Item 26 - Updated Hazard Mitigation Plan

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Hazard Mitigation Plan | 2022 City Profile - 26 - Part II: RISK ASSESSMENT City Profile Q&A | ELEMENT B3: Q: Is there a description of each identified hazard’s impact on the community as well as an overall summary of the community’s vulnerability for each jurisdiction? (Requirement §201.6(b)(3)) A: See Location and the Environment below. Location and the Environment According to the City’s website, Don Gaspár de Portolá, a Spanish expedition party leader, discovered a picturesque valley and river in Southern California, which he christened Santa Ana, in honor of Saint Anne, on July 26, 1769. José Antonio Yorba, a youthful expedition soldier, and his nephew Juan Peralta, were given a Spanish land grant for the area. They developed the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana for cattle grazing and productive farmland. In 1869, William H. Spurgeon purchased 70 acres from the Yorba family and plotted a town site. The new town was given the name Santa Ana. In 1886, Santa Ana was incorporated as a city. Orange County was separated from Los Angeles in 1889, and Santa Ana was designated the County Seat. Santa Ana is the financial and governmental center of Orange County and a major city in the state. According to the City of Santa Ana General Plan, Public Draft (2020), Santa Ana has a long, dynamic history of growth and development, starting from its establishment in 1869 (and later incorporation in 1886) on just over 74 acres of land. In the past 151 years, the City, which sits at 115 feet elevation and 35 meters above sea level, has grown to encompass over 27 square miles, with a population of more than 330,000 residents and businesses and institutions employing over 160,000 workers (both as of 2020). By the 1990s, very little vacant land remained in the City; new growth since then has largely involved the recycling and intensification of already developed properties. In the past 15 years, dozens of unique and creative projects have infused new life and investment into the City. The City has also expanded beyond its historic role as the civic center of Orange County. It is emerging as the county’s cultural and economic hub.