mema d4 regional hmp final

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MEMA District 4 Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan

FINAL

Plan Design Enable

MEMADistrict4RegionalHazardMitigationPlanFINALApril2014

TABLEOFCONTENTSIntroduction.....................................................................................SECTION1PlanningProcess..............................................................................SECTION2CommunityProfile...........................................................................SECTION3HazardIdentification.......................................................................SECTION4HazardProfiles.................................................................................SECTION5VulnerabilityAssessment.................................................................SECTION6CapabilityAssessment.....................................................................SECTION7MitigationStrategy..........................................................................SECTION8MitigationActionPlan.....................................................................SECTION9PlanMaintenance..........................................................................SECTION10CalhounCounty..................................................................................ANNEXAChickasawCounty...............................................................................ANNEXBChoctawCounty..................................................................................ANNEXCClayCounty........................................................................................ANNEXDLowndesCounty.................................................................................ANNEXEMonroeCounty...................................................................................ANNEXF


NoxubeeCounty................................................................................ANNEXGOktibbehaCounty..............................................................................ANNEXHWebsterCounty...................................................................................ANNEXIWinstonCounty...................................................................................ANNEXJPlanAdoption................................................................................APPENDIXAPlanningTools................................................................................APPENDIXBLocalMitigationPlanReviewTool.................................................APPENDIXCPlanningProcessDocumentation.................................................APPENDIXD

SECTION1INTRODUCTION


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ThissectionprovidesageneralintroductiontotheMississippiEmergencyManagementAgency(MEMA)District4RegionalHazardMitigationPlan.Itconsistsofthefollowingfivesubsections: 1.1Background 1.2Purpose 1.3Scope 1.4Authority 1.5SummaryofPlanContents

1.1 BACKGROUNDNaturalhazards, suchashurricanes, floods,and tornadoes,areapartof theworldaroundus. Theiroccurrence isnaturaland inevitable,and there is littlewecando tocontrol their forceand intensity.Wemust consider these hazards to be legitimate and significant threats to human life, safety, andproperty.TheMEMADistrict4Region is located in theeasternpartofMississippiand includes thecountiesofCalhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes,Monroe,Noxubee,Oktibbeha,Webster, andWinston.Thisarea isvulnerable toawide rangeofnaturalhazardssuchas floods,drought,hurricanes,severethunderstorms,andwildfires.Itisalsovulnerabletohumancausedhazards,includingchemicalreleasesandhazardousmaterial spills. Thesehazards threaten the life and safetyof residents in theMEMADistrict4Regionandhavethepotentialtodamageordestroybothpublicandprivateproperty,disruptthe localeconomy,and impacttheoverallqualityof lifeof individualswho live,work,andvacation intheMEMADistrict4Region.While the threat fromhazardous eventsmayneverbe fully eliminated, there ismuchwe cando tolessentheirpotentialimpactuponourcommunityandourcitizens.Byminimizingtheimpactofhazardsuponourbuiltenvironment,wecanpreventsucheventsfromresulting indisasters. Theconceptandpracticeofreducingriskstopeopleandpropertyfromknownhazardsisgenerallyreferredtoashazardmitigation.

FEMADefinitionofHazardMitigation:Anysustainedactiontakentoreduceoreliminatethelongtermrisktohumanlifeandpropertyfromhazards.

Hazardmitigation techniques include both structuralmeasures (such as strengthening or protectingbuildings and infrastructure from the destructive forces of potential hazards) and nonstructuralmeasures (such as the adoption of sound land use policies and the creation of public awarenessprograms). It iswidelyaccepted thatthemosteffectivemitigationmeasuresare implementedat the

