01375.0001/801363.1
RESOLUTION NO. 24-4788
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA ADOPTING THE 2023 CITY OF MURRIETA LOCAL
HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN ANNEX TO THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY
OPERATIONAL AREA MULTI -JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD
MITIGATION PLAN
WHEREAS, President William J. Clinton signed H.R. 707, the Disaster Mitigation and Cost Reduction Act of 2000, into law on October 30, 2000; and
WHEREAS, the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires all jurisdictions to be covered by a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) to be eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency pre- and post-disaster funds; and
WHEREAS, the City of Murrieta acted as the lead agency in the development of the 2023 City of Murrieta Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Annex to the Riverside County Operational Area Multi - Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City of Murrieta and the participating stakeholders are within the City of Murrieta and the Riverside County Operational Area; and
WHEREAS, the City of Murrieta is committed to establishing effective processes to mitigate potential losses from natural disasters before they occur; and
WHEREAS, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have reviewed the 2023 City of Murrieta Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Annex to the Riverside County Operational Area Multi Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan; and
WHEREAS, formal adoption of the 2023 City of Murrieta Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Annex to the Riverside County Operational Area Multi -Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan by the City of Murrieta is required before final approval of the plan can be obtained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and
WHEREAS, the City of Murrieta has determined that it would be in the best interest of the City of Murrieta to adopt the 2023 City of Murrieta Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Annex to the Riverside County Operational Area Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The recitals above are true and correct and incorporated herein by this reference.
Section 2. That the 2023 City of Murrieta Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Annex to the Riverside County Operational Area Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, as attached in Exhibit A, is hereby approved.
01375.0001/801363.1
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 1st day of October, 2024.
Lori Stone, Mayor
ATTEST:
Cristal McDonald, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Tiffany J. Israel, City Attorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE )§
CITY OF MURRIETA )
I, Cristal McDonald, City Clerk of the City of Murrieta, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 2 4-4788 was duly passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Murrieta at the regular meeting thereof, held on the 1st day of October, 2024, and was signed by the Mayor of the said City, and that the same was passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Cristal McDonald, City Clerk
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Plan Contact Information
OEM Rachel Hollinger
41825 Juniper St. Murrieta, CA 92562
(951)461-6169
PLAN ADOPTION/AUTHORITY
The City of Murrieta will submit pl ans to Riverside County Emergency Management Department who will forward to California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) f or review prior to being submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In addition, the City will wait to receive an “Approval Pending Adoption” letter from FEMA before taking t he plan to Murrieta city council for adoption. Upon approval, the City of Murrieta will insert the signed resolution.
The City Council is the legislative body of the City of Murrieta. It decides policy for the municipal government, enacts laws, and oversees all activities of the City. The City Council also serves as the governing body of the City of Temecula Redevelopment Agency. This promulgation authority is vested in the members of the City Council. A list of members of the Murrieta City Council include:
Mayor District 4 Lori Stone
Mayor Pro Tempore District 5 Cindy Warren
Council Member District 1 Jon Levell
Council Member District 2 Ron Holliday
Council Member District 3 Lisa Deforest
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this local hazard mitigation plan is to identify the Ci ty’s hazards, review and assess past disaster occurrences, estimate the probability of future occurrences and set goals to mitigate potential risks to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural and man-made hazards.
The plan was prepared pursuant to the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 to achieve eligibility and potentially secure mitigation funding through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance, Pre-Disaster Mitigation, and Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs.
The City of Murrieta’s continual efforts to maintain a disaster -mitigation strategy is on-going. Our goal is to develop and maintain an all -inclusive plan to include all jurisdictions, special districts, businesses and community organizations to promote consistency, continuity and unification.
The Ci ty’s planning process followed a methodology presented by FEMA and CAL OES which included conducting meetings with the Operational Area Planning Committee (OAPC) coor dinated by Riverside County Emergency Management Department (EMD) comprised of participating Federal, State and local jurisdictions agencies, special districts, school districts, non -profit communities, universities, businesses, tribes and public.
The plan identifies vulnerabilities, provides recommendations for prioritized mitigation actions, evaluates resources and identifies mitigation shortcomings, provides future mitigation planning and maintenance of existing plan.
The plan will be implemented upon FEMA approval.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENT ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 CITY MAP .................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE DESCRIPTION ............................................................................ 3
1.3 BRIEF HISTORY .......................................................................................................................... 4
1.4 ECONOMY DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................................... 4
1.5 POPULATION AND HOUSING .................................................................................................... 9
1.6 DEVELOPMENT TRENDS AND LAND USE .............................................................................. 12 SECTION 2.0 - PLANNING PROCESS ............................................................................................................. 15
2.1 PARTICIPATION IN REGIONAL (OA) PLANNING PROCESS .................................................. 16
2.2 PLANS ADOPTED BY RESOLUTION ........................................................................................ 17 SECTION 3.0 – MITIGATION ACTIONS/UPDATES ........................................................................................... 18
3.1 UPDATES FROM 2017 PLAN ............................................................................................... 18
3.2 NEW HAZARDS OR CHANGES FROM 2017 ....................................................................... 18
3.3 BRIEF STATEMENT OF UNIQUE HAZARDS ....................................................................... 18
3.4 MITIGATION PROJECT UPDATES ...................................................................................... 20 SECTION 4.0 - HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT ................................................................... 22
4.1 CRITICAL FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURES .............................................................. 22
4.2 TABLE REPLACEMENT VALUES......................................................................................... 24
4.3 IDENTIFICATION OF RISKS AND VULNERABILITIES ........................................................ 25
4.4 PRIORITY HAZARD ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL LOSSES ....................................................... 59 SECTION 5.0 – COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM .................................................................................. 60
5.1 REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTIES ....................................................................................... 60
5.2 NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROPERTIES .................................................................. 60 SECTION 6.0 - CAPABILITIES ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................... 61
6.1 REGULATORY MITIGATION CAPABILITIES ....................................................................... 61
6.2 ADMINISTRATIVE/TECHNICAL MITIGATION CAPABILITIES ............................................. 63
6.3 FISCAL MITIGATION CAPABILITIES ................................................................................... 63
6.4 MITIGATION OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................ 64
6.4 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ................................................................................................ 66 SECTION 7.0 - MITIGATION STRATEGIES ...................................................................................................... 67
7.1 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................... 67
7.2 MITIGATION ACTIONS.............................................................................................................. 68 SECTION 8.0 – PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE PROCESS .......................................................... 73 SECTION 9.0 – INCORPORATION INTO EXISTING PLANNING MECHANISMS ..................................................... 74 SECTION 10.0 – CONTINUED PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ..................................................................................... 75 APPENDIX A – Public Incorporation............................................................................................................. 76
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SECTION 1.0 - COMMUNITY PROFILE
1.1 CITY MAP
1.2 GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE DESCRIPTION
The City of Murrieta is an incorporated City in Riverside County. It is approximately 34 square miles in area and is 50 miles south of the County seat, the City of Riverside. The City of Murrieta sits directly adjacent to the City of Temecula on the south, City of Menifee on the north, and the City of Wildomar on the northwestern boundaries with unincorporated areas of Riverside County to the east and southwest.
Murrieta is served by two major interstate freeways. I -215 runs through the eastern portion of the city, and I-15 runs through the western and southern portions of the city. The Santa Margarita Watershed runs
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through the southwest portion of the city. Storm water runoff from portions of Lake Elsinore and Murrieta collects in the Murrieta and Temecula creeks and forms the Santa Margarita River south of the city.
The City’s climate can be described as a hot -summer Mediterranean climate: Winter is almost never extreme, low temperatures rarely go below freezing. In the summer the high temperatures will hover in the 90's, with some days over 100 during heat waves. Rainfall for City of Murrieta averages 13” of rain per year, typical of Riverside County. August is typically the hottest month of the year and December is the coolest.
1.3 BRIEF HISTORY
In 1980 Murrieta residents, located at the time in the unincorporated County, were only estimated to be at 2,200. When Murrieta incorporated and officially became a city on July 1, 1991, it was already home to more than 24,000 residents. As of July 2020, the population of the City of Murrieta is estimated at 114,541.
The natural scenic beauty of the area and what is still by California standards reasonably priced housing continues to attract significant numbers of residents and businesses who are finding Murrieta a great place to grow. Those living in the community find distinguished schools, abundant recreation, excellent medical facilities, expanding employment opportunities and one of the lowest crime rates in Southern California.
Entrepreneurs find a market growing larger by the day, above average household incomes, a skilled labor force and a business -friendly City Hall. It’s a community with a past and vision for its future. One that welcomes challenges and embraces opportunity.
The City of Murrieta is in southwestern River side County, between the Santa A na Mountains and San Jacinto Mountains, where I -15 and I -215 Freeways meet. This scenic area with creeks, hot springs, and rolling hills has been the site of various settlements dating back to prehistoric times, and Murrieta’s downtown reflects the history of the town site that was established in 1884.
Surrounding communities include Menifee, Temecula, Wildomar and unincorporated R iverside County.
The San Diego County border is just south of Temecula, and Orange C ounty lies on the other side of the Santa Ana Mountains to the west.
Murrieta’s “crossroads” location has made it possible for many people to live here and enjoy affordable housing, excellent schools, and “small town feeling” lifestyle while commuting to jobs elsewhere.
Originally founded as a stop along the California Southern Railway, the city looks forward to an extension of the Metrolink commuter line from Corona into southwest Riverside County, and to a potential station for California’s High-Speed Rail that has been proposed in the vicinity of the I-15 and I-215 junction.
1.4 ECONOMY DESCRIPTION
Murrieta is a young, affluent community ideally located at the junction of the I -15 and I -215 freeways (275,000 trips per day) with close proximity to San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties (9 million people within a one-hour drive time). With a population over 114,000, Murrieta is, as of 2020, the fourth 5 | Page
largest city in Riverside County (pop. 2.44 million) having grown more than 400% since incorporating as a city. Home to citizens looking to work and conduct business within their community, 54% earn $75,000 to $200,000 with over 40% of the population around the $100,000 mark (Kosmont). Highly educated, 60% are classified as “Boomburbs,” “Up and Coming Families,” “Soccer Moms,” and “Bright Young Professionals” (Kosmont).
The city is primarily a bedroom community. Existing land use in the City is 37 percent residential with primarily existing neighborhoods of single-family residences, 33 percent vacant land, 15 percent roads and transportation infrastructure, 10 percent commercial/industrial, which limits the sales and property tax base. Murrieta Valley Unified School District is the largest employer in the City with 2,160 employees, followed by Rancho Springs Medical Center with 1,500 employees, and Loma Linda University Murrieta Campus with 1,010 employees.
The city understands the importance of taking a project from design to construction as quickly as possible.
To that end, the City has established procedures to fast- track projects through the entitlement process.
Planning, Engineering and Building and Safety divis ions are all under the Development Services umbrella to enhance communication and coordination.
In a significant expansion of the City’s retail business services, a Costco Wholesale was recently completed with expedited processing and construction, located at Clinton Keith Road and I -215 in the northern portion of the city. There are currently, as of 2022, more than 4,500 multi -family residential units in process in the city, including hundreds of affordable units, which should help to address the housing crisis in this part of Riverside County. The city also recently approved additional expansions of the Kaiser and Rancho Springs Medical Centers in addition to other sites in process and development along the freeway corridors.
