City Council and Authorities Concurrent
August 27, 2024

Santa Clara County
Multijurisdictional Hazard
Mitigation Plan 2023 Update
City of Santa Clara Annex
February 21, 2024

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Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 3

1. City of Santa Clara

1.1. Hazard Mitigation Plan Points of Contact
The point of contact during the Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) planning process for the City of Santa Clara was the Emergency Management Analyst. This annex within the MJHMP was developed using information provided by the City of Santa Clara’s Local Planning Team.

Table 1: City of Santa Clara Local Planning Team Members for the 2023 Santa Clara County MJHMP
Name Position Department Role on Team and in Planning
Process
Jennifer Guzman Emergency
Management
Analyst
Office of
Emergency
Services
General oversight, hazard
identification, and plan development,
Plan Review Committee
Gary Welling Director of Water
& Sewer Utilities
Water & Sewer
Utilities
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Shilpa Mehta Assistant Director
of Water & Sewer
Utilities
Water & Sewer
Utilities
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Craig Mobeck Director of Public
Works
Public Works Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Michael Liw Assistant Director
of Public Works
Public Works Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Falguni Amin Principal Engineer Public Works Hazard identification and plan development, Plan Review Committee
Manuel Pineda Chief Electric
Utility Officer
Silicon Valley
Power (SVP) [City
of Santa Clara
Electric Utility]
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Kevin Kolnowski Electric Utility
Chief Operating
Officer
Silicon Valley
Power (SVP) [City
of Santa Clara
Electric Utility]
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Andrew Crabtree Director of
Community
Development,
Floodplain
Manager
Community
Development
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
John Davidson Principal Planner Community
Development
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Armand Lobao Building Official Community
Development
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 4
Name Position Department Role on Team and in Planning
Process
Ruben Torres Fire Chief City of Santa
Clara Fire
Department
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
John Madden Deputy Fire Chief City of Santa
Clara Fire
Department
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Jeremy Ray Deputy Fire Chief City of Santa
Clara Fire
Department
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Dennis Yee Fire Captain City of Santa
Clara Fire
Department
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Wahid Kazem Assistant Police
Chief
City of Santa
Clara Police
Department
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Cuong Phan Police Lieutenant City of Santa
Clara Police
Department
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
Michelle
Templeton
Sustainability
Manager
City Manager’s
Office
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee
David Knight Communication
Management
Analyst
Office of
Communications
Hazard identification and plan
development, Plan Review Committee

The City’s Local Planning Team Members participated in the MJHMP by attending meetings on the Plan Kick-Off, Risk Assessment, Capabilities Assessment, Mitigation Strategy, Wrap-up, and five one-on-one meetings with the planning consultant. In addition, the city filled out the requested forms on each section which were used to develop this annex. The city also shared information regarding public opportunities to participate in the draft plan update utilizing the digital survey and seven in-person and virtual public outreach meetings. Further, the City team was provided the opportunity to review the draft plan prior to submittal to Cal OES and FEMA.

Table 2: External Stakeholders Invited to Be Involved in Planning Process Agency or Organization Stakeholder Type Description
American Red Cross Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations, among
others.

A nonprofit humanitarian
organization that provides
emergency assistance, disaster
relief, and disaster
preparedness education in the
United States.

Amateur Radio Emergency
Service (ARES)
Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations.

A corps of trained amateur radio
operator volunteers organized to
assist in public service and
emergency communications.

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Agency or Organization Stakeholder Type Description
Avenidas Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations.

Non-profit dedicated to helping
older adults find critical
programs and services.

CADRE - Collaborating
Agencies’ Disaster Relief Effort
Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations.

A leading network of
organizations that provide
community services that are
essential.

California Office of Emergency
Services (Cal OES)
Local and regional agencies
involved in hazard mitigation
activities.

Office responsible for
overseeing and coordinating
emergency preparedness,
response, recovery, and
homeland security activities
within the state.

California Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection
Local and regional agencies
involved in hazard mitigation
activities.

The fire department of the
California Natural Resources
Agency.

California Department of
Transportation
Agencies that have the authority
to regulate development.

An executive department of the
U.S. state of California.

Cattlemen’s Association Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations.

A nonprofit trade association
that represents California's
ranchers and beef producers in
political affairs.

City of East Palo Alto Neighboring communities. A city in San Mateo County, California, United States.

City of Menlo Park Neighboring communities. Menlo Park is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo
County.

Cooper-Garrod Estate
Vineyards
Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations.

Garrod Farms is a family-owned
and operated estate winery and
stables.

Department of Homeland
Security
Agencies that have the authority
to regulate development.

The U.S. federal executive
department responsible for
public security, roughly
comparable to the interior or
home ministries of other
countries.

Department of Toxic
Substances
Agencies that have the authority
to regulate development.

An agency of the government of
the state of California that
protects public health and the
environment from hazardous
waste.

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Agency or Organization Stakeholder Type Description
Downtown Streets Team Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations.

Teams that restore dignity,
inspire hope, and provide a
pathway to recover from
homelessness.

Emergency Medical Services Agencies that have the authority to regulate development.

Provides statewide coordination
and leadership for the planning,
development, and
implementation of
local EMS systems.

Emergency Services Volunteer
Representative
Local and regional agencies
involved in hazard mitigation
activities.

Organization that ensures public
safety, security, and health by
addressing and resolving
different emergencies.

Federal Aviation Administration Agencies that have the authority to regulate development.

Offers civil aviation safety
enforcement services.

Google Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations.

American multinational
technology company focusing
on artificial intelligence, online
advertising, search engine
technology, cloud computing,
computer software, quantum
computing, e-commerce, and
consumer electronics.

Hidden Villa Farm Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations, among
others.

Nonprofit educational
organization teaching programs
on environmental and
multicultural awareness.

Intel Corporation Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations.

An American multinational
corporation and technology
company headquartered in
Santa Clara, California.

Kaiser Permanente—Santa
Clara
Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations.

An American integrated
managed care consortium.

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Agency or Organization Stakeholder Type Description
Life Moves Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations.

Provides interim housing and
supportive services for
homeless families and
individuals to rapidly return to
stable housing.

Moffett Field Ames Research
Center, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration
(NASA)
Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations.

Major NASA research center
at Moffett Federal Airfield in
California's Silicon Valley.

National Weather Service,
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA)
Agencies that have the authority
to regulate development.

Scientific and regulatory agency
within the U.S. Department of
Commerce.

Pacheco Pass Water District Neighboring communities. Independent special water district.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Representatives of businesses, academia, and other private
organizations, and neighboring
communities.

One of the largest combination
natural gas and electric utilities
in the United States.

Regional Water Quality Control
Board
Agencies that have the authority
to regulate development.

Provides government regulatory
services related to water
pollution and control.

Rotating Safe Car Park Local and regional agencies
involved in hazard mitigation
activities, and neighboring
communities.

Allows for temporary overnight
parking for homeless individuals
or families living out of their
cars as a safe alternative to
sleeping on the streets or in a
homeless shelter.

Santa Clara County CERT Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations.

Trains residents to prepare for
and respond to life-threatening
events in their community.

Santa Clara County FireSafe
Council
Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations.

A nonprofit, grassroots
organization that provides
education and project
assistance for homeowners.

Santa Clara County Local
Oversight Program
Local and regional agencies
involved in hazard mitigation
activities.

Program to oversee assessment
and mitigation of contaminated
sites to protect groundwater
resources, human health,
safety, and the environment.

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Agency or Organization Stakeholder Type Description
Santa Clara County Parks Agencies that have the authority to regulate development, and
neighboring communities.

Provide, protect, and preserve
regional parklands for the
enjoyment and education.

Santa Clara County Planning &
Development
Agencies that have the authority
to regulate development, and
neighboring communities.

Plays a key role in supporting
economic development and
ensuring opportunities for the
public to participate in
land development.

Santa Clara County Sheriff’s
Office
Agencies that have the authority
to regulate development, and
neighboring communities.

A local law enforcement agency
that serves Santa Clara County,
California.

Santa Clara University Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations.

A private Jesuit university in
Santa Clara, California.

Santa Clara Valley Open Space
Authority
Neighboring communities. An independent special district in Santa Clara County.

Santa Cruz County Neighboring communities. A county on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California.

St. Louise Hospital (Santa Clara
County Hospital System)
Representatives of nonprofit
organizations, including
community-based organizations,
that work directly with and/or
provide support to underserved
communities and socially
vulnerable populations.

Community hospital.

Stanford Healthcare Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations, and neighboring
communities.

Multispecialty clinic that
provides convenient access to
advanced, specialty care in the
South Bay.

Westwind Barn Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations.

State-of-the-art horse boarding
and training facility.

County of Santa Clara Neighboring jurisdiction, local
agency involved in hazard
mitigation.

Response for engaging the
whole community in assessing
needs and developing strategies
to achieve stronger mitigation
capabilities within the Santa
Clara County Operational Area.

City of Campbell Neighboring communities. A city in Santa Clara County.

City of Cupertino Neighboring communities. Located in Silicon Valley.

City of Gilroy Neighboring communities. A city in Santa Clara County.

City of Los Altos Neighboring communities. A city in Santa Clara County.

Town of Los Altos Hills Neighboring communities. A city in Santa Clara County.

Town of Los Gatos Neighboring communities. A city in Santa Clara County.

City of Milpitas Neighboring communities. A city in Santa Clara County.

City of Morgan Hill Neighboring communities. A city in Santa Clara County.

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Agency or Organization Stakeholder Type Description
City of Mountain View Neighboring communities. A city in Santa Clara County.

City of Palo Alto Neighboring communities. Located in Silicon Valley.

City of San José Neighboring communities. Located in Silicon Valley.

City of Saratoga Neighboring communities. Located in Silicon Valley.

City of Sunnyvale Neighboring communities. Located in the Santa Clara Valley.

Santa Clara County Fire
Department
Local and regional agencies
involved in hazard mitigation
activities, and neighboring
communities.

A California Fire Protection
District serving Santa Clara
County.

Santa Clara Valley Water
District
Representatives of businesses,
academia, and other private
organizations, and neighboring
communities.

Provides stream stewardship,
wholesale water supply, and
flood protection for Santa Clara
County, California.

Santa Clara actively engaged with a significant number of stakeholders throughout the plan development process by inviting them to meetings, incorporating them into their Local Planning Team, and providing them the opportunity to review the draft plan. These stakeholders included local and regional agencies involved in hazard mitigation activities (like Office of Emergency Services, Public Works Department, Silicon Valley Power, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Regional Water Quality Control Board and Bay Area Air Quality Management District), agencies that have the authority to regulate development (including the city’s Building Official, local Floodplain Manager, Caltrans and Valley Transportation Authority, and Regional Water Quality Control Board), neighboring communities (such as the City of San Jose, City of Sunnyvale, and City of Cupertino), representatives of businesses, academia, and other private organizations (like major employer Intel, the Union Pacific Railroad, Amtrak, Capital Corridor, Mission College, and Santa Clara University), as well as representatives of nonprofit organizations, including community-based organizations, that work directly and/or provide support to underserved communities and socially vulnerable populations (including the American Red Cross, local healthcare organization Kaiser Permanente – Santa Clara, Santa Clara Unified School District, and Santa Clara County FireSafe Council).

1.1.1. Public Outreach and Engagement
In addition to inviting a wide range of stakeholders, the City supported public outreach and engagement through distributing a digital survey utilizing social media, email, and a City newsletter. This survey reached members of underserved populations, including primarily non-English speaking households. In addition, the MJHMP was discussed at two virtual and five in-person public meetings across Santa Clara County. These in-person meetings were targeted towards areas with socially vulnerably populations. This plan update utilized the legal definition of AFN for this approach. The California Government Code Section 8593.3 defines Access and Functional Needs as “Individuals who have: Developmental, intellectual, or physical disabilities; Chronic conditions or injuries; Limited English proficiency or non- English speaking; Or individuals who are: older adults, children, or pregnant; living in institutional settings; or Low-income, homeless, and/or transportation disadvantaged.” In Saratoga, according to the U.S.

Census an estimated 46.1% of the population speaks a language other than English, a key factor to consider while developing any kind of emergency management and mitigation approach to public outreach. The C-MIST framework is used to integrate AFN populations in the operational area into emergency management through communications, maintain health, independence, support, safetyand self-determination, and transportation. These meetings were also designed to be accessible for AFN (access and functional needs) populations. The City actively advertised this opportunity, including Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 10
specifically inviting Listos California members. Listos helps every Californian, regardless of age, ability, income, or language, receive a culturally competent education on preparing for wildfire, flood, earthquake, drought, heatwave, and other disasters. The public was also provided the opportunity to comment on the draft plan.

