City of Chino Hills Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
March 2011
Primary Point of Contact Jonathan Marshall Community Services Director
Table of Contents
Section 1 - Introduction ...... p. 7 1.1 Purpose of the Plan ...... p. 7 1.2 Authority ...... p. 7 1.3 Community Profile ...... p. 7 1.3.1 Physical Setting ...... p. 7 1.3.2 History ...... p. 8 1.3.3 Demographics ...... p. 9 1.3.4 Existing Land Use ...... p. 10 1.3.5 Development Trends ...... p. 11
Section 2 - Plan Adoption ...... p. 12 2.1 Adoption by Local Governing Body ...... p. 12 2.2 Promulgation Authority ...... p. 12 2.3 Primary Point of Contact ...... p. 12
Section 3 - Planning Process ...... p. 13 3.1 Preparing for the Plan ...... p. 13 3.1.1 Planning Team ...... p. 13 3.2 Coordination with Other Jurisdictions, Agencies, and Organizations ...... p. 15 3.3 Public Involvement/Outreach ...... p. 17 3.3.1 Public Meetings ...... p. 17 3.4 Assess the Hazard ...... p. 19 3.5 Set Goals ...... p. 19 3.6 Review and Propose Mitigation Measures ...... p. 20 3.7 Draft the Hazard Mitigation Plan ...... p. 22 3.8 Adopt the Plan ...... p. 22
Section 4 - Risk Assessment ...... p. 23 4.1 Hazard Identification ...... p. 23 4.1.1 Hazard Screening Criteria ...... p. 23 4.1.2 Hazard Assessment Matrix ...... p. 24 4.1.3 Hazard Prioritization ...... p. 26 4.2 Hazard Profile ...... p. 27 4.2.1 Wildfire ...... p. 27 4.2.1.1 Hazard Definition for Wildfire ...... p. 27 4.2.1.2 Fire Hazard Severity ...... p. 28 4.2.1.3 Historical Profile ...... p. 29 4.2.1.4 Hazard Summary for Wildfire ...... p. 29 4.2.2 Earthquakes ...... p. 31 4.2.2.1 Hazard Definition for Earthquake ...... p. 31 4.2.2.2 Geologic Setting ...... p. 32 4.2.2.3 Earthquake Related Hazards ...... p. 33 4.2.2.4 Historical Profile ...... p. 34 4.2.2.5 Hazard Summary for Earthquake...... p. 35 4.2.3 Flooding/Winter Storms ...... p. 37 4.2.3.1 Hazard Definition for Flooding ...... p. 37 4.2.3.2 Identification of Flood-prone Areas ...... p. 40 4.2.3.3 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) ...... p. 42 4.2.3.4 Historical Profile ...... p. 42 4.3 Inventory Assets ...... p. 44
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4.3.1 Population ...... p. 44 4.3.2 Buildings ...... p. 44 4.3.3 Critical Facility List ...... p. 45 4.4 Vulnerability Assessment...... p. 49 4.4.1 Methodology ...... p. 50 4.4.2 Results for Wildfire ...... p. 50 4.4.3 Results for Earthquake ...... p. 54 4.4.4 Results for Flood ...... p. 63
Section 5 - Community Capability Assessment… ...... p. 64 5.1 Agencies and People ...... p. 64 5.2 Existing Plans ...... p. 67 5.3 Regulations, Codes, Policies, and Ordinances ...... p. 68 5.4 Mitigation Programs ...... p. 69 5.5 Fiscal Resources ...... p. 70
Section 6 - Mitigation Strategies ...... p. 73 6.1 Overview ...... p. 73 6.2 Mitigation 5-Year Progress Report ...... p. 73 6.3 Mitigation Goals, Objectives, and Projects ...... p. 74 6.3.1 Emergency Preparedness Goals...... p. 74 6.3.2. Wildfire ...... p. 76 6.3.2 Earthquake ...... p. 77 6.3.3 Flood ...... p. 77 6.4 Mitigation Priorities ...... p. 78 6.5 Implementation Strategy ...... p. 78
Section 7 - Plan Maintenance ...... p. 80 7.1 Monitoring, Evaluating and Updating the Plan ...... p. 80 7.2 Implementation through Existing Programs ...... p. 80 7.3 Continued Public Involvement ...... p. 80
Appendix A……...... p. 81 A.1. List of San Bernardino County Stakeholders Planning Group ...... p. 82 A.2. Public Outreach Efforts for Hazard Mitigation Planning ...... p. 83
List of Figures Figure 1 – Regional Setting……...... p. 8 Figure 2 – Land Use Map ...... p. 11 Figure 3 – Earthquake Fault Zones ...... p. 25 Figure 4 – CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Map ...... p. 30 Figure 5 – City of Chino Hills – Very High Hazard Severity Zones...... p. 31 Figure 6 – Major California Faultsp. 33 Figure 7 – UCERF Earthquake Probability Mapping ...... p. 36 Figure 8 – City of Chino Hills – USGS Liquefaction Susceptibility Zones...... p. 37 Figure 9 – San Bernardino County FEMA Flood Hazard Area ...... p. 42 Figure 10 – City of Chino Hills FEMA Flood Hazard Area ...... p. 43 Figure 11 – Wildland Zoning ...... p. 52 Figure 12 – Fire Hazard Severity Zoning Scoring Structure...... p. 53 Figure 13 – HAZUS Methodology...... p. 55 Figure 14 – Shake Map for Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake – Southern San Andreas Fault ...... p. 59
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Figure 15 – Shake Map for Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake – San Jacinto Fault ...... p. 60 Figure 16 – Shake Map for Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake – Chino Hills Fault ...... p. 61 Figure 17 – City Departments and Staff Involved in Disaster Management ...... p. 66 Figure 18 – Stakeholders List ...... p. 82 Figure 19 – Chino Hills Website ...... p. 83 Figure 20 – Chino Hills Website Verbiage ...... p. 83 Figure 21 – Chino Hills HMP Press Release ...... p. 84 Figure 22 – 9/18/2010 Press Release – Champion Publications ...... p. 85
List of Tables Table 1 – Chino Hills Land Use Matrix……...... p. 10 Table 2 – Planning Team ...... p. 14 Table 3 – Planning Team Meetings ...... p. 15 Table 4 – Stakeholder Meetings ...... p. 16 Table 5 – Public Outreach ...... p. 18 Table 6 – City of Chino Hills Hazard Assessment Matrix ...... p. 26 Table 7 – Historic Wildfires in Chino Hills ...... p. 29 Table 8 – Southern California Earthquakes ...... p. 35 Table 9 – General Building Inventory ...... p. 45 Table 10 – Chino Hills Public and Private Schools ...... p. 47 Table 11 – Critical Facilities Exposure ...... p. 49 Table 12 – Earthquake Risk Assessment (Regional)...... p. 58 Table 13 – Other Agency Mitigation Programs ...... p. 70 Table 14 – Status of 2005 HMP Projects...... p. 74 Table 15 – 2011 Mitigation Projects Summary ...... p. 79
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Executive Summary
The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA; Public Law 106-390) was enacted to encourage and promote proactive, pre-disaster planning as a condition of receiving financial assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Act. The DMA emphasizes planning for disasters before they occur. Under the DMA a pre-disaster hazard mitigation program and new requirements for the national post-disaster hazard mitigation grant program (HMGP) were established.
The DMA encourages state and local authorities to work together on pre-disaster planning, and it promotes sustainability as a strategy for disaster resistance. “Sustainable hazard mitigation” includes the sound management of natural resources, local economic and social resiliency, and the recognition that hazards are mitigation must be understood in the largest possible social and economic context. The enhanced planning network called for by the DMA helps local governments articulate accurate needs for mitigation, resulting in faster allocation of funding and more cost-effective risk reduction projects.
Using this initiative as a foundation for proactive planning, the City of Chino Hills developed this hazard mitigation plan in an effort to reduce future loss of life and property resulting from disasters. It is impossible to predict exactly when and where disasters will occur or the extent to which they will impact the City. However, with careful planning and collaboration among public agencies, stakeholders, and citizens, it is possible to minimize losses that can occur from disasters.
Hazard mitigation is defined as a way to reduce or alleviate the loss of life, personal injury, and property damage that can result from a disaster through long- and short-term strategies. It involves strategies such as planning, policy changes, programs, projects, and other activities that can mitigate the impacts of hazards on the City of Chino Hills. The responsibility for hazard mitigation lies with many, including private property owners; business and industry; and local, state, and federal government.
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Section 1 – Introduction
1.1. Purpose of the Plan
Emergencies or disasters may cause death, leave people injured or displaced; cause significant damage to our communities, businesses, public infrastructure, and our environment; and cost tremendous amounts in terms of response and recovery dollars and economic loss.
Hazard mitigation reduces or eliminates losses of life and property. After disasters, repairs and reconstruction are often completed in such a way as to simply restore areas to pre-disaster conditions. Such efforts expedite a return to normalcy; however, the replication of pre-disaster conditions results in a cycle of damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. Hazard mitigation helps to ensure that such cycles are broken and that post-disaster repairs and reconstruction results in a reduction in hazard vulnerability.
The purpose of the City of Chino Hills’ Hazard Mitigation Plan is to identify effective ways to assess the significant natural and manmade hazards that may affect the City and its inhabitants and reduce the City’s vulnerability to these hazards. This Hazard Mitigation Plan will assist the City in reducing risks from natural hazards by identifying resources, information, and strategies for risk reduction, while helping to guide and coordinate mitigation activities throughout the City. The Plan provides an action plan to reduce risks from natural hazards through education and outreach programs and to foster the development of partnerships, and implementation of preventative activities such as land use programs that restrict and control development in areas subject to damage from natural hazards.
The resources and information within this plan establish a basis for coordination and collaboration among agencies and the public in the City of Chino Hills, identify and prioritize future mitigation projects, and assist in meeting the requirement of federal assistance programs.
1.2. Authority
The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000), Section 322 (a-d) requires that local governments, as a condition of receiving federal disaster mitigation funds, have a mitigation plan that describes the process for identifying hazards, risks and vulnerabilities; identifies and prioritizes mitigation actions; encourages the development of local mitigation; and provides technical support for those efforts. This mitigation plan serves to meet those requirements.
1.3. Community Profile
1.3.1. Physical Setting
The City of Chino Hills encompasses 46 square miles in the rolling hills of southwestern San Bernardino County and is located at the juncture of Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. Chino Hills shares boundaries with the cities of Chino, Pomona, Brea, Diamond Bar, and Corona. Access to the community is provided by the Pomona (60) Freeway, the Chino Valley Freeway (71), and Carbon Canyon Road (SR142). Grand Avenue is a major arterial providing access to the Orange (57) Freeway through the City of Diamond Bar.
Chino Hills benefits from a mild, temperate climate, with average monthly temperatures ranging from the low 40s to the upper 80s. Monthly rainfall averages from a high of 4.1
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inches to no rain at all. At times temperatures will rise to the low 100s and humidity will drop considerably, resulting in ideal fire conditions. Additionally, Chino Hills is subject to Santa Ana winds of 25 to 40 miles per hour, with gusts up to 60 to 75 miles per hour. These winds come out of the desert, blow to the southwest, and are often accompanied by hot temperatures.
Figure 1: Regional Setting (Credit: 2010 Google Map data)
The major river in the area is the Santa Ana River, which flows into the Prado Dam basin, then to the west and south into Orange County. The river is to the south of Chino Hills and does not flow through the city. To the west, Carbon Canyon Creek drains both into the Santa Ana River and San Gabriel River.
1.3.2. History
In 1841 Chino Hills was part of a rancho acquired by Antonio Maria Lugo from the original Mission San Gabriel land grant. Chino Hills lands were used as rich grazing ground for hundreds of cattle, horses, and sheep. Up through the mid twentieth century the primary land use in the Chino Hills area remained cattle grazing. Gradually, other land uses were introduced, including mining for petroleum, gravel and clay.
During the 1920’s and 1930’s, an area called Sleepy Hollow became a weekend getaway from the fast pace of Los Angeles. By 1928, Sleepy Hollow was a summer resort with about 90 cabins, some of which are still in use today. The Los Serranos Golf and Country Club, which opened in 1925, was also a favorite spot for city dwellers. Originally, members of the golf club could purchase small lots in the community. The club members would erect cabanas on their property, or rent casitas for a festive getaway. The natural beauty of Chino Hills in the early 1900’s is preserved in Chino Hills State Park. A grass roots organization, known as Hills for Everyone, was the guiding force behind the preservation of 12,500 acres of land that became the largest California State Park located in an urban setting.
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By the late twentieth century, Chino Hills and its surrounding communities began to rapidly urbanize. Prior to incorporation, Chino Hills was part of unincorporated San Bernardino County. In 1979 the County initiated the development of the Chino Hills Specific Plan, a document that planned for the eventual development of 18,000 acres of Chino Hills lands. The area had been protected from haphazard development because the land was not flat enough to build inexpensively. It was clear, however, that development pressures were moving toward Chino Hills. The Chino Hills Specific Plan was the first in the State of California to be designed for an unincorporated area. The Specific Plan called for clustered residential development in order to protect as much open space as possible. Commercial development was slated along the Highway 71 corridor and major arterials.
By 1982, when the Specific Plan was approved, there were approximately 4,000 homes and 12,000 residents in Chino Hills. By the late 1980s, Chino Hills residents were actively exploring the pros and cons of cityhood. The residents ultimately decided that incorporation would allow them greater control over the community’s future, and on December 1, 1991, Chino Hills incorporated and became a city.
1.3.3. Demographics
At the time of incorporation the population in the City of Chino Hills was 42,000. From 2000 to 2008 Chino Hills population grew from 66,787 to 78,957, a gain of 12,170 or 18.2%. San Bernardino County grew 20.2% during this period. Chino Hills’ 2008 population of 78,957 made it the 15th largest city in the Inland Empire.
The average median family income in Chino Hills for the period 2005-2007 was $100,271, far above San Bernardino County’s $54,093, making Chino Hills one of the highest household income locations in Southern California. Among Chino Hills’ families, 48.2% earn over $100,000 per year, including 21.5% earning over $150,000 per year. The per capita income for the community is $33,203.
Income levels in Chino Hills are high in large part because it has a very well educated population. The 2005-2007 American Community Survey from the Census Bureau found that 41.2% of its adult residents aged 25 years and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher, including 11.8% with graduate degrees. That was well above the average in San Bernardino County which was 17.7%. At the other end of the spectrum, 27.8% of the adults living in Chino Hills had a high school diploma or less education. That was about half the level of the 51.4% found in San Bernardino County.
Ethnically, Chino Hills is a very diverse city. In 2005-2007 the largest share of the population was the 38% who culturally defined themselves as Hispanic. However, contrary to trends in the Inland Empire, that group was down from 43.8% in 2000 and roughly equal to the Southern California average of 37.9%. The fastest growing group was Asian/Pacific Islanders. They made up 29.3% of Chino Hills’ population, up from 21.9% in 2000. Chino Hills’ third largest group was Caucasian. In 2005-2007 Caucasians were estimated to make up 26.1% of the population. This was up slightly from 25.7% in 2000. For the same time period African-Americans averaged 4.5% of Chino Hills’ population, down from 5.3% in 2000.
The 2005-2007 American Community Survey found Chino Hills to be a moderately aged city. The median age of its residents, at 33.2 years old, was above the 30.2 in San Bernardino County. The City’s largest age group was aged 35-44, or 17.2%. The City’s
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next largest group were children aged 10-19 at 16.3%, and 6.2% of the city’s residents were 65 or older.
1.3.4. Existing Land Use
The City contains approximately 46 square miles and is known for its rural atmosphere with 3,000 acres of publicly-owned open space, 40 parks and 38 miles of trails, and high percentage of home owners. The City is centrally located at the junction of four counties (Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino) and the crossroads of three major freeways in Southern California -- State Route 60, State Route 71, and State Route 91.
The existing land use table is based on data obtained within the City’s General Plan. The General Plan is broken out into 12 land uses:
1. Agriculture/Ranch – Land use that preserves large single-family residential lots (5 acre minimum) with related agricultural operations. 2. Rural Residential – Single-family residential land use with large lots (half acre minimum). 3. Low Density Residential – Single-family residential use (7,200 s.f. lots). 4. Medium Density Residential – Attached multi-family residential use (12 du/acre). 5. High Density Residential – Attached multi-family residential use (25 du/acre). 6. Very High Density Residential – Attached multi-family residential use (35 du/acre). 7. Commercial – Includes a variety of uses such as retail sales, service commercial, restaurants, hotels, and professional offices. 8. Business Park – Light industrial uses (i.e. warehouse, storage, light manufacturing, etc.). 9. Institutional – Includes government uses (City Hall, Library, police, and fire) and institutional uses (churches and schools). 10. Commercial Recreation – Outdoor recreation uses such as golf courses. 11. Public Open Space – Natural open space and public parks. 12. Chino Hills State Park – State park that allows camping, biking, hiking, and equestrian riding.