As for access, in addition to a new interchange being designed for I -215 and Keller Road, the Riverside County expansion of Clinton Keith Road recently opened up a much-needed east-west corridor over to Winchester Road. This opens opportunities for new business and tourism as it provides a quick route to Southern California Wine Country.
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Figure 1.4.1 City of Murrieta Land Use Map
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Figure 1.4.2 – City of Murrieta Major Work Destinations
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Figure 1.4.3 – Jobs By Sector
Figure 1.4.4 – Jobs in Professional and Management
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1.5 POPULATION AND HOUSING
The City of Murrieta’s total population has approximately quadrupled in size since its incorporation, from 24,334 in 1992 to 114,541 in 2020. The published population for the City of Murrieta is 114, 541 based on statistics provided by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) in 2021.
The largest age group for the City of Murrieta is the mature working age population of people from 35 to 64 years of age. Children make up the second largest age group with about 31% of Murrieta’s population under the age of eight. Residents fro m 18 – 34 years old make up about 25% of the population, representing the entry level and less experienced working age population. Other adults over the age of 65 years old make up the smallest age group for the city of Murrieta at approximately 9%. Approximately 28% of the people in Murrieta describe themselves as Hispanic or Latino. Of the remaining population, over one half of the residents were white, 10% were Asian and almost 6% identified themselves as black or African American.
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Figure 1.5.1 – 2022 Community Demographic Profile, City of Murrieta (January 2022)
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Figure 1.5.2- At Risk Population Profile
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Figure 1.5.3 City of Murrieta Population Growth, (SCAG 2020)
1.6 DEVELOPMENT TRENDS AND LAND USE
Regional planning agencies such as the SCAG recognize that planning issues extend beyond the boundaries of individual cities. Efforts to address regional planning issues such as affordable housing, transportation, and air pollution have resulted in the adoption of regional plans that affect the City.
SCAG has evolved as the largest council of governments in the United States, functioning as the Metropolitan Planning Organization for six counties (Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, and Imperial) and including 191 cities. The region encompasses a population exceeding 19 million persons in an area of more than 38,000 square miles.
SCAG has 14 sub-regional organizations; Murrieta is a member agency of the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG). The purpose of WRCOG is to unify Western Riverside County agencies to coordinate on the following activities: interagency coordination and planning, regional legislative platform, sub-regional representation to regional agencies including SCAG, and inter- regional partnership development.
As the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Federal government mandates SCAG to research and draw up plans for transportation, growth management, hazardous waste management, and air quality. These mandates led SCAG to prepare comprehensive regional plans to address these concerns.
As the Murrieta business market improves and evolves, it will attract a growing proportion of professional, medical, technical, and research employment, particularly in developments along major highway corridors and at the centrally located confluence of the I-15 and I-215 Freeways. Similarly, as the Murrieta industrial market improves, it will be well positioned both geographically and demographically to attract a range of research and development (R&D) and light industrial users. The General Plan 2035 cre ates opportunities for flex-tech buildings and higher intensity office uses along the freeway corridors.
The existing Land Use Element of the General Plan sets forth goals, objectives, and policies for the permitted types, intensities, and locations of land uses in the City. The existing Land Use Element contains descriptions of residential, commercial, multiple use, industrial, parks/open space uses, and civic/institutional uses, as well as specific plan and master plan overlay areas. The Element includes a Land Use Map that establishes a planned pattern of land use by designating the types of uses permitted for land and their location in the City. Objectives and policies in the existing Land Use Element are intended to provide a balance of land uses, maintain the City’s rural/equestrian character, provide orderly growth with necessary public services, and provide for the preservation and development of special areas of the City including Downtown Murrieta, the Los Alamos District, and the Triangle. Revitalization and redevelopment are also identified.
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Figure 1.6.1 – Murrieta Land Use Map
Figure 1.6.2 – City of Murrieta Housing Production and Residential Permits, SCAG (August 2020)
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To compliment the economic development vision, the City Council identified four areas in the City for potential land use reevaluation as part of the General Plan Update, primarily along the I -15 and I -215 Freeway corridors: North Murrieta Business Corridor, Clinton Keith/Mitchell, golden Triangle North (Central Murrieta), and South Murrieta business Corridor. Through the General Plan Update process, three additional areas were identified: areas designated as Multiple Use 3 (MU-3), Historic Murrieta specific Plan, and Los Alamos Hills. These areas have been referred to as “Focus Areas” throughout the General Plan Update process.
Figure 1.6.3 – Murrieta General Plan 2035 Focus Areas
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SECTION 2.0 - PLANNING PROCESS
LOCAL PLANNING PROCESS
Representatives from the City of Murrieta departments met to identify and prioritize appropriate mitigation strategies. These meetings were conducted via Microsoft Teams and were sent to agency representatives through Outlook email. Personnel involved in these meetings included: Camille Collins and William Luna, Riverside County Emergency Management Department; Adria Reinertson, Murrieta Fire Marshal; City of Rachel Hollinger, Murrieta Emergency Manager; Bernie Molloy, Murrieta Fire and Rescue Fire Chief; Scott Agajanian, Murrieta Economic Development Director; Kim Summers, Kristen Crane, and Ivan Holler, City Manager and Assistant City Managers ; Carl Stiehl, Murrieta City Planner; Tony Conrad Murrieta Police Chief; Phil Gomez, Murrieta Police Captain; John Borger, Internet Technology Department Head; Dominique Samario, Murrieta Public Information Officer; John Anisko, GIS Analyst; Bob Moehling, City Engineer and Public Works Department Head, Javier Carcamo, Finance Department Head, Brian Ambrose, Community Services Department Head, Vanessa Barrera, City of Menifee Emergency Manager, and Mikel Alford, City of Temecula Emergency Manager . Additional stakeholders invited to participate in the planning process but did not participate include: Murrieta Valley Unified School District, Eastern Municipal Water District, City of Wildomar, Southern California Edison, and Western Municipal Water District.
The planning process began September 2022 and concluded January 2023. A hazard analysis was performed for the jurisdiction. Subsequent meetings identified mitigation strategies, prioritized said strategies, and reviewed preliminary budgets and potential funding sources for strategies designated.
These meetings were closed to the public. The public had the opportunity to participate in the planning process through a survey during the drafting stage of the plan to contribute to hazard identification and provide mitigation suggestions. The results of the survey were distributed and incorporated into the plan as appropriate. They were informed via the City’s and Fire Department’s social media page as well as the local news media. Direct notifications were made to the Chamber of Commerce and 55+ communities via email. The planning team assessed input received and relative mitigation actions were included. 16 | Page
2.1 PARTICIPATION IN REGIONAL (OA) PLANNING PROCESS
The City of Murrieta participated in various Riverside County workshops, conferences, and meetings, including:
LHMP Orientation meeting
• May 23, 2022 – RivCo EMD Microsoft Teams
• September 7, 2022- City of Murrieta Microsoft Teams
City & County Workshops
• August 17, 2022 – RivCo EMD Microsoft Teams
• December 15, 2022- City of Temecula Microsoft Teams
Public Outreach/Community Events
• City of Murrieta website
• City of Murrieta Facebook page
• City of Murrieta Twitter page
• Southwest Group Meeting – RivCo EMD Microsoft Teams
Planning Meetings
• 28 November 2022- City Of Murrieta Microsoft Teams
• 12 October, 2022- City of Temecula Microsoft Teams
• January 4, 2023-RivCo EMD Microsoft Teams
• January 6, 2023 Murrieta Fire and Rescue – 41825 Juniper St., Murrieta, Ca. • January 9, 2023 City of Murrieta Microsoft Teams
All emails related to information LHMP gathering or meetings has been documented and saved on the Murrieta Fire and Rescue Department shared drive.
LHMP Kick Off
Form Planning Team - Identify Requirments
All Hazard Assessment
•Data Collection - Identify Risks - Assign Severity/Probability Scores
Mitigation Formulation
•Update previous mitigtionss - Review Current Mitigations - Develop new mitigations - Public Input
Mitigation Strategy
•Compile Mitigation Suggestions - Prioritize Mitigation Measures
Finalize Draft
•Public Review of Draft - Submit to County for approval 17 | Page
2.2 PLANS ADOPTED BY RESOLUTION
Upon approval by FEMA, the LHMP will be presented to t he Murrieta City Council in a public meeting for adoption via an official Resolution.
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SECTION 3.0 – MITIGATION ACTIONS/UPDATES
3.1 UPDATES FROM 2017 PLAN
The City of Murrieta has re -evaluated the potential for hazards to occur within the City and have ranked those hazards in order from 1 -20. Each category was also categorized to include severity affect and probability. These hazards can be found in Section 4.3.
3.2 NEW HAZARDS OR CHANGES FROM 2017
City of Murrieta’s planning team has reviewed the hazards that affect the city and summarized their frequency of occurrence, spatial extent, potential magnitude, and significance specific to City of Murrieta.
The changes and additional hazards from the 2017 plan have been added to the 2023 LHMP update and are found in Section 4.4 of the 2023 LHMP. There are 20 hazards listed as potential threat s to the City of Murrieta and each is ranked according to:
• Severity
• Probability of occurrence
• Ranking
Since 2017 development in hazard prone areas has occurred. Specifically, residential properties have extended into high fire severity areas. While the development itself has not increased the jurisdiction’s vulnerability to the hazard the impact of the wildfire in the hazard area has increased.
Since the 2017 plan update, there has been significant growth within the city to include residential and business developments in the CALFire/OSFM Very High Fire Severity Zone(s) identified mapping. All development occurring over these previous 5 years was constructed in accordance with all local land use, building codes, zoning, and environmental requirements, and applicable State and Federal regulations.
Because of this growth and rigorous review over the previous 5 years, there has been a significant change to the community’s vulnerability on the eastern portion of the city. As a result, a new fire station is in the planning stages for development and construction. This vulnerability is discussed in gre ater detail in Section 4.3.
3.3 BRIEF STATEMENT OF UNIQUE HAZARDS
The City of Murrieta has experienced a number of significant events over the last five years, including floods, wildfires, power outage, hazmat, water main breaks, earthquakes, swift water rescue, and severe storms.
Murrieta Municipal Code Section 2.60.020 defines an emergency as an “actual or threatened existence of conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the city caused by such conditions as …. other conditions….which conditions are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of this City, requiring the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat.” The California Highway Patrol will assist the Murrieta Fire and Rescue 19 | Page
Department response in the event that City engines are delayed due to road closure and/or congested traffic.
In accordance with Government Code Section 8630, a declaration by the Director of Emergency Services remains in effect for seven days unless ratified by the governing body. This action seeks the City Council’s ratification of the declaration and the reques t that the Governor concur with the declaration of local emergency. The Governor’s concurrence of the local emergency is an important step in recovering costs associated with dealing with the emergency.
