Santa Monica City Council
November 18, 2025

LOCAL HAZARD

MITIGATION
PLAN
2025 UPDATE

COUNCIL UPDATE
NOVEMBER 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
 Public Safety Communications
 9-1-1 and Public Safety Call Answering
 Police, Fire, EMS Dispatching
 Alerts and Warning
 Emergency Services & Preparedness
 Emergency Mitigation & Response Plans
 Disaster Cache
 Staff and Community Education
 Emergency Operations Center Operations
Office of Emergency Management
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
 Raise awareness of local hazards and risks
 Identify hazard mitigation actions to help reduce losses  Communicate priorities
 Follow equitable process that ensures resources are
available to those that need them the most
 Align with other community objectives as described in other planning documents (especially the Safety
Element of the General Plan)
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
City Departments
 City Attorney’s Office
 Office of Emergency
Management
 Building & Safety
 City Planning
 Transportation
 Fire
 Housing & Human Services
 Police
 Engineering & Street Services
 Office of Sustainability &
Environment
 Airport
 Rent Control
Planning Team
Valued Partners
 City of Los Angeles,
Emergency Management Department
 County of Los Angeles, Office
of Emergency Management
 Santa Monica College
 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District
 UCLA Health
 Providence Saint John’s Health
Center
 American Red Cross
 Westside Food Bank
 Downtown Santa Monica
 Santa Monica Chamber of
Commerce
 Santa Monica Travel &
Tourism
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Planning Process
Development of
Resilience
Planning
Committee
July 2023
Hazard
Research
Public Survey
January 2024
Public
Workshops
Spring 2024
Department/
Committee
Chapter
Review
Safety Element
Adoption
February 2025
Public
Comment
Period
Sept 2025
Planning,
Life/Safety &
Sustainability
Commissions
October 2025
Council
Adoption
November 2025
Cal OES
Review
FEMA
Review/
Approval
Implementation
Planning
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
 December 2022, March 2023 Atmospheric Rivers
 August 2023 Tropical Storm Hilary
 February 2024 Atmospheric River
 December 2024 Franklin Fire
 January 2025 Palisades & Eaton Fires
 Wildfire, Climate Change & Mitigation Actions
revised
 July 2025 Tsunami Advisory (Off-shore Russian earthquake) Natural Hazard Incidents
During Planning
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Volume I: Action Plan
 Executive Summary
 Spanish Version
Available
 Introduction
 Community Profile
 Risk Assessment
 Goals & Action Items
 Plan Maintenance
Key Components
Volume II: Hazard
Specific Information
 Earthquakes
 Tsunamis
 Floods
 Landslides
 Wildfires & Urban
Fires
 Climate Change &
Severe Weather
 Hazardous Materials
Management
 Airport Hazards
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Volume 3:

Appendices
 Master Resource Directory
 Public Participation Process
and Meeting Materials
 Economic Analysis of Natural
Hazard Mitigation Projects
 Acronyms
 Glossary
 California Disasters Since
1950
 Major Dams in LA County
 Plates (Maps)
 References
 City Council Adoption
Resolution
Key Components
Next Step – Pending
FEMA Grant
Approval
 Public Hazard
Education Tools
 Magazinestyle booklet
 Website
 Grant-funded
design,
translation,
printing
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
OEM’s Response-Focused Plans
 Multi-Hazard Emergency Operations Plan
 Tsunami
 Pier Emergency
 Civil Unrest
 Alert & Warning
 Brush Fire Evacuation
 City Facility Emergency Action Plans
 Department Procedures
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025