Comments from the public survey were reviewed, evaluated for alignment with planning priorities, and incorporated as appropriate. Overall, the public expressed concern with similar hazards as the plan participants such as wildfire (including wildfire smoke), flooding, and extreme heat. Additionally, there was multiple mentions of the need for public education and outreach and evacuation routes. Specific recommendations for the City of Santa Clara including holding a public meeting on the hazards . Other relevant feedback included a discussion of the importance of the urban forest and how trees can support resilience. These types of feedback are integrated into the mitigation actions the City has selected.

Figure 1: City of Santa Clara Newsletter

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Figure 2: Email on Public Meeting

Figure 3: Email to Listos

The participation of the City of Santa Clara and its stakeholders helped informed the development of the MJHMP and this annex in accordance with current priorities. The new plan continues to expand upon the work of the prior plan including emphasizing partnerships both within jurisdictions and speci al districts as well as with external stakeholders. Further, there is an increased emphasis on climate change, reflecting the increased understanding of the risk this hazard poses to the OA. The City did not iden tify additional changes in priorities to be highlighted in their annex.

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1.2. Jurisdiction Profile
The following is a summary of key information about the jurisdiction and its history:
 Date of Incorporation: July 5, 1852
 Current Population: 130,127 as of January 1, 2022
 Population Growth: Based on the data tracked by the state Department of Finance, the City of Santa Clara has experienced a gradual rate of growth since the year 2000. The overall population has increased by 11.73% percent since 2010 and growth averaged 0.72% percent per year from 2017 to 2022. The City is an important employment center and houses approximately 122,000 jobs. The City is projected by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) in 2030 to have a resident population of 141,700 and to support 137,480 jobs.  Location and Description: The City of Santa Clara encompasses 18.41 square miles and is located 45 miles south of San Francisco and 382 miles north of Los Angeles. The City of Santa Clara is situated near to the south end of San Francisco Bay in Santa Clara County, also known as Silicon Valley in recognition of the region’s leadership in worldwide technology innovations.

The City boundaries are completely urbanized, and the City is bordered by other urbanized areas, including San José, Cupertino and Sunnyvale. The City is developed on relatively flat terrain and drained by three seasonal creeks, San Tomas Aquino, Saratoga and Calabazas creeks, all of which empty into the southern portion of San Francisco Bay. The Guadalupe River, which also drains into the Bay, defines part of the City’s eastern boundary.  Brief History: By 1850, when California became a state, Santa Clara was an established frontier settlement. In 1851, Santa Clara College, now Santa Clara University, was founded on the Mission site. The incorporation of Santa Clara as a City followed in 1852. In 1866, th e City officially established a grid street system to accommodate anticipated growth. The City of Santa Clara, “The Mission City,” has been transformed over the past century, from a small agricultural town to a major employment and community center in Silicon Valley. It is called “Mission City” in reference to the Mission Santa Clara de Asis, which opened in 1777 as one of 21 Spanish missions established by Franciscan padres along El Camino Real in California. The central core of the City grew outward from the original downtown and the Old Quad residential area around the University and Agnew Village - a satellite area that established a base for residential neighborhoods in north Santa Clara. Primarily an agricultural community through the mi d-1900s, the City of Santa Clara evolved to become a family-oriented, suburban community of comfortable neighborhoods in the post-World War II era, and the heart of Silicon Valley in the electronics industry boom of the 1970s. In 2014, Levi’s Stadium opened in Santa Clara as the home of the San Francisco 49ers football team and a premier sports and entertainment venue that hosted Super Bowl 50.
 Climate: Santa Clara’s climate is Mediterranean in nature, with mild temperatures year -round.

January is on average the coolest month, with an average low temperature of 42 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) and an average high temperature of 58°F. July is on average the warm est month, with an average low temperature of 58°F and an average high temperature of 82°F. Average annual rainfall is 14 inches, with rain concentrated in the winter months (November through March).
 Governing Body Format: Santa Clara is a Charter City with a City Council and City Manager form of government, with the City Manager and City Attorney appointed by the City Council. The City of Santa Clara is governed by a seven-member city council. The Police Chief and City Clerk are elected positions. The City Manager is responsible for hiring all other City staff, preparing an annual budget, and general oversight of City operations, including the City’s utilities. The City consists of fourteen departments: Community Development, Electric Utilities (Silicon Valley Power), Finance, Fire, Human Resources, Information Technology, Library, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Police, Water and Sewer Utilities, City Attorney’s Office, City Clerk’s Office and the City Manager’s Office. The City also has a separate Stadium Authority and Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 13
Housing Authority, which are overseen by the City Council. The City has eleven commissions that report to the City Council. The City Council assumes responsibility for the adoption of this plan; the City Manager will oversee its implementation.

1.3. Development Trends
Development is prominent in the City of Santa Clara. Over $3 billion in development projects are planned for Santa Clara over the next few years, with the likelihood of more to come. Additionally, the City’s 2010 - 2035 General Plan states that the City can expect a significant amount of population and job growth in the future. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) projects that the County of Santa Clara will grow by 512,900 (27%) in population and 427,480 (46%) in new employment between 2010 and 203 5. In the same time frame, ABAG projects that the City of Santa Clara will accommodate nearly six percent of this new population, resulting in 28,300 new residents. Job growth in the City is also expected to grow just as quickly, matching that of the County, with 48,690 new jobs (45% growth).

The City of Santa Clara has increased its population since the previous plan was developed, thereby increasing its vulnerability to hazards. This will likely increase vulnerability to hazards that have the potential to impact the entire city such as heavy rain and associated flooding, high wind, extreme heat, drought, and earthquake. Landslide and wildfire risk are limited and vulnerability to these hazards is not believed to have increased. Santa Clara has and will continue to monitor the vulnerability of its population and increasing educational outreach. New development is anticipated to be slow due to the city being built out. New construction is consistent with General Plan policies and municipal code standards, and as a result, most recent development has occurred outside of identified hazard zones. Due to the fact that there was not a significant growth in population or changes in land use as well as the rigorous implementation of current building codes and standards, the overall vulnerability to all h azards is not expected to increase.

Detailed information regarding the City’s recent and future development trends can be found in Table 163.

Table 3: Recent and Expected Future Development Trends
Criterion Response
Has your jurisdiction annexed
any land since the development
of the previous hazard
mitigation plan?
 If yes, give the estimated
area annexed and estimated
number of parcels or
structures.

No
Is your jurisdiction expected to
annex any areas during the
performance period of this
plan?
 If yes, please describe land
areas and dominant uses.
 If yes, who currently has
permitting authority over
these areas?
No
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Criterion Response
Are any areas targeted for
development or major
redevelopment in the next five
years?
 If yes, please briefly
describe, including whether
any of the areas are in known
hazard risk areas.

The City has adopted Specific Plans and Focus Areas (Tasman East, adopted in 2018; Patrick Henry Drive, adopted in 2022; and Freedom Circle, adopted in 2022) where significant development, primarily residential development, is anticipated. Also, the City has adopted entitlements in recent years for a 9 million sq. ft project named Related Santa Clara. At least the first phase of this multiphase project is expected to be constructed in the next five years.

How many building permits
were issued in your jurisdiction
since the development of the
previous hazard mitigation
plan?
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Total
Number of
Permits
2,185 2,381 2,093 1,458 1,729 1,945
Please provide the number of
permits for each hazard area or
provide a qualitative description
of where development has
occurred.

High Liquefaction Areas: According to the USGS map, the high liquefaction area is approximately 3 miles west of Guadalupe River along the northeast City boundary. The land uses are mostly open land with a small area of low and medium densities of residential, mixed use, and industrial.

Please describe the level of
buildout in the jurisdiction,
based on your jurisdiction’s
buildable lands inventory. If no
such inventory exists, provide a
qualitative description.

The City does not have a buildable lands inventory. The City is completely built out; however, there exists opportunity for intensification of already built out sites. The recently adopted Tasman East Specific Plan, Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan, and Freedom Focus Area are areas where the General Plan was amended to facilitate redevelopment and intensification, as these are areas with industrial uses that will be converted through the implementation of the specific plans into high density housing.

1.4. Capability Assessment

1.4.1. Resources for the 2023 Planning Initiative
The following technical reports, plans, and regulatory mechanisms were reviewed to provide information for inclusion into the 2023 Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan for both Volume 1 and Volume 2 (City of Santa Clara Annex). All the below items were additionally reviewed as part of the full capability assessment for the City of Santa Clara.  City of Santa Clara 2010-2035 General Plan: The General Plan, including the Land Use and Safety Elements, were reviewed for information regarding goals and policies consistent with hazard mitigation for carry over as goals and objectives.  City of Santa Clara Municipal Code: The Municipal Code was reviewed for the capability assessment and to identify opportunities for action plan integration.  Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance: The Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance was reviewed for compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program.  Capital Improvements Plan: The Capital Improvements Plan was reviewed to identify cross- planning initiatives for inclusion as mitigation projects.  The City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan (EOP): This plan was reviewed to complete the Planning Documents portion of this Annex.

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 Technical Reports and Local Information: Outside local resources, technical reports, and references were used to complete the City of Santa Clara Annex.

1.4.2. Full Capability Assessment
An assessment of legal and regulatory capabilities is presented in Table 164 and Table 165. An assessment of fiscal capabilities is presented in Table 166. An assessment of staffing capabilities is presented in Table 167. An assessment of administrative and technical capabilities is presented in Table 168. Information on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) compliance is presented in Table 169. An assessment of education and outreach capabilities is presented in Table 170. Classifications under various community mitigation programs are presented in Table 171. Development and permitting capabilities are presented in Table 172, and the community’s adaptive capacity for the impacts of climate change is presented in Table 173.

Table 4: Legal and Regulatory Capabilities: Codes, Ordinances, and Requirements Legal and Regulatory
Capability
Local
Authority
Other
Jurisdiction
Authority
State
Mandated
Integration
Opportunity?
Building Code Yes No Yes Yes
Comment: 2019 California Building Code, City Ordinance 2053: 2022 Building Code Update Zoning Ordinance Yes No Yes Yes
Comment: City Code, Title 18
Subdivision
Ordinance
Yes Yes Yes No
Comment: City Code, Chapter 17.05
Stormwater
Management
Ordinance
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Comment: City Code, Chapter 13
Other Natural
Hazard-Specific
Ordinances
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Comment: Water Service and use Rules and Regulations, Ordinance No. 1901, Santa Clara City Code Chapter 13.10 Sewer, Santa Clara City Code Chapter 12.15 Water Post-Disaster
Recovery
No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Real Estate
Disclosure
No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Growth Management Yes No Yes Yes
Comment: City Code, Chapter 2 and Chapter 17
Site Plan Review Yes Yes Yes Yes
Comment: City Code, Title 18
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Legal and Regulatory
Capability
Local
Authority
Other
Jurisdiction
Authority
State
Mandated
Integration
Opportunity?
Environmental
Protection
No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Flood Damage
Prevention
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Comment: City Code, Chapter 15.45
Emergency
Management
Yes No Yes Yes
Comment: City Code, Chapter 2
Climate Change No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Acquisition of land
for open space and
public recreation
uses
No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Table 5: Planning, Legal, and Regulatory Capabilities
Planning, Legal, or Regulatory
Capability
Local
Authority
Other
Jurisdiction
Authority
State
Mandated
Integration
Opportunity?
General Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Is the plan compliant with Assembly Bill 2140? Yes
Comment: City of Santa Clara 2010-2035 General Plan
Capital Improvement Plan Yes No Yes Yes
How often is the plan updated? Biannually
Comment: 2023-2024 CIP
Floodplain or Watershed Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Comment: City of Santa Clara Risk and Resilience Assessment for the America’s Water Infrastructure Act 2018
Stormwater Management Plan Yes Yes (SCVWD) Yes Yes
Comment: The City has a Stormwater Masterplan which aims to reduce ponding and flooding in the City.

Urban Water Management Plan Yes No Yes Yes
Comment: The City develops Urban Water Management Plan every 5 years that provides an overview of the City’s current and long-term water supplies, future water needs of the City, and the City’s water conservation programs. This Plan does not address any natural hazards.

Habitat Conservation Plan No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

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Planning, Legal, or Regulatory
Capability
Local
Authority
Other
Jurisdiction
Authority
State
Mandated
Integration
Opportunity?
Green Infrastructure Plan Yes No No No
Comment: Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan
Parks or Open Space Plan No No No No
Comment: The Parks & Recreation Department does not have a systemwide Parks & Open Space Plan, that would be a section/part of the City’s General Plan. The Department will be hiring a consultant in 2023 to develop a Citywide Parks & Recreation Master Plan.

Economic Development Plan No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Transportation Plan No No No No
Comment: The City’s Bicycle Plan and Pedestrian Masterplan have the goal to increase alternative transportation modes (bicycling and walking) through prioritized improvements and programs. These plans don’t address natural hazards, however, increasing alternative modes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Shoreline Management Plan No Yes No No
Comment: None Identified.

