Mission Statement, Goals, and Objectives

Mission Statement

Protect life, property, the economy and the environment of unincorporated Los Angeles County by identifying and communicating risks and sustainable actions to reduce flood hazards and thus enhance community resilience.

Goals

  1. Enhance community resilience from the impacts of flood hazards.
  2. Protect life, safety, property and economy.
  3. Communicate to residents and stakeholders flood risk based on best available data and science.
  4. Increase resilience of infrastructure and critical facilities from flood hazards.
  5. Account for flood risk in land use and planning.
  6. Preserve, enhance or restore the natural environment’s floodplain functions.
  7. Encourage the development and implementation of long-term, cost-effective and environmentally sound flood hazard mitigation projects.

Objectives

  1. Work cooperatively with public agencies with responsibility for flood protection, and with stakeholders in planning for flood and inundation hazards.
  2. Utilize best available data, science, and technologies to improve understanding of the location and potential impacts of flood hazards.
  3. Provide state, County and local agencies and stakeholders with updated information about flood hazards, vulnerabilities, and mitigation measures.
  4. Create a public outreach strategy.
  5. Discourage new development in known flood hazard areas or ensure that, if development occurs in those areas, it is done in a way to minimize flood risk.
  6. Consider open space land uses within known flood hazard areas.
  7. Provide the highest degree of flood hazard protection at the least cost by working with environmentally friendly natural systems and by using prevention as the first priority.
  8. Promote the retrofit, purchase and relocation of structures in known flood hazard areas, especially those known to be repetitively damaged.
  9. Provide flood protection by maintaining flood control systems.
  10. Sustain reliable local emergency operations and facilities during and after a flood event.
  11. Consider climate change implications in managing flood risk.
  12. Promote community resilience through education on flood risks, insurance and mitigation, and effective floodplain management regulation.