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The City of Murrieta has experienced the following Incidents since 2017:
• April 2017 - Brush fire
• May 2017 - Brush fire
• January 2017 - Heavy rainfall and local flooding
• January 2017 - Swift water rescues
• December 2017 – Liberty Fire
• July 2019 - Gas line Explosion
• January 2019 - Mud and Debris Flow
• September 2019 - Tenaja Fire
• December 2019 - SARS corona Virus Outbreak
• December 2020 - Heavy rainfall and local flooding
• June 2022 - Cyber Incident
• August 2022- Extreme Heat
• January 2023- Winter Storm
The City proclaimed a Local Emergency for the Liberty and Tenaja fires. Response was handled with City resources/mutual aid (as needed).
3.4 MITIGATION PROJECT UPDATES
Updates from 2017 LHMP:
Type of Hazard Mitigation Action Lead or Responsible
Department/Jurisdiction
Status Update
Flood and West Nile
Virus
Reduce water in the
flood control
retention basin and
add new drainpipe
City of Murrieta
Public Works/Engineering
Discontinued
Flood Madison to
Jefferson (Line E,
Line D and D-1
Storm Drains)
City of Murrieta
Public Works/Engineering
Complete
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Flood Prepare City-wide
Storm Drain Master
Plan to identify
deficient existing
facilities and future
facilities needed to
address flood
control needs
City of Murrieta
Public Works/Engineering
Complete
Flood, Mudflow and
Mosquito Threat
Mitigation of Flood
and Mosquito
threats from the
California Oaks
Retention Basin
City of Murrieta Public
Works/Engineering
Complete
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SECTION 4.0 - HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT
4.1 CRITICAL FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURES
Critical Facilities Type Number
Public Safety Dispatch 1
Emergency Operations Center 1
City Hall 1
Fire Stations 5
Water Treatment Plants 1
Waste Water Treatment Plants 1
Hospitals 2
Police facility 1
Maintenance Yards 1
Senior Community Centers 1
Schools - MVUSD 19
Radio Repeaters 3
Figure 4.1.1 – Murrieta Fire Station 1 Figure 4.1.2 – Murrieta Fire Station 2
Figure 4.1.3 – Murrieta Fire Station 3 Figure 4.1.4 – Murrieta Fire Station 4
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Figure 4.1.5 – Murrieta Fire Station 5 Figure 4.1.6 – Murrieta City Hall
Figure 4.1.7 – Murrieta Police Department Figure 4.1.8 – Loma Linda University Medical Center – Murrieta Campus
Figure 4.1.9 – Rancho Springs Medical Center Figure 4.1.10 – Murrieta Senior Center
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ESTIMATING POTENTIAL LOSS
City of Murrieta’s potential loss due to hazards in terms of number and value of structures based on City and County Assessor.
4.2 TABLE REPLACEMENT VALUES
Name of Asset Replacement
Value ($)
Hazard Specific Info.
PD/EOC/Public Safety Dispatch 12,000,000 Multi-Hazard
City Hall 14,000,000 Multi-Hazard
Fire Stations (5) 25,000,000 Multi-Hazard
Maintenance Yards/Office 1,200,000 Multi-Hazard
Senior Community Centers 2,000,000 Multi-Hazard
City of Murrieta Library 9,000,000 Multi-Hazard
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4.3 IDENTIFICATION OF RISKS AND VULNERABILITIES
The Local Hazard Mitigation Planning team reviewed hazards that have historically affected the city and operational area. By reviewing emergency call data and reputable websites, the team was able to see the number of occurrences of the hazard to assign a probability rating. Probability is the likelihood of the event occurring again in the future. To determine the severity of a particular hazard the team analyzed previous impact data on residences, roadways, commercial facilities, critical infrastructure, and social facilities. The score for how the hazard affected each of these was averaged and a median rating was given. To determine the ranking the severity and probability were combined and scored. The more likely a disaster is and the more severe they are start at rank 1 and the least likely and least severe end at 20.
The following scoring matrix was utilized:
Probability
Low
Moderate Significant High
The identified hazard
has a rare history or no
documented history of
occurrence in the
immediate area or
region
The identified hazard
has a demonstrated
history of occurring on
an infrequent basis in
the immediate area or
region
The identified hazard
has a demonstrated
history of occurring on
an occasional basis in
the immediate area or
region
The identified hazard
has a demonstrated
history of occurring on
a frequent basis in the
immediate area or
region
• High: (Highly Likely/Likely) There may or may not have been historic occurrences of the hazard in the community or region, but experts feel that it is likely that the hazard will occur in the community. Citizens feel that there is a likelihood of occurrence. • Medium: (Possible) There may or may not have been a historic occurrence of the hazard in the community or region, but experts feel that it is possible that the hazard could occur in the community. Citizens may feel that there is a likelihood of occurrence. • Low: (Unlikely) There have been no historic occurrences of the hazard in the community or region and both experts and citizens agree that it is highly unlikely that the hazard will occur in the community
Severity
Minor
Moderate Major Severe Extreme
Minimal risk of
impacts to
population,
residential and
commercial
Slightly elevated
risk of impacts to
population,
residential and
commercial
Anticipated risks
of impacts to
population,
residential and
commercial
High risk of
impacts to
population,
residential and
commercial
Very high risk of
impacts to
population,
residential and
commercial
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structures, critical
infrastructure,
and/or social
facilities
structures, critical
infrastructure,
and/or social
facilities
structures, critical
infrastructure,
and/or social
facilities
structures, critical
infrastructure,
and/or social
facilities
structures, critical
infrastructure,
and/or social
facilities
The City of Murrieta has reviewed all hazards and has ranked them by order of importance vice priority.
Separate from the listed ranking, the city is focusing on wildfire, earthquake, electrical failure, and flood as its priority hazards for mitigation. These hazards were chosen based upon the severity of the effects and probability of occurrences.
Earthquake
Rank 1 Severity Extreme Probability Moderate
Murrieta, like the rest of Southern California, is located within a seismically active region as a result of being located near the active margin between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates.
An active fault is considered one which has experienced surface displacement within the last 11,000 years, while a potentially active fault is a fault whic h has moved during the past 1.6 million years but proven to have not moved within the past 11,0 00 years. Such displacement can be recognized by the existence of cliffs in alluvium, terraces, offset stream courses, the alignment of depressions, sag ponds, fault troughs and saddles, and the existence of markedly linear steep mountain fronts. However, some active faults are not visible at the surface and can only be located through detailed subsurface investigations.
The State Geologist designates seismic hazard zones and the State issues earthquake fault zone maps to assist cities and counties in avoiding the hazard of surface fault rupture. The State has identified two Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault zones within the City. The Murrieta Segment of the Elsinore Fault Zone traverses the City, and the Murrieta Creek Fault is located at the extreme southwest corner of the City.
Site-specific geologic review is used to evaluate geologic and seismic hazards that may affect a particular development and identify appropriate corrective measures. The city requires geotechnical engineering reports for any development within areas with known geologic or seismic hazards, for grading permits, for hillside development, and for proposed critical uses such as hospitals and utilities. The City may also designate land as open space where hazards such as fault lines preclude development.
Location and Extent - Based on published data, the most significant known active Fault Zones that are capable of seismic ground shaking and can impact the City include:
• Elsinore Fault Zone: This fault zone, which includes the local Elsinore -Temecula fault, passes through the City to the west of Interstate 1-15 (Figures 2 and 3). The Elsinore- Temecula fault zone can generate a Maximum Earthquake Magnitude (Mw) of 6.8 per the Richter Scale.
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• San Jacinto Fault Zone: This fault zone is located approximately 21 miles northeast of the City and capable of generating earthquakes in excess of 7.1 Mw. Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone (offshore):
This fault zone is located about 28 miles southwest of the C ity and capable of generating earthquakes in excess of 6.9 Mw.
• San Andreas Fault Zone (southern section): This fault zone, located approximately 38 miles northeast of the City, is considered the dominant active fault in California. This fault zone can generate earthquakes in excess of 7.4 Mw.
Impact on Community- The residents within the city that have homes forty years old or older would be most at risk due to building code requirements that do not align with today’s standards of building codes. This would impact most of the Senior Communities. This may consist of over 1,000 homes within the planning area experiencing a total loss. Newer homes in the planning area may experience an estimate of 25% damage. All of the critical facilities may experience some damage.
The city focused on earthquakes of a magnitude of 5.0 and higher in determining probability and severity. It was determined that earthquakes of this magnitude would have a greater impact on the community. This would consist of damage to residential, commercial, roadways, and critical facilities throughout the jurisdiction. While the City of Murrieta is near these active faults, law, fire, and public works protocols are in place to ensure the safety of residents if an earthquake should occur. The city regularly provides Community emergency Response Team training and informational public education for residents to enhance their ability to be better prepared if an earthquake should occur.
Number
of Critical
Facilities
Percent
Damage
Replacement
Value
Content
Value
Estimated
Replacement
Loss
Estimated
Contents
Loss
Total
Estimated
Loss
10 25 63,200,000 34,141,900 15,800,000 8,535,475 24,335,475 28 | Page
Figure 4.3.1 Earthquake occurrences southern California above magnitude 5.0 (January 2023)
Figure 4.3.2 Primary Fault Line Map (January 2023)
Wild Fire
Rank 2 Severity Major Probability High A wild land fire is an uncontrolled fire spreading through vegetative fuels that may expose or consume structures. Although not located in a wilderness area, the threat of a wild land fire in or near Murrieta is high due to the wild land urban areas in and around the City, where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with wild land or vegetative fuels. The threat of wildfire is particularly significant during dry summer months and when there are strong Santa Ana winds. The fire season extends approximately five to six months, from late spring through fall. The aftermath of wild land fire produces new areas of potential landslide as burned and defoliated areas are exposed to winter rains.
Location and Extent -The undeveloped hillside areas in and adjacent to the City present a potentially serious hazard due to the high potential for large scale wild land fires, as shown in Exhibit 12 -8, High Fire Hazard Zones. The escarpments along the western boundary of the C ity are notorious for their threat of wild land fires that move quickly through the area. Similar wild land areas exist in northern Murrieta, in
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the Greer Ranch and Los Alamos areas. The City of Murrieta’s western border is the Cleveland National Forrest, which is subject to severe wildland fires due to drought, lightening, or man -made occurrences. A wildfire would impact residential and commercial facilities located within the hazard prone area. As well as the critical facility, Fire Station 5.
Impact on Community- In the high fire severity zone there are approximately 4,000 homes. Depending on the side of the city where the fire is located will determine the residents and facilities impacted. A fire on the West side of the city may impact 1,000 residents. A fire on the East side of the city may impact 3,000 residents. This includes lower income housing and Seniors.
Number
of Critical
Facilities
Percent
Damage
Replacement
Value
Content
Value
Estimated
Replacement
Loss
Estimated
Contents
Loss
Total
Estimated
Loss
5 15 25,000,000 18,968,690 3,750,000 2,845,303 6,595,303 Techniques to prevent the spread of fire include fuel modification, livestock grazing, prescribed fires, and fuel breaks. The Murrieta Fire Department implements a Weed Abatement program to reduce weed and brush fire hazards. The program provides for prop erty inspections and enforcement on properties that pose a potential fire hazard due to weeds and brush. Conditions of development are currently required, such as Class A roofing, noncombustible siding and 100 -foot fuel buffer zones, to protect communitie s from wild land/urban interface fires. Community planning, awareness, and involvement are proven elements of effectively reducing the occurrence of wild land fires and damage associated with them. (See Riverside County OA MJHMP Section 5).