Land Use Acres Percent of City Agriculture/Ranch 9,021 30.3 Rural Residential 1,964 6.6 Low Density Residential 4,035 13.6 Medium Density Residential 760 2.5 High Density Residential 603 2.0 Very High Density Residential 52 0.2 Commercial 562 1.9 Business Park 104 0.4 Institutional 868 2.9 Commercial Recreation 954 3.2 Public Open Space 3,797 12.8 Chino Hills State Park 7,006 23.6 Total 29,726 100.0 Table 1: Chino Hills Land Use Matrix
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Figure 2: Land Use Map
1.3.5. Development Trends
The City of Chino Hills is approximately 90% built-out. The remaining vacant land that is designated for development is located within hillside areas which have very steep terrain and other constraints to make development difficult. The majority of remaining land to be developed has a designation of Rural Residential and also a small pocket of commercial, low density residential and rural residential.
All future development projects will be constructed to current design standards and building codes, and are not expected to contribute to community vulnerability from natural or technological hazards.
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SECTION 2 – Plan Adoption
2.1. Adoption by Local Governing Body
A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Chino Hills, California, adopting the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan as required by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Resolution No. _____) was adopted on ______, (Resolution is located before the Table of Contents).
The Resolution will include support for the State of California Enhanced State Multi-Hazard Plan, October 2007, and, once adopted by the State of California, the 2010 Enhanced State Multi-Hazard Plan Update.
The City of Chino Hills Hazard Mitigation plan is an annex of the San Bernardino Operational Area Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.
2.2 Promulgation Authority
This Hazard Mitigation Plan will be reviewed and approved by the following Promulgation Authorities:
Ed Graham, Mayor Art Bennett, Vice Mayor W. C. “Bill” Kruger, Council Member Gwenn Norton-Perry, Council Member Peter Rogers, Council Member
2.3 Primary Point of Contact
The Point of Contact for information regarding this plan is:
Jonathan Marshall Community Services Director City of Chino Hills 14000 City Center Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 (909) 364-2711 (Office) [email protected]
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Section 3 - Planning Process
3.1. Preparing for the Plan
Using the July 1, 2008, Mitigation Plan Review Crosswalk as a guide, the City of Chino Hills adopted a comprehensive approach to develop its annex to the San Bernardino County Multi- hazard Multi-jurisdictional Mitigation Plan.
Further, and in support of San Bernardino County’s guidelines, the City of Chino Hills used the public portal supplied by the County’s consultant as a means to develop reports, charts, graphs, and similar data specific to the community and to the State of California. This includes, but is not limited to, Chino Hills’ existing Multi-hazard Mitigation Plan, San Bernardino County Multi- hazard/Multi-jurisdictional Mitigation Plan, the 2007 Enhanced State (of California) Multi-hazard Plan and review of the 2010 (draft) State Plan.
Additionally, it was concluded that the Plan would include information and data supplied by supporting local agencies, public involvement and public comments received during the planning process, and other sources developed through discussions during Planning Team meetings.
Drafting the Hazard Mitigation Plan was accomplished in 8 Phases.
. Phase I – Establish the Planning Team . Phase 2 – Coordination with Other Jurisdictions, Agencies, and Organizations . Phase 3 – Public Involvement . Phase 4 – Assess the Hazards . Phase 5 – Set Goals . Phase 6 – Review and Propose Possible Mitigation Measures . Phase 7 – Draft the Hazard Mitigation Plan . Phase 8 – Adopt the Plan
The Planning Team agreed that the City’s 2005 Hazard Mitigation Plan was sufficient to meet the requirements set forth by 44 CFR Section 201.6 at that time. However, due to the numerous and intense disasters that have occurred around the world in the past five years, the Planning Team put special emphasis on promoting sustainable hazard mitigation. This includes the sound management of natural resources, local economic and social resiliency, and the recognition that hazards and mitigation must be understood in the largest possible social and economic context.
It is impossible to predict exactly when and where disasters will occur or the extent to which they will impact the City; however, with careful planning and collaboration among public agencies, stakeholders, and citizens, it is possible to minimize losses that can occur from disasters.
3.1.1. Planning Team
The Planning Team was assembled to oversee the development of the plan. This team consisted of City staff, citizens, and other stakeholders in the planning area. A technical subcommittee consisting of key City staff was also assembled to provide technical support to the Planning Team.
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The Planning Team met monthly (or more frequently as necessary) to provide guidance, review progress, identify issues, and to coordinate stakeholder meetings. The Planning Team also provided background documents, facilitated data collection, and reviewed all draft documents. The resulting plan, along with the entire planning process, is a living document that will continue to place mitigation as a priority in the City of Chino Hills.
This Hazard Mitigation Plan was compiled and authored under the direction of the following Planning Team members:
Name Title Jurisdiction or Agency Steve Nix City Engineer City of Chino Hills
Anne Dutrey Engineering Support City of Chino Hills Services Manager Henry Noh Principal Planner City of Chino Hills
Valeria Dixon Coordinator of Security Chino Valley Unified School District Warren Green Human Resources Analyst/Risk Manager Inland Empire Utilities Agency Mike Maestas Water & Sewer Manager City of Chino Hills
Sean O’Connor Maintenance & City of Chino Hills Operations Manager Cathy Malizia Emergency Services City of Chino Hills Coordinator Ben Montgomery Neighborhood Services City of Chino Hills Manager Chris Wolff Administrative Services City of Chino Manager Sgt. Chris Ilizaliturri Sergeant Chino Hills Police Dept.
Kevin Smith Deputy Fire Marshall Chino Valley Fire District
Winston Ward Asst. Community City on Chino Hills Development Director Andy Ronquillo President Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce Joe Dyer Asst. City Engineer City of Chino Hills
Table 2: Planning Team
Planning Team Meetings
Date Item Location 1/6/2011 Planning Team Meeting Chino Hills City Hall
12/20/2010 Planning Team Meeting Chino Hills City Hall
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12/9/2010 Planning Team Meeting Chino Hills City Hall
12/2/2010 Planning Team Meeting Chino Hills City Hall
11/8/2010 Planning Team Meeting Chino Hills City Hall
10/29/10 Meeting with Ray Hansen re mitigation programs 9/21/2010 Community Stakeholder Meeting composed of Chino Hills City Hall local business owners and residents. 9/20/2010 Community Stakeholder Meeting composed of Chino City Hall neighboring business owners and residents 9/8/2010 Planning Team Meeting Chino Hills City Hall
9/1/2010 Community Stakeholder Meeting – Carbon Sleepy Hollow Community Canyon Fire Safe Council Center – Chino Hills 8/4/2010 Planning Team Meeting Chino Hills City Hall
7/20/2010 Planning Team Meeting Chino Hills City Hall
7/15/2010 Community Stakeholder meeting composed of Chino Hills City Hall the CHART Emergency Communications Volunteers. Table 3: Planning Team Meetings
3.2. Coordination with Other Jurisdictions, Agencies, and Organizations
There are many agencies, organizations, businesses and non-governmental entities that contend with natural hazards. Planning Team members contacted representatives of these various entities to solicit input and concerns relative to natural and man-made hazards and to determine how their programs could best collaborate with the City’s mitigation program.
San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services Chino Valley Independent Fire District City of Chino City of Ontario City of Rancho Cucamonga City of Montclair Inland Empire Utilities Agency Chino Valley Unified School District Chino Valley Medical Center Pomona Valley Health Center Community Members Local Utility Companies Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce
In addition, the City of Chino Hills Planning Team members participated in the San Bernardino County Fire Department Office of Emergency Services (OES) Stakeholder meetings. San Bernardino County Fire OES hired a contractor (ICF International) to support the County, cities and towns, and special districts to update the 55 local Hazard Mitigation Plans and the San Bernardino County Operational Area Multi-Jurisdictional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. The ICF
City of Chino Hills Hazard Mitigation Plan (2011 Update) 15 team, which included subcontractors MMI Engineering and Natural Hazards, offered experienced, field-tested hazard mitigation and planning professionals who have developed similar comprehensive Hazard Mitigation Plans. This support included providing technical expertise and resource material and tools to help ensure that the updates are in compliance with federal requirements of the program.
Stakeholder Meetings Date Discussion Items Location 9/23/10 .HMP progress Virtual Meeting .Status of Group 2 plans .Revising timeline for Group 2 participants from third week of October to December 1 9/9/10 . CalEMA courtesy review process for Group 1 Virtual Meeting . Status of Group 2 plans . Public Outreach .HMP Crosswalk 8/26/10 . HMP progress Virtual Meeting . Group 1 timelines
8/19/10 . HMP progress Virtual Meeting
8/26/10 . HMP progress Virtual Meeting . Group 1 timelines
7/29/10 .HMP progress Virtual Meeting .Revised timelines for Groups 1 and 2 .New reference materials on web portal
7/15/10 .Organizational structure Ontario Police Department .HMP timeline .Confirmation of Group 1 and Group 2 participants .HMP resource material .Revised stakeholder meetings reviewed 7/7/10 .HMP update portal and log-in procedures Virtual Meeting
7/1/10 .HMP portal rollout Virtual Meeting
6/10/10 .HMP Project Kick-off Meeting Ontario Police Dept.
Table 4: Stakeholder Meetings
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3.3. Public Involvement/Outreach
Since the 2005 HMP was approved, the City of Chino Hills has consistently provided outreach to the community, other governmental agencies, and non-governmental agencies by way of community meetings, preparedness fairs, and ongoing meetings with neighboring cities and agencies. In November 2008 there was a federally declared disaster (the Freeway Complex Fire) that provided an enhanced communitywide level of awareness in support of hazard mitigation efforts. As a result, evacuees of the Freeway Complex Fire event, vocalized their need for enhanced property protection. Chino Hills staff used this opportunity to reach out to the community through the Fire Safe Council and community workshops to include this group in the hazard mitigation planning process as well as emergency preparedness planning.
From 2006 through 2009 the City of Chino Hills has held a Disaster Preparedness Expo for the public. This event involves the cooperation and collaboration from the Chino Valley Fire District, the San Bernardino Department of Public Health, Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, among other private and non-governmental agencies.
Other outreach opportunities include the City’s annual participation in the Wildfire Awareness Fair sponsored by the Chino Valley Fire District and the Fire Safe Council; participation in the annual Fire District Open House; and neighborhood watch programs where emergency preparedness information is distributed.
City staff also participates in the Met-Net group. This group was formed to manage emergencies together. This group includes representatives from the cities of Chino and Chino Hills, Chino Valley Fire District, Chino Valley Unified School District, California Institution for Men, CDCR-Prado Fire Camp, California Institution for Women, Caltrans, local hospitals, Chino Airport, Omnitrans, San Bernardino Department of Public Health, Monte Vista Water District, non-governmental agencies, utility companies, amd the Union Pacific Railroad, among others. This group was formed to discusses mitigation programs and “Managing Emergencies Together”.
3.3.1. Public Meetings
A key objective in the public involvement strategy for the planning effort was to give the public as many opportunities to participate in the process as possible. Many media options were available to implement the public involvement strategy. In order to keep the public posted on the plan development and to solicit information pertinent to the development of the plan, information was posted to the City’s website. An additional resource used by the City was to inform the public about the HMP development through the local cable station. A press release was disseminated at the beginning of the planning process and midway through the planning process.
All committee meetings were open to the public. Staff attended several public meetings throughout the Chino Valley to take the planning process out to the planning area. As a result of these public meetings, the committee considered input received from the public involvement strategy to be invaluable in providing a gauge of the public’s perception of risk, vulnerability, and mitigation. This information was used during all phases of the plan’s development
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The City continues to hold many public meetings and provides notice of these meetings through posted agendas and through the City’s website. Prior to Council adoption of the final Hazard Mitigation Plan, the item will be agendized for a public hearing and posted for public review on the City’s website. Any public comments received will be reviewed by the Planning Team which will determine how any public comments received will be incorporated in the draft plan prior to final adoption.
The table below provides a list of public meetings and events that have taken place during the drafting stage:
Date Item Location
7/7/10 Chino Valley Emergency Managers Meeting – Discussion regarding Hazard Mitigation Chino Hills City Hall Programs. This meeting routinely attended by the Chino Hills Emergency Services Coordinator, Chino Administrative Services Manager, representatives from Chino Valley Independent Fire District, Chino Valley Unified School District, Chino Hills Police Department. 7/15/10 Chino Hills Auxiliary Radio Team – Discussed Hazard Mitigation planning process. Attendees Chino Hills City Hall were invited to the August 4, 2010 HMP meeting 8/4/10 Hazard Mitigation Planning Meeting – Discussion regarding Hazard Mitigation Chino Hills City Hall planning efforts in the Chino Valley. Meeting attended by representatives from Chino Hills, Chino, Chino Valley Independent Fire District, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Chino Valley Unified School District, Chino Hills resident Jim Johnson, Chino Valley Medical Center. 8/5/10 Operational Area Coordinating Council – County presented a report regarding the Hazard Mitigation Program. This meeting was attended City of Rancho Cucamonga by representatives of the 24 cities in the County of San Bernardino as well as NGO’s and general public. 8/11/10 Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce – Discussion of the Hazard Mitigation Planning Johnny Rockets – Chino Hills process. 9/1/10 Fire Safe Council Meeting – Discussion Sleepy Hollow Community regarding the Hazard Mitigation Planning Center – Chino Hills Process and various hazards affecting the Carbon Canyon Community. 9/20/10 Community Meeting – Discussion regarding the HMP process and various hazards affecting the Chino City Hall surrounding communities. 9/21/10 Community Meeting – Discussion regarding HMP process, various hazards affecting Chino Chino Hills City Hall Hills, and personal emergency preparedness. 9/21/10 Met-Net Meeting – Discussion of HMP process. This meeting regularly attended by various Chino Police Department agencies, NGOs, utilities, among others. Table 5: Public Outreach
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3.4. Assess the Hazard
In order to identify potential vulnerability to all hazards that could impact the City, a risk assessment was performed. It focused on the following parameters:
Hazard identification The impact of hazards on physical, social, and economic assets Vulnerability identification Estimates of the cost of damage or costs that can be avoided through mitigation
The first step in this process was to identify which natural hazards are present in the community, augmenting the 2005 Hazard Mitigation Plan as necessary.
The intent of screening hazards is to help prioritize which hazard creates the greatest concern in the community. Because the original 2005 process used to rank hazards (Critical Priority Risk Index (CPRI) software) was not utilized, the Planning Team screened hazards creating the greatest concern for the community.
The planning team utilized a non-numerical ranking system for the update process. This process consisted of generating a non-numerical ranking (High, Medium, or Low) rating for the 1) probability and 2) impact from each screened hazard. The hazards were then placed in the appropriate/corresponding box/cell. The table below is an example of how the hazards were ranked. In this example the green boxes represent the higher priority hazards, and the red and white boxes represent additional levels of priority.
The definition of “High”, “Medium”, and “Low” probability and impacts are as follows:
Probability Impact
High – Highly Likely/Likely High – Catastrophic/Critical Medium – Possible Medium – Limited Low – Unlikely Low – Negligible
HAZARD ASSESSMENT MATRIX
Impact High Medium Low
High
Medium
Low Probability
3.5. Set Goals
Using the 2005 Hazard Mitigation Plan as a springboard, the Planning Team developed the current goals with additional guidance gained from the General Plan and other City plans. Through planning meeting discussions, the goals were formed. The goals of this Local Hazard
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Mitigation Plan describe the overall direction the City of Chino Hills, through its departments, agencies, organizations, and citizens, can take toward reducing its risk to natural and human- caused hazards. The main goals of the Chino Hills Mitigation Plan are:
Implement activities that assist in protecting lives by making homes, businesses, infrastructure, critical facilities, and other property more resistant to losses from natural and human-caused hazards.
Coordinate with existing ongoing plans and programs so that high priority initiatives and projects to mitigate possible disaster impacts would be funded and implemented.
Develop and implement education and outreach programs to increase public awareness of the risks associated with natural and human-caused hazards in Chino Hills.
Strengthen communication and participation among and within public agencies, citizens, non-profit organizations, and businesses to gain a vested interest in the implementation of mitigation measures to reduce the impact of natural hazards.
Reinforce emergency operations by increasing collaboration and coordination among public agencies, non-profit organization, and business.
3.6. Review and Propose Mitigation Measures
A wide variety of mitigation measures that can be identified to help reduce the impact of the hazards or the severity of damage from hazards was examined. The projects were identified to help ensure the implementation of the Planning Team’s goals and objectives. The following categories were used in the review of possible mitigation measures:
1. Public Information and Education – Outreach projects and technical assistance 2. Preventive Activities – Zoning, building codes, storm water ordinances 3. Structural Projects – Detention basins, reservoirs, road and drainage improvements 4. Property Protection – Retrofitting 5. Emergency Services – Warning, sandbagging, road signs/closures, evacuation 6. Natural Resource Protection: Wetlands protection, best management practices
Once the projects were identified, the Planning Team used the STAPLEE methodology to assess and prioritize the projects.
STAPLEE stands for the following:
. Social: Social criteria area based on the idea that community consensus is a necessary precondition for successful implementation of mitigation measures, i.e., measures should be supported and accepted by the entire community). This also means that measures should not affect adversely a particular segment of the population or a particular neighborhood, or adversely impact local cultural values or resources.