HAZARD ANALYSIS FINDINGS
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Greatest Risk
 Earthquake
 Tsunami
 Wildland Fire
 Flood Inundation
due to Dam
Failure
 Severe Weather
 Sea-Level Rise
Summary
Lower Risk
 Coastal Flooding
 Landslide
 Structure Fires
 Hazardous
Materials Release
 Airport Crashes
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Risk Assessment Data
 HazUS (Hazards US)
 FEMA GIS-based risk assessment software
 Estimate risk of earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, and
floods
 Not available for wildfire, extreme heat, sea-level
rise
 HazUS analysis results presented to Resilience Planning Committee in January 2024
 Crisis Track tool used to estimate potential wildfire loss  Only reviews Santa Monica’s local impacts
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
 M 7.4 on Santa Monica fault
 M 7.2 on Newport-Inglewood
fault
 M 7.7 on the Palos Verdes
fault (tsunami scenario)
 M 7.8 on Southern San
Andreas fault (ShakeOut
scenario)
Earthquake
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Earthquake Risk Analysis Results
(using HazUS)
Santa
Monica
NewportInglewoodPalos
Verdes
San
Andreas*
Building Damage
Slight 10,543 7,557 2,881 506
Moderate 5,974 2,376 1,460 60
Extensive 1,511 364 677 4
Complete 675 60 269 0
Building Losses $3.41 B $1.01 B $1.47 B $31.09 M
Total Economic Loss $3.43 billion $1.02 billion $1.48 billion $33.13 million Injuries
Slight 279-1,002 55-167 48-186 1-3
Moderate 66-275 8-31 10-47 0
Severe 9-44 1-4 1-7 0
Fatalities 18-85 1-7 3-14 0
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Residential Building Loss as a
Percentage of Residential
Building Exposure
M7.4 Santa Monica EQ M7.2 Newport-Inglewood EQ
M7.7 Palos Verdes EQ M7.8 San Andreas EQ
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
M7.7 Palos Verdes EQ M7.8 San Andreas EQ
M7.4 Santa Monica EQ M7.2 Newport-Inglewood EQ
M7.7 Palos Verdes EQ M7.8 San Andreas EQ
Commercial Building Loss
as a Percentage of
Commercial Building
Exposure
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
 Local sources
• Offshore faults
• Submarine landslides
 Long distance sources (tele-tsunamis)
• Alaska
• Central and South America
• Other
Tsunami
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Scenario: Tele-tsunami originating
in Alaska with 20-foot run-up
Statewide Tsunami
Inundation Map
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Component Results
Exposed
Population
(does not include
visitors)
Under 65 729 - 1,857
65 and Over 119 - 166
Total 848 - 2,023
Casualties Fatalities 80 - 931
Injuries 80 - 545
Total 160 - 1,476
Damaged
Buildings
Complete Loss 3
Building Losses $18.25 - $182.6 million
Casualty ranges represent community preparedness levels of “Good” and “Fair” Tsunami Risk Analysis Results
(using HazUS)
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Inundation Due to
Stone Canyon
Dam Failure
(Genterra Consultants, 2018)
Flooding
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
HazUS
Estimated Residential
Building Losses (in $)

0.00 – 233,000.00
233,000.01 – 916,000.00
916,000.01 – 2,573,000.00
2,573,000.01 – 5,135,000.00
5,135,000.01 – 10,509,000.00
Flooding Boundaries
• Centinela Ave from Colorado
Ave to Ocean Park Blvd
• 30th Street & Pearl St
• Yorkshire Ave & Urban Ave
• Stewart St & Kansas Ave
• Cloverfield Blvd & 26th St
• 26th St & Colorado Ave
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
HazUS
Estimated Commercial
Building Losses (in $)

0.00 – 9,000.00
9,000.01 – 69,000.00
69,000.01 – 378,000.00
378,000.01 – 1,155,000.00
1,155,000.01 – 3,590,000.00
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Stone Canyon Dam Risk Analysis Results
(using HazUS)
 Moderate Damage: 214 buildings
 205 residential
• 7 commercial
• 2 industrial
 Destroyed:
 23 residential buildings
 No essential facilities impacted
 Displaced: 464 households (1,393 people)
 59 people require public shelter
 Building losses: $56M – $120 million
 Total building-related economic losses: $227 million
 Area impacted has higher social vulnerability ranking Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Pre-Palisades Fire
California Fire
Hazard Severity
Zones (FHSZ)
Very High Hazard in a
Local Responsibility Area
Additional Wildfire Impacts:

