Item 26 - Updated Hazard Mitigation Plan

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Hazard Mitigation Plan | 2022 Climate Change Hazards - 89 - length of a drought, as carry-over supplies in reservoirs are depleted and water levels in groundwater basins decline. There are four different ways that drought can be defined: o Meteorological - a measure of departure of precipitation from normal. Due to climatic differences what is considered a drought in one location may not be a drought in another location. o Agricultural - refers to a situation when the amount of moisture in the soil no longer meets the needs of a particular crop. o Hydrological - occurs when surface and subsurface water supplies are below normal. o Socioeconomic - refers to the situation that occurs when physical water shortage begins to affect people. According to the Vulnerability Assessment Report in the 2020 General Plan, a drought’s severity depends on numerous factors, including duration, intensity, and geographic extent, as well as regional water supply demands by humans and vegetation. Due to its multi-dimensional nature, drought is difficult to define in exact terms and poses difficulties in terms of comprehensive risk assessments. Drought differs from other natural hazards in three ways. First, the onset and end of a drought are difficult to determine due to the slow accumulation and lingering of effects of an event after its apparent end. Second, the lack of an exact and universally accepted definition adds to the confusion of its existence and severity. Third, in contrast with other natural hazards, the impact of drought is less obvious and may be spread over a larger geographic area. These characteristics have hindered the preparation of drought contingency or mitigation plans by many governments. Climate scientists predict that in the future southern California will get drier and northern California will get hotter. The resulting loss of snowpack in the Sierra Nevada will mean less water for all Californians – farmers, residents, utilities, and even hatchery fish. However, while drought cannot be controlled, according to the USGS, drought can be managed in two ways: through drought planning and in helping communities make the best day-to-day management decisions while the drought is taking place. During the drafting of this plan update, the Governor of California signed an executive order directing specific State agencies to develop a Water Resilience Portfolio to “ensure safe and dependable water supplies, flood protection and healthy waterways for the state’s communities, economy and environment.” The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook below shows the Metro Service Area as well as California as a whole is no longer in danger from the impacts of drought: