2026 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

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).

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

The 2026 Madera County MJHMP aims to reduce long-term risk and loss to people, property, the environment, and local economies in the Madera County planning area and to bolster community resilience in the face of future natural disasters.   Additionally, communities with a FEMA-approved LHMP are eligible to apply for FEMA pre- and post-disaster mitigation grant funding.

2026 LHMP Plan Development Process

Madera County and the two Cities are kicking off their LHMP Update with meetings in April 2025 and anticipate a Plan completion in late Spring 2026.  For additional information on this project, upcoming meetings, and how you can get involved, go to LHMP 2026 | Madera County. The Madera County LHMP webpage will maintain and update information throughout the project duration.

For more information, contact the Fire Chief, Fred Gaumnitz, at the City of Chowchilla or Sergeant Joseph Wilder, the Madera County LHMP project lead at Madera County OES.

Mitigation Plan Outreach Flyer
Madera County LHMP Press Release - Project Announcement - Kickoff Meetings
Kickoff meeting Invite
Madera County LHMP Press Release - RA Meeting