Transportation
Health (smoke, ashes, stress)
Pre-2025 Wildland Fire Hazard
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Palisades Fire Impact
Property Damage
Destroyed: +6,800
Major: 72
Minor: 171
Affected: 732
No Damage: +4,300
ArcGIS - Palisades Fire
Structure Status Map
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Post-Palisades Fire
2025 California Fire
Hazard Severity
Zones (FHSZ)
• Crisis Track Data
• If all properties were uniformly impacted,
property damage to 1,715 structures would
range from $60 Million - $660 Million
• Northeastern section of the city has higher
density of persons with disabilities and over 65
years old
Very High Hazard
High Hazard
Moderate Hazard
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Source: R. Ehlers, 2022, Climate Change Impacts Across California: Cross Cutting Issues:

The Legislatives Analyst’s Office, April.

Impacts of
Climate Change
 Difficult to measure but
potentially in the billions
of $
 Dependent on our
ability to reduce
greenhouse gas
emissions
Climate Change Hazards
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Impacts of Sea-Level Rise
 Infrastructure, beaches, homes and
businesses at risk
 Costs of sea-level rise by 2100 if not
abated:
• Public damage: $8.4 million
• Private damage: $22.7 million
• Non-market losses: $816.4 million
• Total: $847.5 million
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025

MITIGATION ACTION ITEMS
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Five-Year Mitigation Action Plan
Mitigation Actions
• Measures, projects, plans or activities proposed to
reduce identified vulnerabilities
• Developed and prioritized by Resilience Planning
Committee
• After Palisades Fire and new state fire hazard maps, city leaders identified additional wildfire mitigation
strategies
• Progress monitored by OEM
• Status update provided in next LHMP
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Constraints to Implementation
• Funding
• Reduced capital improvement budget
• Grant instability and competition
• Staff capacity to implement
• Competing public interests
• Regulatory hurdles
• Unforeseen events
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Local Planning
Recommended Action
Item
Summarized Description Department(s)
Responsible
Water Deconfliction
Planning
Identify strategies for immediate and long-term local
potable water services during disaster events, such as
seismic events, wildfire or drought. Identify water
deconfliction strategy to prioritize water usage during emergencies (i.e. recreational pools vs. firefighting needs) Public Works
Evacuation Planning Assess Santa Monica’s transportation network and multimodal citywide evacuation routes identified by the City’s revised Safety Element. Create a citywide evacuation plan to meet anticipated demand during emergency events,
such as tsunami, dam inundation, or wildfire. Plan to include evacuation considerations for persons with access and
functional needs, including those without access to private transportation, and persons living in assisted living and highrise buildings. Publicize to the community.

Office of Emergency
Management
Transportation
Police
Santa Monica Airport (SMO)
Design
In the planning of the Santa Monica Airport space, ensure that emergency preparedness, mitigation, and response
features are included, such as the storage of disaster cache supplies and space for emergency operations
(owned/operated and available for use by public safety
departments).

City Manager’s Office
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Expand on Existing
Evacuation Activities
• Safety Element pages 3-11 –
3-17
• Expand on evacuation
protocols in Tsunami
Playbook and Traffic Services
Brushfire Evacuation Plan
• DOT, SMPD, OEM, CDD SMEs
conducted evaluation of
hazard zone, evacuation
routes
• Single egress parcels
identified
• Routes identified based on
historic traffic capacity,
signals, detour opportunities
• Tsunami, Stone Canyon,
Wildfire evacuation routes
• Separate maps per hazard
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Local Assessment & Regulations
Recommended Action
Item
Summarized Description Department(s)
Responsible
Santa Monica Bluffs and I-10
Freeway Slope & Brush Fire
Mitigation
Continue to inspect and monitor Santa Monica coastal
bluffs and I-10 Freeway slope stability and brush
overgrowth. Where necessary, implement actions needed
to mitigation land instability, especially during rain and seismic events, and clear brush and other debris to mitigate brush fires.

Public Works
Fire
Red Flag Warning
Restrictions
Implement policy that during any Red Flag Warning,
restrictive measures will be implemented to reduce fire ignition opportunities and facilitate rapid first responder response activities. Restrictions to be considered include, but are not limited to, parking restrictions in Very High hazard zones and evacuate routes and
construction/landscaping activity bans.