. Technical: Technical criteria address the technical feasibility of the proposed measures, in terms of effectiveness, secondary impacts, and the technical capabilities of the community to implement and sustain these measures.
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. Administrative: Administrative criteria address the administrative capabilities required to implement each mitigation measure. For example, does the City have the necessary organization, staff, and funding sources to implement and sustain the mitigation process?
. Political: Political criteria consider the need for political support for mitigation measures. This means that all stakeholders in the political process, especially political organizations and institutions both inside and outside of the community, should support the measure.
. Legal: Legal criteria are used to determine the appropriate legal authority necessary to implement each mitigation measure and whether such an authority can be delegated. The mitigation measure is examined from the standpoint of current statues, codes, ordinances, and other regulations, as well as the possible legal ramifications of the measure’s implementation.
. Economic: Economic criteria address the cost-effectiveness of the proposed measure and its economic impact on the community. It is only reasonable to expect that the benefits of implementation will exceed the costs incurred. Economic considerations also consider the economic impact on the community’s future development.
. Environmental: Environmental criteria have become an important consideration in examining mitigation options. Although most mitigation measures are usually beneficial for the environment, some measures may have adverse effects, which must be considered and addressed.
Based on STAPLEE, the Task Force addressed the following questions to determine mitigation options:
Does the Action: 1. Solve the problem? 4. Address multiple hazards? 2. Address Vulnerability Assessment? 5. Address more than one (1) 3. Reduce the exposure or vulnerability to Goal/Objective? the highest priority hazard? 6. Benefits equal or exceed costs?
Can the Action: 1. Be implemented with existing funds? 3. Be completed within the 5-year life cycle of 2. Be implemented by existing state or the LHMP? federal grant programs? 4. Be implemented with currently available technologies?
Will the Action: 1. Be accepted by the community? 5. Result in legal action such as a lawsuit? 2. Be supported by community leaders? 6. Positively or negatively impact the 3. Adversely impact segments of the environment? population or neighborhoods? 7. Comply with all local, state and federal 4. Require a change in local ordinances or environmental laws and regulations? zoning laws?
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Is there: 1. Sufficient staffing to undertake the project? 2. Existing authority to undertake the project?
3.7. Draft the Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Hazard Mitigation Plan was drafted by the Planning Team members following the 2005 Hazard Mitigation Plan, the guidance document, and Hazard Mitigation Plan outline provided by the consultant, and input from all stakeholders and City departments. FEMA Guidance documents for Hazard Mitigation were also used extensively as additional reference materials.
The results of the mitigation activities review are summarized in the Hazard Mitigation Plan update. The draft plan will be circulated for additional comment and review.
3.8. Adopt the Plan
FEMA will provide the City with an “Approval Pending Adoption” letter if the Hazard Mitigation Plan update meets all federal requirements. Upon receipt of this letter, the final plan will be submitted to the Chino Hills City Council for consideration and adoption. Once adopted, the final Resolution will be submitted to FEMA for incorporation into the Hazard Mitigation Plan.
The City of Chino Hills’ adoption of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is only the beginning of this effort. City offices, other agencies, and private partners will implement the Hazard Mitigation Plan activities. The Planning Team will monitor implementation progress, evaluate the effectiveness of the actions, and periodically recommend action items. Progress of the implementation of the Plan and the recommended action/mitigation strategies will be assessed annually. The Plan will be submitted and updated to FEMA every five years, which is required by FEMA in order to remain eligible for pre-and post-disaster mitigation funding.
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Section 4 - Risk Assessment
The goal of mitigation is to reduce the future impacts of a hazard including property damage, disruption to local and regional economies, and the amount of public and private funds spent to assist with recovery. However, mitigation should be based on risk assessment.
FEMA defines the risk assessment process as a multi-step effort in “Understanding Your Risks: Identifying Hazards and Estimating Losses (FEMA2001)”. The steps include:
1. Identify and screen the hazards 2. Profile the hazards 3. Inventory the assets 4. Estimate losses
4.1. Hazard Identification
4.1.1. Hazard Screening Criteria
The City of Chino Hills Planning Team determined that natural hazards would be the focus at this time in order to become eligible for mitigation funds following any future declared disaster after November 1, 2004. Through selectively identified analysis following hazard-specific meetings, the Planning Team reviewed six natural hazards (listed below). They determined that although six hazards were identified, some of these hazards were ranked low risk/low impact or medium risk/medium impact or could potentially be secondary to higher ranked hazards. It was the consensus of the Planning Team to focus on two hazards that scored “High” and one hazard that scored “Medium” in the Hazard Assessment Matrix: fire, earthquakes, and flood.
The following hazards were identified by the Planning Team as having the potential to impact the City of Chino Hills.
■ Drought and Water Shortage ■ Earthquake ■ Extreme Heat ■ Flood ■ Wildfire ■ Windstorm
The hazard data was analyzed based on the impacts to public safety, health, buildings, transportation, infrastructure, critical facilities, and the cost effectiveness.
The initial threat assessment of each hazard is based upon the following sources:
1. Historic occurrence of the hazard – Assessment is based on frequency, magnitude and potential impact of the hazard.
2. Mitigation potential of the hazard – This criteria considers if there are mitigation or counter measures possible to prevent or alleviate the risk.
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3. Expert opinion – Evaluation of threats includes a literature review and the expertise of the Planning Team.
4. Published data and information – Assessment is based on data and/or information from credible publications or websites, i.e. U.S. Geological Survey, California Geological Survey, National Weather Service – National Climatic Data Center, or academic publications).
. 4.1.2. Hazard Assessment Matrix
Rankings used for the hazard screening were defined as follows:
Probability Impact High: Highly Likely/Likely High: Catastrophic/Critical Medium: Possible Medium: Limited Low: Unlikely Low: Negligible
High – There may or may not have been historic occurrences of the hazard in the community or region but experts feel that it is likely that the hazard will occur in the community and the risk is significant. Citizens feel that there is a likelihood of occurrence and the consequences will be significant in terms of building damage and loss of life.
Medium – There may or may not have been a historic occurrence of the hazard in the community or region, but experts feel that it is possible that the hazard could occur in the community. Citizens may feel that there is a likelihood of occurrence, but the consequences will be negligible in terms of building damage and loss of life.
Low – There have been no historic occurrences of the hazard in the community or region and experts feel that it is highly unlikely that the hazard will occur in the community. The citizens agree.
Hazards Identified
1. Drought and Water Shortage – This hazard ranked low. A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems. Precipitation (rain or snow) falls in uneven patterns across the country. When no rain or only a small amount of rain falls, soils can dry out and plants can die. If dry weather persists and water supply problems develop, the dry period can become a drought. Droughts differ from typical emergency events such as floods or forest fires, in that they occur slowly over a multiyear period. California has faced numerous challenges in recent years, including a nearly decade-long drought on the Colorado River, snowpacks that are below normal, and court-mandated reductions in the amount of water available for delivery through the State Water Project. Drought impacts increase with the length of a drought, as carry-over supplies in reservoirs are depleted and water levels in groundwater basins decline. Climate change, population growth, and the increasing instability of the water supplies in the delta formed by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers threaten to exacerbate the crisis.
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2. Earthquakes – Earthquakes ranked as a high hazard. There have been numerous faults mapped in the Southern California region. The faults that could cause significant ground shaking in the City of Chino Hills include the Chino, Whittier, Elisinore, Sierra Madre-Cucamonga, San Jose, San Andreas, Newport- Inglewood, and Norwalk faults. The Chino fault if located in the eastern part of the City; and the Whittier fault is located about two miles to the west of the City’s western limits. (See Figure 4-1 Earthquake Fault Zones).
Figure 3: Earthquake Fault Zones
3. Extreme Heat ranked as a low hazard. Temperatures that hover 10 degrees or more above the average high temperature for the region and last for several weeks are defined as extreme heat.
4. Flooding ranked as a medium hazard. However, in the 2005 HMP, flooding was ranked as a high hazard. The Los Serranos area was most susceptible to flooding. However, since 2005, the City has made significant improvements in the Los Serranos area by installing storm drains, curbs and gutters. Funding for these improvements was made available through the Community Development Block
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Grant Program. As a result of these improvements, the flooding hazard has been reevaluated and the Planning Team ranked it as a low hazard.
5. Wildfire ranked as a high hazard. Wildfires present a significant potential for disaster in the southwest. This is a region of relatively high temperatures, low humidity, and low precipitation during the spring and summer, and moderately strong daytime winds. Combine these severe burning conditions with people or lightning and the stage is set for the occurrence of large, destructive wildfires.
6. Windstorms ranked as a low hazard. Santa Ana winds, which commonly occur between October and February, and can reach speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. These winds are warm, dry winds which descend from the high desert, down the mountains into the Southern California Basin1. The most significant hazard associated with Santa Ana winds is an increased wildfire danger, but Santa Ana winds can also cause downed trees and power lines, and property damage.
4.1.3. Hazard Prioritization
The results of the screening process described above are presented as a hazard assessment matrix in Table 4-1 below. The matrix illustrates the nature and potential of threats from natural disasters to the City of Chino Hills. The Planning Team reviewed the probability and impact for each screened hazard and the potential for implementing mitigation measures to reduce the risk. The results were reviewed and modified during stakeholder meetings and a prioritized ranking of the hazards was developed.
As shown in the table below, there are two hazards that were given a high priority: Wildfire and earthquake.
HAZARD ASSESSMENT MATRIX Impact High Medium Low High Earthquake Wildfire Medium Flooding Extreme Heat
Low Aircraft Mishap Drought Hazardous Materials
Probability High Winds Red boxes represent the higher priority hazards; orange and yellow boxes represent additional levels of priority. Table 6: City of Chino Hills - Hazard Assessment Matrix
1 http://www.theweatherprediction.com/weatherpapers/049/index.html
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The following sections profile these two hazards (Section 4.2), inventory assets in the City (Section 4.3), and estimate losses or assess risk for significant events associated with these two hazards (Section 4.4).
4.2. Hazard Profile
Hazard profiles are designed to assist communities in evaluating and comparing the hazards that can impact their community by comparing a number of hazard factors. Each type of hazard has unique characteristics, and the impact associated with a specific hazard can vary depending on the magnitude and location of each event. The probability of occurrence of a hazard in a given location impacts the priority assigned to that hazard. Each hazard will impact different communities in different ways, based on geography, local development, population distribution, age of buildings, and mitigation measures already implemented.
The various maps within this plan help to describe the causes and characteristics of each hazard and identify which part of the City's population, infrastructure, and environment may be vulnerable to each specific hazard. A profile of each hazard discussed in this plan is provided in each hazard section. For a full description of the history of hazard specific events, please see the appropriate hazard section.
This section presents additional information regarding the hazards of concern (detailed below) as hazard profiles.
4.2.1. Wildfires
4.2.1.1. Hazard Definition for Wildfires
There are three different classes of wildland or wildfires. A surface fire is the most common type and burns along the floor of a forest, moving slowly and killing or damaging trees. A ground fire is usually started by lightning and burns on or below the forest floor. Crown fires spread rapidly by wind and move quickly by jumping along the tops of trees. Wildfires are usually signaled by dense smoke that fills the area for miles around. Wildfires present a significant potential for disaster in the southwest, a region of relatively high temperatures, low humidity, and low precipitation during the summer, and during the spring, moderately strong daytime winds. Combine these severe burning conditions with people or lightning and the stage is set for the occurrence of large, destructive wildfires.
Open space and canyon areas in the City are covered with chaparral, coastal sage scrub, deciduous woodlands, and grasslands. Introduced vegetation includes landscaping plants, and agricultural species. The chaparral and coastal sage plant communities are highly combustible due to the volatile oils contained in the plant tissues. Wildfires in the City of Chino Hills pose a high threat to natural resources, structures, and human safety. The high risk posed by fires in the City is due to the combined effects of climate (dry summers with Santa Ana wind conditions); steep, rugged terrain (limiting accessibility to fire-suppression vehicles and personnel); vegetation (highly flammable chaparral and similar plant communities that contain high concentrations of volatile oils); and development patterns (wildland and urban areas intermixed in the foothills and near canyon bottoms where development is located adjacent to highly flammable native vegetation).
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Approximately 80 percent of the City of Chino Hills is located within San Bernardino County- designated Fire Safety Review Area 1 (FRl, or Area 1), a very high to extreme fire hazard zone. The rest of the City is located in Fire Safety Review Area 2 (FR2, or Area 2).
As defined by the County, the Fire Safety Review Area 1 includes wildland areas that are marginally developable, areas which are not likely to be developed, and the area of transition between wildland and areas that are partially developed or that are likely to be developed in the future. The transition area is often characterized by an abrupt change in slope. The natural ungraded slopes in Area 1 are often greater than thirty percent (30%).
The Fire Safety Review Area 2 (FR2, Area 2) includes land that is relatively flat and is either partially or completely developed, or undeveloped and suitable for development. Present and future development in Area 2 is exposed to the impacts of wildland fires due to its proximity to Area 1.
The potential impact of wildland fires to development in Area 2 cannot be understated. Even if a brush fire starts in an undeveloped canyon in Area 1, "branding" of wind transported embers up to a mile or more from the fire, especially during Santa Ana wind conditions, could ignite combustible roofs and awnings. Branding was responsible for extensive structural damage during the Carbon Canyon fire of June, 1990. The residential fires that occurred in 1990 in Glendale and Santa Barbara, and in 1991 in Oakland, have also illustrated how branding, with consequent multiple ignitions, can tax normal fire fighting resources and lessen response times to individual fires. In an effort to mitigate the potential damage to structures as a result of branding, the City of Chino Hills Building and Safety Division enforces a Class A roofing ordinance in Fire Safety Review Area 1. Class A roofing materials include chemically-treated, ceramic, and steel-covered wood tiles.
Based on data compiled in the last four years by the Chino Valley Independent Fire District, approximately ten percent of the emergency calls that the District receives on a yearly basis are for fire suppression services. Of this ten percent, about twenty percent is for structural fires, and twenty to fifty percent is for brush fires. Vehicle fires make up a large proportion of the remaining percentage. The incidence of brush fires varies significantly from year to year, and is dependent on various factors, including amount of dry vegetation available for burn, percent air humidity, and whether Santa Ana wind conditions are prevalent. Severe Santa Ana winds occur primarily in the spring and fall in this area of southern California.
4.2.1.2. Fire Hazard Severity
The frequency and severity of wildland fires is also dependent upon other hazards, such as lightning, drought, and infestations (such as the recent bark beetle infestation in the San Bernardino National Forest). If not promptly controlled, wildland fires may grow into an emergency or disaster. Even small fires can threaten lives and resources and destroy improved properties. In addition to affecting people, wildland fires may severely affect livestock and pets. Such events may require emergency watering/feeding, evacuation, and shelter. The indirect effects of wildland fires can be catastrophic. High temperatures, low humidity, and clear sunny days characterize summer months.
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The City of Chino Hills has over 3,000 acres of open space, and undeveloped lots contiguous to residential development. Residential landscaping, fencing, and outbuildings increase fuel loading, spotting and fire intensity. The (Cal Fire) Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map for the City of Chino Hills indicates where the different levels of fire severity are located in the City (Figure 4-2).
4.2.1.3. Historical Profile
There have been 16 major wildfires consuming 30 or more acres between 1947 and 2008. These fires consumed a total of 73,598 acres. The most recent fire was the Freeway Complex Fire in November 2008. This fire burned over 13,000 acres in the City. Fortunately, the only structure to sustain damage was one outbuilding, which was partially burned. However, the cost for fighting this fire was $220,550.
Wildfire Historical Events
Affecting Chino Hills Date Name Cost Acres Freeway Complex 11/15/2008 $220,500 13,100 Fire Not 6/27/1990 Carbon Canyon Fire 4,979 available Not 9/14/1983 Hills Fire 581 available Not 11/16/1980 Carbon Fire 6,955 available Not 1/1/1980 Owl Fire 18,332 available Not 6/19/1979 Ranch Fire 61 available
Not 6/19/1979 Los Serranos Fire 171 available
Not 10/23/1978 Soquel Fire 3,934 available
Not 9/9/1973 Serranos Fire 304 available
Not 10/30/1967 Firestone Fire 236 available Not 7/3/1947 Arnold Fire 1,906 available Table 7: Historic Wildfires in Chino Hills
4.2.1.4. Hazard Summary for Wildfires
Fire prevention strategies concentrate on educating the public and enforcement of fire codes. Fire suppression strategies focus around containment and control while protecting structures in the threatened areas. Suppression activities may utilize natural firebreaks; direct suppression of the fire by hose lines, aircraft, bulldozers, and hand
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crews; increasing defensible spaces around homes; utilizing fire suppression foams; and mop up and total extinguishment of the fire.
The following maps illustrate the probability of wildfire occurrences in the San Bernardino County and the City of Chino Hills.
