Emergency Preparedness

Be ready when the next emergency strikes!  Disasters can happen at any time and being prepared for the next emergency is critical.  Start planning now and take the time to assess how prepared you and your family and community are.  Make sure you: 1) get a kit, 2) make a plan and 3) are informed. 

Being prepared can be easy with these simple steps:

1. GET A KIT - We recommend that you have enough supplies to help yourself and your household for seven days. Your emergency preparedness kit should include food, water, blankets, clothing, sturdy shoes, medications, flashlight, radio and any other supplies you rely on daily. Here's a handy checklist to get started. For more special supplies, see FAQ's below.

 2. MAKE A PLAN - Every household, business and organization should have an emergency plan.  Create a household communications plan, emergency meeting locations, and routes to get to the meeting places. Consider the unique needs of your household especially those of children, older adults, persons with disabilities and pets. Make plans on how to handle specific medical, dietary, language needs. 

 3. BE INFORMED - Know your local hazards and how to get emergency information. Find natural hazard zones in Santa Monica using the    MyHazards tool created by CalOES. Get timely and trusted information during an emergency. Sign up for SMAlerts and Santa Monica social media pages. Receive emergency messages and important community updates and share them with your neighbors. 

Please take a moment to check your emergency supplies, update your contact information, and sign up to receive SMAlerts, our community emergency alerts.

Scroll to our FAQ's below for additional emergency preparedness information and select specific emergencies in our Top Resources section for topic related responses.   


Santa Monica's Local Hazards

Santa Monica prepares for and works to reduce the impact of hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfire, utility outages, and extreme heat and weather events. Learn more about local hazards in the sections below and by reading Santa Monica's Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), adopted by the City Council on November 18, 2025. The city's plan received approval from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the spring of 2026 and will be updated in 2031.

Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

For more information about the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and the City's hazard mitigation efforts, please refer to staff presentations at the meetings linked below. 

November 18, 2025 City Council Meeting Presentation

Watch May 2024 Community Meeting

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To contact the Emergency Management Division email: OEM@santamonica.gov

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In partnership with the Santa Monica Fire Department, the Emergency Management Division (EMD) is encouraging everyone to create a life and safety profile on the City's Community Connect platform. Community Connect is technology that provides critical information about your household or business before an emergency happens. Share floor plans or information on pets and/or specific medical needs. Create a profile and find additional information here. 

EMD recommends Community Connect, IN ADDITION to SMAlerts.

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