Recent occurrences of wildfire in Murrieta were the Tenaja fire (2019) which burned over 1900 acres in the La Cresta area and the Liberty Fire (2017) that burned 300 acres of the eastern edge of Murrieta parallel to Los Alamos rd.
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Figure 4.3.3 Very High Fire Severity Zone Map (January 2023)
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Electrical Failures
Rank 3
Severity Extreme
Probability Low
Electrical failures can cause severe damage but can also develop into a declared emergency if the failure is expected to last for more than a few hours. While determining severity and probability the planning team focused on electrical failures lasting longer than four hours, which would have a greater impact on the community.
To gain a broader understanding of power system reliability, it is necessary to understand the root causes of system faults and system failures. A description of major failure modes is provided below.
Underground Cable - N
ot all underground cable system failures are due to cable insulation. A substantial percentage occurs at splices, terminations, and joints. Major causes are due to water ingress and poor workmanship. Heat shrink covers can be used to waterproof these junctions and improve reliability.
T
he last major reliability concern for underground cable is dig-ins. This is when excavation equipment cuts through one or more cables. To prevent dig-ins, utilities should encourage the public to have cable routes identified before initiating site excavation. In extreme cases where high reliability is required, utilities can place cable in concrete-encased duct banks.
Transformer Failures - T
ransformers are critical links in power systems and can take a long time to replace if they fail. Through faults cause extreme physical stress on transformer windings and are the major cause of transformer failures. When a transformer becomes hot, the insulation on the windings slowly breaks down and becomes brittle over time. The rate of thermal breakdown approximately doubles for every 10°C. 10°C is referred to as the “Montsinger Factor” and is a rule of thumb describing the Arrhenius theory of electrolytic dissociation. Because of this exponential relationship, transformer overloads can result in rapid transformer aging. When thermal aging has caused insulation to become sufficiently brittle, the next fault current that passes through the transformer will mechanically shake the windings, a crack will form in the insulation, and an internal transformer fault will result.
L
ightning - A lightning strike occurs when the voltage generated between a cloud and the ground exceeds the dielectric strength of the air. This results in a massive current stroke that usually exceeds 30,000 amps.
To make matters worse, most strokes consist of multiple discharges within a fraction of a second. Lightning is the major reliability concern for utilities located in high keraunic areas. Lightning can affect power systems through direct strikes (the stroke contacts the power system) o r through indirect strikes (the
stroke contacts something in close proximity and induces a traveling voltage wave on the power system).
T
ree Contact - T rees continuously grow , can fall over onto conductors, can drop branches onto conductors, can push conductors together, and can serve as gateway for animals. This is why many utilities spend more on tree trimming than on any other preventative maintenance activity. This is because a moist tree branch has a substantial resistance . A small current begins to flow and starts to dry out the wood fibers. After several minutes, the cellulose will carbonize, resistance will be greatly reduced, and a short circuit will occur. Branches brushing against a single-phase conductor typically do not result in system faults. Faults 32 | Page
due to tree contact can be reduced by using tree wire. This is overhead wire with an insulated jacket similar to cable. Tree wire can be effective, but faults tend to result in conductor burndown since they will not motor (move themselves along the conductor) like faults on bare conductor.
Birds - B
irds are the most common cause of animal faults on both transmission systems and air insulated substations. Different types of birds cause different types of problems, but they can generally be classified as nesting birds, roosting birds, raptors, and woodpeckers. Nesting birds commonly build their hom es on transmission towers and in substations . Nesting materials can cause faults, and bird excrement can contaminate insulators.
Sq
uirrels - Sq uirrels are a reliability concern for all overhead distribution systems near wooded areas .
Squirrels will not typically climb utility poles but will leap onto them from nearby trees. They cause faults by bridging grounded equipment with phase conductors. Squirrel problems can be mitigated by cutting down nearby access trees or by installing animal guards on insulators
Sn
akes - S nakes are major reliability concerns in both substations and underground systems . They can squeeze through very small openings, can climb almost anything, and have the length to easily span phase conductors. Snakes are usually searching for food (birds in substations and mice in underground systems), and removing the food supply can often remove the snake problem. Special “snake fences” are also available.
I
nsects - I t is becoming more common for fire ants to build nests in pad mounted equipment. Their nesting materials can cause short circuits, the ants can eat away at conductor insulation, and they make equipment maintenance a challenge.
B
ears, Bison, and Cattle - T hese large animals do not typically cause short circuits but degrade the structural integrity of poles by rubbing on guy wires. Bears can also destroy wooden poles by using them as scratching posts, and black bears can climb wooden utility poles. These problems can be addressed by placing fences around poles and guy wire anchors.
M
ice, Rats, and Gophers - T hese rodents cause faults by gnawing through the insulation of underground cable. They are the most common cause of animal- related outages on underground equipment. To make matters worse, they will attract snakes (also a reliability problem).
V
andalism - V andalism can take many different forms, from people shooting insulators with rifles to professional thieves stealing conductor wire for scrap metal. Addressing these reliability problems will vary greatly from situation to situation.
T
he city does not maintain records of electrical outages as the service is provided through private utility organizations.
Location and Extent- An electrical failure can impact any part of the jurisdiction. No specific damage would occur to residences, roadways, critical facilities, or commercial facilities however, business operations, day 33 | Page
to day living, and those dependent upon medical equipment requiring power could be interrupted without alternate energy solutions.
Impact on Community - Every resident and facility without a generator will be impacted. The most vulnerable will consist of the elderly and medical baseline community. Longer durations of an outage may cause a loss of food and hot water. This would place children and infants in the next higher risk category.
* Electrical Failures are not likely to result in physical damage to facilities, no values are assigned. However, it can result in substantial costs for emergency protective measures, emergency response, lost revenue and human loss of life and injury.
Pandemic
Rank 4 Severity Extreme Probability Low
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that has spread through human populations across a large region. For instance, multiple continents or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic. Further, flu pandemics generally exclude recurrences of seasonal flu. Pandemics can claim the lives of thousands or even millions of people.
As learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, impacts are beyond a person’s health and can directly affect the economy and global supply chains.
As people began to live in -group forming communities, where they live close to one another, and travel has expanded to cross -seas the possibility of pandemics has increased. Historically, the following pandemics have occurred:
• Antoine Plague -165 AD to 180 AD
• The Black Death – 1347 to 1352
• Small Pox - 1870 to 1874
• Cholera - 1871 to 1824
• Russian Flu – 1889 to 1890
• Spanish Flu – 1918 to 1919
• H3N2 – 1968
• Covid-19 – 2019
Location and Extent- The jurisdiction’s entire population could be vulnerable to a pandemic. This will have no direct impact on structures but could impact business operations etc. as the population because impacted by the hazard.
Number
of Critical
Facilities
Percent
Damage
Replacement
Value
Content
Value
Estimated
Replacement
Loss
Estimated
Contents
Loss
Total
Estimated
Loss
10 * * 37,674,980 * * *
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Figure 4.3.4 Riverside County Covid-19 Cases Dashboard (January 2023)
Drought
Rank 5
Severity Major
Probability Significant
The City of Murrieta is subject to incidents related to drought as the entire state of California has been in a drought emergency for many decades. Even with significant rainfall in 2023 , it is not sufficient to label water levels in area reservoirs as normal (refer to figure below). Droughts present emergency conditions for residential consumers, farmers, agricultural groups, winemakers and for essential water services such as fire protection.
Drought is a period of unusually constant dry weather that persists long enough to cause deficiencies in water supply (surface or underground). Droughts are slow-onset hazards, but, over time, they can severely affect crops, municipal water supplies, recreation resources, and wildlife. If drought conditions extend over several years, the direct and indirect economic impacts can be significant. High temperatures, high winds, and low humidity can worsen drought conditions and make areas more susceptible to wildfires. In addition, human actions and demands for water resources can accelerate drought-related impacts.
Drought is a gradual phenomenon. Although droughts are sometimes characterized as emergencies, they differ from typical emergency events. Most natural disasters, such as, floods or forest fires, occur relatively rapidly and afford little time for preparing for a disaster response. Droughts occur slowly, over a multi - year period, and it is often not obvious or easy to quantify when a drought begins and ends.
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Drought is a complex issue involving many factors, with differing conditions and drivers throughout the state making this more of a regional focus. Drought can be defined regionally based on the effects:
• Meteorological – this type of drought is usually defined by a period of below average water supply. • Agricultural – this type of drought occurs when there is an inadequate water supply to meet the needs of the state’s crops and other agricultural operations such as livestock. • Hydrological – a hydrological drought is defined as deficiencies in surface or subsurface water supply. It is generally measured as stream flow, snowpack, and as lake, reservoir and groundwater levels.
• Socioeconomics – occurs when the result of drought impacts health, well-being and quality of life, or when a drought starts to have an adverse economic impact on a region.
Location and Extent- A drought would impact the entire jurisdiction. The major issue directly attributed to the Drought is the economic impacts that will affect everyone. The economic loss a cross all of the drought impacts causing loss in income, jobs, cut back in government income, loss of beef cattle, dairy production, vegetables, rice, wine industry, and other crops. The secondary impacts of the drought have yet to be seen, reduction in homes sold, higher unemployment, more people seeking food stamps, higher needs of staple food commodities from local Food Banks. All of this will have a significant impact on California’s Economy, which is one of the top 10 Economy’s in the World. 36 | Page
Figure 4.3.5 Reservoir Water Storage (January 2023)
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Figure 4.3.6 U. S. Drought Monitor (December 2022)
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Terrorism
Rank 6
Severity Extreme
Probability Moderate
Terrorism is a planned criminal act committed with the intent to create a state of fear in the public. It is usually done by a person or group whose goal is to further a political or ideological point of view. Terrorism can take the form of explosive devic es, active shooter incidents, or biological, chemical, radiological/nuclear, or cyber-attacks.
Types of Terrorism and Intentional Acts:
• Active Shooter
• Biological Threats
• Chemical Threats
• Cyber Incidents
• Explosions
• Nuclear Blast
• Radiological Dispersion Device
The FBI is the leading federal agency for domestic and international terrorism incidents. At the end of FY 2020 the FBI was investigating 1,400 potential domestic terrorism incidents. That number increased in 2021 to 2,700 investigations some of which were related to activities during the 2021 capitol siege.
Figure 4.3.7 FBI Terrorism Investigations
The City of Murrieta has not experienced any direct acts of terrorism. The Murrieta Police Department has mitigated any active shooter incidents that had the potential to occur at the schools and surrounding community. While the City of Murrieta is one of the safest communities in the United States the potential for terrorism still exists as seen with the 2015 San Bernardino attack.
Location and extent- An act of terrorism could impact residential and commercial facilities, the population, roadways, and critical facilities. The extent depends on the type of terrorist act used. IT could be limited to one area or impact the jurisdiction. Loss of life and property could occur.
