HomeGuard Natural Hazard Disclosure

05/22/2025

https://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/publications/preliminary-releases?utm_source=constant-contact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=prelim-ezrim-2025

California Department of Conservation administers a variety of programs vital to California's public safety, environment and economy. The services DOC provides are designed to balance today's needs with tomorrow's obligations by fostering the wise use and conservation of energy, land and mineral res...

09/07/2023

The California Geological Survey released six New Preliminary Seismic Hazard Zone Maps for Contra Costa County. Seismic Hazard Zones include areas that have a potential for ground deformation caused by landslides or liquefaction. After a public review period, the official version of the maps are expected to become official February 22, 2024. Affected cities include Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Pinole, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek. Once the maps become official, the new zoning will be reflected in HomeGuard Natural Hazard Disclosure Reports.

If you would like either an in-office or Zoom presentation about this new information, please contact HomeGuard NHD’s Vice President of Disclosure Services Ted Stephanos at [email protected] or 408-690-2149.

09/07/2023

The California Geological Survey released preliminary Earthquake Fault Zone maps on August 24, 2023. After a public review period, the official version of the maps are expected to become official February 22, 2024. The proposed revisions have significantly increased the width of the fault zone in areas just north of Santa Rosa, south to San Pablo Bay. In general, the fault zone is currently about 1,100 feet wide in most areas, but the revised maps have expanded the fault zone width to about 2,500 feet or more in certain areas.

The Rodgers Creek Fault is considered a northern extension of the Hayward Fault that runs from the Hollister area to San Pablo Bay. The state has been re-evaluating various strands of the southern Rodgers Creek fault by using high-resolution imagery and recent fault studies conducted in Sonoma County. Once the maps become official, the new zoning will be reflected in HomeGuard Natural Hazard Disclosure Reports.

If you would like either an in-office or Zoom presentation about this new information, please contact HomeGuard NHD’s Vice President of Disclosure Services Ted Stephanos at [email protected] or 408-690-2149.

09/07/2023

Assembly Bill 1280 was chaptered in late July 2023 triggering the first significant change to the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement since its inception in 1998. The welcomed change clarifies whether or not the property is within a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Over the past few years, most NHD companies have been disclosing this information, but not on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement since the statutory form is not allowed to be altered.

The High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone disclosure has been a hot topic in the disclosure industry since the passage of Assembly Bill 38 in 2019, otherwise known as the Defensible Space and Fire Hardening disclosure. If a property is with a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, it is required to disclosure this information to buyers. The Fire Hardening Defensible Space (FHDS) CAR Form is also required to be filled out by the seller.

The new form is slated to take effect January 1, 2024, but since there has been no changes to maps or data, HomeGuard NHD has already implemented to new form on our NHD Reports.

12/22/2022

https://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/dec-20-2022-ferndale-earthquake-northern-california-14791/

A magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck off the seismically active coast of Northern California, not far from Eureka, on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

10/25/2022

Did you feel it?

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck about 19.8 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of San Jose on Tuesday. The Calaveras Fault is the likely source of this temblor.

09/22/2022

4.4 earthquake on the Rodgers Creek Fault rattles Santa Rosa area.

On Tuesday, the Bay Area was reminded once again that the faults that dissect the region are active. Local streams record how the region’s faults slowly shape the landscape.

12/24/2021

https://news.yahoo.com/cracks-found-twain-harte-lake-013522399.html

Officials issued an evacuation advisory for parts of Twain Harte in Tuolumne County on Thursday after the discovery of cracks right by the Twain Harte Lake Dam. The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office said granite adjacent to the dam cracked. Initial reports stated the dam itself had cracked but offi...

11/04/2021

Good news for flood-prone communities in East San Jose. The Cunningham Flood Detention Facility is the home to a $11.6 million flood protection project located in Lake Cunningham Regional Park. To meet FEMA certification requirements, an existing levee has been raised along Capitol Expressway and Cunningham Avenue. A floodwall has also been constructed along Cunningham Avenue and Flint Creek. These improvements, in combination with the completed Lower Silver Creek Flood Protection Project improvements, is expected to protect about 3,200 properties from a 100-year flood event.

The revised FEMA flood map is expected to take effect November 26, 2021. Areas in yellow on the map below are expected to be designated Zone X.

07/10/2021

https://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/tectonic-mystery-swirls-as-earthquake-rocks-california-nevada-border-12960/

On July 8, 2021, a magnitude-6.0 earthquake in the Central Walker Lane fault zone shook California and Nevada. Walker Lane presents some conundrums.

01/27/2021

https://abc7news.com/weather/evacuations-ordered-in-san-mateo-santa-cruz-counties-ahead-of-storm/10036026/

'The storm that we feared is here and the time to act is now': Nearly 5,000 residents in the Santa Cruz Mountains have been ordered to immediately evacuate their homes to avoid potentially dangerous mudslides. County officials are concerned that most won't comply.