Community Wildfire Protection Plan No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Forest Management Plan No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Climate Action Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Comment: The City established a Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2013.

Local Emergency Operations Plan Yes No No No
Comment: City adopted the Santa Clara County Plan – Annex L and has a Volume 2 that is localized.

Threat and Hazard Identification and
Risk Assessment (THIRA)
No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Post-Disaster Recovery Plan No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Continuity of Operations Plan No No No No
Comment: None Identified.

Public Health Plan No Yes Yes No
Comment: Santa Clara County Strategic Public Health Plan Other: Response Guides Yes No No Yes
Comment: Severe Weather Response Guide, Unhealthy Air Response Guide, and the Cooling/Warming Center Response Guide

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 18
Table 6: Financial Capabilities
Financial Capability Could the resource be
used to fund future
mitigation activities?
Has the funding resource been
used in the past for mitigation
activities? If yes, for what type
of mitigation activities?
Community Development
Block Grants
Yes No
Other Federal Funding
Programs
Yes No
Capital Improvements Project
Funding
Yes Yes, desilting westside retention
basin, etc., increases flood
protection
Authority to Levy Taxes for
Specific Purposes
Yes, though voter approval
required
Yes, Storm/Flood mitigation.

The Fire Department has not levied
any general taxes but does use fee
recovery mechanisms for mitigation.

For example, CUPA fees for future
HazMat incident prevention and
mitigation, or weed abatement
activities for which non-compliant
parcels are assessed on property tax
bills.

User Fees for Water, Sewer,
Gas or Electric Services
Yes Not based on the City’s current
impact fees/nexus studies.

Stormwater Utility Fee No No
Incur Debt through General
Obligation Bonds
No, voter approval required No
Incur Debt through Special
Tax Bonds
No, voter approval required No
Incur Debt through Private
Activity Bonds
No No
Withhold Public Expenditures
in Hazard-Prone Areas
Yes No
State Funding Programs Yes No
Development Impact Fees for
Homebuyers or Developers
Yes, nexus study required No
Public or Private Partnership
Funding Sources
No No
Other Funding Sources Yes Yes, storm and public facilities; however, limited resources.

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Table 7: Staffing Capabilities
Staffing Capability Have Capability? Is staffing adequate to enforce regulations?
Is staff trained on
natural hazards
and mitigation?
Chief Building Official  Yes
 Full time
 Building Division
No Yes
Parks and Recreation
Director
 Yes
 Full time
 Parks and Recreation
No No
Emergency Manager  Yes
 Full time
 Emergency Services
No Yes
Community Planner  Yes
 Full time
 Community
Development
Department
No No
Civil Engineer  Yes
 Full time
 Engineering within
Public Works,
Community
Development
Department, Silicon
Valley Power, Water &
Sewer Utilities
No Yes
Engineers or
professionals
trained in building or
infrastructure
construction practices
 Yes
 Full time
 DPW, Community
Development
Department, Silicon
Valley Power, Water &
Sewer Utilities
Yes, CDD-Building Yes
Planners or engineers
with knowledge of land
development and land
management practices
 Yes
 Full time
 DPW, Community
Development
Department, Silicon
Valley Power, Water &
Sewer Utilities
Unknown Yes
Planners or engineers
with an understanding
of natural hazards
 Yes
 Full time
 DPW, Community
Development
Department, Silicon
Valley Power, Water &
Sewer Utilities
Yes, CDD-Building Yes
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Staffing Capability Have Capability? Is staffing adequate to enforce regulations?
Is staff trained on
natural hazards
and mitigation?
Surveyors  Yes
 Full time
 Land Surveyor, DPW
No No
GIS Coordinator or
personnel skilled or
trained in GIS
applications
 Yes
 Full time
 Contracted, IT
Department for
enterprise GIS and
applications along with
the departmental
SMEs; also includes
staff trained in DPW,
Silicon Valley Power,
Water & Sewer
Utilities
Unknown No
Public Works Director  Yes
 Full time
 Public Works
Department
No Yes
Fire Chief  Yes
 Full time
 Fire Department
Yes Yes
Environmental Director  No environmental
director but PW
handles some
components including
Waste collection,
Stormwater programs,
closed Landfill
Operations &
Maintenance.
 Water and Sewer
utilities oversees
Water Distribution
System CIP and
Operation and
Maintenance, supply,
Water quality, Water
Conservation,
Recycled water,
Sewer collections
System and their
Operations and
maintenance, Fat, Oil
and Grease, Pre-
Treatment program.

No No
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Staffing Capability Have Capability? Is staffing adequate to enforce regulations?
Is staff trained on
natural hazards
and mitigation?
Staff with training in
benefit/cost analysis
 Yes
 Full time
 Finance/Director
Yes No
Scientist familiar with
natural hazards in local
area
No N/A N/A

Table 8: Administrative and Technical Capabilities
Administrative or
Technical Capability
Have
Capability?
Has the capability been used to assess or mitigate risk in the past? If yes, what type of hazard event?
Maintenance
programs to reduce
risk
Yes The City of Santa Clara needs to comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NDPES)
permit requirements, which aim to minimize the amount or pollutants that get into our waterways via storm drains. To accomplish this, the City of Santa Clara takes the following measures:
 More frequent street sweeping in industrial zones
 Early sweeping schedule in industrial zones to avoid
parked cars that limit access to the curbside
 Educational outreach
 Adoption of Single-Use Carryout Bag and Polystyrene
Foam Food Service Ware Ordinances
 Installation of full trash capture devices in storm drain inlets
 Support community litter abatement efforts through
the Adopt-a-Spot Program

Also, the City has programs related to Tree Maintenance, Storm Drain System Maintenance in addition to regular
street sweeping.

Mutual aid
agreements
Yes The Police & Fire Departments are part of the Countywide mutual aid plan that requires resource sharing for
unplanned events. Electric Utility has mutual aid through California Utilities Emergency Association.

Hazard data and
information
Yes Flood maps, water & sewer maps, tree maps, power line maps.

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Administrative or
Technical Capability
Have
Capability?
Has the capability been used to assess or mitigate risk in the past? If yes, what type of hazard event?
Hazard analysis or
GIS software
Yes The City’s Enterprise GIS is composed of dozens of data layers from the core departments engaged with hazard
mitigation such as Public Works, Community Development, Fire, Police, Office of Emergency Services, Silicon Valley Power, and Water & Sewer. Data stored in the Enterprise GIS is crucial to hazard mitigation efforts (i.e., floods, fires & public safety initiatives). For example, the Enterprise GIS has been used to support the fire department in their
planning for hazard mitigation around fires at a
manufacturing plant where unsafe chemicals are stored.

Grant writing Yes The grant writer is contracted with Townsend Public Affairs (TPA) for grant opportunities including Fire, Police, DPW, IT, Parks & Rec, SVP, Water & Sewer Utilities.

Does your jurisdiction
have any established
warning systems or
services for hazard
events?
Yes AlertSCC is the County of Santa Clara’s official emergency alert and warning system and is used by the City of Santa Clara.

Table 9: National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Compliance Topic Response
What department in your jurisdiction is
responsible for floodplain management?
Community Development
Who acts as your jurisdiction’s floodplain
administrator?
Director of Community Development
Is the floodplain administrator or NFIP
Coordinator certified?
No
Is floodplain management an auxiliary
function in your jurisdiction?
No
What is the date of adoption of your flood
damage prevention ordinance?
Floodplain Management Ordinance 2060 was
adopted by City Council on June 6, 2023.

Do floodplain development regulations meet
or exceed FEMA or state minimum
requirements? If regulations exceed
requirements, in what ways?
Yes, they meet the minimum requirements.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 23
Topic Response
How are the substantial
improvement/substantial damage provisions
implemented?
Both the Floodplain Administrator and Building
Official are authorized to make substantial
improvement/substantial damage determinations.

The Floodplain Administrator may further
designate this duty to other employees, as
necessary. The Floodplain Administrator and
Building Official are responsible for working
together to assess damaged buildings located in
flood hazard areas and inform owners of the
requirement to obtain permits for repairs. The
Floodplain Administrator is responsible for
reviewing all development permits where
proposed development is located in flood hazard
areas. All permits shall be maintained and
permanently kept and made available for public
inspection as necessary.

Provide an explanation of the permitting
process for development within the floodplain.

See City code Title 15, Chapter 15.45.

Does your floodplain management program
meet or exceed minimum requirements?
Yes, Floodplain Management Ordinance 2060
was adopted by City Council on June 6, 2023.

When did your jurisdiction enter the NFIP? January 20, 1999 Is your jurisdiction in good standing with the
NFIP?
Yes
Are the jurisdiction’s Flood Insurance Rate
Maps (FIRMs) digital, paper, or both?
Digital
Adopted effective FIRMs 5/18/2009
Explanation of NFIP administration services
within your jurisdiction.

The Building Permit review process includes
review of all SFHA areas to provide proper
mitigations and requirements prior to issuance of
a Building Permit.

Plans are clearly marked and noted when located
within a designated floodplain and specific
requirements are detailed.

Barriers to running an effective NFIP program
in your jurisdiction.

N/A
When was the most recent Community
Assistance Visit (CAV) or Community
Assistance Contact (CAC)?
2012
Is a CAV or CAC scheduled or needed? Unknown
Does your jurisdiction have any outstanding
NFIP compliance violations that need to be
addressed?
No
Do your flood hazard maps adequately
address the flood risk within your jurisdiction?
Yes
Does your floodplain management staff need
any assistance or training to support its
floodplain management program?
Yes
Does your jurisdiction participate in the
Community Rating System (CRS)?
Yes
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Topic Response
How many structures are exposed to flood risk
within your jurisdiction?
Unknown
How many flood insurance policies are in
force in your jurisdiction?
 What is the insurance in force?
 What is the premium in force?
683 policies in force
$222,286,800 insurance in force
$643,583 premium in force
Areas of flood risk with limited NFIP policy
coverage.

Unknown
How many total loss claims have been filed in
your jurisdiction?
 How many claims were closed without
payment or are still open?
 What is the total amount of paid claims?
 How many claims were for substantial
damage?
 29 total loss claims have been filed
 $264,753 total payments for losses
How NFIP compliance will be continued during
the next 5 years.
 Adoption of an updated Floodplain
Management Code
 The Building Permit review process includes
review of all SFHA areas to provide proper
mitigations and requirements prior to issuance
of a Building Permit.
 Floodplain mapping updates.
 Ongoing communication to property owners
who are interested in improving properties in
SFHA to provide updated information.

Table 10: Education and Outreach Capabilities
Education or Outreach
Capability Response
How does the personnel,
program, or organization
relate to disaster
resilience and
mitigation?
Could the personnel,
program, or
organization help
implement future
mitigation activities?
Does your jurisdiction have
a Public Information Officer
or Communications Office?
Yes Works in coordination with
the EOC in any relevant
resiliency and mitigation
messaging
Yes
Does your jurisdiction have
personnel skilled or trained
in website development?
Yes Works in coordination with
the EOC in any relevant
resiliency and mitigation
messaging
Yes
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Education or Outreach
Capability Response
How does the personnel,
program, or organization
relate to disaster
resilience and
mitigation?
Could the personnel,
program, or
organization help
implement future
mitigation activities?
Does your jurisdiction have
hazard mitigation
information available on
your website?
Yes The Fire Department has
an emergency
preparedness webpage
that includes links to
various resources, as well
as a copy of the current
local hazard mitigation
plan.

Yes
Does your jurisdiction
utilize social media for
hazard mitigation education
and outreach?
Yes Works in coordination with
the EOC in any relevant
resiliency and mitigation
messaging using Twitter,
Facebook and NextDoor

Yes
Does your jurisdiction have
any citizen boards or
commissions that address
issues related to hazard
mitigation?
No N/A No
Does your jurisdiction have
any ongoing public
education or information
programs that could be
used to communicate
hazard-related information?
Yes Under the CRS program,
ongoing public education
continues through social
media on topics related to
storm preparedness,
earthquake readiness, and
other hazards
Yes
Does your jurisdiction have
local citizen groups or
nonprofit organizations
focused on environmental
protection, emergency
preparedness, and/or
underserved populations?
Yes Training people in
advance who can be
leaders in their own
communities as CERT
volunteers assists with the
City’s mitigation
capabilities. We have the
ability to swear in CERTs
as Disaster Service
Workers (DSWs) if needed
in a disaster. We have
also increased the number
of City staff members in
various departments to
have the ability to swear in
emergency DSWs.