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Hazardous Materials Accident
Rank 7
Severity Major
Probability Significant
Hazardous substance incidents are likely to occur within the City of Murrieta due to the presence of h
ighways. Transportation of hazardous materials/wastes is regulated by California Code of Regulations Title 26. The Federal Department of Transportation (DOT) is the primary regulatory authority for the interstate transport of hazardous materials, and establishes regulations for safe handling procedures (i.e., packaging, marking, labeling, and routing). The California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Transportation enforce Federal and State regulations and respond to hazardous materials transportation emergencies. Emergency responses are coordinated as necessary between Federal, State and local governmental authorities and private persons through the Murrieta Emergency Operations Plan.
Murrieta Fire and Rescue Department oversight and inspection of sites handling hazardous materials is the City’s primary tool for reducing risks related to these materials. Given the City’s dependence on groundwater, remediation of leaking underground fuel tanks should be taken seriously. Although regional and state authorities are responsible for monitoring these sites, the City facilitates this effort when possible.
Household hazardous waste collection events raise community awareness that items such as cleaning products, batteries, and paint should not be disposed of in the trash. The city and its waste services contractor promote these events to divert household hazardous waste from landfills.
Location and Extent- Two major transportation routes through Murrieta include Interstate 15 and 215.
Depending on the materials released, impacts to the population in the immediate area could occur. Nearby residences and commercial facilities may have to take protective actions. Critical facilities potentially impacted are Loma Linda Hospital and Fire Station 4.
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Figure 4.3.8 Bureau of Transportation Statistics Hazardous Materials Statistics
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Nuclear Accident
Rank 8
Severity Extreme
Probability Low
While the City of Murrieta is outside the Sphere of Influence (SOI) of the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant, the city could be impacted during an evacuation of the Emergency Planning Zones (EPZ). The facility is not operational and is in the process of decommissioning, however, radioactive material is onsite and will be for decades.
Incidents of this nature occur with little or no warning. As radiation cannot be detected by normal senses, in many cases, victims may not know they have been exposed until many years later. The City of Murrieta has radiation detection equipment at the pri mary EOC in the event of an uncontrolled release of radioactivity.
Location and Extent- The entire jurisdiction is in the hazard area of a nuclear accident. This would impact all the population, critical facilities, residential and commercial facilities as well as roadways.
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Figure 4.3.9 San Onofre Nuclear Accident Impact Area (January 2023)
Dam Failure
Rank 9
Severity Extreme
Probability Low
Portions of the City of Murrieta are subject to potential flooding in the event of dam failure at Lake Skinner or Diamond Valley Lake. Potential dam inundation zones are shown in Exhibit 12 -7 Dam Inundation Map - City of Murrieta General Plan 2035. Dam failure is considered an extremely remote possibility as dams are designed to be much stronger than necessary to survive the largest magnitude possible earthquake without affecting the dam structure; however, it must be considered and recognized in the planning process.
Location and Extent- Residences and structural facilities located within the inundation area in Figure 4.3.
10. Would experience destruction or flooding. The population within the hazard area would require immediate evacuation to prevent loss of life.
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Figure 4.3.10 Murrieta Dam Inundation Flood Map, Murrieta General Plan (2020)
Flood
Rank 10 Severity Major Probability Moderate
The largest known flood in the Santa Margarita Watershed was in January 1862, and the second greatest was in February 1884. Other major floods occurred in years 1916, 1938, 1943, 1969, 1978, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1998. In both January and February 1993, Riverside County was hit by severe storms resulting in a Presidential Disaster Proclamation. These large flood events deposited two to six feet of sediment in the Murrieta Creek streambed from Winchester Road south into Old Town Temecula.
Breakouts of floodwaters were caused largely by the magnitude of the event, vegetation density, and the sediment accumulations within the channel that severely reduced flow-carrying capacity. Damage to flood control and other public facilities resulted.
Location and Extent - Much of Murrieta Creek and sections along Warm Springs Creek lack formal flood control systems, and as a result drainage is haphazard in the less developed areas of the City, even with moderate rain. This results in frequent overtopping of the Murrieta Creek channel by floodwaters in a few channels reaches, flood inundation of structures with attendant damages, and other water -related
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problems caused by these events including emergency response costs, traffic disruption, and automobile damage.
Impact on Community- The unhoused community that traverses Murrieta Creek will be the most affected during a flood. Due to improvements with the city’s flood mitigation few homes are at risk within the flood area.
Number
of Critical
Facilities
Percent
Damage
Replacement
Value
Content
Value
Estimated
Replacement
Loss
Estimated
Contents
Loss
Total
Estimated
Loss
3 50 16,000,000 11,322,810 8,000,000 5,661,405 13,661,405
The Murrieta Creek Flood Control, Environmental Restoration and Recreation Project is designed to reduce flooding as well as to provide other benefits including groundwater recharge, improved habitat, wildlife corridors, and recreation. Key entities involved in this project are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, City of Murrieta, and City of Temecula.
These partners should make it a priority to secure funding for the construction of this project.
The Master Drainage Plan provides another guide to the flood control improvements that are needed in Murrieta. Where possible, natural drainage will be preserved in conjunction with open space. The city will also seek opportunities to construct recreational trails along waterways, balancing demands for recreation with considerations for safety and habitat.
Flood hazards within floodplain and dam inundation areas will continue to be addressed through land use regulations and project review.
Portions of the City lie within the boundaries of the FEMA 100 -year flood plain. Potential flood hazard should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis during individual site developments. Flooding could also occur along the Warm Springs Creek due to potential breach of any dams associated with Diamond Valley Lake and Lake Skinner. The city’s floodplain ordinance can be found in Murrieta Municipal Code 15.56 and the Safety Element within the General Plan.
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Figure 4.3.11 FEMA Flood Map; accessed January 11, 2024 via world wide web
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Communicable Diseases
Rank 11
Severity Major
Probability Moderate
Communicable or infectious disease emergencies are conditions that have potential for significant harm to the patient if not recognized and treated promptly. Timely and appropriate intervention may significantly improve outcomes. Infectious Disease is a broad term used to describe illness caused by a specific type of bacterium, parasite, virus, or fungus organisms. Below is a brief overview of the main infectious disease types:
• Bacterial Infections - Responsible for a variety of diseases from strep throat to meningitis and tuberculosis.
• Fungal Infections - There are roughly 300 types of fungi known to cause infectious disease.
Common types include ringworm, blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, and pneumocystis pneumonia. • Parasitic Infections- Responsible for a variety of diseases including malaria, Chagas disease, and toxocariasis.
• Viral Infections - Responsible for a variety of diseases including the common cold, influenza, mononucleosis, smallpox, and HIV/AIDS.
These organisms can be transmitted:
• Person-to-person (e.g., measles, mumps, meningococcal disease, tuberculosis) • By consuming contaminated food or water, also known as foodborne (e.g.: salmonella, E.coli, botulinum toxin)
• Through animal bites (i.e., mosquito, ticks, fleas) also known as vector- borne (e.g.: West Nile virus, dengue, Zika, malaria).
Newly emerging infectious diseases include Ebola, Zika, Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), avian influenza, and Monkey Pox . The 2009 H1N1, 2003 Avian Flu, 2015-17 Zika, 2014-16 West African Ebola, 2015 West Nile, 2013 large scale Tuberculosis, 2004 botulism Type A, 2003 West Nile, and the 2020 Hepatitis A outbreak have all been found in the operational area.
Location and Extent- The jurisdiction’s entire population could be vulnerable to a communicable disease.
This will have no direct impact on structures but could impact business operations etc. as the population because impacted by the hazard.
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Communications Failure
Rank 12
Severity Moderate
Probability Moderate
Communication systems must be readily available, reliable, and properly maintained to support an emergency or disaster. The failure of communication systems places the city at great risk to support an emergency. A communication system may consist of telephone, wireless cellular, internet, cable, or radio services. The city utilizes redundant communication systems to mitigate the impact of any losses of one or more services. Outages of communications may occur for various reasons such as a system overload or equipment failure. The city does not control or maintain any services or equipment that the communications corporations own.
Data source from outage.report/us
Figure 4.3.12 Cities reporting communication outages by provider.
Location and Extent- The entire jurisdiction is susceptible to communications failure. This could impact business operations or lifesaving services. No direct impact to residences, commercial, or critical facilities or roadways.
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
AT&T Verizon Wireless Tmobile Spectrum
Number of Cities experiencing outages
Popular communication providers
2023 Communication Outages Per Provider
12-Jan 11-Jan 10-Jan
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Extreme Weather
Rank 13
Severity Moderate
Probability Moderate
Extreme weather in the City of Murrieta can consist of wind, lightning , precipitation, and heat waves.
Murrieta has two severe weather centers and are opened when a Public Health “Heat/Cold Warning” is issued. The city utilizes the County of Riverside Public Health Department heat and cold adviso ries to activate the centers. Severe Weather Centers are open when the Department of Public Health issues a Heat/Cold warning when temperatures are expected to reach 105 for at least 3 consecutive days and when the temperatures drop to 40 degrees or less for more than 3 consecutive days. (See Rivers ide County OA MJHMP Section 5). Murrieta utilizes protocols to ensure the safety of residents during extreme weather conditions, such as “spray downs ” during extreme heat conditions at large gatherings like the City’s Birthday Bash, Fourth of July Fireworks display, and annual Father’s Day Car show.
Location and Extent- The entire jurisdiction is prone to extreme weather. The extent of the impact depends on the type and duration of the weather. The homeless population is most vulnerable to extreme temperatures. As well as residences without adequate heating and air conditioning systems. Structures and critical facilities may experience damage due to high winds.
Figure 4.3.13 City of Murrieta average temperature
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Figure 4.3.14 City of Murrieta Average Wind Speed
Figure 4.3.15 City of Murrieta Average Rainfall
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Cyber Attack
Rank 14
Severity Moderate
Probability Moderate
Malicious cyber activity threatens the public’s safety and our national and economic security. The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyber-attacks and intrusions. Between staying connected with family and friends, shopping and banking online, and working remotely, we all depend on security in our interconnected digital world. Criminals from every corner of the globe attack our digital systems on a near constant basis. They strike targets large and small—from corporate networks to personal smart phones.
Location and Extent-The largest risk comes with the potential of an attack on our critical infrastructure.
Electrical, water, and fuel systems provide essential services to residents. The City of Murrieta does not have control over those systems but has put into place some mitigations to deter the potential of a future attack like the one that occurred on the city in June 2022.
Mitigations include an employee-training program, 24/7 monitoring, and firewall enhancements.
Utilizing data from recent cyber-attacks on government agencies and the effects of the attack, Murrieta provided the above rating. Data below indicates attacks on a national basis that include public and private businesses as well as residents.
Figure 4.3.16 National Cyber Attack Complaints and Losses
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Water Pipeline/Aqueduct
Rank 15
Severity Moderate
Probability Moderate
Pipeline/ aqueduct failure is when the source or delivery system of water to the public becomes inoperable or the water becomes unusable. While the immediate responsibility is with the facility owner, an emergency resulting from a pipeline or aqueduct can affect hundreds of thousands of residents whether it is from lack of water, purification, or contamination. Murrieta’s water providers are Eastern Municipal Water District, Elsinore Valley Water District, Rancho Water, and Western Municipal Water District. While assessing the impact and probability on residents’ mitigation planners focused on pipeline failure durations lasting longer than fo ur hours. No immediate data was available to assess the occurrences of outages, however, unofficial reports and incidents have historically occurred.
