Our city stands with our neighbors in Los Angeles and Ventura counties as they navigate devastating fires and start a road to recovery.

Thankfully, our city was spared any significant impacts.

But events to the north remind us we need to be prepared.

Wildfire risk is always with us in east Anaheim, and all of our city needs to be ready for earthquakes, flooding, severe wind or other natural or human-made disasters.

Now is the time to take basic steps to prepare yourself and protect your family and pets ahead of any disaster we may face.

Anaheim’s emergency response teams are always ready to serve our city, but full community preparedness means residents and businesses need to do their part too.



Be Ready Anaheim is the city’s emergency preparedness plan that helps us anticipate natural and human-made hazards, assess potential damage and create a path to recovery.

Here's what we need you to do to be ready:

• Know the hazards that may affect you at your home, work or school, whether wildfire, household or workplace fires, earthquakes, flooding, wind or other emergencies.
• Put together an emergency kit with supplies that can support you, your family and pets for at least three days.
• Plan for kids, elderly loved ones and pets in an emergency.
• Have a plan that includes how people should contact each other if a disaster occurs, what routes to take during an evacuation and where you should meet.
• Know your neighbors and how you can help each other in an emergency.
• Make sure your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers you from disasters such as earthquakes and floods to help you recover after a disaster.
• Join Anaheim's Community Emergency Response Team, a group of volunteers trained to assist during disasters.
• Speak to your employer about creating a disaster recovery, workforce communication or business continuity plan. If one or more of these plans are in place, make sure you and your coworkers know it.
• Follow the city of Anaheim on Facebook and Instagram, where we track calls and conditions and communicate in real-time. Should we see a larger emergency, you will see urgent communications from us and the media.
• Sign up for emergency alerts and notifications from the city of Anaheim and the county of Orange.

See more at Anaheim.net/beready.

For east Anaheim, where wildfire risk is always with us, we have an extensive evacuation plan called Know Your Way. This plan can also be activated in various disasters such as earthquakes, landslides or wildfires.

Visit Anaheim.net/knowyourway to learn your zone and evacuation routes.

Anaheim Donation Drive

We are heartbroken by the loss of life, homes and communities in the tragic fires across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

We are grateful our city was spared from the severe impacts of the region's windstorms, and our thoughts and prayers remain with those facing unimaginable hardships.

As we stand with our neighbors during this unthinkable time, your support can provide essential resources and help to those in need.

Join us as we host a donation drive at select Anaheim Fire & Rescue stations to help those affected by the wildfires.

We're collecting socks, underwear, T-shirts, diapers and toiletries. We kindly ask that all items are new and unused.

When

• Date: Monday, Jan. 20
• Time: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Drop-off locations

• Station 1: 500 E. Broadway
• Station 10: 8270 E. Monte Vista Road
• Station 11: 3078 W. Orange Ave.

Thank you for your generosity and support in this challenging time. Together, we can make a real difference.

Electricity, water emergency readiness

Anaheim Public Utilities, our city's not-for-profit provider of electricity and power to our homes, businesses and communities, always plans for and is ready for emergencies.

While the fury of the wind and fires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties would challenge any community, we have high confidence in our water and power systems.

Anaheim operates 750 miles of water pipelines and 7,800 hydrants across our city.

With our own water utility, we can control pumps and open connections to imported water supplies to ensure water pressure during fires. 

Hydrants are regularly maintained.

Across our city, we are taking overhead power lines and burying them in trenches in the ground in what's known as undergrounding.

That makes power lines less vulnerable to wind, auto accidents and balloons that can disrupt the flow of electricity.

In the areas of east Anaheim where wildfire risk is highest, we have undergrounded 98 percent of power lines. 

The remaining 2 percent will be undergrounded in the near term with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

That is why you will not see public safety power shutoffs — or the preemptive cutting of power during high wind — in Anaheim.

Of course, weather and disasters can still pose challenges for us.

During winds last week, we saw scattered weather-driven outages across Anaheim.

All were addressed right away with power restored as quickly as safely possible, usually within a few hours.

We will continue to provide reliable service to our community and always work to advance emergency preparedness.