Figure 4: CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone
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Figure 5: City of Chino Hills – Very High Hazard Severity Zones in LRA As Recommended by CAL Fire
4.2.2. Earthquake
4.2.2.1. Hazard Definition for Earthquake
An earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the Earth caused by the breaking and shifting of rock beneath the Earth's surface. For hundreds of millions of years, the forces of plate tectonics have shaped the Earth as the huge plates that form the Earth's surface move slowly over, under, and past each other. Sometimes the movement is gradual. At other times, the plates are locked together, unable to release the accumulating energy. When the accumulated energy grows strong enough, the plates break free causing the ground to shake. Most earthquakes occur at the boundaries where the plates meet; however, some earthquakes occur in the middle of plates.
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Ground shaking from earthquakes can collapse buildings and bridges; disrupt gas, electric, and phone service; and sometimes trigger landslides, avalanches, flash floods, fires, and huge, destructive ocean waves (tsunamis). Buildings with foundations resting on unconsolidated landfill and other unstable soil, and trailers and homes not tied to their foundations are at risk because they can be shaken off their mountings during an earthquake. When an earthquake occurs in a populated area, it may cause deaths and injuries and extensive property damage.
Earthquakes can strike suddenly, without warning. Earthquakes can occur at any time of the year and at any time of the day or night. On a yearly basis, 70 to 75 damaging earthquakes occur throughout the world. Estimates of losses from a future earthquake in the United States approach $200 billion.
There are 45 states and territories in the United States at moderate to very high risk from earthquakes, and they are located in every region of the country. California experiences the most frequent damaging earthquakes; however, Alaska experiences the greatest number of large earthquakes—most located in uninhabited areas. The largest earthquakes felt in the United States were along the New Madrid Fault in Missouri, where a three-month long series of quakes from 1811 to 1812 included three quakes larger than a magnitude of 8 on the Richter Scale. These earthquakes were felt over the entire Eastern United States, with Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi experiencing the strongest ground shaking.
4.2.2.2. Geologic Setting
The City of Chino Hills is located in the eastern Puente Hills, in the northern portion of the Peninsular Ranges geomorphic province. The Peninsular Ranges province is characterized by a series of northwest to southeast-oriented valleys, hills, and mountains separated by faults associated with, and parallel to the San Andreas Fault System. Two of these faults, the Chino and the Whittier, are located in and near the City of Chino Hills, respectively. These faults, and the bedrock and sediment types that occur in the Chino Hills area, control to a large extent the potential geologic impacts discussed below.
The hilly portions of Chino Hills are underlain by bedrock of the Puente Formation. The sea that originally covered the area receded westward as the land rose, and a complex process of faulting and folding formed the following hills that we know today as the Puente (Chino) Hills. The rocks of the Puente Formation, originally deposited in horizontal layers on the ocean floor, are now folded, and dip between 10 and 20 degrees from the horizontal. Locally, beds of the Puente Formation dip as steep as 45 to 60 degrees. The folded nature of these rocks, especially where thinly bedded or laminated, combined with the steepness of the terrain in the central and western portions of the city, makes this one of the most landslide-prone areas in Southern California.
Below is a map showing where the 4 major faults in Southern California are in relation to the City of Chino Hills. These faults are: Southern San Andreas San Jacinto Elsinore Garlock
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There are many smaller faults within San Bernardino County capable of a major earthquake. However, the four faults are the faults the USGS and CGS consider to be the most dangerous. (California Geological Survey Special Publication 42, Interim Revision 2007, “Fault-Rupture Hazard Zones In California - Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act). Other geologic hazards include liquefaction and landslides, both occur during and after earthquakes.
Figure 6: Major California Faults
Three of the above faults are expected to have a M6.7 or greater earthquake within the next thirty years. These probabilities were determined by the USGS and CGS in a 2008 study (California Geological Survey Special Publication 42, Interim Revision 2007, “Fault-Rupture Hazard Zones In California - Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act).
4.2.2.3. Earthquake Related Hazards
Ground shaking, landslides, liquefaction, and amplification are the specific hazards associated with earthquakes. The severity of these hazards depends on several factors,
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including soil and slope conditions, proximity to the fault, earthquake magnitude, and the type of earthquake.
Ground Shaking: Ground shaking is the motion felt on the earth's surface caused by seismic waves generated by the earthquake. It is the primary cause of earthquake damage. The strength of ground shaking depends on the magnitude of the earthquake, the type of fault, and distance from the epicenter (where the earthquake originates). Buildings on poorly consolidated and thick soils will typically see more damage than buildings on consolidated soils and bedrock.
Earthquake Induced Landslides: Earthquake induced landslides are secondary earthquake hazards that occur from ground shaking. They can destroy the roads, buildings, utilities, and other critical facilities necessary to respond and recover from an earthquake. Many communities in Southern California have a high likelihood of encountering such risks, especially in areas with steep slopes.
Liquefaction: Liquefaction occurs when ground shaking causes wet granular soils to change from a solid state to a liquid state. This results in the loss of soil strength and the soil's ability to support weight. Buildings and their occupants are at risk when the ground can no longer support these buildings and structures. Many communities in Southern California are built on ancient river bottoms and have sandy soil. In some cases this ground may be subject to liquefaction, depending on the depth of the water table.
Amplification: Soils and soft sedimentary rocks near the earth's surface can modify ground shaking caused by earthquakes. One of these modifications is amplification. Amplification increases the magnitude of the seismic waves generated by the earthquake. The amount of amplification is influenced by the thickness of geologic materials and their physical properties. Buildings and structures built on soft and unconsolidated soils can face greater risk. Amplification can also occur in areas with deep sediment filled basins and on ridge tops.
4.2.2.4. Historical Profile
Since 1812 there have been 87 earthquakes in California with a magnitude of 5.0 or greater. The table below identifies 24 historic earthquakes affecting Southern California.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKES MAGNITUDE 5.0 OR GREATER Date Magnitude Location Southwest of San Bernardino 12/8/1812 6.9 County - 40 Fatalities 12/21/1812 7.1 West of Ventura – 1 fatality 1/9/1857 7.9 Fort Tejon – 1 fatality 2/24/1892 7.8 Imperial Valley 12/25/1899 6.7 San Jacinto – 6 fatalities 6/23/1915 6.3 Imperial Valley – 6 fatalities
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4/21/1918 6.8 Imperial Valley – 1 fatality 3/11/1933 6.4 Long Beach – 115 fatalities 5/19/1940 7.1 Imperial Valley – 9 fatalities 2/9/1971 6.6 San Fernando – 65 fatalities 10/15/1979 6.4 Imperial Valley – California Border 7/8/1986 6.1 North Palm Springs 11/24/1987 6.5 Superstition Hills – 2 fatalities 11/24/1987 6.7 Superstition Hills 6/28/1991 5.6 Sierra Madre – 2 fatalities 4/23/1992 6.2 Joshua Tree 6/28/1992 7.3 Landers – 3 fatalities 6/28/1992 6.5 Big Bear 1/17/1994 6.7 Northridge – 60 fatalities 10/16/1999 7.1 Hector Mine 2/22/2003 5.2 Big Bear City 6/12/2005 5.2 Southern California 7/29/2008 5.5 Chino Hills Sierra El Mayor – Northern Baja 4/5/2010 7.2 California Table 8: Southern California Earthquakes – Magnitude 5.0 or Greater
4.2.2.5. Hazard Summary for Earthquakes
The following provides information on the probability of future events. In addition, the data provides an overall summary of the City’s vulnerability and impact of each hazard.
The entire geographic area of California is prone to the effects of an earthquake. Figure 4-6 represents the UCERF probabilities of having a nearby earthquake rupture of magnitude 6.7 or larger in the next 30 years. As shown in the table, the chance of having such an event somewhere in California exceeds 99%. The 30-year probability of an even more powerful quake of magnitude 7.5 or larger is about 46%.
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Chino Hills is located approximately 28 miles east-southeast of Los Angeles
Figure 7: UCERF Earthquake Probability Mapping
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Figure 8: City of Chino Hills – USGS Liquefaction Susceptibility Zones
4.2.3. Flooding / Winter Storms
In the 2005 HMP flooding was listed as a top hazard in the City of Chino Hills. However, since that time there have been significant improvements in the City as well as the region which mitigate the flooding threat to the City.
4.2.3.1. Hazard Definition for Flooding
A flood, as defined by the National Flood Insurance Program is:
“A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties (at least one of which is your property) from: Overflow of inland or tidal waters; Unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source; Mudflow*; or Collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or similar body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels that result in a flood as defined above.”
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*Mudflow is defined as “A river of liquid and flowing mud on the surfaces of normally dry land areas, as when earth is carried by a current of water…”
Storm Flooding
Flooding occurs from storm activity, such as a 10, 25, 100, or 500-year storm event. A 10-year flood event is a flood with a probability of occurring once every 10 years or a ten percent chance of occurring in any one year. A 25-year flood event is a flood with a probability of occurring once every 25 years or a four percent chance of occurring in any one year. A 100-year flood event is a flood with a probability of occurring once every 100 years or a one percent chance or occurring once every 500 years or a 0.20 percent chance of occurring in any one year. Locations of 100- and 500-year floodplains are defined by FEMA. Flood hazard mapping is provided by FEMA based on Flood Insurance Maps (FIRMs).
Most rainfall in the Chino Hills area, as in the rest of Southern California, occurs in the winter months between December and March. Runoff from the City generally drains east and south, toward Chino Creek and Prado Flood Control Basin, and on to the Santa Ana River Basin. Canyons on the west side of the City, including Tonner Canyon, Carbon Canyon, Soquel Canyon, and Aliso Canyon, drain westward toward Los Angeles and Orange counties. With the exception of Tonner Canyon, which drains into the San Gabriel River watershed, the remaining canyons drain into lower reaches of the Santa Ana River Basin. All the canyons in the City are prone to seasonal flooding.
Flood control facilities designed to manage storm flooding in Chino Hills are managed by the City of Chino Hills, the San Bernardino County Flood Control District (SBCFD), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (UCACOE).
The eastern half of the City is tributary to Chino Creek, a rectangular concrete-lined open channel. Chino Creek is located on the easterly boundary of the City, running in a southerly direction and discharging into Prado Dam. Chino Creek is maintained by the USACOE and SBCFCD. The western half of the City drains westerly and southwesterly into Los Angeles and Orange counties, ultimately discharging into the Carbon Canyon regional drainage facilities maintained by the USACOE. The most southerly portion of the City within Chino Hills State Park is tributary to the Santa Ana River downstream of the Prado Dam, which is also maintained by the ACOE.
To address storm water flooding, the city Storm Drain Master Plan identified current storm drain deficiencies and plans to remedy these deficiencies according to the following 12 drainage basins in the City with a combined area of 21,053 acres (32.90 square miles).
1. Puente Hills This drainage basin consists of approximately 576 acres. It is located on the northern boundary of the City, bounded by the City boundary on the north, the City boundary on the west, the Boy’s Republic Basin to the south, the SR-71 to the east. The predominant land use is public open space which occupies the west half of the basin. high density residential is located along Peyton Drive. Low density residential is located in the northern section of the basin along Chino Avenue. Some commercial land is adjacent to SR-71.
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2. Boy’s Republic This drainage basin consists of approximately 870 acres and is located at the northeast corner of the City and is generally bounded by Grand Avenue on the south, Monteverde on the west, Chino Avenue on the north, and SR-71 on the east. The predominant land use is low density residential between Grand Avenue and Chino Avenue, and high density residential along Chino Avenue and Peyton Drive. Commercial land use is located east of Peyton Drive at Chino Avenue and Grand Avenue. Some institutional and public open space land uses are located along the Grand Avenue corridor.
3. English Channel This drainage basin total approximately 1,497 acres. The east half of this basin is comprised of agriculture/ranches land use and is located west of Peyton Drive. Housing is predominantly low density residential located along both Grand Avenue and Chino Hills Parkway. Public open space is scattered throughout the residential areas in the western half of the basin.
4. Little Chino Creek This drainage basin total approximately 3,014 acres. East of Peyton Drive and north of Eucalyptus Avenue the land use is institutional. The western half of the basin is predominantly public open space. The residential land use throughout the basin is primarily low density residential with some rural residential and high density residential mixed in.
5. Lake Los Serranos This drainage area consists of approximately 1,205 acres. It is bounded generally by both Glen Ridge Drive and Village Drive on the north, Chino Creek Channel on the east, the ridgeline west of Peyton Drive on the west, and both Valle Vista Drive and Val Verde Avenue on the south. The basin is fully developed with residential and commercial development.
6. Lower Los Serranos This drainage area consists of approximately 4,487 acres and is the largest of all the basins in the City of Chino Hills. The eastern half of the basin consists of mostly residential and commercial developments. The western half is open space with rolling hills. Natural ridgelines create the boundary for the basin along with SR-71 as the eastern boundary. A combination of natural wash and man-made infrastructure convey the flow southwesterly.
7. Slaughter Canyon The Slaughter Canyon Basin consists of mostly undeveloped rolling hills with developed residential areas to the east. Runoff from the undeveloped and developed areas drain towards Butterfield Ranch Road and are collected by a series of inlets and storm drains. The storm drain collection pipes vary in size from 36” at the upstream end to 84” at the downstream end. The entire basin ultimately drains to a detention basin along SR-71. A culvert under the highway conveys the flows to an open space outside the City boundary. This drainage basin totals approximately 818 acres.
8. Aliso Canyon The Aliso Canyon Basin consists of mostly rolling hills with some residential development to the east. The basin outfall is located at the southeast corner where culverts cross SR-71 and convey the flow to a wash. This drainage basin totals approximately 404 acres.
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9. Southeast Chino Hills The Southeast Chino Hills Basin consists of predominantly undeveloped rolling hills. The drainage pattern for this basin flows towards the east. The culvert along the SR-71 conveys concentrated flow across the freeway into the Santa Ana River Floodplain/Prado Dam Basin. There are ponding areas at the upstream end of the culvert. This drainage basin is the most southerly basin in the City consisting of approximately 837 acres of the Chino Hills State Park.
10. Tonner Canyon This drainage basin totals approximately 3,040 acres and consists of mostly undisturbed rolling hills. Naturally rills, gullies and washes convey the flow from north to south with an outlet point located at the City limits.
11. Carbon Canyon This drainage basin totals approximately 2,587 acres and consists of some low density residential developments. The basin is predominantly undisturbed rolling hills. Natural rills, gullies and washes convey the flow from north to south with an outlet point located at the City limits.
12. Soquel Canyon This drainage basin total approximately 1,717 acres and consists of mainly undisturbed rolling hills. A natural wash conveys the basin runoff to the west into another drainage basin.
All of the basins drain easterly towards Prado Dam except Carbon Canyon, Soquel Canyon, and Tonner Canyon, which drain westerly towards Orange County. All the current regional storm drain facilities within Chino Hills collect storm water from local urban storm drain systems and discharge to San Antonio Creek, and eventually discharge to the Prado Dam.
Inundation occurs when a dam or water retention structure fails due to a seismically induced event or due to inadequate structural design or construction. Water retention structures within Chino Hills include numerous dams and reservoirs, culverts, levees, stock ponds, and other flood control works.
4.2.3.1. Identification of Flood-prone Areas
Arnold Reservoir Arnold Reservoir is located in Tonner Canyon in the northwest corner of the City. It is a 22-foot high dam that was completed in 1918 with a reservoir crest elevation of 969.6 feet and a design storage capacity of 137 acre feet. The dam is operated by the City of Industry Urban Development Agency, and the impounded water is used for cattle. In the event of dam rupture, presently undeveloped portions of Tonner Canyon would be inundated.
Los Serranos Lake (Also known as Rancho Cielito Reservoir) Los Serranos Lake is an earthen facility located in the Los Serranos area. It is a 9-foot high dam constructed in 1912 to store well water that was used for agricultural purposes. Los Serranos Lake has a reservoir storage capacity of 110 acre feet and a dam crest elevation of 644.6 feet above mean sea level (MEL). In the event of dam rupture, the area down gradient from the lake with an elevation below about 642 feel MEL could be
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inundated. Inundation waters would likely flow east to southeast toward SR-71, where water would pond behind the freeway and flow southward to the closest storm drain. Ultimately, floodwaters would flow into Chino Creek and the Prado Dam Flood Control Basin.
Prado Dam Flood Area The Prado Dam is located southeast of and downgrade from Chino Hills. It is a rock-fill dam on the Santa Ana River near Corona, California, in Riverside County. The ACOE built the dam in 1941 to provide flood control for portions of Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. When constructed, the maximum reservoir water surface was 556 feet above sea level. Currently, the ACOE and Orange County Flood Control District (COD) are in the process of raising the height of the dam to allow a maximum reservoir water surface of 566 feet above sea level in order to accommodate additional flood control capacity for the region.
San Antonio Dam The San Antonio Dam is an earthen flood control facility on San Antonio Creek located approximately 10 miles northeast and up gradient from the northeastern portions of Chino Hills. The 160-foot high facility was constructed in 1956 with a crest elevation of 2,260 feel MEL and a reservoir storage capacity of 7,703 acre feet. In the event of dam rupture, the floodwaters would be mostly contained within Chino Creek, with floodwaters expected to reach the intersection of Ramona Avenue and SR-71.
