The City of National City Hazards Preparedness and Mitigation Plan

“This report, developed through a partnership between the City of National City and San Diego State University’s C P 690 graduate course, presents a comprehensive Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) addressing three primary natural threats: earthquakes, floods, and fires. In assessing these threats, the report identifies National City’s intersecting environmental, infrastructural, and social vulnerabilities, including aging housing stock, low-lying, flood-prone terrain, seismic fault proximity, and a high concentration of low-income, elderly, and renter populations.
Each hazard chapter outlines current conditions, risk factors, and targeted mitigation strategies rooted in climate adaptation, environmental justice, and equity-based planning. For earthquakes, the report highlights over 15,000 homes and 892 businesses at risk, calling for seismic retrofitting, soft-story building inventories, and zoning overlays to limit new development in liquefaction zones. The flood section responds to events like the January 2024 Paradise Creek flood with proposals for green infrastructure, upgraded stormwater systems, and protective zoning. Fire mitigation focuses on structure fire risks due to overcrowding and aging infrastructure, recommending public education campaigns, fire-safe building codes, and emergency preparedness programs.
A central theme throughout the report is inclusive, multilingual, and culturally responsive community engagement. The report proposes youth disaster ambassador programs, neighborhood outreach events, resident-led advisory committees, and partnerships with schools and nonprofits to build local resilience capacity. Tools like CalEnviroScreen and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Risk Index guide equitable resource allocation by identifying the most socially vulnerable areas.
The report aligns closely with the City of National City’s General Plan, Climate Action Plan, and Housing Element, ensuring consistency across city policies. It emphasizes the importance of embedding resilience into land use decisions, infrastructure investments, and emergency planning, with particular attention to protecting low-income, elderly, and linguistically isolated populations. By integrating data-driven assessments with community knowledge, the report positions the City of National City to proactively address hazard risks and build a safer, more equitable future for all residents.