Location and Extent - The location of the water pipeline or aqueduct failure determines the impacted population reliant on that water system. Structures, facilities, and roadways will not be directly impacted.
Day-to-day living and business operations will be impacted as water usage may not be possible.
Transportation Accident
Rank 16
Severity Minor
Probability Significant
Transportation systems in or near Murrieta include airways and roadways. These systems provide services on a regional and local level. A major accident is possible with these two methods of transportation through the city. Two major transportation routes through Murrieta include the Interstate 15 and 215. Large accidents are investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is an independent Federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant accidents in the other modes of transportation – railroad, highway, marine and pipeline issuing safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents. The Safety Board determines the probable cause of:
• All U.S. civil aviation accidents and certain public-use aircraft accidents • Selected highway accidents
• Railroad accidents involving passenger trains or any train accident that results in at least one fatality or major property damage
• Major marine accidents and any marine accident involving a public and nonpublic vessel • Pipeline accidents involving a fatality or substantial property damage • Releases of hazardous materials in all forms of transportation • Selected transportation accidents that involve problems of a recurring nature
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Since its inception in 1967, the NTSB has investigated more than 132,000 aviation accidents and thousands of surface transportation accidents.
The trucking industry has consistently increased in size over the last century. Today, there are more trucks on the road than 20 years ago. “In 2000, one out of every eight fatal car accidents involved a large truck. This can be attributed not only to the size and weight of these trucks but also to significant blind spots in the field of view of truck drivers (Trucking Accident Info Center, 2003).” According to the U.S.
Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on average in the country and as of 2020, large trucks made up 9 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes. The NHTSA says that large trucks were much more likely to be involved in a fatal multiple-vehicle crash.
In 2020, The NHTSA reported that there were 4,965 people killed in crashes involving large trucks. This was a 1 percent decrease from 5,032 in 2019. 71 percent of all people killed in large truck crashes in 2020 were occupants of other vehicles. 17 percent were occupants of large trucks and 13 percent were non-occupants (pedestrians, cyclists, or other non-occupants). Since 2002, 13,966 fatalities have been attributed to large trucks.
Over a 10-year period, there was an unfortunate increase in the total number of people killed in large truck crashes, from 3,781 fatalities in 2011 to 4,965 fatalities in 2020. Of the fatalities in 2020:
• 71 percent (3,512) were occupants of other vehicles
• 17 percent (831) were occupants of large trucks
• 13 percent (622) were non-occupants (pedestrians, pedal cyclists, etc.)
From 2019 to 2020, there was a 7-percent decrease in the number of occupants of other vehicles killed in crashes involving large trucks. This is the first decrease in large-truck occupants killed, and occupants of other vehicles killed since 2013 to 2014. From 2019 to 2020 there was a 9-percent increase in the number of non-occupants killed. The 622 killed is large truck crashes in 2020 is the highest number of non-occupants killed in the most recent 10-year period.
Location and Extent- Two major highways, the 15 and 215 traverse the city. Many streets are interconnected throughout the jurisdiction. Injuries and fatalities have occurred to the population traveling along these routes.
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Figure 4.3.17 California Accidents Resulting From Speeding
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Figure 4.3.18 California Accidents Involving a Large Truck
Figure 4.3.19 California Fatal Crashes
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Fuel Line Disruption
Rank 17
Severity Major
Probability Low
Fuel line disruptions occur when a pipeline has a leak or burst or another type of equipment failure that renders the pipeline unusable. While the immediate responsibility is with the facility owner, an emergency resulting from a fuel line disruption can affect hundreds of thousands of residents. Fuels for home heating, and cooking could be diminished. While assessing the impact and probability on residents’ mitigation planners focused on pipeline failure durations lasting longer than four hours. No immediate data was available on the frequency of disruptions, but unofficial events have been reported. The map below shows a gas transmission pipeline that parallels Los Alamos Rd. between Jefferson Rd. and Interstate 215. There is no immediate data on disruptions or failures of this line.
Location and Extent- Populations and facilities reliant on fuel will experience impacts in day to day living as well as business operations.
Figure 4.3.20 Fuel Line Near Murrieta (January 2023)
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Tornado
Rank 18
Severity Moderate
Probability Low
A tornado is a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel- shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system. Tornadoes can occur at any time of day or night and at any time of the year. Although tornadoes are most common in the Central Plains and the southeastern United States, they have been reported in California. When weather conditions are favorable for a tornado a Tornado Watch may be issued i.e. a severe thunderstorm. A Tornado Warning is issued when a tornado is imminent. A Tornado Emergency is an enhanced version of the tornado warning used by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States, during significant tornado occurrences in highly populated areas. Historically, no tornados have been documented in Murrieta.
However, parts of Southern California and Riverside County have experienced tornados ranging from an EF 0 to EF 3.
Location and Extent- A tornado can occur at any location in the jurisdiction and travel impacting other areas. Injury and loss of life may occur to those in the immediate hazard area. Residential and commercial structures, and critical facilities could experience damage or destruction.
Figure 4.3.21 Tornado Occurrence Southern California (January 2023)
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Insect Infestation
Rank 19
Severity Moderate
Probability Low
Agricultural pests and disease infestation occur when an undesirable organism inhabits an area in a manner that causes serious harm to agriculture crops, livestock or poultry, and wild land vegetation or animals.
Location and Extent- The City of Murrieta has agricultural crops and some commercial livestock such as horses and goats. An insect infestation could occur and impact the vegetation and animals. Countless insects and diseases live on, in, and around plants and animals in all environments. Most are harmless, while some can cause significant damage and loss. Under some conditions, insects and diseases that have been relatively harmless can become hazardous. For example, severe drought conditions can weaken trees and make them more susceptible to destruction from insect attacks than they would be under normal conditions.
Infestations of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Oriental Fruit Fly, Gypsy Moth, Glassy-winged Sharpshooter, Asian Citrus Psyllid, and Light-Brown Apple Moth have all occurred in the last 30 years; however, there are no detailed records to list each event. Diseases such as Chrysanthemum White Rust and Pierce’s Disease of Grapes have caused significant losses to local plants and impacts on wildland vegetation or animals.
Emergencies related to insect infestation have affected Riverside County and its local jurisdictions in the last decade, including an increased fire risk due to Bark Beetle infestation of trees in 2003, and mosquito -borne West Nile Virus in 2007. Since 2002, the Bark Beetle infestation has required removal of thousands of acres of affected trees in the Angeles National Forest, as well as on private lands. However, both the Bark Beetle and West Nile Virus infestations are under control and did not seriously affect the City of Murrieta.
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Landslide
Rank 20
Severity Minor
Probability Low
Landslides can be defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down an incline. According to the SGS, the term “landslide” encompasses five (5) modes of slope movement: falls, topples, slides, spreads, and flows.
• Falls are masses of soil or rock that dislodge from steep slopes and free -fall, bounce, or roll downslope.
• Topples move by the forward pivoting of a mass around an axis below the displaced mass. • Spreads (lateral) commonly induced by liquefaction of material in an earthquake, move by horizontal extension and shear or tensile fractures.
• Slides displace masses of material along one or more discrete planes. o In “rotational” sliding, the slide plane is curved, and the mass rotates backwards around an axis parallel to the slope. In “translational” sliding, the failure surface is more or less planar and the mass moves parallel to the ground surface.
• Flows mobilize as a deforming, viscous mass without a discrete failure plane.
Landslides can be caused by natural processes or by man -made activities. Landslides occur when down- slope forces (gravity) exceed the resistance (strength) of the earth’s materials. Landslides can be initiated by rainfall, snowmelt, changes in water level, stream erosion, changes in ground water, earthquakes, volcanic activity, disturbance by human activities, or any combination of these factors. Two (2) of the more common types of landslides include:
Mudflows- defined as flows or rivers of liquid mud down a hillside on the surface of normally dry land.
They occur when water saturates the ground, usually following long and heavy rainfalls, or rapid snow melts. Mud forms and flows down slope if there is no ground cover such as brush or trees to hold the soil in place.
Debris Flow- defined as when water begins to wash material from a slope or when water sheets off a newly burned stretch of land. Chaparral land is especially susceptible to debris flows after a fire. The flow will pick up speed and debris as it descends the slope. As the system gradually picks up speed it takes on the characteristics of a basic river system, carrying everything in its path along with it.
Fast-moving (or rapidly moving) landslides present the greatest risk to human life, and people living in or traveling through areas prone to rapidly moving landslides are at increased risk of serious injury. Debris - flows can travel down a hillside with speeds up to 200 miles per hour (though more commonly, 30-50 miles per hour), depending on the slope angle and type of earth and debris in the flow. 59 | Page
Slow-moving landslides can occur on relatively gentle slopes and can cause significant property damage but are less likely to result in serious human injuries. Slow -moving slides include rotational slides, where sliding material moves along a curved surface, and translational slides, where movement occurs along a flat surface. These slides are generally slow -moving and can be deep. Slumps are small rotational slides that are generally shallow.
The size of a landslide usually depends on the geology and the initial cause of the landslide. Landslides vary greatly in their volume of rock and soil; the lengt h, width, and depth of the area affected; frequency of occurrence; and speed of movement. Some characteristics that determine the type of landslide are slope of the hillside, moisture content, and the nature of the underlying materials. Landslides are given different names, depending on the type of failure and their composition and characteristics.
Many landslides are difficult to mitigate, particularly in areas of large historic movement with weak underlying geologic materials. As communities continue to modify the terrain and influence natural processes, it is important to be aware of the physical properties of the underlying soils as they, along with climate, create landslide hazards. Proper planning cannot eliminate the threat of landslides to the safety of people, property, and infrastructure; however, without proper planning, landslide hazards will be even more common and more destructive.
No history of landslides has been reported for the city.
Location and Extent- Greer Ranch and Los Alamos area may be susceptible to a landslide. Loss of life and damage to the residences and commercial properties as well as Fire Station 5 could occur if they are within the flow impact area.
4.4 PRIORITY HAZARD ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL LOSSES
Hazards Number
of Critical
Facilities
Percent
Damage
Replacement
Value
Content
Value
Estimated
Replacement
Loss
Estimated
Contents
Loss
Total
Estimated
Loss
Earthquake 10 25 63,200,000 34,141,900 15,800,000 8,535,475 24,335,475 Wildfire 5 15 25,000,000 18,968,690 3,750,000 2,845,303 6,595,303 Electrical
Failure
10 * 37,674,980
Flood 3 50 16,000,000 11,322,810 8,000,000 5,661,405 13,661,405 Table 4.4.1 Potential Loss for Priority Hazards
* Electrical Failures are not likely to result in physical damage to facilities, no values are assigned. However, it can result in substantial costs for emergency protective measures , emergency response, lost revenue and human loss of life and injury.
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SECTION 5.0 – COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM
5.1 REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTIES
The National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.