The 2005 HMP discussed the potential for inundation if the San Antonio Dam failed. Storm drain channel improvements north of the City of Chino Hills combined with construction of the 210 Freeway have mitigated that possibility to negligible.
In the 2005 HMP incorrectly indicated that a breach of Prado Dam would have an impact on the City of Chino Hills. In fact, the design of this dam is such that the 100-year flood event would cause water to back into the City limit. A dam failure would drain the basin and have no impact on the City.
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Chino Hills
Figure 9: San Bernardino County FEMA Flood Hazard Area
4.2.3.3. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
The City joined the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on July 11, 1997. The federal government administers the NFIP with communities that have been identified as flood prone. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through the Federal Insurance Administration, makes flood insurance available to the residents of Chino Hills, provided the City adopts and enforces adequate floodplain management regulations that meet the minimum NFIP requirements. (Chino Hills Municipal Code Section 15.12 as updated by Ordinance 191 (2006).
4.2.3.4. Historical Profile
Localized flooding has occurred historically in the Chino Hills area, generally because drainage facilities were too small to convey the storm flows generated from increased urbanization and paved surfaces in the area. Severe erosion along many natural channels and debris-clogged drainage compound the problem. Localized flooding has been known to occur in some areas of the City, notably the lowlands bounded by Pipeline, Eucalyptus and Merrill Avenues and the Chino Creek Channel, and the section of Peyton Road between Eucalyptus Avenue and Carbon Canyon Road. Portions along English Road are also prone to flooding.
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During the winter storms of 1993, 1995, and 1998, an older area within the City, referred to as Los Serranos, experienced flooding due to the lack of storm drains.
Flooding Historical Events Affecting Chino Hills Response & Recovery Date Location Costs City State Fed Total 12/2010 Peyton Drive/Eucalyptus Ave-street flooding $281 0 0 0 12/2008 Peyton Drive/Eucalyptus Ave-street flooding 0 0 0 0 Peyton Drive/Eucalyptus Ave/Carbon Canyon Road-street
2007 flooding 0 0 0 0 2003 Pipeline S/O Chino Hills Parkway – street flooding 0 0 0 0 2003 Los Serranos – street flooding various locations 0 0 0 0 Los Serranos – street flooding various locations 1998 0 0 0 0
1995 Los Serranos – street flooding various locations 0 0 0 0
1993 Los Serranos – street flooding various locations 0 0 0 0 In 2005 the City adopted the Los Serranos Master Plan. This plan was a comprehensive plan for storm drain-improvements in the Los Serranos neighborhood. It is a phased plan, and the City has moved forward with these improvements as funds are available. In February 2010, the City adopted the Storm Drain Master Plan for the entire community in conjunction with the San Bernardino County Flood Control District.
In April of 2012, construction is scheduled to begin at Peyton Drive and Eucalyptus Avenue in order to mitigate future flooding.
The Federal Flood Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updates the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) which are utilized and identify areas of concern for potential flooding. For the City of Chino Hills, FEMA updated the FIRM Maps based on the significant storm drain and flood control infrastructure built in the area within the last decade. The latest update map for the City of Chino Hills was updated in July 2008.
The process of updating the FEMA FIRM Maps required coordination with city and county staff to determine areas of potential flooding. In the last 10 years, the City of Chino Hills and the San Bernardino County Flood Control District have constructed facilities which have substantially alleviated flood potential. Additionally, scattered areas throughout the City may exist with minor vulnerability to flooding. However, local flooding has been minimized in the City due to recent infrastructure built in combination with the completion of the 210 Interstate Freeway thereby minimizing flooding potential. The following map illustrates FEMA Flood Hazards located within the City of Chino Hills
. Figure 10: City of Chino Hills FEMA Flood Hazard Areas
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4.3. Inventory Assets
The third step in the risk assessment process involves inventorying assets located in the community. Section 4.1 profiled the hazards in Chino Hills. This information was used to identify the assets at risk from those hazards. Some hazards, such as earthquakes, may affect the entire community while some affect limited areas, such as fire incidents. This section provides a description of the inventory development and prioritization process.
4.3.1. Population
It is important for hazard-related plans to consider the demographics of the communities they seek to protect. Some populations experience greater risk from hazard events not because of their geographic proximity to the hazard but because of decreased resources and/or physical abilities. Elderly people may be more likely to be injured in a disaster and are also more likely to require additional assistance after a disaster. Research has shown that people living near or below the poverty line, the elderly, the disabled, women, children, ethnic minorities and renters all experience, to some degree, more severe effects from disasters than the general population. Vulnerable populations may vary from the general population in risk perception, living conditions, access to information before, during and after a hazard event, their capabilities during a hazard, and access to resources for post-disaster recovery.
Based on the U.S. Census Bureau information from the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, the total Population for the City of Chino Hills was approximately 76,760, with an average household size of 3.35. The median age of the population is 33 years old, with 28.5% of the population under 18 years old and 5.5% of the population over 65 years old.
In 2008 the median household income was $108,655, with 2.9% of the population living below the poverty level. Those in the labor force for the population 16 years and older was 41,352. For those individuals in the work force, the average driving time to work is 35.5 minutes, which means most residents work outside the city of Chino Hills.
4.3.2. Buildings
Below is a table showing the replacement values for structures and content by type and the number of each type of building in the City of Chino Hills. This information is taken from the FEMA pilot project “General Building Stock and Essential Facilities Update” completed in 2009. The project located and incorporated current data for all buildings and structures in San Bernardino County including essential facilities. The data was used to produce predictions for earthquakes and flooding using FEMA’s HAZUS program. This program produces loss estimates for earthquakes and floods of varying size and magnitude for any given area of the United States. HAZUS default building inventory indicates that there are about 21,011 buildings in the City of Chino Hills, and a total estimated replacement value of buildings of $7 billion, excluding building contents. Approximately 98% of the buildings are residential.
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Building Contents Building Building Inventory Replacement Replacement Square Information by General Value Value Footage Building Occupancy ($1,000) ($1,000) (1,000 Sq. Ft.) Count Residential $5,860,403 $2,930,197 44,692 20,537 Commercial $748,342 $751,861 9,055 227 Industrial $118,334 $177,499 1,519 72 Other $284,677 $123,401 1,698 175 TOTAL $7,011,756 $3,982,958 56,963 21,011
Building Replacement Building % of Selected Building Inventory Value Replacement Estimated Building Data by General Building Type ($1,000) Value (%) Building Count Count Concrete $240,736 3.4% 62 0% Manufactured Housing $32,952 0.5% 640 3% Precast Concrete $197,123 2.8% 52 0% Reinforced Masonry $325,941 4.6% 152 1% Steel $61,411 0.9% 37 0% Unreinforced Masonry $10,712 0.2% 4 0% Wood Frame (Other) $725,972 10.4% 438 2% Wood Frame (Single-family) $5,416,909 77.3% 19,627 93% TOTAL $7,011,756 21,011
Table 9: General Building Inventory
4.3.3. Critical Facility List
As defined for this plan, a critical facility is essential to the provision of vital services to the community or if lost, there would be a severe economic or catastrophic impact. These facilities are categorized as essential facilities that include hospitals, medical clinics, schools, fire stations, police stations, and emergency operations facilities; and high potential loss facilities that include large gathering places and hazardous materials sites.
A majority of Chino Hills’ critical facilities, including the Government Center, fire stations, and medical facilities have all been constructed since the seismic section of the UBC became state law. The likelihood that any of Chino Hills’ critical facilities would be damaged by a seismic event is very slim.
Fire Stations In the City of Chino Hills, fire protections services are provided by the Chino Valley Fire District.
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There are three fire stations located within the City.
■ Fire Station #62, 5551 Butterfield Ranch Rd., Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ Fire Station #64, 16231 Canon Lane, Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ Fire Station #66, 13707 Peyton Dr., Chino Hills, CA 91709
Government Facilities The critical government facilities that are located in the City are as follows:
■ Chino Hills City Hall, 14000 City Center Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ Chino Hills Police Department, 14077 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ Founders Recreation Center, 2000 Founders Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Alternate EOC located at Founders Recreation Center ■ McCoy Equestrian and Recreation Center, 14280 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ Grand Avenue Park Community Building, 1301 Grand Avenue, Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ Mystic Canyon Park Community Building, 6424 Mystic Canyon Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ Sleepy Hollow Community Building, 16801 Rosemary Lane, Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ Sewer Life Stations – Located throughout the City of Chino Hills ■ Water Booster Stations – Located throughout the City of Chino Hills ■ Water Reservoirs – Located throughout the City of Chino Hills
Public Facilities The critical public facilities that are located in the City of Chino Hills include the following:
■ San Bernardino Public Library, Chino Hills Branch, 14020 City Center Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ U. S. Post Office, 14071 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709
Major Roads and Bridges
Highway 71 travels through the eastern portion of the City in a north/south direction. There are two overpasses to Highway 71 that if damaged by an earthquake would have an impact on traffic circulation in the City:
■ Overpass at Grand Avenue ■ Overpass at Chino Hills Parkway
Police Station – EOC The City of Chino Hills contracts with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Chino Hills has one police station located next to the City Hall. The primary Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is located in the Police Station. The alternate EOC is located in the Community Room at Founders Recreation Center.
■ Police Station is located at 14077 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709
Schools
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The Chino Unified School District covers the Cities of Chino and Chino Hills. In the City of Chino Hills, there are 14 public schools, i.e. 10 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools. There are also 5 private schools. All public schools are on a year- round schedule.
School Address Ayala High School 14255 Peyton Drive Chino Hills High School 16150 Pomona Rincon Road, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Canyon Hills Jr. High School 2500 Madrugada, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Townsend Jr. High School 15359 Ilex Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Butterfield Ranch Elementary 6350 Mystic Canyon, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Chaparral Elementary 4849 Bird Farm Road, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Country Springs Elementary 14145 Village Center Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Eagle Canyon Elementary 13435 Eagle Canyon Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Glenmeade Elementary 15000 Whirlaway, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Hidden Trails Elementary 2250 Ridgeview Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Litel Elementary 3425 Eucalyptus Avenue, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Oak Ridge Elementary School 15452 Valle Vista, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Rolling Ridge Elementary School 13677 Calle San Marcos, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Wickman Elementary 16250 Pinehurst Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Private Schools Chino Hills Christian School 2549 Madrugada Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 (Private) 2593 Chino Hills Pkwy., Suite A, Chino Hills, CA Goodearth Montessori School 91709 Loving Savior Lutheran 14816 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Elementary KinderCare Learning Center 13815 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 15928 Los Serranos Country Club Drive, Chino Hills, KinderCare Learning Center CA 91709 Table 10: Chino Hills Public and Private Schools
Assisted Living Facilities There are two assisted living facilities located within Chino Hills.
■ Aegis of Chino Hills, 14837 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709 ■ Chancellor Place, 6500 Butterfield Ranch Road, Chino Hills, CA 91709
Medical Facilities ■ Pomona Valley Health Center, 3110 Chino Avenue, Chino Hills, CA 91709
■ Pomona Valley Health Center, 2140 Grand Avenue, Chino Hills, CA 91709
Telecommunications
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Local telephone service is provided by Verizon. Several providers, including Verizon, provide long distance phone service to Chino Hills and also provide internet access via FIOS, DSL, cable modem, satellite, and dialup features. City residents have a number of options for internet service, including service by Verizon, Time Warner Cable, and local ISPs. All major cellular phone service provider companies are licensed and monitored by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Electric Power Southern California Edison (SCE) supplies electrical energy to the City of Chino Hills.
Natural Gas Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas) is the supplier of natural gas to the City of Chino Hills. Currently, SoCal Gas maintains transmission and distribution lines throughout the City. Most lines operate at a medium pressure of approximately 30 to 60 pounds per square inch (PSI). Most Chino Hills streets have SoCal Gas network pipelines running under them. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulates SoCal Gas.
Water Water service in the City of Chino Hills is provided by several agencies: ■ Monte Vista Water District ■ Chino Basin Desalter Authority ■ Water Facilities Authority ■ IEUA Recycled Water
Wastehauler Chino Hills Disposal
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sponsored a pilot program to perform a risk assessment of essential facilities using its HAZUS-MH. The objective of the pilot project was to demonstrate the synergy between HAZUS-MH and FEMA’s Map Modernization program to update Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMS) for three Southern California counties (Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino) and to illustrate the types of information HAZUS-MH can generate for hazard mitigation planning. In the pilot HAZUS-MH was used to estimate the impact of two different earthquakes and three different riverine floods to each county’s infrastructure, including both regional building inventories (referred to within HAZUS-MH as the “general building stock”) and essential facilities.
Chino Valley Chino Basin Chino Valley Unified Municipal Independent City of Chino School Water OWNER Fire District* Hills District* District* Wastewater School Treatment FACILITY TYPE Fire Stations EOCs Buildings Plants # % # % # % # % Total # of Buildings 6 2 341 4
Fire Hazard Severity Zones -
Fire Local Hazards Responsibility Very High 1 17% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
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Area
Fire Hazard Very High 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Severity Zones - High 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% State Responsibility Area Moderate 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Zone A - no base flood elevations determined 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Special Flood Zone AE - base flood elevations Hazard Areas determined 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Subject to Zone AH - Flood depths of 1 - 3 feet Inundation by (usually areas of ponding); base flood the 1% Annual elevations determined 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Chance (100- year) Flood Zone AO - Flood depths of 1 - 3 feet (ususally sheet flow on sloping terrain); average depths determined. 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Zone X (Shaded) - areas of 0.2% annual chance (500 yr) flood; areas of 1% annual chance flood with average Other flood
Flood Hazards Flood depths of less that 1 foot or with areas drainage areas less than 1 square mile. 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Zone X Protected by Levee - areas protected by levees from the 1% annual chance flood 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 25% Zone D - areas in which flood hazards are undetermined, but possible 2 33% 1 50% 33 10% 1 25% Other Areas Zone X (Unshaded) - areas determined to be outside the 0.2% annual chance
(500-year) floodplain 4 67% 1 50% 308 90% 2 50%
Dam
Inundation In mapped dam inundation area 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% None 0 0% 1 50% 83 24% 0 0% Very Low 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Liquefaction Low 5 83% 1 50% 250 73% 2 50% Susceptibility Moderate 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 2 50% High 1 17% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Very High 0 0% 0 0% 8 2% 0 0% Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Hazards Earthquake Earthquake Fault Zone Inside mapped fault zone 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% * Chino Valley IFD, Chino Valley USD and Chino Basin MWD data are also listed on the City of Chino hazard identification table
Table 11: Critical Facilities Exposure
4.4. Vulnerability Assessment
This section provides an assessment of vulnerability for the three hazards (wildfire, earthquake, and flooding) that pose significant threats to the City of Chino Hills. This is the final step in the four-step risk assessment process and utilizes data and information collected from the City and various external agencies. It provides loss estimates and vulnerability of general buildings, key facilities with critical functions and governance relationships, and people living and working in the City of Chino Hills. The vulnerability assessment provides a solid basis for analyzing the risk, the potential exposure, and consequences to City operations and safety.
The following were taken into account when assessing the vulnerability:
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Updates to inventories of existing structures in hazard areas, including new development and redeveloped areas. Potential impacts of future land development, including areas that may be annexed in the future. New buildings that house special high-risk populations (i.e., elderly, low-income, disabled) Completed mitigation actions that reduced overall vulnerability.
4.4.1. Methodology
To conduct the vulnerability assessment, a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used. A quantitative assessment of earthquake risk was performed with City provided data and FEMA’s HAZUS software.
4.4.2. Methodology and Results for Wildfire
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Model (Adapted from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection May 2007 “FACT SHEET: Fire Hazard Severity Zone Model – A Non-technical Primer”).
Most of the highest wildfire losses take place during hot, windy days or nights when flames spread so fast that many buildings catch fire and overwhelm available firefighting forces. Many buildings ignite when burning embers land on wood roofs, blow in through vents, pile up in cracks, or become lodged under boards. By constructing buildings in a way that reduces the ability of embers to intrude, a major cause of structure ignition is reduced.
Recently adopted building codes reduce the risk of burning embers igniting buildings. Standards are already in effect for roofs and attic vents. Application of roofing standards depends on the Fire Hazard Severity Zone of a property. New building codes for California will require siding, exterior doors, decking, windows, eaves, wall vents and enclosed overhanging decks to meet new test standards. These standards apply throughout areas where the State has financial responsibility for wildland fire protection and for local responsibility areas zoned as very high fire hazard severity.
While all of California is subject to fire hazard, to some degree, there are specific features that make some areas more hazardous. California law requires CAL FIRE to identify the severity of fire hazard statewide. These fire zones, called Fire Hazard Severity Zones, are based on factors such as fuel, slope of the land and fire weather. There are three zones based on increasing fire hazard: medium, high, and very high.
Model Behind Fire Hazard Severity Zone Mapping The zone designation for each specific parcel is initially assigned by a computer model. The model is based both on existing fire behavior modeling techniques used by fire scientists throughout the United States and on new methodologies and data developed by the Fire Center at the University of California at Berkeley. The model evaluates land area using characteristics that affect the probability that the area will burn and the potential fire behavior that is expected should the area burn in a wildfire. Many factors area considered such as fire history, existing and potential fuel, flame length, blowing embers, terrain, and typical weather for the area.
