Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Project

The City of Westminster is preparing an update to its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). This plan will help create a safer community for residents, businesses, and visitors. The LHMP allows public safety officials, City staff, elected officials, and members of the public to understand and plan for the threats from natural and human-caused hazards that affect our community. The plan will also recommend specific actions to proactively decrease these threats before disasters occur.

View the LHMP Fact Sheet (PDF) for a quick overview of the plan and how to get involved.

Why have an LHMP?

Better planning for the future: An LHMP will help Westminster better plan for future emergencies. After any disaster occurs, a community must take steps to recover from the emergency and rebuild. An LHMP is a way for our City to better prepare in advance for these disasters—so that less damage occurs, and recovery is easier. Our community can use LHMP strategies in advance to reduce future instances of property damage, injury, and loss of life from disasters. An LHMP can also help build a safer community by strengthening the mission of public safety officers, such as police and fire department staff, by providing them with clear roles and responsibilities during disaster efforts.

Saving the community money: In addition to protecting public health and safety, this planning approach can save the community money. Studies estimate that every dollar spent on proactive mitigation saves an average of four dollars on response and recovery costs.

Maintaining state and federal assistance opportunities: Having a current, adopted LHMP allows Westminster to maintain eligibility for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that can be used to further improve safety and preparedness in the community. Having this LHMP can also provide eligibility for the City to receive more financial assistance from the State when disasters occur.

What is in our LHMP?

The updated City of Westminster LHMP will include four main sections:

1. A summary of the natural and human-caused hazards that pose a risk to our community.
2. An assessment of the threat to Westminster, which will describe how our community is vulnerable to future disasters.
3. A hazard mitigation strategy, which will lay out specific policy recommendations for Westminster to carry out over the next five years.
4. A section on maintaining the plan, which will help ensure that our LHMP is kept up-to-date.

What hazards will our LHMP help protect against?

The City plans to include the following natural hazards in the LHMP:

• Drought
• Extreme Heat
• Seismic Hazards
• Severe Weather (Wind/Rain)
• Liquefaction
• Disease / Pest Management
• Flood
• Dam Failure
• Hazardous Materials

The LHMP will also examine how climate change may affect each of these hazards and also include other hazards that threaten our community.

How is our LHMP being prepared?

The City has assembled a Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee, which includes representatives from City departments and is supported by both key stakeholders and technical consultants. Together, these participants form the project team responsible for guiding the overall development of our LHMP.

When will our LHMP be done?

The project team plans to release a Public Review Draft LHMP in December 2026. After members of the public provide comments and feedback, the City will revise the plan and send it to both the California Office of Emergency Services and FEMA for review and approval. Once approved by these agencies, the Westminster City Council will adopt the final LHMP.

How can I get involved?

You can get involved in the LHMP preparation in several different ways.

• The City will have public engagement opportunities to share information about our LHMP and obtain direct community feedback. Stay tuned for these opportunities!
• The City will release an online survey to members of the public in September 2026, asking for information about past experience with natural hazards and suggestions for how our LHMP can be the most useful. Take our survey when it comes out (and encourage your friends and family to do the same)!
• The City will release a draft of the completed LHMP for public review. Please review and provide comments on this document, either at in-person meetings or in writing.
• Encourage members of the Westminster City Council to adopt the plan and begin implementing it.
• Reach out to the project team leader for more ways to stay involved.

Anna Burton, Emergency Services Coordinator
aburton@westminster-ca.gov
714-898-4664

What can I do now to be better prepared for disasters?

• Know the hazards that may affect you at home, work, or school. You can find out more at myhazards.caloes.ca.gov.
• Assemble an emergency kit for your home. In a disaster, you may have to rely on supplies in your emergency kit for at least three days. Be sure to include supplies for any pets and anyone in your home with special needs. Learn more at ready.gov/kit.
• Have a disaster plan for your household, including how people should contact each other if a disaster occurs and where you should meet.
• Learn about your neighbors and how to help them. In a disaster, emergency responders may not be able to reach your neighborhood for a while. Know if your neighbors have any special needs and check on them as soon as possible.
• Make sure your homeowner's or renter's insurance covers you from disasters such as earthquakes and floods. If these disasters occur, having good insurance coverage will help you recover more easily.
• Volunteer with an emergency response or community service organization that does work on disaster education and preparation.
• Speak to your employer about creating a disaster recovery, workforce communication, and/or business continuity plan. If they already have one or more of these plans in place, make sure you and your co-workers know it.