Things you need for a basic kit: 

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both

• Flashlight and extra batteries

• First aid kit

• Whistle to signal for help

• N95 respirator masks or cloth face masks for each family member

• Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place

• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)

• Maps for Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties

• Cell phone with chargers

• Any prescription medication you (or a family member) requires on a daily basis

Every year California experiences approximately 500 earthquakes that are large enough to be detected and felt by local residents. Since Orange County has a number of seismic faults, earthquakes are almost an expected part of living here.

Potential impact areas in the City of Orange include:

• Palos Verdes Fault
• Peralta Hills Fault 
• El Modeno Fault

In MOST situations, you will reduce your chance of injury during an earthquake if you:

Drop

Drop wherever you are, drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy. If you’re using a wheelchair or walker with a seat, make sure your wheels are locked and remain seated until the shaking stops.

Cover

Cover your head and neck with your arms. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows). Crawl only if you can reach better cover without going through an area with more debris. Stay on your knees or bent over to protect vital organs.

Hold On

Hold on if you are under a table or desk, hold on with one hand and be ready to move with it if it moves. If seated and unable to drop to the floor, bend forward, cover your head with your arms and hold on to your neck with both hands.

Orange County regularly experiences heat waves, which can be particularly dangerous for children, seniors, residents with cardiovascular disease, or those taking psychotropic and other medications. 

Tips to stay safe during extreme heat:

• Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Drinking 2 to 4 glasses of water every hour during times of extreme heat is one of the best ways to avoid heat-exhaustion and fatigue.

• Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Avoid polyester and other synthetic materials if you can. Light, natural fibers, like cotton or linen, absorb sweat and dry quickly. The materials clothing is made from can affect how cool or hot the wearer stays.

• Stay in the shade whenever you can, and wear wide-brimmed hats as well as sunscreen.

• Avoid the sun if you can, staying indoors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the burning rays are strongest. Try to plan outdoor activities early in the morning or later in the evening. Avoid over-strenuous activities.

• Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, they will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.

• Use your stove and oven less to maintain a cooler temperature in your home.

• Don't forget about your pets! If they are outside, make sure they have plenty of cool water and access to some shade. Asphalt and dark pavement can burn your pet's feet!

• Check regularly on those who are at a higher risk of heat-related illnesses. This can include seniors, children under 4, overweight individuals, people who overexert during work or exercise, and those with heart-related medical conditions.

Extreme rain and flooding is one of Orange County’s most likely disasters. Flash floods can strike any time with little or no warning. In addition, we may experience rainstorms, hail, high winds, thunderstorms, and lightning.

Potential impact areas in the City of Orange include:

• Santa Ana River
• Santiago Creek 
• Handy Creek

In case of flooding:

• Evacuate immediately, if told to evacuate. Never drive around barricades. Local responders use them to safely direct traffic out of flooded areas.

• Listen to EAS, NOAA Weather Radio or local alerting systems for current emergency information and instructions regarding flooding.

• Stay off bridges over fast-moving water. Fast-moving water can wash bridges away without warning.

• Stay inside your car if it is trapped in rapidly moving water. Get on the roof if water is rising inside the car.

• Get to the highest level if trapped in a building. Only get on the roof if necessary and once there signal for help. Do not climb into a closed attic to avoid getting trapped by rising floodwater.

In case of thunderstorms:

• Every thunderstorm is dangerous because every thunderstorm produces lightning. Every year in the United States, an average of 300 people are injured and 80 people are killed by lightning.

• Although most lightning victims survive, people struck by lightning often report a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms. Survivors often lose their ability to concentrate on tasks such as reading for long periods of time, finding it uncomfortable. Some people find they have poorer mathematical skills. 

• Because currents often flow into the body through the eyes and ears, people struck by lightning may also experience vision loss, cataracts and hearing loss.

• In the case of dry thunderstorms, rain does not reach the ground and evaporates instead. However, lightning from these storms can still reach the ground and can start wildfires.

Landslides, also known as mudslides or debris flow, occur frequently in Orange County. These disasters can be caused by a variety of factors including earthquakes, storms, and fires. Landslides can occur quickly, often with little notice, and the best way to prepare is to stay informed about changes in, and around, your home that could signal a potential landslide. 

Areas that have destroyed vegetation due to wildfires, or human modification, and locations that have experienced mudslides before are more likely to experience landslides.

Tips for landslide safety:

• Learn if your area has been previously affected by landslides or debris flow by contacting local authorities. 

• Develop emergency plans for your family and business. 

• Listen to the radio or local alerting systems for information and instruction regarding landslides. 

• Stay away from the affected area. Additional debris flow may occur after the initial landslide. 

• Move to high ground away from the affected area. If a landslide is approaching you, run for the nearest shelter and take cover.

A pandemic is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Pandemics often create social disruption, economic loss, and general hardship, as they tend to be caused by a new virus or a strain of virus that is extremely infectious.

If a pandemic is declared:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

• Keep a distance of at least six feet between yourself and people who are not part of your household.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when in public.

• Clean and disinfect high-touch objects and surfaces.

• Stay at home as much as possible to prevent the spread of disease.

• Follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Wildfires are among Orange County’s leading disasters because the terrain is prone to brush fires in the hot summer months when vegetation is dry. They most frequently start in natural areas like forests, grasslands or prairies.

As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by people, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava.

Potential impact areas in the City of Orange include:

• East Orange

Things you can do to prepare for a wildfires:

• Have several ways to receive alerts. Download the FEMA app and receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations nationwide. Sign up for community alerts in your area and be aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), which requires no-sign up.
• Consider retrofitting your home with ignition resistant features that can mean the difference between a few repairs and a complete rebuild after a fire. 
• Clear vegetation in a 100-foot radius around your home, make sure the garden hose can reach any room and cover your chimney, vents and rain gutters with metal mesh or screens to prevent embers from spreading.
• You may have to evacuate quickly due to a wildfire. Learn your evacuation routes, practice with household, pets and identify where you will go.
• Have enough supplies for your household, including a first aid kit, in your go bag or car trunk. You may have to evacuate quickly, and won't be able to grab everything you might need if you haven't prepared in advance.
• Keep your cell phone charged when wildfires could be in your area. Purchase backup charging devices to power electronics.

The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) outlines opportunities to increase Orange’s resiliency in the face of future natural hazards. A successful hazard mitigation plan includes a strategy that enables the implementation and sustaining of local actions that reduce vulnerability and risk from hazards, and reduce the severity of the effects of hazards on people and property. While disasters cannot be prevented from occurring, their effects can be reduced or eliminated through a mitigation strategy that includes a well‐organized public education and awareness effort, preparedness activities, and mitigation actions.

The City of Orange Local Hazard Mitigation Plan assists in reducing vulnerability to disasters by identifying critical facilities, capabilities, resources, information, and strategies for risk reduction, while helping to guide and coordinate mitigation actions. The City of Orange has created this Plan to ensure that hazard conditions are reflective of current conditions, that policies in the Plan are consistent with current City standards and/or other relevant federal, state, or regional regulations, and that the City has an updated Plan consistent with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements.

The Plan provides a set of strategies intended to reduce risk from natural hazards through education and outreach programs; foster the development of partnerships; and implement risk reduction activities. The Orange LHMP works in conjunction with other plans, including the City’s General Plan and Emergency Operations Plan.

The City of Orange Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) is currently expired.  City staff has identified grant funding of $160,000 to create a current LHMP. The effort is in its preliminary stages and is anticipated to take 2-3 years to complete.

Download the current City of Orange Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.