Hazard versus Risk
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As required by law, the model evaluates “hazard” not “risk”. Hazard refers to physical conditions that cause damage. “Hazard” as calculated in the model is based on the physical conditions that give a likelihood that an area will burn in the future, the heat produced when it does burn, and a prediction of the embers that spread the fire. It is based on the potential vegetation that will grow in the area over the next 30 – 50 years.
Risk, on the other hand, is the potential damage a fire can do to values at risk in the area under existing and future conditions. Risk does consider modifications that affect susceptibility of property to damage, such as defensible space, irrigation and sprinklers, and building construction that reduces the risk of burning embers igniting buildings. Hazard does not equal risk, but is an important factor in determining risk.
Zones and Parcels Mapping an area as large as California requires the creation of spatial units called zones. Zones are areas that form the spatial building blocks for constructing a map. They are akin to the pieces in a jig-saw puzzle. Zones are created by computer from areas of similar terrain, vegetation, and fuel types. They are areas that have relatively similar burn probabilities and fire behavior characteristics. The zone size varies from 20 acres and larger in urbanized areas to 200 acres and larger in wildland areas. Urban areas are treated differently in mapping due to the significant changes in both fuel conditions and burn probability that happen as areas become urbanized.
Wildland zones are areas of similar terrain and fuel conditions created by using computer techniques to build the boundaries. Areas dominated by brush lands on steep slopes will generally occur in different zones than flat grassland areas.
Urban zones are delineated based on minimum area and average parcel size. They must be at least 20 acres in size, and contain average parcel sizes that are less than two acres per parcel. In most counties, urban zones were developed using parcel data. Where such data was not available parcel density was interpreted using 2000 census data and statewide vegetation map data. In practice, the majority of areas mapped as urban zones have parcel sizes less than one acre, with highly developed infrastructure and ornamental vegetation.
Fundamental to understanding the map is that hazard zones do not exist at scales smaller than those used to create the zones. Thus when looking at the map, one needs to know how information is averaged across the zone to derive the final hazard ranking. The zones will have smaller areas within them of different hazard characteristics. This detail is lost when scores are averaged over the entire area of the zone to obtain a zone-wide description of hazard.
Focus on Characterizing Fire Behavior and Fire Hazard to Buildings Since new building standards seek to reduce the chance that buildings will ignite in a wildfire, the model focuses on those descriptions of fire behavior that influence structure ignition. The model uses fire behavior characteristics that describe the intensity of both radiation and convection from nearby flame sources (using flame length as a measure) and mass transport of firebrands due to convection lifting and wind).
Intrinsic to hazard, consequently, is the estimation of probability, or chance. Further, the conditions that give rise to hazard for an area are not solely a function of conditions in that particular area. Firebrands landing in an area may be produced some distance away, and hence the hazard for an area is influenced by hazards off-site.
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Terms Used Fire Hazard Severity has two key components: probability of burning and expected fire behavior. The factors considered in determining hazard are: 1) how often an area will burn; and 2) when it does burn, what characteristics might lead to buildings being ignited?
Fire behavior refers to the physical characteristics of the fire – examples include rate of spread, length of flames, and the ability to produce firebrands or embers.
Burn probability describes the average chance of a fire burning an area in any given year. It is based on the fire records spanning the last 55 years. Some areas of the state have much higher chances of burning, and this is reflected in the hazard zones.
Zoning and Scoring
The model uses building blocks to derive FHSZ classes based on a two-step process:
Zoning and Scoring (See Figure 20). Urban areas are treated differently from wildlands due to the significant changes in both fuel conditions and burn probability that happen as areas become urbanized. Each wildland zone gets scores that tie together the burn probability with the expected flame sizes predicted by fuels, slope, and expected fire weather. Since it describes potential hazard to buildings, the model characterizes the fuel potential of the area over a 30-50 year period and the maximum expected hazard value is used.
Figure 11: Wildland Zoning
While some areas may have recently been treated and currently have only moderate hazard, buildings in that area will be exposed to increasing hazards as these vegetation fuels develop, hence the use of “climax” or fuel potential in the model. As with the chance of fire, expected flame size varies significantly from one fuel type to the next.
Areas also receive a score for the amount of firebrands (burning embers transported by the wind) that are expected to land on an area. In the model, firebrands are produced based on fuel types and a model describing the distribution of firebrands transported from the source area. The firebrand score is a function of the number of brands that are expected to land on a given area, and are consequently influenced by areas around them where the embers are produced.
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Each wildland zone gets an area-averaged classification for flaming and firebrands, which together determine the final hazard ranking for the zone: moderate, high or very high.
Urban zones are scored based on their proximity to wildland zones and the flame score for that wildland zone, the number of firebrands being produced in the wildlands and received in the urban area, and the amount of vegetation fuels present in the urban zone. Urban areas immediately next to wildland zones typically have the highest hazard, and areas more removed from the wildlands have lower hazards.
The influence of wildland fire hazard into urban areas can range from only about 200 feet in low hazard conditions, to nearly a mile in very high hazard areas. The nature and depth of the zones are a function of both how likely a flame front will penetrate, and how many firebrands are expected to land in the urbanized areas.
Results of the Model Results of the model lead to revised maps of fire hazard severity. To summarize, classification of a zone as moderate, high or very high fire hazard is based on the severity of fire behavior that leads to building ignition. Each area of the map gets a score for flame length, embers, and the likelihood of the area burning. Scores are averaged over the zone areas. Final FHSZ class (moderate, high and very high) is determined based on the averaged scores for the zone. Model results were tested and validated in four counties with very different conditions: Butte, Calaveras, Sonoma, and San Diego. Further, draft maps have been reviewed by the 21 CAL FIRE units and six contract counties; their recommendations for changes were evaluated and incorporated when appropriate. Updated information and support documents for FHSZ are available on CAL FIRE’s Fire and Resource Assessment Program’s website at http://frap.cdf.ca.gov/fhsz/review.html.”
Figure 12: Fire Hazard Severity Zoning Scoring Structure
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Water Supply and Distribution In some areas of the community, water supply can become marginal during time of heavy emergency usage. Residents wetting their roof and properties during times of fire activity heavily impact water stored in hilltop reservoirs. Many times this practice takes place when the fire activity is a long distance from the property. Widespread use of this practice robs emergency fire equipment of needed water reserves in the fire area.
Some rural canyon structures and residences are built at a considerable distance from roadways and water distribution systems. This requires the laying of supply lines by fire companies, or the use of fire department water tenders to physically transport water to the area requiring protection. These practices become extremely dangerous when faced with the crowded street and driveways mentioned previously.
Some water may be obtained from private swimming pools in the area, through the use of portable pumps. These sources are relatively few, and should not be considered a reliable water source.
Roadways Naturally occurring topographic restrictions lead to severe restrictions and congestion. Residents trying to evacuate the area, sightseers, and emergency equipment trying to enter have the potential of creating complete blockages on the roadways. Rapid response of law enforcement is crucial to the management of adequate traffic flow.
Evacuation and Shelter Needs In most cases, wildfires are fast moving and present momentary dangers of intense proportions. When this situation exists, the need for evacuation takes a high priority, but the need for shelter areas is usually minimal. This is contingent on the ability of fire forces to adequately protect the homes of those residents evacuated. When the danger has subsided, the area can usually be re-entered. Should these residences be destroyed, then the need for shelters becomes evident.
4.4.3. Methodology and Results for Earthquakes
Regional earthquake loss estimates and critical facility damage and functionality have been estimated using the latest version of HUZUS (HAZUS-MH MR-4), with the improved regional building and essential facility inventory databases developed under FEMA funding for the San Bernardino County Essential Facilities Risk Assessment (SBEFRA) Project. The risk assessment of critical facilities considers those essential facilities (fire stations, police facilities, EOC’s and schools) for which HAZUS-compatible databases have been developed.
Given an earthquake fault or epicenter, magnitude, and location as input, the HAZUS earthquake module produces quantitative estimates of losses to buildings and lifeline infrastructure, estimates of impact on the functionality of facilities, and casualty and other population impacts. Alternatively, the users may import “user-supplied” hazard data, such as a ShakeMap generated by the USGS. Output from HAZUS includes several items. Losses are presented as direct economic losses from building and lifeline damage, as well as selected indirect economic losses. Functionality estimates are calculated in terms of
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restoration time for critical facilities, such as highway bridges, water treatment plants, and electric power substations, and system restoration assessments for potable water and electrical power networks.
Casualty estimates are provided as various levels of injury severity and death. The model also estimates losses due to fire-following earthquake and the quantity of earthquake- related debris generated.
HAZUS® usually comes with default inventory data which allows a user to run a simplified or “Level 1” analysis without collecting additional data. However, the data is often less than optimal, which impacts the reliability of HAZUS® results. HAZUS® analyses can be greatly improved with the input of various “user-supplied” data. An enhanced analysis is usually referred to as a “Level 2” analysis. For the earthquake risk assessment for Chino Hills, a Level 2 analysis was performed by updating the regional building inventory databases developed from the County Assessor’s data. Also, a California Geological Survey liquefaction layer was imported into HAZUS® to characterize the local earthquake hazard.
Figure 13: HAZUS Methodology
A summary of the risk assessment results for three earthquake scenarios, each including the impacts of liquefaction; include the M7.8 Shakeout Scenario, a M6.7 San Jacinto scenario earthquake and a M6.7 Chino Hills Scenario earthquake.
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Table 12 summarizes Direct Economic Loss, Casualties, and Building Damage by General Building Type for the three earthquake scenarios.
Earthquake Scenario M7.8 ShakeOut M6.7 San M6.7 Chino Scenario Jacinto Fault Hills Fault (including (including (including Liquefaction) Liquefaction) Liquefaction) Direct Economic Losses for Buildings ($1,000)
Total Building Exposure Value 7,011,756
Cost of Structural Damage 12,786 1,095 69,981 Cost of Non-Structural Damage 62,162 9,957 317,232 Total Building Damage (Str. + Non-Str.) 74,948 11,052 387,212 Building Loss Ratio % 1.1% 0.2% 5.5% Cost of Contents Damage 24,031 4,811 114,827
Capital Stock Losses Stock Capital Inventory Loss 789 174 3,156
Relocation Loss 5,897 255 35,383
Capital-Related Loss 881 25 4,619
Losses Rental Income Loss 2,989 133 15,756 Income Income Wage Losses 1,663 47 8,996 Total Direct Economic Loss 111,198 16,499 569,950 % Of Countywide Loss 0.5% 0.3% 18.7% Casualties Casualties - 2 pm Fatalities 0 0 1 Trauma injuries 0 0 0 Other (non-trauma) hospitalized injuries 0 0 0 Total hospitalized injuries 0 0 0 Injuries requiring Emergency Department Visits 26 1 86
Day Casualties Day Injuries treated on an Outpatient basis 47 2 160 Total injuries 73 3 247 Hospital visits requiring EMS transport 2 0 5 Casualties - 2 am
Fatalities 1 0 1
Trauma injuries 0 0 0 Other (non-trauma) hospitalized injuries 0 0 0 Total hospitalized injuries 0 0 0 Injuries requiring Emergency Department Visits 88 3 198
Night Casualties Night Injuries treated on an Outpatient basis 164 6 376 Total injuries 253 9 575 Hospital visits requiring EMS transport 5 0 10
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Earthquake Scenario M7.8 ShakeOut M6.7 San M6.7 Chino Scenario Jacinto Fault Hills Fault (including (including (including Liquefaction) Liquefaction) Liquefaction) Shelter
Number of Displaced Households 99 1 806
Shelter Number of People Requiring Short-term Shelter 30 0 238 Debris (thousands of tons)
Brick, Wood & Other (Light) Debris 17 1 58 Concrete & Steel (Heavy) Debris 16 0 66 Debris Total Debris 33 1 124 Building Damage Count by General Building Type None 40 60 7
Slight 13 2 21 Moderate 6 0 25 Extensive 2 0 7 Concrete Complete 0 0 1 TOTAL 62 62 62
None 12 310 0 Slight 35 225 1 Moderate 113 104 37 Extensive 306 1 266 Complete 175 0 336 Manuf. Housing Manuf. TOTAL 640 640 640
None 37 49 6 Slight 12 3 22 Moderate 2 0 23 Extensive 0 0 2 Complete 0 0 0
Precast Concrete Precast TOTAL 52 52 52 None 123 148 33
Slight 23 4 60 Moderate 5 0 49
Extensive 1 0 9 Masonry Reinforced Reinforced Complete 0 0 1 TOTAL 152 152 152
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Earthquake Scenario M7.8 ShakeOut M6.7 San M6.7 Chino Scenario Jacinto Fault Hills Fault (including (including (including Liquefaction) Liquefaction) Liquefaction) None 15 34 3 Slight 12 2 11 Moderate 9 0 18
Steel Extensive 1 0 4 Complete 0 0 0 TOTAL 37 37 37 None 1 3 0
Slight 1 1 0 Moderate 1 0 1
Extensive 0 0 1 Masonry
Unreinforced Unreinforced Complete 0 0 1 TOTAL 4 4 4 Building Damage Count by General Building Type (Continued) None 315 427 77
Slight 75 11 204 Moderate 43 0 125
Extensive 5 0 28 (Other)
Wood Frame Frame Wood Complete 0 0 3 TOTAL 438 438 438
None 16,786 19,156 4,896 Slight 2,784 468 12,265
family) Moderate 57 3 2,371 - Extensive 0 0 92
Wood Frame Frame Wood Complete 0 0 3 (Single TOTAL 19,627 19,627 19,627 None 17,329 20,187 5,023
Slight 2,956 715 12,585
Moderate 235 108 2,649
TYPES Extensive 316 1 409
Complete 175 0 345 ALL BUILDING BUILDING ALL TOTAL 21,011 21,011 21,011 Table 12: Earthquake Risk Assessment (Regional)
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Below are shake maps for the three scenario earthquakes generated for the 2010 Multi- Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The three scenarios are:
Magnitude 7.8 Southern San Andreas Fault (Figure 4-9) Magnitude 6.7 san Jacinto Fault (Figure 4-10) Magnitude 6.7 Chino Hills Fault (Figure 4-11)
The scenarios were produced by FEMA’s HAZUS® software using the updated data provided by the General Building Stock and Essential Facilities Update Pilot Project.
Figure 14: Shake Map for Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake – Southern San Andreas Fault
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Figure 15: Shake Map for Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake – San Jacinto Fault
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Figure 16: Shake Map for Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake – Chino Hills Fault
Damage to Vital Public Services, Systems and Facilities
Medical Emergency Management, upon proclamation of local emergency, will notify the San Bernardino County Director of Public Health through designated channels and participate in evacuation and treatment of victims and casualties in accordance with his directives.
Medical communications will be established and coordinated through the San Bernardino County Communications Center. Emergency medical management on a local level will be coordinated through the local EOC communications system.
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It is anticipated that transportation resources normally utilized in medical movement will be unable to readily respond due to highway damage and requirements of hospital facilities. Therefore, utilization of public and private vehicle resources will be required. Medical supplies should be consumed at a rapid rate and requests will be made through the local EOC to county level emergency management.
Communications Communications affected by a major earthquake would include telephone systems and governmental radio systems primarily. Loss to the telephone system would be through damages to utility poles, vaults, and microwave repeaters. It is virtually certain that telephone systems will fail with the onset of the event. Repair to the system in this area will attain 25% effectiveness three days after the event with first service being returned to emergency and governmental facilities. A major element in post-event effectiveness deals with the amount of overload by non-essential usage. Usage should be limited to life-threatening or emergency situations.
Governmental and emergency radio systems will be primarily impacted by loss of repeater stations and power failures. While the impact of power failure can be somewhat mitigated by use of portable and permanent electrical generators, the loss of repeater stations will have a more lasting effect and will require mitigation through planning procedures.
Electric Power Major power plants are expected to sustain some damage due to liquefaction and the intensity of the earthquake. Up to 60^ of the system load may be interrupted immediately following the initial shock. According to representatives of Southern California Edison Company, the electrical power will not be rerouted and will be lost for an undefined period of time. Much of the imported power is expected to be lost. In some areas of the greatest shaking, it should be anticipated that some of the distribution lines, both underground and surface, will be damaged. Much of the affected area may have service restores in days; damaged area with underground distribution may require a longer time. Loss of Edison transmission lines is possible.
Natural Gas Pipelines Damage to pipeline facilities will consist primarily of (a) some isolated breaks in major transmission lines, and (b) innumerable breaks in mains and individual service connections within the distribution systems, particularly in the areas of intense ground shaking. These many leaks in the distribution system will affect a major portion of the community, resulting in a loss of service for extended periods. Fires should be expected at the sites of a small percentage of ruptures both in the transmission lines and the distribution system.