Yes
Does your jurisdiction have
natural disaster or safety
related school programs?
Yes Safe Routes to School;
emergency preparedness
& fire safety outreach to
schools
Yes
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Education or Outreach
Capability Response
How does the personnel,
program, or organization
relate to disaster
resilience and
mitigation?
Could the personnel,
program, or
organization help
implement future
mitigation activities?
Does your jurisdiction have
public/private partnership
initiatives addressing
disaster-related issues
Yes Office of Emergency
Services partnership with
the County Office of
Emergency Management,
County Climate
Collaborative, Silicon
Valley Urban Forest
Alliance and Valley Water
Yes

Table 11: Community Classifications
Participating? Classification Date
Classified
Community Rating System Yes 7 10/1/2019
Building Code Effectiveness Grading
Schedule
No - N/A
Insurance Services Office (ISO) Fire Rating Yes 2 2021
National Weather Service StormReady
Program®
No N/A N/A
Firewise USA® Program No N/A N/A

Table 12: Development and Permitting Capabilities
Development or Permitting Capability Response
Does your jurisdiction issue development
permits?
 If no, who does? If yes, which department?
Yes
Community Development
Does your jurisdiction have the ability to track
permits by hazard area?
Yes
Does your jurisdiction have a buildable lands
inventory?
Yes

Table 13: Adaptive Capacity for Climate Change
Adaptive Capacity Assessment Question Jurisdiction Rating Technical Capacity
Jurisdiction-level understanding of potential climate change impacts Medium
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Adaptive Capacity Assessment Question Jurisdiction Rating Comment: None provided
Jurisdiction-level monitoring of climate change impacts Medium Comment: Sea level rise is expected to have minimal impacts to Santa Clara properties.

Technical resources to assess proposed strategies for feasibility and externalities High
Comment: None provided
Jurisdiction-level capacity for development of greenhouse gas emissions inventory Medium
Comment: Climate Action Plan contains a comprehensive inventory, and the update of the Climate Action Plan in the next 1-3 years will include an inventory update.

Capital planning and land use decisions informed by potential climate impacts High
Comment: General Plan principles, including the Climate Action Plan criteria, consider climate implications.

Participation in regional groups addressing climate risks Medium Comment: Staff participates in regular regional climate change meetings as time permits.

Implementation Capacity
Clear authority/mandate to consider climate change impacts during public decision-making processes High
Comment: The Climate Action Plan is incorporated into the General Plan and is considered as part of the decision-making process.

Identified strategies for greenhouse gas mitigation efforts High Comment: The Climate Action Plan (CAP) addresses statewide GHG reduction goals through 2020, and the City updated the CAP in 2022 to address the GHG reductions goals for 2030 and 2050.

Identified strategies for adaptation to impacts Medium
Comment: The initiatives and strategies addressed across all departments through CAP.

Champions for climate action in local government departments Medium Comment: Sustainability manager was hired in 2020.

Political support for implementing climate change adaptation strategies Medium
Comment: Sustainability is continually gaining additional support in the community and with the Council.

Financial resources devoted to climate change adaptation Medium Comment: None provided.

Local authority over sectors likely to be negative impacted Medium Comment: None provided.

Public Capacity
Local residents’ knowledge of and understanding of climate risk Medium Comment: Some members are highly educated. More City outreach could contribute to overall knowledge base.

Local residents’ support of adaptation efforts Medium
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Adaptive Capacity Assessment Question Jurisdiction Rating Comment: Climate adaptation is a concept that has not yet been discussed widely and is often only associated with natural disaster response, not with the need for climate adaptation. Therefore, support for adaptation will depend on regional and statewide support for tying the public awareness about disaster response to the need for climate adaptation measures and funding as a strategy in natural disaster relief.

Local residents’ capacity to adapt to climate impacts High Comment: Lower income residents have expressed concerns about access and implementation of climate adaptation strategies at the individual level.

Local economy current capacity to adapt to climate impacts High Comment: In order to implement climate adaptation elements, cities will need to be creative in folding initiatives into existing CIP projects and seeking grant and community partnership approaches to funding.

Local ecosystems capacity to adapt to climate impacts Medium Comment: Valley Water is lead on riparian corridors and is addressing ecosystem health from that perspective. Additionally, Santa Clara is part of the Silicon Valley Urban Forest Alliance to address tree-related urban ecosystems.

1.4.3. Opportunities to Expand Upon and Improve Existing Capabilities The hazard mitigation planning process presented the opportunity for the community to discuss and evaluate their current capabilities however, building mitigation capabilities is an ongoing process. New capabilities can be added which will support mitigation. Current capabilities can also be enhanced to actively support mitigation and reduce risk. Significant efforts have been made to increase the capabilities of jurisdictions across the OA. By participating in this plan update, each community is reinforcin g their support for mitigation and understanding of the capabilities they need to successfully implement mitigation measures. Actions that can expand and improve existing authorities, plans, policies, and resources for mitigation include:
 Budgeting and passing policies and procedures for mitigation actions.  Adopting and implementing stricter mitigation regulations.  Approving the training of staff for mitigation activities.  Approving mitigation updates to existing plans as new needs are recognized.  Continuing to update plans as necessary to ensure they are current and reflect the needs of the community or special district.
 Further developing warning systems and messaging.
 Creating and implementing additional public education and outreach offerings and increasing the volume of translated materials.
 Ensuring grant opportunities are capitalized upon to meet mitigation goals.

Each type of the four FEMA-identified capabilities were evaluated, in addition to OA-priority capabilities like adaptive capacity. Gaps and limitations, if any, are discussed in the tables above. Additional jurisdiction-specific opportunities to expand on and improve capabilities for reducing risk include:
 Continue to participate in the Community Rating System and identify additional actions to both reduce flood risk and reduce flood insurance premiums.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 29
 Support vulnerable populations’ ability to adapt to climate change, including lower income residents.
 Actively identify and utilize a variety of funding sources for mitigation grants including capital improvement funds, grants, and community partnerships
 Support public education and outreach on climate adaptation and climate risk.  Incorporate considerations of natural hazards including climate change into the next Urban Water Management Plan update.
 Update the Climate Action Plan and incorporate additional data and actions related to hazard mitigation for those hazards influenced by climate change.  Since the last update, multiple new grant programs that support mitigation measures have been established. FEMA’s annual BRIC grant program funds a variety of mitigation actions , including infrastructure projects, nature-based solutions, climate adaptation, hazard resistant building codes, and projects benefitting disadvantaged communities.

1.5. Integration with Other Planning Initiatives
This section describes the process for integrating the hazard mitigation plan into local planning mechanisms.

1.5.1. Existing Integration
The following plans and programs currently integrate the goals, risk assessment and/or recommendations of the 2017 hazard mitigation plan:
 General Plan: The City of Santa Clara incorporates relevant mitigation measures into the policies and actions of the General Plan, including Safety Policy 5.10.5-P1, which calls for the LHMP to be the primary guide for disaster preparedness in the City. It addresses natural disasters such as earthquake, landslide, wildfire, and flooding.
 Climate Action Plan: Integrated into the General Plan, the CAP identifies steps for the City to take in its own operations and in review/approval of new development to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the time of the next update, information obtained in the update of the h azard mitigation plan will be integrated into the Climate Action Plan as appropriate.  Public engagement, education, and outreach: The City of Santa Clara engages the public through various media and outreach platforms on a broad range of hazard, resiliency, and adaptation messages. Examples include winter preparedness during the fall through the City’s newsletter and social media, ongoing social media and TV news stories about access to warming and cooling centers, and a booth with details about flood preparedness at the Art & Wine festival.

The City continues CRS activities program for public information (PPI) in collaboration with Valley Water. Water and Sewer Department booth at various City events like Earth Day/Arbor Day, Art and Wine Festivals, and parades for the engagement and outreach of drought and water conservation. The City also partners with SFPUC and Valley Water for various online classes on planting and succulents, all related to Water conservation.  Building and/or zoning codes: The City of Santa Clara regularly updates the California Title 24 Building Codes on the same triennial cycle that the State employs. Currently, the 2022 California Building Codes with local amendments have been adopted and registered with the State and were effective January 1, 2023. In addition, the City has adopted the revised 2023 City of Santa Clara Reach Code which has been accepted by the California Energy Commission and is in full effect as of January 1, 2023.

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 Floodplain management program and/or National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP): The City’s Floodplain Management Regulations Ordinance will be updated with Federal FEMA requirements and coordinate with adopted Building Code regulations was adopted by City Council on June 6, 2023.
 Community Rating System (CRS) program: The City of Santa Clara participates in the CRS program and currently has a Class 7 rating which provides 15% discount on all Flood Insurance policies in special flood hazard area.

1.5.2. Opportunities for Future Integration
Mitigation has already been integrated into many of the City of Santa Clara’s planning mechanisms.

The update timeline for the majority of them do not align well with the hazard mitigation plan update process. However, if future opportunities become available, this plan may be incorporated into additional planning mechanisms. The following plans do provide an opportunity for future integration:
 Urban Stormwater Management Plan: The next update of the Urban Stormwater Management Plan is due in 2025. Information from the MJHMP on related hazards, like flooding, and mitigation goals/actions can be incorporated into this plan.
 Citywide Parks & Recreation Master Plan: The Parks & Recreation Department intends to hire a consultant in 2023 to develop this plan. The city can evaluate consistency with the hazard mitigation plan and incorporate recommendations as needed.

The City’s Local Planning Team, including the Planners, will be responsible for incorporating this MJHMP into other planning mechanisms. Where appropriate, this may include sharing the plan with contractor teams working on other plan updates.

1.6. Jurisdiction-Specific Natural Hazard Event History Table 174 lists all past occurrences of natural hazards within the jurisdiction.

Table 14: Natural Hazard Events
Type of Event FEMA Disaster #
(if applicable)
Date Preliminary
Damage Assessment
Winter Storms DR-4301
DR-4308
02/14/,2017
04/012017
Emergency Protective
Measures & Electric
Utility Repair
Drought N/A 07/2021–04/2023 15% Water cut back
and other Water
Shortage Contingency
Stage 2 Plan
implementation to
reduce water
consumption
Heat and Cold Events N/A Year Round Severity of extreme temperature events
create the need for
warming and cooling
center operations.

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Type of Event FEMA Disaster #
(if applicable)
Date Preliminary
Damage Assessment
Wildfire Smoke/Air
Quality
N/A Seasonal Communities staying
indoors; elderly and
AFN; downed trees &
power lines
Storm Impacts N/A Seasonal Public Works,
Water/Sewer, & SVP:
downed trees & power
lines

1.7. Jurisdiction-Specific Vulnerabilities
 Hazus earthquake models show significant risk to Santa Clara. Estimates for 100-year probabilistic earthquake show an estimated $2.9 million in damages, or 9.07% of the total replacement value in the city. This was the 4th highest percentage in the OA. Santa Clara had the second highest loss ratio for the San Andreas and Calaveras fault scenarios. Moderate to very high liquefaction potential exists across the city, with higher potential along the creeks.  Concerns regarding earthquakes include communications disruptions, limited or total loss of access to damaged sites, damaged roads may limit emergency vehicle access, availability of personnel, long-term staffing issues (rotation/relief), ALERTSCC may be unusable due to loss of power and/or communications, records retrieval maybe affected by cloud-based or internet disruptions. There are a number of older structures built before modern building codes. Aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance of emergency response fire stations could be significantly damaged as a result of a major earthquake, resulting in potential emergency response apparatus being unable to respond to emergencies. Similar vulnerabilities are expected with landslides, inclement weather, and wildfire.
 Hazus also shows that Santa Clara has very high risk to flooding. 16,644 residents (13% of the total population) are in the 1% SFHA which is the 2nd highest percentage in the OA. 35,182 residents (27.57%) are in the 0.2% floodplain, which is the highest percentage in the OA.