Fire
Office of Emergency
Management
Resilient City Facility Design
Standards
Implement and enhance a set of design standards for Cityowned and/or City/tenant-operated facilities, both to ensure their operability post-disaster and to protect
occupants. Prioritize seismic retrofits of public
infrastructure and facilities to minimize potential damage, ensure protection of vulnerable populations, and continuity of government operations.

Public Works
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Structure & Infrastructure
Recommended Action
Item
Summarized Description Department(s)
Responsible
Water Infrastructure
Seismic Assessment
Examine water system resistance to local seismic hazards, especially water infrastructure that crosses potential
liquefaction zones and areas where traces or projections of the Santa Monica fault have been mapped. Consider
retrofitting older water pipelines and other strategies to address identified seismic vulnerability.

Public Works
Back-Up Utilities Identify and create program to implement critical, utility back-up systems at City facilities and essential/emergency community facilities, including but not limited to microgrids, solar + storage, and other back-up sustainable utility
resources.

Public Works
City Manager’s Office
Tsunami Alerting System Implement overhead paging at Santa Monica Pier with ability to provide tsunami alerts and evacuation directions.

Complete assessment of other communications tools, such as, but not limited to digital kiosks and siren systems, to widely distribute tsunami education and imminent threat alerts and warnings along Santa Monica’s coastal areas.

Regularly test communications systems during
earthquake/tsunami preparedness events.

Office of Emergency
Management
Police
Community Development
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Natural Systems Improvement
Recommended Action
Item
Summarized Description Department(s)
Responsible
Natural Dune Restoration
Expansion
To protect beaches and beach-front properties from
erosion, sea level rise, and coastal flooding, continue to expand and maintain Natural Dune Beach Restoration
projects. By the end of 2029, the goal would be to have at least 50 acres of established beach dunes.

City Manager’s Office
Food Resilience through
Community Gardening
Increase production of food grown and donated from Cityowned community gardens to local organizations to increase food resilience of vulnerable Santa Monica
residents through the expansion of additional community garden space.

City Manager’s Office
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Education & Awareness
Recommended Action
Item
Summarized Description Department(s)
Responsible
Inclusive Emergency
Communications
Conduct emergency response, mitigation, and
preparedness outreach in multiple languages to better
reach diverse Santa Monica communities, including
international tourists and persons with access and
functional needs. Create standards for emergency
response messaging to ensure it meets standards in the
City’s Language Access Administrative Instruction.

Office of Emergency
Management
City Manager’s Office
Local Wildfire Safety
Education
Develop education campaign on mandatory wildfire safety practices, such as defensible space standards and wildland urban interface building codes, required for areas of Santa Monica within the 2025 State-identified Very High Fire
Hazard Severity Zone.

Fire
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
City Readiness
Recommended Action
Item
Summarized Description Department(s)
Responsible
Expand Critical Emergency
Management Technologies
Expand City GIS mapping, staffing, training, and tools to better facilitate emergency planning and response
activities, including use of public education/
communications. Expand on cloud infrastructure, data
servers, and staffing to support the implementation,
execution, and maintenance of critical technologies to
support first responders. Continue adopting evacuation
mapping technology to improve awareness of city
evacuation zones, hazard areas, and assist with prompt
implementation of evacuation and shelter-in-place
directions during emergencies.

Information Services
Office of Emergency
Management
Fire
Police
Public Works
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Approval Timeline
Task Approximate Timeline
Public Comment August – September 2025
Building & Fire-Life Safety Commission October 8, 2025
Planning Commission October 15, 2025
Environment & Sustainability
Commission
October 20, 2025
City Council Review & Adoption November 18, 2025
Submit Plan to Cal OES & FEMA for
Approval
December – January 2025
City Council Adoption of Any Edits February – April 2026 Initiate Accessible Plan Design Upon FEMA Approval
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Feedback &
Questions
[email protected]
SantaMonica.gov/Safety-Element-Update
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025
Item 4-S
November 18, 2025