NAMM is Anaheim's jam!

The NAMM Show, the music industry's largest gathering for makers and sellers of instruments and gear, is back in Anaheim next week.

The signs are already up at the Anaheim Convention Center, which will play host to instrument and gear makers, retailers and musicians including Jack White!

The show runs Thursday, Jan. 23, through Saturday, Jan. 25, with kickoff events Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 21-22.

Unlike some other shows, NAMM is not open to the general public and is for industry attendees.

Tens of thousands of people are coming from across our nation and the world for the show.

NAMM attendees fill our hotel rooms and spend money at restaurants, shops and other attractions.

All of that brings revenue we use to serve our community with police, fire and community services.

So thanks to everyone joining for NAMM!

You'll want to expect larger than usual crowds and traffic in and around the convention center and the entire Anaheim Resort.

If you're attending, welcome! If not, and you don't need to be in the area, you might avoid The Anaheim Resort for your own convenience.

We'll be sharing highlights on our social media, so check out city of Anaheim on Instagram and Facebook.

Black History Parade & Unity Festival

An Anaheim favorite, the Black History Parade & Unity Festival, returns to downtown Anaheim to celebrate 45 years on Saturday, Feb. 1!

The parade and street fair features community marching bands, dancers and parade vehicles as well as music, food and more!

The event, put on by the Orange County Heritage Council and now in its 45th year, celebrates Black History Month and the contributions of African Americans to our city, region and nation.

Everyone is welcome! 

• What: 45th annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Festival
• When: Saturday, Feb. 1
• Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Parade: 10 a.m.
• Unity Festival: noon
• Parking: City Hall, Center Street parking structures
• Cost: Free, with food and crafts for purchase

Parking is available at structures around City Hall (see map below). Note that the main City Hall structure will be available but impacted at times by closures on Broadway.

A good option is the red brick parking structure along East Center Street.

If you're not joining us, plan on avoiding the downtown area on Feb. 1 for your convenience.

Disneyland Half Marathon: Jan. 30-Feb. 2

The Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend returns to Anaheim with 10K and half marathon routes across our city streets and in neighboring Garden Grove.

If you're taking part, the weekend promises to bring together two passions: running and Disney.

If you're not taking part, you'll want to be aware of the events and some impacts to city streets during the early morning hours of Feb. 2.

The runs brings visitors to our city during what's usually a slower time for our theme parks.

Both runs start early in the morning, with most road impacts from 4-10 a.m.

The 10K on Saturday morning, Feb. 1, takes place in The Anaheim Resort with no impacts beyond the immediate area.

The half marathon on Sunday morning, Feb. 2, goes from the theme parks through The Anaheim Resort and into Garden Grove, with the route pictured above.

The half marathon will see the most impacts with limited road closures and traffic impacts, all early in the morning and most clearing by 9 a.m.

You’ll want to plan ahead and go around route streets for your own convenience.

Neighborhoods will have local access. Some business access will be impacted for short amounts of time.

Thanks for your patience. The events bring visitors who spend on hotels, dining and shopping, which generates revenue we use to provide police, fire, parks, libraries, community centers and other services for Anaheim residents and businesses.

St. John: A perfect fit for the Anaheim Canyon

This month we welcomed St. John Knits, the legendary womenswear brand, to its new headquarters in the Anaheim Canyon, our city's premier business center.

Having the high-end fashion house in the Anaheim Canyon strengthens our economy, bringing about 120 executive, design, production, fulfillment and other great jobs to our city.

St. John joins Walt Disney and other visionaries as part of Anaheim's world-renowned economy.

The brand is renowned for its elegant and timeless knitwear suits and dresses sold at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and other major retailers, as well as the company's own St. John boutiques, including at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Beverly Hills and Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

The brand is loved by celebrities including Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Zendaya and Shonda Rhimes, who serves as brand ambassador for St. John.

St. John is set to become the largest source of apparel sales tax revenue in Anaheim, directly benefiting and supporting public safety and community services.

We look forward to the brand's continued growth and success in our city!

You can read more about St. John and the Anaheim Canyon business district here.