Flooding may cause communications failure, mass casualties, inability to respond, lack of PD resources for search/rescue efforts, employees’ ability to respond to PD to provide emergency services, long-term staffing issues (rotation/relief), ALERTSCC may be unusable due to water damage, loss of power and/or communications, records retrieval maybe affecte d by cloud- based/internet disruptions, and CLETS messaging maybe affected by communications disruptions. The Santa Clara Fire Department does not have any rescue boat resources and would rely on mutual aid from San Jose; however, those resources would like ly not be available due to San Jose also being significantly impacted. This would require resource requests from a greater distance which would delay boat-based rescue response if needed.  Several potential storm water system improvements have been identified to reduce flood risk, including assessment and repair of pump station outfalls, slide gate replacements at pump stations, curb and gutter repairs, improvements at Bowers Avenue Storm Drain pump station, and other storm drain improvement projects identified in the city’s storm drain master plan.  Wildfire hazard risk is lower than most cities in the OA. 113 structures valued near $4 million and 325 people are at risk. Small areas of risk are found in riparian areas near creeks and also in the open space closer to the bay. Weed and other vegetation management in these areas can keep wildfire risk low. Wildfires in the region could contribute to poor air quality in Santa Clara, which can be harmful to health, particularly for those with respiratory or other underlying health conditions. Public information regarding these health risks should be provided regularly. Climate change may increase the intensity and/or frequency of drought and extreme heat, which contribute to greater wildfire risk.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 32
 Over 50,000 people are potentially at risk to dam failure in Santa Clara. $12.5 billion in structural value is within dam inundation areas from the J Lenihan Dam. Access to adequate evacuation routes is critical for residents to leave areas that may be impacted by a dam failure.  Santa Clara has low risk to landslide. 614 people (0.48% of the total city population) are withing potential landslide areas, primarily along creek banks. Structures in these areas are valued at $148 million. The stream channel may experience bank erosion or other slope instability during or immediately following flood or heavy rain events. Due to limited vulnerability and potential mitigation measures, the City has selected to omit this hazard from further consideration.  Drought is a hazard that has similar conditions over broad areas. It is anticipated that the impacts of drought will be fairly consistent across the OA. Drought impacts can make vegetation more vulnerable to disease and wildfire. Extended drought may necessitate limits on landscape irrigation or higher costs for irrigation, which can have economic impacts. Although agriculture is not a primary economic sector in the OA, drought can have severe negative impacts on growth of crops and gardens. A severe drought may result in an increase of casualties. There will be increased mutual aid requests statewide for wildfire response, taxing Santa Clara resources. Fire Department training becomes limited due to water restrictions, increasing the risk to responders.

Drought conditions may become more frequent or more intense in the future due to climate change, requiring increased attention to maintaining an adequate water supply for the city. Water conservation and drought-tolerant landscaping can reduce risk by decreasing demand for water.  Impacts from inclement weather such as heavy rain, hail, and wind are likely to be very similar across the OA. Individual events may impact only limited areas, but the entire OA is at risk to similar conditions. Heavy rain may cause localized flooding on roadways and low-lying areas, which may disrupt transportation for the general public and can also delay emergency response.

Heavy rain can also have cascading impacts on landslide potential or strain the capacity of dams.

High winds can disrupt power, communication, and other services and cause damage to structures. Extreme heat or cold can be harmful to health, particularly those with inadequate housing with adequate warming and cooling systems. Those with underlying health conditions, access and functional needs, people over 65, and others may be particularly impacted by severe weather. People who work outdoors are also more at risk. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of severe weather events, including extreme heat, drought, and heavy rain.
 Extreme cold events are infrequent and expected to occur less in the future due to warming trends associated with climate change. Impacts to critical facilities, infrastructure, and other assets are minimal. Primary concerns associated with extreme cold are potential health impacts to vulnerable populations such as unhoused individuals, outdoor workers, or individuals without adequate heat in their homes.
 Trees can help cool surfaces and reduce the urban heat island effect in times of extreme heat.

However, high wind events can lead to damage from falling trees or tree limbs. Proper maintenance, watering, and pruning are needed to keep trees healthy to avoid potential damage.  Santa Clara does not have any assets directly at risk to tsunami. Some regional transportation or utility services may have indirect impacts on residents if disrupted by a tsunami. The mapped evacuation area for tsunami comes close to Hwy 237, a primary transportation route on the north end of Santa Clara. Although it is not expected, a tsunami could cause closure or other obstruction on this road or bridges in this area.
 Potential communication disruptions and power outages could affect technology and, employees’ ability to respond from home. Records retrieval may also be affected by cloud-based or internet disruptions.

Climate Change Considerations:

Anticipated changes in climate may increase the number of occurrences, length or intensity in hazards such as extreme heat or drought, as indicated by the CMRA tool. Both drought and extreme heat Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 33
conditions contribute to increased risk of wildfire, as lack of precipitation and high temperatures both contribute to vegetation becoming dry and more susceptible to quick ignition and faster fire spread.

Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns can also reduce snowpack, and changes in runoff from snowpack may result in changes to water supplies throughout the region. Climate change may also impact the future frequency or severity of severe weather such as heavy rain and subsequent risk of flooding. Although CMRA does not indicate a significant change in the number of precipitation events or overall annual rainfall, it is anticipated that those events may become more extreme, with significant amounts of precipitation occurring during an extreme precipitation event.

Intense rainstorms can result in increased risk of landslides occurrences, so increased heavy rain events driven by climate change may also increase the occurrence of landslides. Loss of vegetation from wildfire reduces slope stability, so an increase in wildfires resulting from climate change may also increase post- fire debris flows.

Climate change may lead to frequent fluctuation of water levels retained by dams and may result increased discharges and flooding downstream and possibly overtopping or other design failures following extreme precipitation events.

An in-depth assessment of the possibility of increasing numbers and intensities of windstorms was not available for the OA; however, changes in temperature and extreme weather events may also be accompanied with increases in high wind. Winds can damage utility lines, resulting in power outages and can also contribute to extreme wildfire risk conditions.

Santa Clara will likely experience effects of climate change in relation to drought, extreme heat, heavy rain, high wind, flooding, and dam failure. Wildfire and landslide risk are confined to a relatively small area in Santa Clara. Climate change may impact those conditions but may not significantly increase the potential impacts to the city due to the limited extent. Climate impacts to earthquake hazards are not well understood and not currently believed to have an effect in Santa Clara. Additional details on potential impacts to population, property, critical facilities, the environment, and the economy can be found in Volume 1, Section 12.

Repetitive loss records are as follows:
 Number of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-identified Repetitive-Loss Properties (RL): 0
 Number of FEMA-identified Severe-Repetitive-Loss (SRL) Properties: 0  Number of RL Properties or SRL Properties that have been mitigated: 0

1.7.1. Social Vulnerability
Santa Clara residents have moderate to moderately high social vulnerability, as shown in Figure 113.

Several characteristics among the population may make efforts to recover from the impacts of natural hazards more difficult for many residents. Housing Type and Transportation characteristics are a major influencing factor in the overall high social vulnerability scores, as well as a high percentage of racial and ethnic minority populations in the city. Household characteristics and socioeconomic status also contribute to overall vulnerability, although to a lesser extent. The city will have to take additional steps to meet the specific needs of these vulnerable populations.

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts reports that 47% of Santa Clara residents are Asian, and 15.3% are Hispanic. 45% are foreign born and 55% primarily speak a language other than English at home. Cultural or language barriers may limit their access to information regarding hazard risks and post -disaster relief.

4.6% of individuals under 65 have a disability. These individuals may also have mobility limitations that increase their risks from severe weather and other hazards, and they may depend on others for medical care and other day-to-day assistance. 8% of the population have an income below the poverty level.

Those with lower incomes may be more likely to live in areas of poorly maintained or aging housing and Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 34
infrastructure. Older homes may be more susceptible to damage from earthquake, severe weather, or flooding. Individuals with fewer financial resources have less capacity to recover from disaster losses and are less able to secure temporary housing if needed.

Heavy rain, wind, extreme heat or cold, and drought can occur throughout the city, so all vulnerable populations could potentially experience greater impacts from those hazards. Earthquake and liquefaction risk and flood risk are also high throughout the city and could potentially impact all vulnerable populations.

Landslide susceptibility is minimal in Santa Clara and not a high concern for vulnerable populations.

Wildfire hazard is also limited in Santa Clara, but poor air quality from wildfires in nearby jurisdictions could contribute to health consequences for vulnerable populations such as children or people over age 65, outdoor workers, or those with respiratory or other chronic health conditions.

Figure 4: Santa Clara City Social Vulnerability
The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) in Figure 114 identifies census tracts that are overburdened and underserved. One tract in Santa Clara meets the thresholds for disadvantaged communities. Linguistic isolation, percentage of individuals with less than a high school diploma, high flood risk, exposure to air pollutants, and proximity to superfund and hazardous waste sites are among the factors contributing to Santa Clara’s disadvantaged status.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 35

Figure 5: CEJST Disadvantaged Communities in Santa Clara City

1.8. Hazard Risk Index
Table 175 presents the hazards of concern from highest risk index number to lowest, as assigned by the City of Santa Clara.

Table 15: Hazard Risk Index
Hazard Probability Life Impact Property
Impact
Percentage
of Area
Impacted
Maximum
Probable
Extent
Earthquake Highly Likely Catastrophic Catastrophic Extensive Major Flood Likely Critical Critical Significant Moderate
Dam/Levee
Failure
Occasional Critical Critical Extensive Major
Heavy Rain Highly Likely Limited Limited Significant Moderate High Wind Likely Limited Limited Significant Moderate
Extreme Heat Likely Limited Limited Significant Moderate Extreme Cold Likely Limited Limited Significant Moderate Drought Highly Likely Limited Minor Significant Moderate Climate Change Likely Limited Limited Significant Moderate

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 36
Hazard Probability Life Impact Property
Impact
Percentage
of Area
Impacted
Maximum
Probable
Extent
Wildfire/Smoke/Air
Quality
Likely Limited Limited Minimal Moderate
Table 16: Comparison of Santa Clara City Hazard Risk Scores with Operational Area (OA) Risk
Score
Earth-
quake
Dam/Levee
Failure
Heavy
Rain
High
Wind
Extreme
Heat Wildfire Drought Flood Land-
slide Tsunami Climate
Change
Santa
Clara
3 1.8 1.7 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.45 2 0 0.35 1.4
OA 2.24 1.19 1.44 1.44 1.44 1.68 1.21 0.90 0.36 0.02 1.13

1.9. Future Needs to Better Understand Risk and
Vulnerability
Capabilities needed to better understand risk include frequent testing of PD and Fire communication systems in adverse conditions, with additional testing on backup communication abilities. As well as staffing modules to forecast long-term catastrophic relief or rotation, training PD personnel on the ICS Command Structure, and ensuring that historical records can be retrieved during catastrophic events.

1.10. Status of Previous Plan Actions
Participants were asked to report the status of their mitigation actions listed in the previous plan as a part of this plan update. Where further information isn’t provided, the answers are defined as follows:
 Completed – work on this action is totally complete.
 Completed and ongoing – work on this action is complete; however, it is an ongoing project that will continue to be implemented. An example is a public outreach campaign that was created and will continue to be implemented.
 In progress – work on this action has begun and is in progress, but the action is not yet complete.  Retain – work on this action has not begun yet, the action is still relevant, and it should be in the 2023 MJHMP.
 No longer relevant – Action item is no longer relevant due to reduce or eliminated risk, it no longer being feasible, there has been a change in jurisdictional or organizational priorities, or another reason as stated.

Unless specifically requested otherwise, only those actions listed as “retain” are incorporated into the 2023 action plan.

Table 17: Status of Action Items from the 2017 MJHMP
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
SC-1 Where appropriate, support
retrofitting, purchase, or
relocation of structures in
All Hazards In progress. The City of Santa
Clara permits retrofits of existing
structures, including flood-
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 37
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
hazard-prone areas to prevent
future structure damage. Give
priority to properties with
exposure to repetitive losses
proofing, consistent with the
building code. In addition, the City
is supportive of other agencies,
including the Santa Clara Valley
Water District (Valley Water), in
their efforts to remove structures
from hazard-prone areas. OES will
support Community
Development’s lead on this effort
and assist with identifying
applicable funding.

SC-2 Continue to support the
Planning Area-wide actions
identified in this plan
All Hazards In progress. This objective is re-
worded for clarity. OES/FIRE will
continue to support hazard
mitigation planning actions in the
City.

SC-3 Actively participate in the plan
maintenance strategy identified
in this plan
All Hazards In progress. OES will continue to
coordinate the maintenance
strategy identified in this plan.

SC-4 Consider participation in
incentive-based programs such
as Tree City and Storm Ready
All Hazards In progress. The City of Santa
Clara has been recognized as a
Tree City USA for the past 36
years running. The City updated
our Trees and Shrubs Ordinance
in 2021. Although the City
participates extensively in storm
readiness, it is not currently an
official Storm Ready City. Pursuing
an official Storm Ready
designation is not a priority at this
time as this would require
resources that exceed the City’s
current capacity such as a 24-hour
Emergency Operations Center and
trained “severe weather spotters.”
The City leverages working
relationships with the National
Weather Service and the County
Office of Emergency Management
to maintain situational awareness
of the weather and messages the
community through the City’s
communications channels with
severe weather notices and
preparedness information.

SC-5 Maintain good standing under
the National Flood Insurance
Program by implementing
programs that meet or exceed
the minimum NFIP
Flood In progress. The City of Santa
Clara participates in the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency’s (FEMA’s) Community
Rating System (CRS). CRS is a
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 38
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
requirements. Such programs
include enforcing an updated,
adopted flood damage
prevention ordinance,
participating in floodplain
mapping updates, and
providing public assistance and
information on floodplain
requirements and impacts.