As a result, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions meeting the three goals of the CRS:
1. Reduce flood losses.
2. Facilitate accurate insurance rating.
3. Promote the awareness of flood insurance.
5.2 NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROPERTIES
a. Describe participation in NFIP, including any changes since previously approved plan: City maintains duties and activities related to development, maintenance, and safety of the City infrastructure; Public Works provides flood insurance information to property owners and provides the community with FEMA National Flood Insurance (NFIP) resources. b. Date first joined NFIP: 1991
Identify actions related to continued compliance with NFIP zone: Continuous participation in the Community Rating System.
c. CRS member: Yes
d. CRS class: 9
e. Describe any data used to regulate flood hazard area other than FEMA maps : Elevation certificates and independent projects affecting floodplain/floodway areas (via FEMA maps) are required to do their own flood analysis.
f. Have there been issues with community participation in the program? No g. What are the general hurdles for effective implementation of the NFIP? None i. Summarize actions related to continued compliance with NFIP : Annual CRS reports are submitted to FEMA.
ii. Repetitive Loss Properties – No commercial, residential, or institutional properties meet this criteria
Other risks: NA
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SECTION 6.0 - CAPABILITIES ASSESSMENT
6.1 REGULATORY MITIGATION CAPABILITIES
Capabilities are the programs and policies currently in use to reduce hazard impacts or that could be used to implement hazard mitigation activities. This capabilities assessment is divided into five sections:
• Regulatory Mitigation Capabilities
• Administrative and Technical Mitigation Capabilities
• Fiscal Mitigation Capabilities
• Mitigation Outreach and Partnerships
• Funding Sources
These capabilities can be expanded and improved upon by incorporating hazard information into the General Plan. Implement a process to ensure mitigation actions identified in the hazard mitigation plan are reviewed as part of the update to the City’s Capital Improvement Program, Continuity of Operations Plan, and Emergency Operations Plan.
Regulatory Tool Yes/No Comments
General Plan YES Adopted updates to General Plan 2035 July 2020. The general plan states the City’s vision and anticipated
future development. The general plan can be altered
to follow mitigation strategies as needed, i.e. land
use, public safety, egress routes.
Zoning Ordinance (Development Code) YES Adopted updates to General Plan 2035 July 2020. The Development Code establishes regulations for
development and can be altered to encompass
mitigation activities.
Subdivision Ordinance YES Adopted updates to General Plan 2035 on July 19, 2011
Site Plan Review Requirements YES Adopted updates to General Plan 2035 on July 19, 2011
Floodplain Ordinance YES Adopted updates to General Plan 2035 on July 19, 2011
Other special purpose ordinance
(storm water, water conservation,
wildfire)
YES Adopted updates to General Plan 2035 July 2020
Building Code YES The 2022 Building code specifies how new structures may be built. Mitigation actions involve altering the
building code to improve a building’s safety,
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structural integrity or minimize damage caused by
hazards.
Fire Department ISO Rating YES Rating:3
Erosion or sediment control program YES Adopted updates to General Plan 2035 on July 19, 2011
Storm water management program YES City of Murrieta Storm Drain Master Plan Capital Improvements Plan YES 2016-2017. New, upgraded or retrofitted structures can be designed to mitigate local hazards.
Economic development plan YES Economic Dev. Strategy Plan – 2008 the City’s General Plan 2035 now includes an Economic
Development Element
Local Emergency Operations Plan YES Adopted May 16, 2017. The local emergency operations plan works in tandem with the hazard
mitigation plan.
Flood Insurance Study or other
engineering study for streams
NO Plan to work with Public Works (flood plain
management) and Riverside County Flood Control to
identify potential grant funding in support of flood
related studies.
Climate Action Plan (CAP) YES Adopted a revised, and CEQA qualified, CAP as part of the Focused General Plan Update in July 2020. The
CAP sets out to, in part, mitigate some of the impacts
to the City and it’s residents from Climate Change
moving forward.
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6.2 ADMINISTRATIVE/TECHNICAL MITIGATION CAPABILITIES
The Administrative and Technical capabilities will be expanded and improved to reduce risk through coordination with department managers during the annual review of the LHMP and as the city progresses towards implementation. This coordination would identify information that should be included in future updates. This high level of capability outlined in the chart below will be used to implement the actions identified in this plan. This existing capability will be maintained by the City of Murrieta and expanded as necessary to address the expansion of new programs or change in the scope of existing programs. The city is expanding GIS capabilities by adding a new GIS analyst position.
Additionally, it is expanding technical capabilities by acquiring alert and warning software.
Personnel Resources Yes/No Department/Position
Planner/engineer with knowledge of land
development/land management practices YES City Engineer, Planning Director Engineer/professional trained in construction
practices related to buildings and/or
infrastructure YES
City Engineer and Building
Official
Engineer with an understanding of natural
hazards
YES City Engineer and Building
Official
Personnel skilled in GIS YES Planning Department
Full time building official YES Building & Safety Division Floodplain manager YES City Manager
Emergency manager YES Fire Chief, OEM Manager
Grant writer YES
Management A nalyst, F ire and
Rescue
GIS Data—Land use YES Planning Department
GIS Data—Links to Assessor’s data YES IS
Warning systems/services
(Reverse 9-11, outdoor warning signals) YES
Early Warning Notification
System – Riverside County EMD,
Titan HST, route alerting (police
and fire)
6.3 FISCAL MITIGATION CAPABILITIES
The financial resources of the City of Murrieta are allocated to and accounted for in various funds based upon the purposes for which the funds are to be spent and the means by which spending activities are controlled. The various funds include Governmental Funds; Proprietary Funds; and, Fiduciary Funds.
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• Governmental Funds - Used for most city governmental functions. There are four (4) types of Governmental Funds: General Fund; Special Fund; Debt Services Fund; and Capital Project Funds. o G eneral Fund – The operating fund used to account for all activities, expect those requirements to be accounted for in another fund o Special Fund – Used for proceeds of specific revenue sources that are restricted to expenditures of special purposes. o Debt Services Fund - U sed for accumulation of resources and the payment of principal, interest, and related costs of general long-term debt.
o Capital Project Funds - Used for resources for the acquisition or construction of major capital facilities.
•
Proprietary Funds - Used for government’s business- type activities. These funds recover the cost of providing services through fees and charges on those who use their services. There are two (2) types of Proprietary Funds: Enterprise Funds, and Internal Services Funds. o E nterprise Funds - used for services provided primarily to external customers and legal requirements or management policy required services, including capital, to be fully recovered through fees and charges.
o Internal Services Funds - used for services provided to other funds, departments, or agencies of the government. Costs are allocated to the benefiting funds in the form of fees and charges to recover the full cost of providing services.
•
Fiduciary Funds - used for assets held in a trustee or agency capacity for outside parties, including individuals, private organizations, and other government.
During the annual budgeting processes, the City will identify new funding sources (bonds, grants, assessment districts, etc) that can be used to support the enhancement of existing capabilities.
6.4 MITIGATION OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS
To improve education and outreach each year the City of Murrieta’s public education team convenes to meet and develop a public education strategy and conducts an appraisal of the previous year’s programs. A central focus on five topics will be developed. Other educational programs will remain available and taught as requested. Criteria for selection of the five topics of the year will consist of:
Selection Criteria
Additional Information
Call Data The projects management analyst will
provide the group with the type of call,
volume per type, and demographic of those
most impacted
Public feedback For public feedback a survey via social media will be sent out to the City for input on how
the Murrieta Fire & Rescue public education
program has impacted them in the past year,
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topics they are interested in, and additional
feedback
Local Hazards Pulled from the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Hot Topics May consist of trending hazards etc. the
news and what the public has been actively
discussing
The public education team will actively discuss and decide the upcoming year’s objectives and review the previous year’s implementation and determine how it could have been improved. In addition, delivery formats will be decided. Delivery methods may include social media, virtual, in person, pamphlets etc. A report at the conclusion of the meeting will be drafted to conclude the appraisal process for the previous year. However, a continuous evaluation will be conducted to determine if the current public education focus needs a shift in objectives or strategies throughout the year.
Current Topics offered are:
911 For Kids: 9
11 for Kids is a program designed to teach elementary school children how to save lives and property through the proper use of the 911 emergency number. This is an instructional program which targets children in the first grade.
Preparedness Kits:
Informs the community on basic and additional items they should stock in their home, go bag, or car in order to be self -reliant during a disaster where limited resources may be available.
Defensive Space: P
rovides homeowners with information about current defensive space ordinances and how they can ensure compliance with the laws. Reiterates the importance of having the defensive space around a property in order to protect from and prevent the spread of fires.
Home Preparedness Plans: C
itizens are challenged to think about the type of resources they will need in the event of a disaster. They are encouraged to come up with exit, communication, evacuation, and financial plans. Additionally, they learn basic home preparation tools in order to mitigate further damage and hazards to their home.
Home Fire Safety: P
articipants receive an age focused program that may focused on the basics of drop, stop, and roll, fire extinguisher training, how sprinklers work, and common causes of fire.
CPR/AED: P
rovides interactive scenarios, peer to peer learning, and hands -on skills practice to perform lifesaving procedures.
Pulse Point: P rovides CPR/AED trained citizens information on how to download and utilize the Pulse Point application in order to respond to a cardiac arrest event. 66 | Page
Every 15 Minutes : T he Murrieta Police Department, in cooperation with local hospitals, the fire department and other emergency response services offers a two-day drunk/drugged driver awareness campaign to high school juniors and seniors.
Active Shooter Workplace V
iolence Training: The 1-hour presentation is delivered by trained Murrieta Police Department (MPD) Officers that have expertise in critical incident management, including active shooters and rapid response incidents.
Community Emergency Response Team: B
efore, during, and after disasters, CERT volunteer teams perform basic response activities, including checking in on neighbors, distributing information to the public, supporting emergency operations centers, and helping to manage traffic and crowds. Loca l CERT programs train and organize teams of volunteers to assist their families, neighbors, co -workers, and other community members.
T
he City often partners with neighboring communities, the American Red Cross, Riverside County Emergency Management Department, and California Fire Prevention Organization to deliver outreach programs and services.
6.4 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Please refer to Section 7 Riverside County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan for list of funding sources available.
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SECTION 7.0 - MITIGATION STRATEGIES
7.1 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The City of Murrieta’s mitigation goals and objectives are as follows:
Goal 1: Reduce loss of life and injuries
Objective 1.1: Provide timely notification and direction to the public in preparation for imminent and potential hazards.
Objective 1.2: Protect public health and safety through mitigation, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the effects of natural, technological, or man-made disasters.
Objective 1.3: Reduce hazard impacts and protect life, property and the environment from damages.
Objective 1.4: Improve understanding of the type, location and effects of hazards and vulnerabilities, as well as measures needed to protect life.
Goal 2: Reduce Hazard Related Property Losses
Objective 2.1: Encourage new development to occur in locations that avoid or minimize exposure to hazards.
Objective 2.2: Reduce hazard related property losses by enforcing strong building codes.
Objective 2.3: Reduce repetitive losses for fire, flood, and earthquakes by encouraging protective measures and by anticipating future events.
Objective 2.4: Reduce hazard impacts to critical facilities, utilities and services through the implementation of low cost mitigation strategies.
Objective 2.5: Continue to strengthen land use regulations in high hazard areas.
