Madera County
2026 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines Hazard Mitigation as, “any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property from natural hazards.”  Another way to understand hazard mitigation is as the prevention component of the emergency management process. (see figure)

• Preparedness activities are the emergency plans, training, drills, and exercises that individuals, communities, and first responders participate in on almost a daily basis.  These are things done to get ready for an emergency or disaster before it happens.
• Response is the short-term, emergency actions taken to address and reduce the immediate impacts of a hazard event or disaster.
• Recovery is the longer-term process of restoring the community back to normal or pre-disaster conditions.

• Mitigation, or prevention, activities are actions that will prevent or eliminate losses, even if an incident does occur. Mitigation can reduce or eliminate the need for an emergency response and greatly reduce the recovery period.

To address Hazard Mitigation in Madera County, Madera County is partnering with the incorporated communities of Chowchilla and Madera to update their 2018 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP).

Flood, drought, wildfire, and severe weather are just a few of the natural hazards of concern to Madera County.  While natural hazards such as these cannot be prevented, an LHMP forms the foundation for a community's long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses by breaking the repeated cycle of disaster damage and reconstruction.   Communities with a FEMA- approved LHMP are eligible for FEMA pre- and post-disaster grant funding and are better positioned to respond and recover when disasters occur. 

The LHMP development process is as important as the plan itself.  It creates a framework for risk-based decision making to reduce damages to lives, property, the environment, and the economy from future disasters.

Help Reduce Disaster Losses in Your Community

2018 LHMP (This is what we are updating)

(https://www.maderacounty.com/home/showpublisheddocument/17258/637031054575530000)

2026 LHMP Update

The LHMP Update process began in March 2025 with the establishment of a Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee (HMPC) comprised of County, City, jurisdictional staff, and key agency and public stakeholders.  The 2026 LHMP includes an updated list of hazards, assesses the likely impacts of these hazards to the people and assets of the Madera County planning area, establishes updated goals, and prioritizes mitigation actions and projects to reduce the impacts of future disasters on people and property, critical facilities and infrastructure, and the environment, as well as to local economies.  The LHMP Update is scheduled to be finalized and submitted to Cal OES and FEMA in March 2026.

Opportunities for Input

*** Public and Stakeholder Comment Period has been extended to Friday, March 27th, 2026 ***

The County will be hosting four additional sessions this month via Zoom. Please see below for dates and times. 

Members of the community have a very important role in this process. A draft of the 2026 Madera County LHMP Update is available for review and comment by the public and all interested stakeholders. 

See below link to the 2026 LHMP Public Review Draft.

Madera County 2026 LHMP Review Draft

Madera County LHMP Update Public Review Draft Complete
Madera County LHMP Update Public Review Draft Chapters Only
Madera County LHMP Update Public Review Draft Appendices Only
Madera County LHMP Update Annex B City of Madera
Madera County LHMP Update Annex A City of Chowchilla

Printed Reference Copies of the full draft are available for review at the Madera County Libraries.

Madera - 121 N. G Street, Madera, CA 93637 - 559-675-7871

Chowchilla Branch Library - 300 Kings Avenue, Chowchilla, CA 93610 – 559-665-2630

Madera Ranchos Branch Library - 37398 Berkshire Drive, Madera, CA 93636 – 559-645-1214

North Fork Branch Library - 32908 Road 222, North Fork, CA 93643 - 559-877-2387

Oakhurst Branch Library - 49044 Civic Circle Drive, Oakhurst, CA 93644 – 559-683-4838

Comments on the LHMP Public Review Draft

There are several options for providing comments on the LHMP Public Review Draft:

• Email comments to jeanine.foster@fostermorrison.com or jwilder@maderacounty.com
  
  
• Drop off written comments or send by mail to: Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Office of Emergency Services, Attn. Sergeant Joseph Wilder, 2725 Falcon Drive, Madera, CA 93637

• Bring comments to one of the Zoom meetings

Upcoming Meetings

For more information on this project and how to be involved, contact Sergeant Joseph Wilder at (559) 675-7770 / jwilder@maderacounty.com.