Continue participating in the
Santa Clara County
Multijurisdictional Program for
Public Information.
program through which FEMA
rewards communities that perform
floodplain management activities
above and beyond the minimum
requirements of the NFIP. The City
has a CRS class 7 rating, so
residents and businesses can
receive a 15% discount in
insurance premiums for properties
in Special Flood Hazard Areas and
a 5% discount in insurance
premiums for properties outside
Special Flood Hazard Areas.

The City maintains its participation
in NFIP, CRS and PPI. The City
regularly coordinates with other
Santa Clara County communities
for the annual PPI evaluation. The
City’s 5-year cycle visit for CRS is
scheduled for November 2023.

The City’s updated Floodplain
Management Regulations
ordinance was adopted by Council
on June 6, 2023.

SC-6 Integrate the Hazard Mitigation
Plan into other plans,
programs, or resources that
dictate land use or
redevelopment, such as the
General Plan, Climate Action
Plan, Zoning Ordinance,
Building Code, etc.

All Hazards In progress. The City of Santa
Clara has incorporated the HMP
into the City’s General Plan
through its Safety Goals and
Policies. In addition, the Adopted
2022 CAP Update will incorporate
adaptation and resilience
measures into the CAP’s
Community Resilience and Well-
being strategy. At the end of 2021,
the City Council adopted updated
Reach Codes and it cleared the
regulatory review in June 2022.

The City has adopted the 2022
Building Codes and an updated
2023 City of Santa Clara Reach
Code, all of which were effective
January 1, 2023.

SC-7 Based on EOC staffing
capabilities assessment,
ensure that mandated training
is provided to all employees in
SEMS, FEMA ICS-100, ICS-
All Hazards In progress. The objective is
reworded for clarity. EOC staff
have the goal of completing
training to achieve Level III
credentialing defined by the
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 39
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
200, IS-700, and IS-800; and
ensure that employees training
records are security
maintained.

California Specialized Training
Institute (CSTI), the training
branch of the California
Governor’s Office of Emergency
Services (Cal OES).

As a short-term objective to this
goal, the City Manager formally
appointed City staff to work in the
EOC as part of a formal training
program that was launched in
September 2019. City staff
assigned to the EOC during the
pandemic response gained
extensive experience that will
assist with credentialing.

SC-8 Based on EOC staffing
capabilities assessment,
ensure that mandated training
is provided to employees who
require advanced knowledge
and application of the ICS, such
as primary and alternate EOC
Section Chiefs and senior field
personnel, to include at least
ICS-300, ICS-400, and the
FEMA Professional
Development Series; and
ensure that employee training
records are securely
maintained.

All Hazards No longer relevant. This objective
was deleted and integrated into
SC-7 and SC-9.

SC-9 Based on EOC staffing
capabilities assessment,
ensure that all Fire and Police
Department staff who may be
assigned the role of incident
commander at an
emergency/disaster scene have
received incident Commander
training; and ensure that
employee training records are
securely maintained.

All Hazards In progress. The Fire Department
is training Captains and above to
the Incident Command System
(ICS)-300 level and Battalion
Chiefs and above to the ICS-400
level. The Police Department is
training Lieutenants and above to
the ICS-300 level and Captains
and above to the ICS-400 level.

SC-10 Monitor local availability of
upcoming training opportunities
for city staff regarding incident
staffing, disaster response, and
recovery
All Hazards In progress. OES monitors local
availability of training opportunities
and notifies applicable EOC staff.

SC-11 Continue to conduct EOC
tabletop exercise(s) to evaluate
capabilities and train
All Hazards In progress. EOC staff gained
practical experience responding to
the COVID-19 pandemic. EOC
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 40
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
employees in their assigned
EOC role(s)
staff facilitated the regional
simulation cell in the City EOC for
the 2022 Golden Eagle Exercise.

Tabletop exercises will continue
when COVID response activities
are expected to further decrease
beginning in the late fall of 2022.
(In November 2022, the EOC
tabletop exercises resumed.)
Water and Sewer Department
performed the tabletop exercise on
December 8th as a part of the
Emergency Response Plan that
included Water and Sewer
Department staff, crew, engineers,
administrative and department
management staff.

SC-12 Develop and exercise a
Disaster Debris Management
Plan
Dam Failure
Earthquake
Flood
Severe Weather
Retain. Not yet started. However,
the City is further in development
of a disaster debris management
plan based upon the disaster
recovery and reimbursement
process for the 2017 Winter
Storms that concluded in late
2018. The formal plan is a long-
term goal.

The County of Santa Clara does
not currently have a formal Debris
Management Plan. Once the
County drafts a debris
management plan with an included
template for use by local
jurisdictions in developing plans
for debris management, the City of
Santa Clara will utilize these
resources to develop a localized
plan.

SC-13 Enhance public education and
awareness of natural and
manmade hazards in the
community and public
understanding of disaster
preparedness, including foreign
language translations
All Hazards In progress. In partnership with the
Santa Clara County Office of
Emergency Management, the City
has distributed disaster
preparedness materials in English,
Spanish, Mandarin, and
Vietnamese. City departments
distribute these materials
throughout City Hall and to the
community, including at fire
stations, the Community
Recreation Center, Teen Center,
Youth Activity Center, Senior
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 41
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
Center, the Mission Branch,
Central, and Northside Libraries.

The Fire and Police Departments
and City Manager’s Office also
distribute the materials at trainings
and special events.

Even during the unprecedent
challenges posed in 2020 and
2021, the Police Department
continued to be an answering
point for public concerns ranging
from pandemic/shelter in place
questions to police policies and
practices. In addition, the
Fall/Winter Edition of Inside Santa
Clara provides winter
preparedness tips. The Summer
2022 Edition of Inside Santa Clara
was distributed and included a
section dedicated to fire and safety
tips. Other editions of the
magazine and the City’s website
and other communication
channels provide pandemic
outreach materials.
https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-
city/departments-g-z/public-
works/engineering/flood-
protection/flood-safety-tips.

Outreach is also conducted in
other languages, including
Spanish, to promote emergency
preparedness. The City is also
collaborating with the local VOAD
(Voluntary Organizations Active in
Disasters) to provide MyShake
earthquake preparedness
outreach in our community in
multiple languages.

SC-14 Develop improved capabilities
to incorporate GIS technology
by all departments into services
provided to the public and for
use during emergency/disaster
incidents.

Dam Failure
Earthquake
Flood
In progress. This objective is re-
worded for clarity. The EOC has a
GIS-based operating picture and
will continue to add layers for
increased situational awareness
as funding and staff time become
available. Water and Sewer
Utilities is transitioning their Water,
Sewer and Recycled Water plat
maps to GIS version. SVP
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 42
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
maintains Electric Utility
infrastructure in GIS.

SC-15 Conduct a test of emergency
communications and
information systems
interoperability, to establish
baseline capabilities for
employee call-back,
communications between the
EOC and incident command,
and communications with the
Operational Area and Mutual
Aid resources
All Hazards In progress. Baseline capability
with the AlertSCC application for
employee callback was
established in August 2018. Key
EOC leadership positions may
also be notified through the low
technology option of telephone.
(Confidential wallet cards with
contact information are maintained
and updated regularly for this
option. Communications between
the EOC and Incident Command
are tested regularly during Levi’s
Stadium events. Communications
with the Operational Area and
Mutual Aid resources are
implemented day-to-day with the
Police and Fire Departments. The
Fire Department uses CrewSense
staffing software for enhanced
callback notification of personnel
to their cell phone during large
events that require a recall of
personnel.

The City’s Alert and Notification
Workgroup convened in March
2020 and had been in recess due
to the current COVID-19 pandemic
response. However, during 2022
the workgroup reconvened with
Communications and Police
Departments participating to
coordinate in advance and engage
in practice drills. (Please Note: For
the purposes of emergency
operations, the Communications
Team is defined as all
departmental PIOs or operational
leads.) SVP, in collaboration with
Water and Sewer Utilities, is also
looking into implementing staffing
software to callback utilities crew
and staff.

SC-16 Conduct a gap analysis of the
Santa Clara City
Emergency/Disaster
preparedness and response
program, to include a
All Hazards In progress. A review of plans and
procedures identified the need for
a Severe Weather/Flood Plan to
formalize practices in this area,
and a draft Incident Planning and
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 43
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
comprehensive review of
employee training requirements
and needs, plans and
procedures, EOC equipment
and staffing capabilities, and
related analysis
Response Guide has been
developed.

The Water/Sewer Department
hired a consultant to complete a
Risk and Resilience Assessment
(RRA) by March 31, 2020, and an
Emergency Response Plan (ERP)
by September 30, 2020, to meet
federal regulations under the
America’s Water Infrastructure Act
(AWIA). The consultant has
completed both RRA and ERP and
conducted a thorough review of all
critical assets and risk assessment
of the water system that involves
all hazards that include natural
hazards, dependency and
proximity threats, offsite threats
and malevolent threats that might
impact water system operations
and engineering systems.

The Department is also performing
once a year tabletop exercise and
update to the ERP for water and
sewer utilities.

The purpose of the RRA and ERP
is to identify City response actions
during an emergency that will
maintain the expected quantity of
water, maintain water treatment,
protect employees, minimize
disruption to the public, preserve
property, and maintain community
trust in the City. The
recommendations by the
consultant will be incorporated into
the department future Capital
Improvements Program (CIPs)
projects.

SC-17 Acquire a mobile Emergency
Operations Center
All Hazards Retain. Acquisition is not yet
started. This continues to be a low
priority in consideration of other
City priorities and available
resources, including from
neighboring jurisdictions.

SC-18 Develop unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV/drone) capability
for hazard mitigation surveys
and post-disaster damage
Dam Failure
Flood
Earthquake
Severe Weather
In progress. The Fire Department
purchased a UAV and obtained
FAA approvals to operate it within
the City. It is recommended that a
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 44
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
assessments, and develop
policies, procedures, and staff
training guidelines for UAV use.
policy be developed regarding
UAV capability and for the public
to be made aware. The Police
Department is developing
applicable UAV policies for both
the Police and Fire Departments.

As of October 2019, both Fire and
Police Departments have obtained
Council approvals to purchase
UAV capabilities. After a
significant delay due to position
freezes, the Police Department
recently began the process to
standup their UAV program.

Currently, the program is being
managed as a collateral
assignment. The Fire Department
completed the purchasing process
for a drone and took possession in
May 2021. The Certificate of
Authorization (COA) process is
completed, and the Department
has full FAA authorization. Six
personnel have completed a drone
pilot process and are authorized to
fly under those regulations. Future
growth of the Fire Department’s
Drone Program includes training
more pilots, developing more
internal operational procedures for
use outside of emergency
incidents and outreach to
community members who are
certified drone pilots that might be
interested in joining the Santa
Clara Fire Department Volunteer
Reserve Firefighter Program.

SC-19 Enhance Fire Department field
inspection system using
portable computers for engine
company inspections and Fire
Prevention inspections, to
integrate inspections, re-
inspections, invoicing, permits,
CUPA and business license
data
All Hazards In progress. The Fire Department
coordinated a purchase with the
Community Development and
Finance Departments of a
common software platform (i.e.,
Accela) to accomplish this
objective. The platform is currently
functioning and in use.

SC-20 Conduct seismic and functional
assessment of Emergency
Operations Center
All Hazards Retain. The assessment has not
yet started. A seismic and
functional assessment of the EOC
was part of a facilities
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 45
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
infrastructure assessment of Fire
Department buildings expected to
be initiated in 2020. Since the
budget for this project was not
approved, other avenues will
continue to be explored.

SC-21 Acquire emergency generators
for the City’s critical facilities,
specifically Fire Stations 5,7,8
and 9. Citywide Generator
Replacement Program includes
Water well, water
tanks/reservoir, Sewer Pump
Stations and Storm Pump
Station Sites.

All Hazards In progress. This objective was
reworded for clarity. Phase I of the
generator replacement project is
nearing completion and new
generators have been installed at
several fire stations and the
Emergency Operations Center.

Phase II of the project includes
two storm pump stations and two
water well sites, construction
contract is awarded, in pre-
construction phase, and estimated
construction completion date is
Fall 2025.

SC-22 Maintain and improve Water
and Sewer Utilities as
necessary to ensure systems
are able to maintain their
functionality in response to
potential hazards such as
drought, flood, or earthquakes
Drought
Flood
Earthquake
In progress. The City ended the
proclamation of drought
emergency on May 9th and kept
water use restrictions unchanged
to prepare for the inevitable
drought known to come. It requires
level 2 drought water shortage
contingency plans. On July 18,
2023, the Council adopted a
resolution rescinding stage 2 of
the City’s water shortage
contingency plan while continuing
to implement State Water
Resources Control Board Water
Use Restrictions. The City is
maintaining the 15% voluntary
water use reduction compared
with 2019 in alignment with Valley
Water policy.