Fire Operations Although total collapse of fire stations is not expected, possible disruption of utilities, twisted doors and loss of power can create major problems. Numerous fires due to disruption of power and natural gas networks can be expected. The area’s water supply may be greatly impacted. Connections to major water sources, water mains and storage facilities may be damaged resulting in an unstable water supply for fire and rescue operations. Fire and rescue personnel will need to complete a preliminary assessment to determine and establish response and recovery needs. In addition, Fire and rescue operations may take days because of the disruption to the transportation corridors.
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Highways and Bridges Damage to freeway systems and bridges is expected to be major. Inner surface transportation routes could be subject to delays and detours. A major portion of surface streets in the vicinity of freeways could be blocked due to collapsed overpasses.
4.4.4. Methodology and Results for Flooding
The Flood overlay is identified in the Land Use Element of the General Plan and mapped in the Safety Element. Flood hazard mapping is provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) based on Flood Insurance Maps (FIRMS). Flood hazard areas shows on the FIRM are identified as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), which are defined as the area that will be inundated by the flood event having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The one percent annual chance flood is also referred to as the base flood or 100-year flood. Within Chino Hills, current FIRM maps identify SFHAs labeled as Zone A, Zone AE, and Zone X (shaded). Zone A are areas inundated by 100 year flooding, for which no base flood elevation (FBE) has been established; Zone AE are areas inundated by 100-year flooding for which BFEs have been determined; and Zone X (shaded) areas are areas of moderate flood hazard, usually the area between the limits of the 100-year and 500-year floods. The identified SFHAs within Chino Hills generally area adjacent to existing creek beds, including the Little Chino Creek, Chino Creek, and Carbon Canyon Creek.
Current FIRM maps also identify Zone X (unshaded) areas within Chino Hills, which are areas of minimal flood hazard, usually outside the 100-and 500-year floodplains.
The flood hazard map is updated to include current FIRM information and dam inundation areas, and carried forward within the Safety Element of the General Plan.
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Section 5 – Community Capability Assessment
The City of Chino Hills strives to protect and maintain the health, safety, and welfare of the community on a day-to-day basis. Additionally, the City takes extra measures to reduce the impacts of natural or technological hazards. The City can use a variety of different tools, assets, and authorities to effectively prepare for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters. These include voluntary and mandatory measures; individual and community efforts; private and public actions; and preventive as well as responsive approaches. Mitigation activities include educating citizens, enforcing building and development codes, constructing capital improvement projects, adopting plans, and improving emergency preparedness and response.
The capabilities available to the City of Chino Hills fall into the following categories: agencies and people, plans, codes and regulations, mitigation programs, and financial resources. Identifying and documenting these capabilities provides the basis for developing future mitigation opportunities and how they can be implemented within existing City programs.
City of Chino Hills Capability Assessment
Storm Water Management Ordinances: Land Use Plan Last Update: 4/2006 Yes Community Zones: Yes Stream Management Ordinances: Yes Established Building Codes: Yes Zoning Management Ordinances: Yes Building Codes Last Updated: 2011 Subdivision Management Ordinances: Type of Building Codes: CBC, CPL, Yes CMC, NEL Erosion Management Ordinances: Yes Local Electric Utilities: Southern Floodplain Management Ordinances: Yes California Edison Floodplain Management Plan Published Local Water Utilities: City of Chino Hills Date: 9/13/1994 Local Sewage Treatment Utilities: Inland Floodplain Management Last Delineation Empire Utilities Agency Date: 9/13/1994 Local Natural Gas Utilities: Southern National Flood Insurance Program California Gas Company Community: Yes Local Telephone Utilities: Verizon National Flood Insurance Program Join Fire Insurance Rating: The Insurances Date: 7/11/1997 Services Organization rating for Chino National Flood Insurance Program Hills is “3” Number: 060754 Fire Insurance Rating Date: 7/1/1995 Land Use Plan: Yes
5.1 Agencies and People
5.1.1. City of Chino Hills
Key Personnel Chino Hills departments have specific responsibilities and related activities/actions assigned to them for each identified hazard and threat. Each department is responsible for ensuring coordination with the other departments. In an emergency, all employees are disaster service workers. “Subject to such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their supervisors or by law.” (CA CG §3100).
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The City Manager of Chino Hills is responsible for identifying key management personnel, with alternates, and alternative facilities to conduct government operations, based on the hazard analysis. Each department will be responsible for identifying key departmental personnel with backups and alternates for each position in the City’s organization.
Alert List The City’s Emergency Services Coordinator is responsible for developing and maintaining an emergency alert list, which will be used to notify the key City personnel. Each department will develop their own departmental alert list, which will be used by the departments to alert departmental personnel. Special rules related to disaster service workers are outlined in California Labor Codes Sections 3211.9, 3352.94, 4351, 4381, 4453, and 4702.
Special Districts Special Districts with responsibilities under this plan will coordinate all planning efforts with the Chino Hills Emergency Services Coordinator.
City EOC The Chino Hills City Manager has overall responsibility for coordinating the City’s response to each emergency.
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CITY COUNCIL - Mayor & City Council Members
EOC DIRECTOR City Manager
Public Information Liaison Officer Officer
Agency Representatives Safety Officer
EOC Coordinator Emergency Services EOC Security Officer
Coordinator
Legislative Liaison Legal Advisor
OPERATIONS PLANNING/INTEL LOGISTICS FINANCE/ Section Chief Community Community Services ADMINISTRATION Public Works Development Director Director Finance Director Director
SITUATION RESOURCE COST RECOVERY/ FIRE BRANCH ANALYSIS STATUS TRACKING DOCUMENTATION
INFORMATION MEDICAL/HEALTH DOCUMENTATION TIME KEEPING UNIT SYSTEMS BRANCH
DAMAGE COMMUNICATIONS PUBLIC WORKS PURCHASING UNIT ASSESSMENT UNIT
BUILDING & ADVANCE SAFETY/ PERSONNEL UNIT COMPENSATION/CLAIMS PLANNING ENGINEERING
RECOVERY CARE & SHELTER PROCUREMENT UNIT COST ANALYSIS UNIT PLANNING
FACILITIES UNIT LAW BRANCH DEMOBILIZATION .
TRANSPORTATION UNIT CORONER UNIT Figure 17: City Departments and Staff Assignments
Figure 17: City Departments and Staff Involved in Disaster Management
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5.2 Existing Plans
The City of Chino Hills has adopted the philosophy that Plan integration is an essential element to future and long-term community sustainability. The City’s long-term goal is to integrate all aspects of comprehensive planning and development to correlate with a continuum of adopted codes and standards to support this philosophy. This section reviews City plans and highlights the elements that are relevant to mitigation and can support future implementation of activities identified in this Plan. For example, the goal is to enhance the objectives of hazard mitigation, including the Safety Element of the General Plan. Other plans focus on different aspects of disaster management such as emergency response. This section reviews City plans and highlights the elements that are relevant to mitigation and can support future implementation of activities identified in this Plan.
General Plan All cities and counties in California are required to adopt a General Plan that lays out major policy goals. The General Plan includes elements that address a variety of important topics. The element most closely related to this Hazard Mitigation Plan is the Safety Element, which focuses on reducing risks posed by natural and technological hazards and other human caused emergency events. Other elements also provide guidance relevant to mitigation, including the Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Public Services/Facilities, Open Space and Recreation, Noise, and Economic Development elements. The City of Chino Hills is currently in the process of updating the General Plan. When the updated General Plan is adopted, the Hazard Mitigation Plan will be adopted into the Safety Element of that Plan.
Safety Element The purpose of the Safety Element is to reduce the potential risk of death, injury, property damage, and economic and social dislocation resulting from fires, earthquakes, landslides, floods, and other hazards. The Safety Element identifies all significant hazards and risks in a community and defines policies to mitigate and respond to those risks.
Storm Drain Master Plan The Storm Drain Master Plan was adopted February 2010. It identifies current storm drain deficiencies and plans to remedy these deficiencies. To assess deficiencies, the Storm Drain Master Plan divided the City into 12 drainage basins and analyzed each area to determine estimated storm water runoff based on 10, 25, and 100-year storm events. Based on this runoff information, storm drain system improvement plan is provided that identifies preliminary sizing for future storm drains that will be constructed either by development projects or through the City Capital Improvement Program. Most of the planned storm drain facilities are designed to provide capacity for 100-year events.
Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) The CIP emphasizes developing a plan of action to properly maintain the existing infrastructure in a sound physical condition as well as providing new facilities to support future development and growth. It outlines the short and long-range plans for capital acquisition and development as funding becomes available. The recommended program contains project priorities on a fiscal year basis and recognizes that the completion of some projects, due to their complexity and funding, will span a number of program years. Capital improvement projects are supported by expenditure plans, which detail funding sources and expenditure amounts.
Emergency Operations Plan The City of Chino Hills Emergency Operations Plan complies with the California Standardized
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Emergency Management System (SEMS) Government Code Section 8607(a) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) (HSPD-5). The plan is flexible enough to use in all emergencies at all levels working together to manage domestic incidents. This flexibility applies to all phases of incident management, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity. The plan provides a set of standardized organizational structures, as well as requirements for processes, procedures, and systems designed to improve interoperability.
Each element of the emergency management organization is responsible for assuring the preparation and maintenance of appropriate and current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)/Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), resource lists and checklists that detail how assigned responsibilities are performed to support SEMS/NIMS Emergency Operations Plan implementation and to ensure successful response during a major disaster. Such SOPs/EOPs include the specific emergency authorities that designated officials and their successors can assume during emergency situations.
Mutual Aid Agreements Mutual aid agreements and assistance agreements are agreements between agencies, organizations, and jurisdictions that provide a mechanism to quickly obtain emergency assistance in the form of personnel, equipment, materials, and other associated services. The primary objective is to facilitate rapid, short-term deployment of emergency support prior to, during, and after an incident.
5.3 Regulations, Codes, Policies, and Ordinances
The City has adopted codes and regulations to govern development, construction, and land use activities. They include construction standards, siting requirements, use limitations, study requirements, and mitigation requirements, which help directly or indirectly minimize the exposure of people and property to loss or injury resulting from disasters. As such, they are an effective tool and capability which the City may continue to use to reduce the amount of damage or harm arising from disasters. This plan provides an opportunity to review existing regulations to determine if they are effective or whether they need to be revised in certain areas to more adequately prevent loss or injury from disasters.
California Building Code – Chapter 15.04 of the Municipal Code The City of Chino Hills adopts the California Building Code 2007 Edition as the building codes of the City for regulating the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, demolition, conversion, occupancy, equipment, use, height, area and maintenance of all buildings and/or structures in the City
Erosion Management Ordinance – Chapter 16.54.010 of the Municipal Code The purpose of this chapter is to eliminate and prevent accelerated erosion that has led to, or could lead to, degradation of water quality, loss of fish habitat, damage to property, loss of topsoil and vegetation cover, disruption of water supply, increased danger from flooding and the deposition of sediments and associated nutrients.
California Fire Code – Chapter 8.16 of the Municipal Code The City of Chino Hills adopts the state of California Fire Code that regulates and governs the safeguarding of life and property from fire and explosion hazards; hazardous materials arising from the storage, handling, and use of hazardous substances, materials, and devices; and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings and premises.
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Floodplain Management Ordinance – Chapter 15.12 of the Municipal Code The City of Chino Hills adopts floodplain management regulations that require protection against flood damage at the time of construction; restrict alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers; control construction and development activities that may increase flood damage; and control of flood barriers that could unnaturally divert flood waters or increase flood hazards in other areas.
Storm Water Management Ordinance – Chapter 13.16 of the Municipal Code The City of Chino Hills prohibits all non-permitted discharges to the municipal storm drain system. This prohibition applies to the discharge to municipal storm drains from spills, dumping, or disposal of materials other than stormwater. This regulation is intended to reduce pollutants in stormwater discharges to the maximum extent practicable and to ensure compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
Subdivision Regulations The City’s subdivision regulations are outlined in the Development Code, which establishes standards to regulate the division and merger of land and defines minimum lot sizes, densities, and development standards.
Zoning Regulations The Development Code regulates the use of land an buildings, the height, bulk, location of structures, the amount of open space, and the density of population by establishing zone classifications.
5.4 Mitigation Programs
Below if a partial listing of mitigation programs that may be available to property owners and small business owners through other agencies:
Fire Hazard Abatement The Chino Valley Fire District (CVFD) conducts a weed abatement program that enforces vegetation reduction as required by the CAL Fire Code throughout the City. In addition, CVFD has a hazard mitigation grant through FEMA do to strategic vegetation reduction within an area of Carbon Canyon to minimize the hazard of major wildfires coming into populated areas of Carbon Canyon from Orange County. The Fire Safe Council has, in the past, received grants for a chipper program where residents can cut down their vegetation and take it to a designated point for chipping.
Water Conservation Program On April 8, 2008, the Chino Hills City Council adopted the Water Conservation Ordinance. The Water Conservation Ordinance emphasizes the need for water conservation pursuant to the California Water Code Section 375 and regulates the use of water under shortage conditions. Section 13.08 of the Chino Hills Municipal Code promotes the wise use of water and calls for the need to curb excessive water use.
The City’s Water Conservation Program works with residents, business owners, school officials and teachers, and the public at-large to educate them about the need to conserve our "nation's most precious natural resource - Water." The City provides materials and programs that teach conservation to any age and can offer tips on ways to conserve water.
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Additional Programs The following programs are sponsored by the City of Chino Hills to mitigate the potential effects of excess materials that could impact waste disposal and landfill capabilities following a major catastrophic event:
Annual Household Hazardous Waste Events Residential Recycling Program Household Hazardous Waste Municipal Collection Centers Curbside-Residential Bulky Item Service Curbside Waste Oil/Recycling Program Free Mulch and Compost Program
Below if a partial listing of mitigation programs that may be available to property owners and small business owners through other agencies:
Agency Program Details FEMA National Flood Enables property owners to purchase insurance as a Insurance protection against flood losses in exchange for state and Program (NFIP) community floodplain management regulations that reduce future flood damages. http://www.fema.gov/business/nfip/ HUD Community Grants to develop viable communities, principally for low Development and moderate income persons. CDBG funds available Block Grant through Disaster Recovery Initiative. (CDBG) http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/ communitydevelopment/programs/
U.S. Small Small Business Low interest, fixed rate loans to small businesses for the Business Administration purpose of implementing mitigation measures. Also Administration Loan Program available for disaster damaged property. http://www.sba.gov/services/financialassistance/index.html Table 13: Other Agency Mitigation Programs
5.5 Fiscal Resources
The City of Chino Hills has a General Fund Budget of $ 164.1 for FY 2010/11, and a Capital Improvement Program for FY 2010/11 is $40,786,600. The primary sources of General Fund revenues for the City of Chino Hills are vehicle-in-lieu fees, sales taxes, and property taxes.
Sales Tax The City of Chino Hills receives 1% of the sales tax from retail purchases made in the City. Increasing sales tax revenue continues to be a major focus for the City. Since incorporation, sales tax revenue has increased from about $1 million to $5.9 million.
Motor Vehicle-in-lieu-fee (VLF) The VLF is a tax on ownership of a registered vehicle in place of taxing vehicles as personal property. In 2004, the Vehicle License Fee changed. Most of the revenue that had been
City of Chino Hills Hazard Mitigation Plan (2011 Update) 70 received by cities from this source was swapped into additional property tax share. A 0.65% VLF tax rate is applied based on a vehicle’s current value as estimated by a depreciation schedule set in State law. The revenue from the 0.65% rate is protected by Proposition 1A of 2004 which requires the Legislature to provide a replacement source of revenue to cities if the State reduces the rate below 0.65%. Cities receive what is remaining after allocations to counties and the State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The VLF revenue has been very volatile during the current recession due to a decline in total VLF revenue collected by the State and escalating DMV allocations. The City has experienced a significant reduction in revenue for fiscal years 2007/08, 2008/09, and 2009/10. The proposed revenue for fiscal year 2010/11 is estimated at $115,500, which is 33% of the amount received in fiscal year 2007/08.
VLF Property Tax Swap Fiscal Year 2004/05 was the inaugural year of the swap, and all future revenues are based on the amounts calculated in this initial base year. For subsequent fiscal years, the VLF swap grows annually in proportion to the growth of gross assessed valuation.
Property Tax Upon incorporation the City received 3.9% of the 1% ad valorem property taxes for residential property. In 1996 the City began negotiating with the County of San Bernardino for an increase in the allocation to the City from the County. Special legislation was passed; and as a result, an agreement was entered into in February 2000. The agreement provides for an even split of property taxes between the County and the City on certain undeveloped commercial and industrial properties. Under the agreement the City’s share rose to 9/3%. In January 2004 the agreement was amended to modify, on a prospective basis, the allocation percentage to approximately 14.7% so that the City receives the County’s entire share of property tax on development-related increases in the assessed valuation of the specified commercial and industrial zoned property.
The County has initiated a Revenue Enhancement Program whereby the City has submitted qualified undeveloped parcels to be placed into the Revenue Enhancement Program. The City map of parcels to be included in the revenue enhancement program is undergoing review by the County. Once the map is approved, an agreement between the City and County will be executed. The City will then file the approved map with the State Board of Equalization for the formation of taxing zones to implement the Revenue Enhancement Program. For the parcels in the Revenue Enhancement Program, the property tax split between the County and the City will be 50/50 on all new taxes generated from the development up to a maximum of 10%. The Revenue Enhancement Program will be effective for 25 years. This process is expected to be completed during fiscal year 2010/11.
