

Living with wildfires is a new reality for us. People are working outside when the air is unbreathable.

Indoor workers work without money for air filtration systems. Not just need for cool centers, but filtration.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-17
Public Feedback
Drought – a community well system is expensive. This is another hazard that is seasonal. Need better system for capturing stormwater runoff. Need more education and funding. Need help installing residential and community systems.

San Jose Water increasing rates, doing a lot of work right now Flooding – takes a long time to recover from losses, get back to pre-disaster state. Roads washing out.

Flooding is an additional insurance, many areas didn’t know it was something they needed.

Extreme heat events happening more frequently and closer together than they use to. (“Once in 25 year rainfall” is happening five times per month)
Weekly newsletters/newspapers to spread information
Sirens in Gilroy, used them in ’98, haven’t used recently to signify floods. Five minutes can make a big difference as a house floods.

Monterey County uses Alert/Sheriff system all the time – has evacuation warning and fire maps. Make you respond that they’ve reached out.

How much time is enough time to evacuate and prepare? Depends on the event. Storms vs fire vs drought have really different timescale.

Averages don’t always capture the real situation on the ground – also look at min and max.

Why are these outreach meetings not also being sent out as press release to local news media for general circulation. Weekly newspapers service each of the different areas of the County unincorporated areas: make a requirement for public notice? County failed to designate evacuation route planning since 2009 CWPP recommendations.

Subdivisions of 30+ homes share a single egress route.

Participants expressed some frustration that the County does not engage with the South County communities enough.

Many questions about how the County is letting people in general know about hazards, specifically flood zones and flood risks, and how are the County is specifically reaching out to farm worker camps.

A reminder that mailing the property owners (directly or through water bill, etc) does not always provide information to renters or temporary residents.

One question about noxious fumes from a sewage plant impacting a neighborhood.

Advance Earthquake warning system should be in place.

Flood area warning system for the public within the areas that are known to flood regularly.

Air quality and evacuation for farm workers. The recent fires showed that the farm workers were not given notices for evacuations or poor air quality like the homeowners in the new housing tracks.

A few key takeaways from this public feedback was how concerned the public is with their risk from the hazards the OA face. Climate-change related changes in hazard frequency and severity is already being felt across the OA. This puts more people in harm’s way from hazards they were not aware they would have to face. Further impacts are discussed throughout the hazard profiles and jurisdictional-specific vulnerabilities are highlighted in Volume II of this plan.

Further, there is significant need for additional public education and outreach. The public may be aware of some hazards, but not all risk is equal. Outreach to both homeowners and renters is important. Mitigation measures such as air filtration are also needed not only for public infrastructure, but residential and private sector structures as well. Additional public education and outreach actions are identified in Volume II of this plan.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-18
Listening Section Summaries
Summary
Safety Element/MJHMP Update
Listening Session # 1: CARAS
December 15, 2022 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Facilitators: Sam Gutierrez, Principal Planner, County of Santa Clara Location: CARAS, Gilroy, CA
The Listening Session began with a poll to help the County better understand community demographics and experiences. As illustrated in Figure 1. What City Do you Live In/Near? A majority of residents live in or near Gilroy.

Figure 1. What City Do you Live In/Near?
As illustrated in Figure 2. Hazardous Events with the Greatest Impact, participants have experienced a broad range of hazardous events with Extreme Heat the primary event. Drought, wildfire + smoke, and Q1: What City Do You Live In/Near?
Watsonville
Morgan Hill
11% 4%
Milpitas
4%
Gilroy Milpitas Morgan Hill Watsonville
Gilroy
81%

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-19
flooding were experienced by 14 percent of participants. 82 percent of all participants have experienced a hazardous event that has impacted their life or home in the past 5 years.

Figure 2. Hazardous Events with the Greatest Impact
Approximately 4 out of 5 participants do not have a home emergency preparedness kit or supplies to support their household in the event of an emergency.

Figure 3. Emergency Preparedness Supplies
Finally, only 15 percent of participants were aware of County Services or Programs to support them prepare or respond to a hazardous event as illustrated in in Figure 4. County Services Awareness.

Q2: In the Past 5 Years, What Hazardous Event Has
Had the Greatest Impact on Your Life/Home?
Other
4%
None of the Above
18%
Earthquake +
Landslide
8%
Flooding
12%
Extreme Heat
Flooding
Other
Drought Wildfire + Smoke
Earthquake + Landslide None of the Above
Wildfire + Smoke
14%
Drought
12%
Extreme Heat
32%
Q3: Do You Have Emergency Preparedness
Supplies?
Partial
7% Yes
15%
No
78%
Yes No Partial

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Appendix A: Public Engagement Results A-20
Figure 4. County Services Awareness.

County staff facilitated a interactive session where participants could respond to questions posted on whiteboards. The following are their responses.

1. What are your primary hazards of concern and why?
Q4: Are You Aware of County Services and
Programs?
Unsure
15%
No
70%
Yes No Unsure
Yes
15%