City staff continues to work closely
with Valley Water, Bay Area Water
Supply and Conservation Agency
and SFPUC staff to provide a
coordinated message to
customers and develop
conservation strategies, outreach
materials and a communication
plan for water conservation to
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 46
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
address future drought and climate
change impacts.

SC-23 Integrate climate change and
natural hazards planning into
current city plan revisions and
future planning initiatives.

All Hazards In progress. Climate Change is
addressed both in the
sustainability section of the City’s
General Plan and in the Climate
Action Plan (CAP). The CAP,
which was adopted by the City
Council on June 7, 2022, includes
more stringent 2030 reduction
targets, along with adaptation and
resiliency measures as a part of
the Community Resilience and
Well-being strategy.

SC-24 Develop and maintain a
landscape design manual to
provide general guidance and
education to the public on water
efficiency in landscaping and to
serve as a resource for water
efficient landscape design and
installation in compliance with
the State Water Efficiency
Landscape Ordinance (as
amended), including lists of
recommended site appropriate
native and drought-tolerant
plant species
Drought In progress. The City offers a
number of design and
conservation resources on its
website, including How to
Conserve Water in the Garden,
and Valley Water’s Rules of
Thumb for Water-Wise Gardening
and Garden Planner (California
Native Plant Society). The City
also offers landscape rebate
conversions in partnership with
Valley Water.

The Department is in the process
to amend its water conservation
rules and regulations to promote
water conservation and use of
recycled water.

SC-25 Continue to improve the City’s
bike network in coordination
with partner agencies, such as
the Valley Transportation
Authority
All Hazards  Ongoing. Significant progress
has occurred in this area as
described below.
 The City of Santa Clara
adopted a Bicycle Master Plan
Update (2018) in September
2019. The Bicycle Master Plan
contains a set of project
recommendations along
corridors and intersections to
build out our bicycle network
throughout the city. These
projects are ranked in order of
priority for our top 40 projects
and cost estimates are
included for all projects within
the plan. The city has 58.8
miles of existing bikeways, and
at complete build-out there
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 47
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
would be 130 miles of
bikeways.
 Creek Trail Master Plan. Creek
trails are for both pedestrians
and bicyclists. The Creek Trail
Master Plan encompasses new
trails of approximately 9+
combined miles along
Calabazas Creek, a major
portion of Saratoga Creek, and
the Hetch Hetchy corridor
(which is under the jurisdiction
of the San Francisco Public
Utilities Commission).

Coordination with numerous
stakeholders (Valley Water,
Santa Clara County, City of
Sunnyvale, Union Pacific
Railroad, etc.) for this project
has been a challenge, but
progress is being made as we
are targeting to complete the
Master Plan with 30% design
plans in 2024. Public outreach
to begin in summer 2023.
 Several bike projects have
been completed since adoption
of the 2018 Bicycle Plan
Update.
 Several bike study projects are
planned in the next year
(studies required to look at
design options which may
include parking and/or travel
lane removal).

SC-26 Hire or assign a management-
level staff member as the
Sustainability Manager to
coordinate sustainability efforts
among different departments
and outside agencies
All Hazards Completed. A Sustainability
Manager was hired in January
2021.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 48
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
SC-27 Continue to implement and
monitor the current 2014
Climate Action Plan (CAP) and
prepare a comprehensive
update to the CAP to comply
with slate greenhouse gas
reduction targets. Include
adaptation strategies within the
updated CAP
All Hazards In progress. The City is
implementing its adopted CAP,
including divesting itself from
ownership of a coal-fired power
plant at the end of 2017. The City
has prepared two annual reports
(2016 and 2018) that monitor
progress towards climate goals
under the 2014 CAP. In addition,
as a part of the 2018 CAP annual
report, the City performed both
citywide and municipal inventories,
which give the City a baseline for
future climate planning efforts. In
summer of 2022 the City Council
adopted an Update to the CAP to
include more stringent 2030
reduction targets, along with
adaptation and resiliency
measures as a part of the
Community Resilience and Well-
being strategy.

SC-28 Increase situational awareness
capacity in the EOC by
expanding GIS resources and
providing air to ground
communications
All Hazards In progress. Levi’s Stadium has
air-to-ground communications, and
the EOC has established
communications with Levi’s
Stadium. The Police Department
has audio communications with
both the Sheriff’s Office and the
San Jose Police Department. The
County Sheriff is in the process of
developing air-to-ground
communications that may benefit
the City in the future.

SC-29 Secure all critical infrastructure
in the EOC, the EOC perimeter,
and immediate vicinity
All Hazards Retain. Not yet started. However,
security in the EOC has increased
with the addition of security
badges. Grant opportunities to
establish an EOC secure
perimeter will continue to be
assessed as staff resources allow.

SC-30 Restore the original storage
capacity of the Westside Water
Retention Basin to hold
additional storm water and
reduce flooding risk by desilting
the basin
Flood Completed. The Westside
Retention Basin desilting project is
completed.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 49
Action
Item
Number*
Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Current Status and Comments
SC-31 New; added to the City’s
Annual Evaluation Report for
the 2017 Plan. Restore the
original storage capacity of the
Eastside Retention Basin to
hold additional storm water and
reduce flooding risk by desilting
the basin. Funding for the
design of the project was
transferred to another storm
drain project, Laurelwood
Storm drain pump station
rehabilitation project (higher
priority). The additional funding
request for the desilting project
is unfunded.

Flood Retain. Funding for the design,
permitting and desilting of the
Eastside Retention Basin will be
requested in the FY 2024/25 and
FY 2025/26 CIP budgeting
process.

SC-32 New; added to the City’s
Annual Evaluation Report for
the 2017 Plan. Laurelwood
Storm Pump Station
Rehabilitation: The pump
station was constructed in 1986
and there have been no major
improvements to the station
since its construction. The
Project will modify existing
headworks of the wet well,
replace existing pumps with
new, replace pump controls,
improve station configuration,
and rehabilitate existing
building structure to meet
current building codes. The
proposed improvements will
help the station to meet or
exceed the station capacity and
improve efficiency.

All hazards In progress. The project
construction has started, and the
tentative construction completion
date is Fall 2023 (most of the work
is completed except the new
generator).

SC-33 New; added to the City’s
Annual Evaluation Report for
the 2017 Plan. Replace the
Westside Storm Pumps: The
Westside Retention Basin
Pump Replacement Project is
to replace all five pumps (three
large pumps and two dry
weather flow pumps),
associated motors,
appurtenances, and structural
components.

All hazards Completed.
* Number given to action item in 2017 Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 50

1.11. Mitigation Successes
Hazard Mitigation is incorporated into the City of Santa Clara’s plans and regulations beyond this Hazard Mitigation Plan, including the General Plan, Climate Action Plan, and Storm Drain Master Plan. Santa Clara actively conducts public education and outreach activities on mitigation. During the development of the Climate Action Plan, despite the COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly requiring virtual engagements, the City was able to engage with hundreds of people and received over 1,000 comments throughout the planning process. During these engagements, not only was the City of Santa Clara able to hear directly from stakeholders but was also able to educate the community about the importance and urgency of climate action. The City also participates in a Multijurisdictional Program for Public Information. As a part of this, Santa Clara actively shares information on hazard mitigation measures, like reducing flood and fire risk, on the City’s website, through a citywide newsletter, at a flood readiness table at a l ocal event, and directly to residents and businesses in the SFHA through a newsletter. Additionally, Santa Clara has begun implementing more structural and infrastructure mitigation measures. For example, the City has been working to implement flood protection measures, including making improvements to the existing storm drain system.

During severe drought and pandemic, the City actively conducted several public outreach measures, council updates, and rebates to conserve water indoor and outdoor. Due to likelihood of having drought in near future, the city continues to promote conservation as a way of life.

1.12. Hazard Mitigation Action Plan and Evaluation of
Recommended Actions
Table 178 lists the actions that make up the City of Santa Clara hazard mitigation action plan. The maps in Figure 115 through Figure 122 present the City’s critical infrastructure and identified hazard areas.

Descriptions of the expected time frames for actions are provided below:
 Short term: 1–5 years
 Medium term: 5–10 years
 Long term: Over 10 years
 Ongoing: Currently being funded and implemented under existing programs

The planning partners utilized the following criteria to prioritize action items into the categories of high, medium, or low.
 High Priority— A project that:
▪ Meets multiple goals and objectives (i.e., multiple hazards); ▪ Addresses multiple hazards;
▪ Has benefits that exceed cost;
▪ Has funding secured or is an ongoing project;
▪ Meets eligibility requirements for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants; ▪ Can be completed in the short term (1 to 5 years);
▪ Addresses immediate short-term impacts of climate change; ▪ Benefits underserved and/or socially vulnerable populations; AND Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 51
▪ Considers the Multi-Benefit Criteria utilized by the Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative, including equity, long-term value, ecosystem benefit, community benefit, and cross- jurisdictional alignment.
 Medium Priority— A project that:
▪ Meets multiple goals and objectives;
▪ Addresses multiple hazards;
▪ Has benefits that exceed costs;
▪ Has funding has not been secured, but that is grant eligible under Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants or other grant programs;
▪ Project can be completed in the short term (1-5 years), once funding is secured. Medium priority projects will become high priority projects once funding is secured; ▪ Addresses immediate short-term impacts of climate change; ▪ Benefits underserved and/or socially vulnerable populations; AND ▪ Considers the Multi-Benefit Criteria utilized by the Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative, including equity, long-term value, ecosystem benefit, community benefit, and cross- jurisdictional alignment.
 Low Priority— A project that:
▪ Will mitigate the risk of at least one hazard;
▪ Has benefits that do not exceed the costs or are difficult to quantify:
▪ Does not have secured funding;
▪ Is not eligible for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant funding; ▪ Has a timeline for completion that is long term (greater than 5 years). Low priority projects may be eligible for other sources of grant funding from other programs; ▪ May address impacts of climate change;
▪ May benefit underserved and/or socially vulnerable populations; AND ▪ Considers the Multi-Benefit Criteria utilized by the Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative, including equity, long-term value, ecosystem benefit, community benefit, and cross- jurisdictional alignment.

Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 52
Table 18: City of Santa Clara 2023 Action Items
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
SC-1* Where appropriate, support
retrofitting, purchase, or
relocation of structures in hazard-
prone areas to prevent future
structure damage. Give priority to
properties with exposure to
repetitive losses.

All Hazards,
including
Earthquake, Flood,
Dam Failure
OES/Community
Development
Pre-
Disaster
Mitigation
(PDM),
Hazard
Mitigation
Grant
Program
(HMGP),
Local
Budget
(local
match
Dependent on
Funding (Short-term)
Low
SC-2* Continue to support the Planning
Area-wide actions identified in
this plan.

All Hazards OES Local
Budget
Ongoing High
SC-3* Actively participate in the plan
maintenance strategy identified in
this plan.

All Hazards OES Local
Budget
Ongoing Medium
SC-4* Consider participation in
incentive-based programs such
as Tree City and Storm Ready.

Heavy Rain, High
Wind, Extreme
Heat, Drought
Community
Development and
Public Works
Local
Budget
Short-term Low
SC-5A* Maintain good standing under the
National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP) by implementing
programs that meet or exceed
the minimum NFIP requirements.

Such programs include enforcing
an updated, adopted flood
Flood Community
Development and
Public Works
Local
Budget
Ongoing High
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 53
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
damage prevention ordinance,
participating in floodplain
mapping updates, and providing
public assistance and information
on floodplain requirements and
impacts. 1
SC-5B* Continue participating in the
Santa Clara County
Multijurisdictional Program for
Public Information.

Flood, Heavy Rain,
High Wind,
Extreme Heat,
Drought, Dam
Failure, Wildfire,
Earthquake,
Community
Development and
Public Works
Local
Budget
Ongoing High
SC-6* Integrate the Hazard Mitigation
Plan into other plans, programs,
or resources that dictate land use
or redevelopment, such as the
General Plan, Climate Action
Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Building
Code, etc.

All Hazards All City Departments Local
Budget
Ongoing High
SC-7* Based on EOC staffing
capabilities assessment, ensure
that mandated training is
provided to all employees in
SEMS, FEMA ICS-100, ICS-200,
IS-700, and IS-800; and ensure
that employees training records
are security maintained.

All Hazards OES Local
Budget
Short-term/Ongoing Medium
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 54
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
SC-9* Based on EOC staffing
capabilities assessment, ensure
that all Fire and Police
Department staff who may be
assigned the role of incident
commander at an
emergency/disaster scene have
received incident Commander
training; and ensure that
employee training records are
securely maintained.