Goal 3: Protect the environment
Objective 3.1: Mitigate the impact of recurring drought conditions that impact both ground water supply and the agricultural industry.
Objective 3.2: Reduce hazards that adversely impact habitats, especially in regions with endangered species.
Goal 4: Maintain Coordination of Disaster Planning and Integrated Public Policy Objective 4.1: Incorporate changes, as needed, with Riverside County, Cal OES, and FEMA that may affect public policy and planning.
Objective 4.2: Incorporate mitigation related activities into other disaster planning mechanisms, such as the City of Murrieta General Plan 2035 and Capital Improvement Plan.
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Goal 5: Improve Community and Agency Awareness
Objective 5.1: Increase public threat awareness in concerns to the nature and extent of hazards they may be exposed to and where they can occur.
Objective 5.2: Improve mitigation and hazard related outreach to businesses and other city departments or stakeholders’ to increase their understanding of the threats within the city and actions they can take to reduce those hazard impacts.
7.2 MITIGATION ACTIONS
The planning team reviewed each hazard and conceptualized mitigation actions that the city could expand upon in addition to identifying current efforts. During this process public feedback from the local hazard mitigation survey was reviewed and relative feedback was included. Mitigation actions are limited to property, ordinance, and personnel within the cities span of control.
The HMPT used the STAPLEE Criteria (Social, Technical, Administrative, Political, Legal, Economic, and Environmental) to evaluate the feasibility of each of the mitigation measures being considered for inclusion in the LHMP update. The STAPLEE process helped the HMPT understand possible challenges that could hinder the ability to implement the mitigation measure. The STAPLEE Criteria includes the following considerations:
Social
• Is the proposed action socially acceptable to the community? • Are there equity issues involved that would mean that one segment of the community is treated unfairly?
• Will the action cause social disruption?
Technical
• Will the proposed action work?
• Will it create more problems that it will solve?
• Does it involve a problem or only a symptom?
• Is it the most useful action in light of other community goals? Administrative
• Can the community implement the action?
• Is there someone to coordinate and lead the effort?
• Is there sufficient funding, staff, and technical support available? 69 | Page
• Are there ongoing administrative requirements that need to be met? Political
• Is the action politically acceptable?
• Is there public support both to implement and to maintain the project? Legal
• Is the community authorized to implement the proposed action? Is there a clear legal basis or precedent for this activity?
• Are there legal side effects? Could the activity be construed as a taking? • Is the proposed action allowed by the general plan, or must the general plan be amended to allow the proposed action?
• Will the community be liable for action or lack of action? • Will the activity be challenged?
Economic
• What are the costs and benefits of this action?
• Do the benefits exceed the costs?
• Are initial, maintenance, and administrative costs considered? • Has funding been secured for the proposed action? If not, what are the potential sources (public, non-profit, and private)?
• How will this action affect the fiscal capability of the community? • What burden will this action place on the tax base or local economy? • What are the budget and revenue effects of this activity? • Does the action contribute to other community goals, such as capital improvements or economic development?
• What benefits will the action provide?
Environmental
• How will the action affect the environment?
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• Will the action need environmental regulatory approvals? • Will it meet local and state regulatory requirements? • Are endangered or threatened species likely to be affected? Each proposed mitigation measure was assessed and given a score between 1 -5 where 5 is favorable/beneficial (or no major issues/opposition) and 1 is unfavorable/not beneficial (or major issues/opposition) for each of the STAPLEE criteria. The scores were t hen totaled, and a final score was established for each mitigation measure. A relative comparison of mitigation measures helps understand which mitigation measure may have the greatest potential for implementation. However, the HMPT recognized that this ranking does not (and should not) preclude the City from funding mitigation actions lower on the list first, especially if funding is available.
The following chart from Section 3.4, identifies the specific mitigation actions and current status from the 2017 plan.
Mitigation Actions (2017 LHMP)
Type of Hazard Mitigation Action Lead or Responsible
Department/Jurisdiction
Status Update
Flood and West
Nile Virus
Reduce water in the flood
control retention basin and
add new drainpipe
City of Murrieta
Public Works/Engineering
Discontinued; project
completed by
Riverside County Flood
Control
Flood Madison to Jefferson (Line E,
Line D and D-1 Storm Drains)
City of Murrieta
Public Works/Engineering
Project Complete
Flood Prepare City-wide Storm
Drain Master Plan to identify
deficient existing facilities
and future facilities needed
to address flood control
needs
City of Murrieta
Public Works/Engineering
Project Complete
Flood, Mudflow
and Mosquito
Threat
Mitigation of Flood and
Mosquito threats from the
California Oaks Retention
Basin
City of Murrieta Public
Works/Engineering
Project Complete
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The City of Murrieta continues to conduct mitigation on a local level absent projects identified within any LHMP. The following chart identifies current mitigation actions/projects are on-going operations that are already funded through the general fund, capital improvements, or various grant programs.
Completed/Ongoing Mitigations
Hazard Action Responsible Office Timeframe Cost/Funding Earthquake
Wildfire
Extreme Weather
Tornado
Follow State and local
building code provisions
All City Departments Ongoing N/A
All
Developed Mutual Aid
Agreements with Cal Fire
and local agencies
All City Departments Complete N/A
Extreme Weather
Open cooling and warming
centers
Community Services
Department
Ongoing <$100,000
General Fund
Wild fire
Develop city specific
ordinance in high fire
severity zones
Murrieta Fire &
Rescue
Complete N/A
Drought
New City projects require
drought tolerant landscape
City of Murrieta
Public
Works/Engineering
Ongoing <$100,000
General Fund
Drought
Some city parks utilize
recycled water
Community Services
Department
Ongoing <$100,000
General Fund
Extreme Weather
City up staffs during
predicted extreme weather
events
Office of Emergency
Management
Complete <$100,000
General Fund
Landslide
Dam Failure Geological mapping of risk
areas reviewed
City of Murrieta
Public
Works/Engineering
Ongoing N/A
Terrorism
Active Shooter training for
school resource officers
and school staff
Murrieta Police
Department
Ongoing <$100,000
General Fund
Terrorism
Suspicious Activity
Reporting Campaigns
Murrieta Police
Department
Ongoing <$100,000
General Fund
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Communications
Failure Redundant
communications in place
such as VHF and 880 MHz
radios, disaster net radio,
landlines
Murrieta Fire &
Rescue
Murrieta Police
Department
Ongoing $100,000-
$200-000
General Fund
Electrical Failure
Backup generator installed
on select critical facilities
Administrative
Services
Complete $400,000-
$500,000
Hazard
Mitigation
Grants
Flood
Follow 15.56 municipal
code
City of Murrieta
Public
Works/Engineering
Ongoing N/A
Flood
Continue CIP project
maintenance program for
flood channel
City of Murrieta
Public
Works/Engineering
Ongoing <$100,000
General Fund
Proposed Mitigation Actions for 2023
Hazard Action Responsible
Office
Projected
Timeframe to
Completion
Cost/Funding
Earthquake
Wildfire
Flooding
Develop campaign prompting
neighborhoods to start their own
organized CERT teams and
formulate emergency response
plan
Emergency
Management
Summer 2024 <$100,000
General Fund
Extreme
Weather
Electrical
Failure
Create Power Safety Shutoff Plan Emergency
Management
Spring 2024 <$100,000
General Fund
Electrical
Failure
Add generators to remaining
critical facilities
Administrative
Services
Winter 2028 $400,000-
$500,000
Hazard
Mitigation
Grants
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Wildfire Wildfire Vegetation Management:
Develop a Community Wildfire
Protection Plan (CWPP)
Murrieta Fire
& Rescue
Summer 2025 HMA Funding
Earthquake Public Education & Emergency
Alert Systems
Emergency
Management
Summer 2024 <$100,000
General Fund
Flood Loudspeaker Notification System
along dam inundation and flood
routes
Emergency
Management
Summer 2028 HMA Funding
SECTION 8.0 – PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE PROCESS A committee, including the City Manager, Office of Emergency Management Manager, Fire Marshal, City Engineer, and Public Works Maintenance Manager will monitor the plan. A review will take place at the end of each Fiscal year where the committee will then review any changes necessary.
All updates will be presented in the form of a council report to the City of Murrieta.
The City will monitor and evaluate its LHMP on an annual basis. Over the next 5 years, the City will review the LHMP and assess, among other things, whether:
• The goals and objectives address current and expected conditions. • The nature, magnitude, and/or type of risks have changed. • The current resources are appropriate for implementing the plan. • There are implementation problems, such as technical, political, legal, or coordination issues with other agencies.
• The outcomes have occurred as expected (a demonstration of progress). • The agencies and other partners participated as originally proposed.
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SECTION 9.0 – INCORPORATION INTO EXISTING PLANNING MECHANISMS The City of Murrieta has a Safety Element in its General Plan that includes a discussion of fire, earthquake, flooding, and landslide hazards. This plan was adopted as an implementation appendix to the Safety Element. In addition, the City enforces the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which, since 1988, requires mitigation for identified natural hazards. The City has used these pre- existing programs as a basis for identifying gaps that may lead to disaster vulnerabilities in order to work on ways to address these risks through mitigation. The General Plan is due to be updated and will include a direct reference to the 2023 LHMP in the safety element. The current plans listed below do incorporate the 2017 LHMP in the planning process.
• General Plan Safety Element
• Capital Improvements Plan
• Emergency Operations Plan
• Building, Construction, Fire Codes
Flood
• Flood codes (15.56.010) Chapter 15.56 Flood Damage Prevention Regulations • Zoning codes (16.06.010) Establishment of Zoning Districts 16.06, Adoption of Zoning Map Fire
• F
ire (15.24.010) California Fire Code, 2022 Edition, based upon the 2021 International Fire Code published by the International Code Council, is hereby adopted and made a part of this chapter by reference. (Ord. 584-22)
E
arthquake
• Building Code (15.08.010) California Building Code 15.08.010 Adopted., 2022 Edition, is hereby adopted and made part of this title by reference. (Ord. 583-22) • Title 15 Chapter 15.08 California Building Standards Code, adopted pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Sections 17922 and 18928
• Title 15 Chapter 15.24 California Building Standards Code, adopted pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Sections 17922 and 18928
The LHMP will be reviewed by key staff to incorporate the identified hazards within the City. Some of these identified hazards will also include review with the County of Riverside EMD personnel to help address potential funding opportunities. All of the identified hazards within the plan will be considered in building, modernizing, and maintaining city facilities.
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SECTION 10.0 – CONTINUED PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
After the Scheduled Plan Maintenance Process has been completed, the City of Murrieta will notify the public of any changes in the LHMP plan by utilization of an announcement through the City of Murrieta’s Website (http://www.murrieta.org) as well as any local/social media outlets within the city boundaries.
If we discover changes have occurred during the evaluation, we will update the LHMP Revision Page, and notify Riverside County Emergency Management Department to update the City’s LHMP Annex.
The Murrieta Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal and OEM Manager will be in charge of the monitoring, evaluation and updating of the LHMP.
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APPENDIX A – Public Incorporation
A significant amount of community outreach was conducted during the process of developing the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and during the comment period. Below are a few examples of social media postings that were posted to the City website, Facebook and X (Twitter) sites. 77 | Page
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