Help Berkeley prepare for natural hazards and disasters

Attend an upcoming workshop to give feedback on a draft plan for how Berkeley can prepare for wildfires, earthquakes and other natural hazards.

The plan, known as a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, identifies the hazards Berkeley faces and prioritizes city and community actions to reduce risks — which are increasing in severity and likelihood due to climate change.

There are three ways you can help shape the plan:

• Read the first draft
• Attend in-person workshops June 3 and July 20
• Email comments to mitigation@berkeleyca.gov by July 31

The draft plan also strives to address how the city can better serve underserved populations, marginalized groups, and those with access or functional needs during natural hazards.

Join us to help develop a more complete understanding of the hazards facing Berkeley as well as actions that can reduce risk and increase resilience.

IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS JUNE 3 + JULY 20

Each workshop will begin with a short presentation on the 2024 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, followed by discussions with city staff about Berkeley’s natural hazards. The workshops will cover city, individual and household actions to reduce risks.

Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Public Review Workshop #1
Monday, June 3, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Berkeley Central Library, The Commons
2090 Kittredge St., First Floor

Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Public Review Workshop #2
Saturday, July 20, 10 a.m. to noon
South Berkeley Library Branch, Community Meeting Room
1901 Russell St.

Share feedback on the first draft of the plan at the workshops or by email (mitigation@berkeleyca.gov) by July 31. Your input will inform projects to protect Berkeley from natural hazards and support our community’s efforts to mitigate risk.

After incorporating the input, city staff will submit the updated draft to state and federal partners for review and aim to finalize the plan by the end of 2024.

OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

If you can’t attend either workshop, get involved:

• Watch videos related to the plan
• Email comments to mitigation@berkeleyca.gov
• Share feedback at the Planning Commission meeting June 5
• Share feedback at the Disaster & Fire Safety Commission meeting June 26

A PLAN TO REDUCE NATURAL HAZARD RISKS

Our Local Hazard Mitigation Plan is a comprehensive analysis of the natural hazards that can impact Berkeley, including earthquakes, wildfires and poor air quality. The plan also outlines city actions to reduce risk.

For the first time, it will list actions you can take to reduce personal risk as well as help our collective mitigation efforts.  

All local governments are required to update their Local Hazard Mitigation Plans every five years. An updated plan ensures the city is eligible for state and federal disaster assistance and mitigation grants, like the ones that fund our seismic retrofit programs.

The 2019 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan identified a number of priority projects that are now complete, including retrofitting the North Berkeley Senior Center and expanding the number of inspected properties in Fire Zones 2 and 3.

Everyone can take steps today to prepare for natural hazard risks:

• Bolt down furniture to protect your family from earthquake damage
• Make your Household Fire Weather Plan
• Store water (7 gallons per person) to support your family during an emergency
• Get emergency alerts from the city by signing up for AC Alert

This plan is one of several projects the Berkeley Fire Department is leading to better ready our community for disasters, including disaster preparedness courses (subscribe for updates) and managing our Alert and Warnings systems, including an Outdoor Warning System launched last year.

Send questions or comments to mitigation@berkeleyca.gov. Most of all, join us for our meetings on June 3 and July 20 to give input about our 2024 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

LINKS

• Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
• June 3 workshop: review Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
• July 20 workshop: review Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Disaster Preparedness Resources

This story originally appeared on the city of Berkeley website. Keep up with city updates via the city's website, email, Instagram and X.