User Fee Study During fiscal year 2004/05, a fee study was commenced. The user fee study presented a “window of opportunity” for the City to increase fees and General Fund revenues with a corresponding decrease in the subsidization of services. During fiscal year 2005/06, the user fee portion of the fee study was completed and incorporated into revenue projections. The fee resolution adopted provided for automatic annual adjustment by the consumer price index factor. For fiscal 2010/11 the user fees and underlining hourly rates are recommended to be adjusted 1.83%.
Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM) FEMA developed the PDM program to coincide with the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 that requires communities to prepare local hazard mitigation plans, such as this plan. Funds are authorized by Congress on an annual basis for PDM competitive grants,
City of Chino Hills Hazard Mitigation Plan (2011 Update) 71 technical assistance. and program support. FEMA grants can fund 75% of a project and other non-federal sources must provide 25 percent matching funds. Funds are only granted to communities with an approved local hazard mitigation plan, and supported projects much be identified in those plans.
Community Development Block Grants Block grants are administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund housing, economic development, public works, community facilities, and public service activities serving lower income people. These funds can be used for mitigation works. CDBG funds are considered local funds once they are received and thereby are eligible to provide the 25 percent local match required for receipt of the HMGP funds.
There are other federal programs that support emergency and rebuilding costs in communities, such as FEMA’s Public and Individual Assistance Programs which are activated following federally declared disasters. These funds primarily support repair projects, but may also include the cost of code upgrades or other mitigation measures as part of the repair if they are cost effective.
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Section 6 – Mitigation Strategies
6.1 Overview
The City of Chino Hills mitigation strategy is derived from the in-depth review of the existing vulnerabilities and capabilities outlined in previous sections of this plan, combined with a vision for creating a disaster resistant and sustainable community for the future. This vision is based on informed assumptions, recognition of both mitigation challenges and opportunities, and demonstrated by the goals and objectives outlined below. The mitigation measures identified under each objective include an implementation plan for each measure. The measures were individual evaluated during discussions of mitigation alternatives and the conclusions used as input when priorities were decided. All priorities are based on consensus of the Planning Team.
Mitigation measures are categorized generally for all hazards and specifically for the three high risk hazards facing the City that were extensively examined in the risk assessment section: earthquakes, floods, and wildfires.
6.2 Mitigation 5-Year Progress Report
This table provides the status of those mitigation projects listed in the approved 2005 plan.
Mitigation Action Comments
Completed Deleted Deferred English Channel – Improve English Design 65% complete; Channel under crossing at Peyton Drive X Construction start anticipated for summer 2012. Project carried forward to 2011 HMP. CFD #9 Flood Control Channel – Installation of flood control channel within X Community Facilities District #9 Los Serranos Infrastructure – Install storm Project ongoing – 20% drains, curbs, and gutters in the Los X complete. Future Serranos Area construction dependent upon funding availability. Project carried forward to 2011 HMP. Big League Dreams Sports – Installation of drainage pump station at Park site X Peyton Storm Drain – Install storm drain Phase I complete (Grand on Peyton Drive X Avenue to English Road). Phase 2 storm drain constructed from English Road to Eucalyptus Avenue (Road improvements pending). Phase 3 in design. This phase includes storm drain installation, road
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improvements and improvements to the English Channel. Project carried forward to 2011 HMP. Seismic Retrofitting – Install automatic X No available funding. Project shutoff valves and flex couplings at water carried forward to 2011 HMP. reservoirs Reservoir Replacement – replace older X concrete water reservoirs with welded steel reservoirs Feldspar Retention Basin – Install This was an existing detention retention basin X basin that was repaired. Storm Drain Master Plan – Prepare Storm Drain Master Plan to identify needs X Table 14: Status of 2005 HMP Projects
In addition to the mitigation projects listed above, the following mitigation projects have also been implemented in the last five years.
Disaster Preparedness Training Emergency Preparedness Division provides city staff with the appropriate National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) training in order to improve the ability of city personnel to respond effectively during a major emergency and/or disaster. The Emergency Preparedness Division also provides disaster preparedness and awareness training to the community.
Emergency Communications Services (ECS) A group of volunteer amateur radio operators that provide continuous supplemental and emergency backup communications in order to free up the public safety radio system and to assist with the local response to emergencies.
6.3. Mitigation Goals, Objectives, Projects
This section presents mitigation goals and objectives identified to reduce or avoid long-term vulnerabilities to the identified hazards. The 2005 HMP mitigation goals and objectives were reviewed by the Planning Team. Through discussions, research, and meetings of the Planning Team and based on input from participating stakeholders and the public, it was the consensus of the Planning Team that the goals of the 2005 HMP are still applicable. However, the 2005 goals were narrowly focused; and in the 2010 HMP the Planning Team recommended expanding on the goals and objectives. The goals and objectives mentioned under “Emergency Preparedness Goals” (EPG) will also be applied to all three of the top hazards that could impact the City of Chino Hills, i.e. wildfire, earthquake, and flooding, and will be referenced as EPG.
6.3.1. Emergency Preparedness Goals
Goal 1: Increase the emergency management capability of the City of Chino Hills.
Objective 1: Enhance and expand the disaster preparedness programs and provide outreach to the public to encourage preparedness in the
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community through community workshops and disaster preparedness events.
Objective 2: Seek to update information on natural, environmental, and human- caused hazards, vulnerabilities, and mitigation measures by coordinating planning efforts and creating partnerships with appropriate local, county, state, and federal agencies.
Objective 3: Expand and update the City’s emergency response and recovery operations for the special needs population in the City through the identification and prioritization of rescue needs.
Mitigation Measures:
1. Work with the Chino Hills Police Department to update the database on residents with special needs. 2. Provide an annual emergency exercise to improve readiness of the City’s Emergency Operations Center staff. 3. Promote and participate in the annual Great Shakeout Exercise. 4. Provide SEMS and NIMS training to all new City employees. 5. Continue to stock auxiliary emergency supplies. 6. Update the City’s Emergency Operations Plan on a regular basis.
Goal 2: Protect the continuity of local government to ensure no significant disruption of services during or due to a disaster.
Objective 1: Protect and sustain redundant and reliable local emergency operations and communication facilities during and after disasters.
Mitigation Measure:
1. Continue to work with the Planning Team to develop business continuity plans for the City.
Goal 3: Improve community emergency preparedness, collaboration, and outreach.
Objective 1: Educate and encourage residents to be self-sufficient for a minimum of two weeks versus 72 hours.
Objective 2: Encourage residents to develop emergency plans and practice those plans.
Objective 3: Encourage local businesses and faith-based organizations to develop emergency and business continuity plans.
Mitigation Measures:
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1. Conduct community disaster preparedness workshops semi-annually. 2. Hold a Disaster Expo in the community on a semi-annual basis.
Goal 4: Develop and implement mitigation strategies that optimize public funds in an efficient and cost-effective way.
Objective 1: Seek mitigation projects that provide the highest degree of hazard protection at the least cost.
Objective 2: Consider the impacts of hazards on future land uses in the City of Chino Hills by coordinating with other planning mechanisms such as the General Plan.
Objective 3: Maximize the use of outside sources of funding.
Objective 4: Use public funding to protect public services and critical facilities.
Mitigation Measures:
1. Encourage property-owner self-protection measures.
6.3.2. Wildland Fire
Goal 1: Significantly reduce life loss and injuries; Minimize damage to structures and property as well as disruption of essential services and human activities
Objective1: Ensure that enforcement of relevant state regulations and local ordinances significantly reduce life loss and injuries.
Objective 2: Encourage new development to occur in locations avoiding or minimizing exposure to hazards and enhance design requirement to improve resiliency in future disasters.
Objective 3: Ensure that mitigation measures are incorporated into repairs, major alterations, new development and redevelopment practices, especially in areas subject to substantial hazard risk.
Objective 4: Educate the public to increase their awareness of hazards, emergency response, and recovery.
Mitigation Measures: 1. Provide an additional water source for the Sleepy Hollow area.
2. Reduce fire hazard by removing Arundo Donax growth and debris in Carbon Canyon Creek.
3. Reduce the spread of wildfires and protect homes by providing additional fuel breaks in the Carbon Canyon area. Under purview of Chino Valley Fire District.
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4. Collaborate with the Chino Valley Independent Fire District to develop and implement a wildfire safety and preparedness public education program.
6.3.3. Earthquake
The earthquake hazard was emphasized through the planning process as the highest priority hazard. The following goals are designed to ensure that the City of Chino Hills can effectively respond to and recover from a major earthquake event while simultaneously working on the long-term effort to mitigate the earthquake risk. (See EPG Section 6.3.1.)
Goal 1: Significantly reduce life loss and injuries; Minimize damage to structures and property as well as disruption of essential services and human activities
Objective 1: Continue to require geological and geotechnical investigations of all new developments in areas of potential seismic or geologic hazards as part of the environmental and development review process.
Objective 2: Encourage homeowners and building owners to retrofit and rehabilitate wood frame structures built prior to 1952, mobile homes, precast concrete tilt-up buildings built prior to 1973, unreinforced masonry structures, and soft-story buildings
Objective 3: Continue to use the environmental and development review process to ensure prudent development and redevelopment of all land within the moderate to high landslide susceptibility zones.
Mitigation Measures:
1. Install auto shutoff valves and flex couplings at water reservoirs.
6.3.4. Flood
Goal 1: Significantly reduce life loss and injuries; Minimize damage to structures and property as well as disruption of essential services and human activities
Goal 2: Increase public awareness of risks from all natural and human-made hazards.
Goal 3: Restrict all new development in areas prone to flooding or within dam inundation areas.
Objective 1: Ensure that enforcement of relevant state regulations and local ordinances significantly reduce life loss and injuries.
Objective 2: Encourage new development to occur in locations avoiding or minimizing exposure to hazards and enhance design requirement to improve resiliency in future disasters.
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Objective 3: Ensure that mitigation measures are incorporated into repairs, major alterations, new development and redevelopment practices, especially in areas subject to substantial hazard risk.
Objective 4: Educate the public to increase their awareness of hazards, emergency response, and recovery.
Mitigation Measures:
1. Install storm drains, curbs and gutters in the Los Serranos area as funding is available.
6.4. Mitigation Priorities
During the development of the risk assessment for the City of Chino Hills, the Planning Team proposed and discussed alternative mitigation goals, objectives, and specific mitigation measures that the City should undertake to reduce the risk from the three high risk hazards facing the City.
Multiple factors were considered to establish the mitigation priorities included in this plan. The Planning Team utilized the STAPLEE system (identified in Section 3.6) to help assess mitigation priorities and determined that the highest priority rankings would be assigned to those mitigation measures that met three primary criteria:
1. Greatest potential for protecting life and property 2. Greatest potential for maintaining critical City functions and operability following a disaster; and 3. Achievability in terms of community support and cost effectiveness.
6.5. Implementation Strategy
An implementation strategy is the key to any successful planning effort. The implementation strategy identifies who has lead responsibility for the project, potential funding sources(s) to support implementation, the estimated timeframe for completion, and the priority ranking defined as follows: Responsible Agency: City Department and/or other agency assigned lead responsibility Funding source(s): Potential internal and external funding source(s) Timeframe: Short-term (less than 2 years); long-term (more than 2 years) Priority Ranking: High, Medium or Low (as defined in Section 6.4)
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Mitigation Project Responsible Hazard Funding Timeframe Priority Department(s) Source(s) Ranking Improve English Channel under Engineering Flooding Capital Short-Term High crossing at Peyton Drive Improvement Program; Federal Grants Install storm drains, curbs, and Engineering Flooding No funding Long-Term Med gutters in Los Serranos area source at this time Install storm drain on Peyton Engineering Flooding Capital Short-Term High Drive Improvement Program; Federal Grants Increase emergency Citywide All General Short-Term; High management capability of the Hazards Fund; Ongoing City of Chino Hills Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Protect the continuity of local Citywide All General Short-Term; High government to ensure no Hazards Fund; EMPG Ongoing significant disruption of services during or due to a disaster Improve community emergency Community All General Short-Term; High management preparedness, Services Hazards Fund; EMPG Ongoing collaboration, and outreach Provide an additional water Engineering Fire Fee Long-Term Low source for the Sleepy Hollow supported area Reduce fire hazard by Public Works Fire Pre-disaster Long-Term Med removing Arundo Donax mitigation growth and debris in Carbon grant (PDM) Canyon Creek Reduce the spread of wildfires Fire Protection Fire No funding Short-Term High and protect homes by providing District source at this additional fuel breaks in the time Carbon Canyon area Collaborate with the Chino Fire Protection Fire No funding ? ? Valley Fire District to develop District; source at this and implement a wildfire safety Community time and preparedness public Services education program Install auto shutoff valves and Engineering All PDM grant; Long-Term Low flex couplings at water Hazards Federal reservoirs grants Table 15: Mitigation Projects Summary
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Section 7 – Plan Maintenance
7.1 Monitoring, Evaluating and Updating the Plan
The plan maintenance section of this document details the formal process that will that ensure that the City of Chino Hills hazard mitigation plan remains an active and relevant document. The HMP maintenance process includes a schedule for monitoring and evaluating the plan annually and producing an updated plan every 5 years. This chapter also describes how the City will integrate public participation throughout the plan maintenance and implementation process. Finally, this chapter explains how the City intends to incorporate the mitigation strategies outlined in this HMP into existing planning mechanisms and programs, such as the City comprehensive land-use planning process, capital improvement planning process, and building code enforcement and implementation. The HMP’s format allows the City to review and update sections when new data become available. New data can be easily incorporated, resulting in a plan that will remain current and relevant to the City of Chino Hills.
7.2 Implementation Through Existing Programs
The 2010 Hazard Mitigation Plan update process was followed by inclusion of mitigation measures in the Safety Element of the City of Chino Hills General Plan. The City of Chino Hills addresses statewide planning goals and legislative requirements through its General Plan, Capital Improvement Projects, and City Building and Safety Codes. The Hazard Mitigation Plan will implement a series of recommendations, many of which are closely related to the goals and objectives of existing planning programs. The City of Chino Hills will have the opportunity to implement recommended mitigation action items through existing programs and procedures.
The Hazard Mitigation Plan goals and actions will be incorporated into various general operations of government. For example, the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan will be adopted into the Safety Element of the General Plan when the General Plan update is completed which is scheduled for 2011/2012. Much of the information from the Hazard Mitigation Plan will also be included in the Chino Hills Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). As any future City plans are developed, the Hazard Mitigation Plan will be a great asset in any plan development efforts. As noted earlier, much of the information contained in this Hazard Mitigation Plan is from the City’s General Plan and is already part of the planning process.
7.3 Continued Public Involvement
A critical part of maintaining an effective and relevant Hazard Mitigation Plan is ongoing public review and comment. Consequently, the City is dedicated to the direct involvement of its citizens in providing feedback and comments on the plan on a continued basis.
The public will continue to be apprised of Local Hazard Mitigation Plan actions through the City’s website, public workshops and fairs, and through the local media. All proposed changes to the plan will be subject to citizen review prior to City Council action. The City will follow its standard public input process, consistent with the process used in the initial plan development, which is described in Section 3 of this Plan.
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Appendix A
I. List of San Bernardino County Stakeholders Planning Team
II. Public Outreach Efforts for Hazard Mitigation Planning Process
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Figure 18: Stakeholders List
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Figure 19: Chino Hills Website
2010 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
As one of 54 confirmed participants in the 2010 San Bernardino County Operational Area Multi-Jurisdictional Multi- Hazard Mitigation Planning Project, the City of Chino Hills is updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). This plan was adopted in 2005 and is required to be updated at least every five years to ensure that it remains an active and relevant document. The goal of mitigation is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property from hazardous events. This plan addresses the following topics: Planning Process – This plan will document the planning and updating processes, including how the plan was prepared and updated, who was involved in the process, and how the public was involved. Risk Assessment – Mitigation plans identify natural hazards, estimate the potential frequency and severity of hazards, and assess the potential losses of life and property. Mitigation Strategy – Based on the risk assessment, communities develop mitigation goals and objectives, as part of a strategy for mitigating hazard losses. The strategy is a community’s approach for implementing mitigation activities that are cost-effective and technically feasible. Plan Maintenance – A formal plan maintenance process is implemented to ensure that the mitigation plan remains active and relevant. This process includes a method and schedule for monitoring, evaluating, and updating the plan at least every five (5) years. In order to develop a more comprehensive approach to reducing the effects of natural hazards, the City of Chino Hills would like to extend an opportunity to the public to comment on the plan during the updating process. Please send your comments in writing to: E-mail: [email protected] or Mail: City of Chino Hills Attn: Cathy Malizia 14000 City Center Drive Chino Hills, CA 91709
Figure 20: Chino Hills Website Verbiage – August 20, 2010
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Figure 21: Chino Hills Press Release
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Figure 22: 9/18/2010 Press Release – Champion Publications
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