Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan

The purpose of the Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan (Plan) is to help Alameda adapt to climate change, reduce the impact of future disasters on our community and help us recovery more quickly when disasters do occur.

We recognize that some members of the community will be more significantly impacted by natural disasters and may have a more difficult time recovering than others due to lack of stable housing, financial resources, and by zoning laws that have disproportionately forced people of color into areas of the city more vulnerable to natural hazards. The goal of this plan is to identify and mitigate those needs to reduce the impact of future disasters on all Alameda residents and speed recovery when disasters do occur.

The City of Alameda Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan:

• Meets the requirements of federal assistance grant programs, including FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding.
• Works in conjunction with other plans, including the City’s Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP), General Plan and the City’s Emergency Management Plan.
• Establishes a basis for coordination and collaboration among community entities such as private and public agencies, key stakeholders, and residents to provide for the fullest amount of transparency.
• Identifies and prioritizes future adaptation and hazard mitigation projects.

The plan addresses natural and climate induced hazards that impact the City of Alameda. A hazard is an event or physical condition that has the potential to cause fatalities, injuries, property damage, infrastructure damage, damage to the environment, interruption of business, or other types of harm or loss. Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation refers to the actions taken reduce or eliminate long term risk to human life and property from natural and climate change-induced hazards and their effects.

The Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan is different from an emergency management for response plan which prepares the City to respond when a disaster occurs, and may include such actions as providing emergency response, equipment, food, shelter, and medicine. However, adaptation and hazard mitigation planning supports emergency response planning by minimizing the loss of life and property resulting from natural disasters and helps the city adapt over time to changing conditions.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires local governments to update their Local Hazard Mitigation Plan every five years. This plan updates both Alameda's 2016 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and the adaptation chapter of the 2019 Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP).

The Plan was adopted by Alameda City Council(PDF, 1MB)  on June 7, 2022 and approved by FEMA(PDF, 270KB) on June 15, 2022. As part of the Plan adoption, the Alameda General Plan was also revised to align with the Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the Plan was adopted as an appendix to the General Plan Safety Element.

Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan - June 2022(PDF, 46MB)
(with appendices)

Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan - June 2022(PDF, 46MB)
(no appendices)

Executive Summary(PDF, 1MB)

Chapter 1: Introduction(PDF, 1MB)

Chapter 2: How We Developed the Plan(PDF, 562KB)

Chapter 3: Asset Inventory
(PDF, 2MB)

Chapter 4: Hazard Characterization and Risk Assessment
(PDF, 6MB)

Chapter 5: Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Strategy
(PDF, 7MB)

Chapter 6: From Plan to Action
(PDF, 687KB)

Appendix A: Planning Process(PDF, 650KB)

Appendix B: Public Outreach(PDF, 8MB)

Appendix C: Community Survey(PDF, 315KB)

Appendix D: Detailed Asset Inventory(PDF, 866KB)

Appendix E: Detailed Earthquake Risk Assessment(PDF, 2MB)

Appendix F: Detailed Flooding and Sea Level Rise Risk Assessment(PDF, 1MB)

Appendix G: Priority Coastal Inundation Locations (from CARP)(PDF, 5MB)

Appendix H: Additional Maps(PDF, 10MB)

Appendix I: Approval Documentation
(PDF, 2MB)

If you would like the Plan chapters in a more accessible format for translating or screen reading, such as a Word document, please email dmieler@alamedaca.gov.

It will take everyone working together to respond to the challenge of climate change and natural hazards and promote a healthier and more sustainable Alameda.

It's everyone's responsibility to be prepared. The City of Alameda's highest priority is the safety of its residents, but when disaster strikes being personally prepared will lessen the impact on your family. As a resident, there is a lot you can do now to prepare for disasters!

• Learn which hazards impact you. Enter an address to view earthquake, flood, and tsunami hazards in the vicinity.
• Join CERT, The Community Emergency Response Team and learn disaster-related skills to help your neighbors.
• Subscribe to AC ALERT to receive important or emergency notifications from the City and County of Alameda.
• When it's time to replace your vehicle, go electric.
• Retrofit your home for earthquakes.
• Check if your apartment is listed as a soft-story building that is vulnerable to damage in an earthquake.
• Secure movable items in your space, including furniture, appliances, water heaters
• Secure or remove brick chimneys.
• Prevent natural gas leaks in your home.
• Consider earthquake insurance for homeowners, condo owners, and renters.

The Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan works closely with the following plans:

• Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan (CARP)
• Emergency Operations Plan
• General Plan 2040
  

Below is a list of adaptation projects that are in process:

• Oakland-Alameda Adaptation Committee
• Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project
• Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project
• Sub-regional Adaptation Plan

The following list represents adaptation studies and plans done for Alameda - some of it done by the City, some of it by regional governments

• The Response of the Shallow Groundwater Layer and Contaminants to Sea Level Rise in Alameda (2020)(PDF, 847KB)
• Social Vulnerability Assessment - Appendix G of CARP(PDF, 847KB) (2019)
• Oakland-Alameda Resilience Study (2016)
• Alameda Point Master Infrastructure Plan(PDF, 28MB) (2014)
• Alameda County Vulnerability and Risk Report (2012)
• ABAG (region-wide report): Stronger Housing, Safer Communities (2012)