Menlo Park updates its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

Menlo Park updates its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

Published on July 27, 2026

The City of Menlo Park recently partnered with the San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management to update the City's Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan identifies hazards, evaluates local risks and prioritizes actions to protect people, property, infrastructure and essential services.

Understanding Menlo Park's hazards

Menlo Park faces many types of natural and human-made hazards. Earthquakes are a big concern since the city is close to several major faults. Strong shaking could damage buildings, roads, bridges and utilities. Areas near the Bay with soft soils or artificial fill could also experience liquefaction, which means the ground can lose strength during an earthquake.

Flooding is another key risk for Menlo Park. Heavy rain, high tides and strong storms can raise water levels in San Francisquito Creek and Atherton Channel, overwhelm storm drains and impact low-lying neighborhoods. Major roads, utilities and other important infrastructure could also be affected. In the long run, rising sea levels may lead to more tidal flooding, make it harder for stormwater to drain and raise groundwater levels along the Bay shoreline.

The updated plan also covers severe weather, extreme heat, drought, wildfires and smoke, power outages, dam failures, cyber threats, terrorism, pandemics and other emergencies. Climate change can make many of these risks worse by causing higher temperatures, changing rainfall and rising sea levels.

It's important to understand how these hazards can happen together. For example, an earthquake might damage water or power systems, start fires and block roads all at once. Similarly, a strong winter storm could cause flooding, knock down trees, cut off power for long periods and close roads. By planning for these combined effects, the City can be better prepared than if it looked at each hazard separately.

Turning risk information into action

Hazard mitigation means taking ongoing steps to lower long-term risks. These actions happen before emergencies and can include making public buildings stronger, improving drainage and flood protection, making infrastructure tougher, protecting utilities, improving emergency communications and using hazard information when making land-use and city improvement decisions. All these steps help turn the plan's risk information into real action.

The updated Menlo Park annex lists current and planned actions to help the community become more resilient. It also links hazard mitigation with other City projects, like the General Plan Safety Element, climate adaptation, infrastructure planning, emergency operations and keeping government running during emergencies. This helps make sure all these efforts work together.

Having an approved hazard mitigation plan also helps the City stay eligible for certain state and federal grants. These programs can fund projects that lower future disaster losses. Keeping the plan current means the City is ready to apply for funding when it becomes available.

Community input strengthens the plan.

San Mateo County held a public review from May 15 to June 15. During this time, residents, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders could look over the countywide plan and Menlo Park annex and share their feedback. This input helps planners learn about local experiences, spot concerns that might not show up in technical data and make sure the plan's priorities match the needs of people who live and work in Menlo Park.

After the review and approval process, the updated plan will guide hazard mitigation work for the next five years. During this time, the plan will stay flexible. Projects will be tracked, priorities can change as needed and progress will be checked in future updates.

Hazard mitigation is something everyone shares. The City works to make public buildings, plans and services stronger. Residents and businesses can also lower their own risks by learning about local hazards, securing their buildings and belongings, preparing emergency supplies, making communication and backup plans and signing up. Take a look at the Menlo Park Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

By planning today, we can lower risks for tomorrow. Together, we are MenloPrepared.

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