All Hazards OES/Fire and Police Local
Budget
Short-term/Ongoing High
SC-10* Monitor local availability of
upcoming training opportunities
for city staff regarding incident
staffing, disaster response, and
recovery.

All Hazards All City Departments Local
Budget
Short-term/Ongoing Medium
SC-11* Continue to conduct EOC
tabletop exercise(s) to evaluate
capabilities and train employees
in their assigned EOC role(s).

All Hazards OES Local
Budget,
UASI,
HSGP
Long-term Medium
SC-12* Develop and exercise a Disaster
Debris Management Plan.

Dam Failure,
Earthquake, Flood,
Heavy
Precipitation /
Atmospheric River,
Extreme
Heat/Extreme
Cold, High Wind
CMO/OES/Public
Works/SVP
Local
Budget,
UASI,
HSGP
Long-term Medium
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 55
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
SC-13* Enhance public education and
awareness of natural and
manmade hazards in the
community and public
understanding of disaster
preparedness, including foreign
language translations. 1
All Hazards,
including Flood,
Heavy Rain, High
Wind, Extreme
Heat, Drought,
Dam Failure,
Wildfire,
Earthquake,
All City Departments Local
Budget,
UASI
Long-term High
SC-14* Develop improved capabilities to
incorporate GIS technology by all
departments into services
provided to the public and for use
during emergency/disaster
incidents.

Dam Failure,
Earthquake, Flood
Wildfire
OES Local
Budget,
PDM
Long-term High
SC-15* Conduct a test of emergency
communications and information
systems interoperability, to
establish baseline capabilities for
employee call-back,
communications between the
EOC and incident command, and
communications with the
Operational Area and Mutual Aid
resources.

All Hazards Communications /
OES
Local
Budget,
UASI,
HSGP
Long-term Medium
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 56
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
SC-16* Conduct a gap analysis of the
Santa Clara City
Emergency/Disaster
preparedness and response
program, to include a
comprehensive review of
employee training requirements
and needs, plans and
procedures, EOC equipment and
staffing capabilities, and related
analysis.

All Hazards OES Local
Budget,
HSGP
Long-term Medium
SC-17* Acquire a mobile Emergency
Operations Center.

All Hazards OES Local
Budget,
UASI,
HSGP
Long-term Low
SC-18* Develop unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV/drone) capability for hazard
mitigation surveys and post-
disaster damage assessments,
and develop policies, procedures,
and staff training guidelines for
UAV use.

Dam Failure, Flood
Earthquake, Heavy
Precipitation /
Atmospheric River,
Extreme
Heat/Extreme
Cold, High Wind
OES/Fire, Police Local
Budget,
PDM,
HMGP
Long-term Medium
SC-19* Enhance Fire Department field
inspection system using portable
computers for engine company
inspections and Fire Prevention
inspections, to integrate
inspections, re-inspections,
invoicing, permits, CUPA and
business license data.

All Hazards Fire Local
Budget
Ongoing/Short-term Medium
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 57
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
SC-20* Conduct seismic and functional
assessment of Emergency
Operations Center.

All Hazards,
including
Earthquake
OES/Fire Local
Budget,
HMGP,
PDM
Ongoing/Short-term Medium
SC-21* Acquire emergency generators
for the City’s critical facilities,
specifically Fire Stations 5,7,8
and 9. Citywide Generator
Replacement Program includes
Water well, water tanks, Sewer
Pump Stations, and Storm Pump
Station Sites.

All Hazards,
including Flood,
Heavy Rain, High
Wind, Extreme
Heat, Drought,
Dam Failure,
Wildfire,
Earthquake
Public Works, Water
and Sewer Utilities
Local
Budget,
PDM,
HMGP
Short-term High
SC-22* Maintain and improve Water and
Sewer Utilities, as necessary, to
ensure systems are able to
maintain their functionality in
response to potential hazards
such as drought, flood, or
earthquakes.

Drought, Flood,
Earthquake, Dam
Failure
Water and Sewer
Utilities
Local
Budget,
PDM,
HMGP
Long-term Medium
SC-23* Integrate climate change and
natural hazards planning into
current city plan revisions and
future planning initiatives.

All Hazards,
including Drought,
Extreme Heat,
Wildfire, Heavy
Rain, High Wind,
Flood
Community
Development
Local
Budget
Ongoing/Medium-term Medium
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 58
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
SC-24* Develop and maintain a
landscape design manual to
provide general guidance and
education to the public on water
efficiency in landscaping and to
serve as a resource for water
efficient landscape design and
installation in compliance with the
State Water Efficiency
Landscape Ordinance (as
amended), including lists of
recommended site appropriate
native and drought-tolerant plant
species.

Drought Community
Development/Water
& Sewer Utilities
Local
Budget
Ongoing/Medium-term High
SC-25* Continue to improve the City’s
bike network in coordination with
partner agencies, such as the
Valley Transportation Authority.

All Hazards Public Works and
Community
Development
Local
Budget
Ongoing Medium
SC-27* Continue to implement and
monitor the current 2022 Climate
Action Plan (CAP) and prepare a
comprehensive update to the
CAP to comply with slate
greenhouse gas reduction
targets. Include adaptation
strategies within the updated
CAP.

All Hazards All City Departments Local
Budget
Ongoing/Medium-
Term
Medium
SC-28* Increase situational awareness
capacity in the EOC by
expanding GIS resources and
providing air to ground
communications.

All Hazards OES/Police Local
Budget,
PDM
Ongoing Medium
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 59
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
SC-29* Secure all critical infrastructure in
the EOC, the EOC perimeter,
and immediate vicinity.

All Hazards OES/ Police Local
Budget,
PDM
Long-term High
SC-31* Restore the original storage
capacity of the Eastside
Retention Basin to hold additional
storm water and reduce flooding
risk by desilting the basin.

Flood, Heavy Rain Public Works Local
Budget
Long-term Low
SC-32* Laurelwood Storm Pump Station
Rehabilitation: The Project will
modify existing headworks of the
wet well, replace existing pumps
with new, replace pump controls,
improve station configuration,
and rehabilitate existing building
structure to meet current building
codes. The proposed
improvements will help the
station to meet or exceed the
station capacity and improve
efficiency.

All hazards,
including Flood,
Heavy Rain
Public Works Local
Budget
Long-term Medium
1 Complete Anna Drive Storm
Drain Improvement Project.

Flood, Heavy Rain Public Works General
Fund
Short term High
2 Complete Bowers Avenue Storm
Drain Pump Station
Improvement.

Flood, Heavy Rain Public Works General
Fund
Short term High
3 Complete slide gates upgrades
or replacement and number slide
gates at various locations
throughout the City to assist with
pump station operations.

Flood, Heavy Rain Public Works General
Fund
Short term Med
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 60
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
4 Conduct curb and gutter repairs
or replacement.

Flood, Heavy
Precipitation /
Atmospheric River,
High Wind
Public Works General
Fund,
Bond
Measure
Short-term/Ongoing Low
5 Maintain the urban forest by
pruning healthy trees, removing
unhealthy trees and replenish
and expand it by planting and
watering new trees.

Climate Change,
Drought, Flood,
Heavy Rain,
High Wind,
Extreme Heat,
Wildfire/Smoke/Air
Quality
Public Works General
Fund
Ongoing/Short-term Medium
6 Conduct condition assessment of
storm drain pump station outfalls
and complete associated repair
work.

Flood,
Heavy Rain,
Atmospheric
Rivers
Public Works General
Fund,
Bond
Measure
Short term Medium
7 Maintain gas collection system
and ground water monitoring
wells at the closed all purpose
landfill.

Climate Change,
Wildfire/Smoke/Air
Quality
Public Works Solid
Waste
Fund,
General
Fund
Ongoing/Short-term High
8 Remove dead and overgrown
vegetation from the Tasman
Drainage Swale.

Drought, Wildfire,
Flood
Public Works General
Fund
Ongoing/Short-term Medium
9 Complete Storm Drain
Improvement projects (highest
priorities projects) as identified in
the City's storm drain master
plan.

Flood, Heavy Rain Public Works General
Fund
Ongoing/Medium-term High
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 61
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
10 Complete the Eastside Retention
Basin Desilting Project.

Flood, Heavy Rain Public Works General
Fund,
Bond
Measure
Short term Medium
11 Continue to identify and utilize
facilities as appropriate for
community information, respite &
distribution centers in the case of
severe hazards and
emergencies.

Climate Change,
Drought, Flood,
Heavy
Precipitation /
Atmospheric River,
Extreme
Heat/Extreme
Cold, High Wind,
Wildfire/Air Quality
OES General
Fund
Ongoing/Medium-term Medium
12 Conduct drought public education
and outreach.

Drought,
Heavy Rain, Heavy
Wind, Extreme
Heat
Water & Sewer
Utilities
Utility
rates
funded
Ongoing/Short-term High
13 Remove tree vegetation near
power lines.

Heavy
Precipitation /
Atmospheric River,
Extreme
Heat/Extreme
Cold, High Wind,
Wildfire/Air Quality
SVP Utility
rates
funded
Ongoing/Short-term High
14 Upgrade aged infrastructure for
major electric receiving stations.

Heavy
Precipitation /
Atmospheric River,
Extreme
Heat/Extreme
Cold, High Wind,
Wildfire/Air Quality
SVP Utility
rates and
Developer
funded
Mid-term High
Santa Clara County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pla n Volume 2: City of Santa Clara 62
Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
15 Ensure sufficient electrical back-
up is available for emergency
response.

Heavy
Precipitation /
Atmospheric River,
Extreme
Heat/Extreme
Cold, High Wind,
Wildfire/Air Quality
SVP Utility
rates
funded
Long term High
16 In coordination with the results of
the City's Pedestrian Masterplan
and draft ADA Transition Plan,
enhance pedestrian safety by
studying and implementing
improvements at uncontrolled
crosswalks in Santa Clara and
improving existing pedestrian
infrastructure.

Transportation
Incidents
Public Works City Gas
Tax or
Grants
Long term Medium
17 In coordination with the results of
the City's Pedestrian Masterplan
and draft ADA Transition Plan,
complete sidewalk network
repairs & gaps within Santa
Clara.

Transportation
Incidents
Public Works City Gas
Tax or
Grants
Long term Medium
18 Eliminate the use of potable
water for non-domestic uses by
extending current recycled water
lines throughout the city,
Pipeline Hazards Water & Sewer
Utilities
Utility
rates
Long term Medium
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Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
19 Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA) system
expansion will allow authorized
water technicians to be able to
monitor and operate pumps and
valves remotely. During an
emergency, this can mean
reducing hours of a potential
response time, mitigating and
possibly eliminating damage and
potential emergencies.

Pipeline Hazards Water & Sewer
Utilities
Utility
rates
Mid term High
20 Conduct a tabletop exercise that
supports the Emergency
Response Plan (water and Sewer
dept only).

Pipeline Hazards Water & Sewer
Utilities
Utility
rates
Mid Term Medium
21 Address gaps in data and
missing information within this
Annex for the next plan update.

All Hazards,
including Flood,
Heavy Rain, High
Wind, Extreme
Heat, Drought,
Dam Failure,
Wildfire,
Earthquake
All Departments General
fund
Short term Medium
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Action Item
Number Action Item Description Hazard(s)
Mitigated
Lead Position,
Office, Department,
or Division
Responsible for
Implementation
Potential
Funding
Sources
Expected Timeline
for Completion Priority
22 Identify facilities to serve as
warming or cooling centers/short-
term severe weather shelters in
an effort to reduce loss of life.

Assist vulnerable populations by
facilitating and also notifying
them about warming
centers/cooling centers (a short-
term emergency shelter that
operates when temperatures or a
combination of precipitation, wind
chill, wind, and temperature
become dangerously inclement).

Heavy
Precipitation, High
Wind, Extreme
Heat/Extreme Cold
OES General
Fund
Ongoing/Medium-term Medium
* Number given to action item in 2017 Santa Clara County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan 1 This type of public education and awareness mitigation action reflects a whole community approach to hazard mitigation. The whole community approach acknowledges the fact that one agency or entity cannot be responsible for emergency management alone but that everyone can play a role in reducing risk and creating a resilient community. By empowering residents, including underserved and vulnerable populations, and private sector partners with the information they need to make risk-based mitigation decisions, the community will help reduce to new and existing structures and infrastructure.

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Figure 6: Santa Clara Critical Facilities

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Figure 7: City of Santa Clara Critical Infrastructure

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Figure 8: City of Santa Clara Flood Hazard Area Map

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Figure 9: City of Santa Clara Deep-Seated Landslide Susceptibility

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Figure 10: City of Santa Clara Liquefaction Susceptibility

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Figure 11: City of Santa Clara Fire Hazard Severity Zones

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Figure 12: City of Santa Clara Wildfire Hazard Classification

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Figure 13: City of Santa Clara Wildfire Risk to Structures