SECTION1:INTRODUCTION


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localgovernment level,wheredecisionson the regulationandcontrolofdevelopmentareultimatelymade. Acomprehensivemitigationapproachaddresseshazardvulnerabilities thatexist todayand inthe foreseeable future. Therefore, it is essential that projected patterns of future development areevaluatedandconsideredintermsofhowthatgrowthwill increaseordecreaseacommunitysoverallhazardvulnerability.Akeycomponent inthe formulationofacomprehensiveapproachtohazardmitigation istodevelop,adopt,andupdatea localhazardmitigationplanasneeded. Ahazardmitigationplanestablishesthebroadcommunityvisionandguidingprinciples for reducinghazard risk,and furtherproposesspecificmitigationactionstoeliminateorreduceidentifiedvulnerabilities.EachofthetencountiesparticipatinginthedevelopmentoftheMEMADistrict4HazardMitigationPlanhas an existing hazard mitigation plan that has evolved over the years, as described in Section 2:PlanningProcess. Thisregionalplandrawsfromeachofthecountyplansanddocumentstheregionssustained efforts to incorporate hazard mitigation principles and practices into routine governmentactivities and functions. At its core, the Plan recommends specific actions to minimize hazardvulnerability and protect residents from losses to those hazards that pose the greatest risk. Thesemitigationactionsgobeyondsimplyrecommendingstructuralsolutionstoreduceexistingvulnerability,such as elevation, retrofitting, and acquisition projects. Local policies on community growth anddevelopment, incentivesfornaturalresourceprotection,andpublicawarenessandoutreachactivitiesare examples of other actions considered to reduce the MEMA District 4 Regions vulnerability toidentifiedhazards.ThePlanremainsalivingdocument,withimplementationandevaluationproceduresestablishedtohelpachievemeaningfulobjectivesandsuccessfuloutcomesovertime.1.1.1 TheDisasterMitigationActandtheFloodInsuranceReformActIn an effort to reduce the Nation's mounting natural disaster losses, the U.S. Congress passed theDisasterMitigationActof2000(DMA2000)inordertoamendtheRobertT.StaffordDisasterReliefandEmergency Assistance Act. Section 322 of DMA 2000 emphasizes the need for state and localgovernmententitiestocloselycoordinateonmitigationplanningactivitiesandmakesthedevelopmentof a hazard mitigation plan a specific eligibility requirement for any local government applying forfederalmitigationgrantfunds. Thesefunds includetheHazardMitigationGrantProgram(HMGP)andthePreDisasterMitigation(PDM)program,bothofwhichareadministeredbytheFederalEmergencyManagement Agency (FEMA) under the Department of Homeland Security. Communities with anadoptedandfederallyapprovedhazardmitigationplantherebybecomeprepositionedandmoreapttoreceiveavailablemitigationfundsbeforeandafterthenextdisasterstrikes.Additionally, theFlood InsuranceReformActof2004 (P.L.108264)createdtwonewgrantprograms,SevereRepetitiveLoss(SRL)andRepetitiveFloodClaim(RFC),andmodifiedtheexistingFloodMitigationAssistance (FMA) program. One of the requirements of this Act is that a FEMAapproved HazardMitigationPlanisnowrequiredifcommunitieswishtobeeligiblefortheseFEMAmitigationprograms.However,asofmid2013,guidancehasnotbeenreleasedfortheRFCandSRLprogramsanditislikelythattheseprogramswillbefoldedintoasingle,unifiedFMAprogram.Inaddition,majorfederalfloodinsurancelegislationwaspassedin2012undertheBiggertWatersFloodInsurance Reform Act (P.L. 112141). This actmade several changes to theway theNational FloodInsuranceProgram is tobe run, including raises in rates to reflect true flood riskandchanges inhowFloodInsuranceRateMap(FIRM)updatesimpactpolicyholders.



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TheMEMADistrict4RegionalHazardMitigationPlanhasbeenprepared in coordinationwith FEMARegionIVandtheMississippiEmergencyManagementAgency(MEMA)toensurethatthePlanmeetsallapplicableFEMAand state requirements forhazardmitigationplans. ALocalMitigationPlanReviewTool,foundinAppendixC,providesasummaryoffederalandstateminimumstandardsandnotesthelocationwhereeachrequirementismetwithinthePlan.1.2 PURPOSEThepurposeoftheMEMADistrict4RegionalHazardMitigationPlanisto: MergetheexistingCalhoun,Chickasaw,Choctaw,Clay,Lowndes,Monroe,Noxubee,Oktibbeha,

Webster,andWinstonCountyhazardmitigationplansintooneregionalplan; Completeupdateofexistingplanstodemonstrateprogressandreflectcurrentconditions; Increasepublicawarenessandeducation; Maintaingranteligibilityforparticipatingjurisdictions; UpdateplansinaccordancewithCommunityRatingSystem(CRS)requirements;and Maintaincompliancewithstateandfederallegislativerequirementsforlocalhazardmitigation

plans.1.3 SCOPEThefocusoftheMEMADistrict4RegionalHazardMitigationPlanisonthosehazardsdeterminedtobehighormoderateriskstotheMEMADistrict4Region,asdeterminedthroughadetailedhazardriskassessment. Otherhazardsthatposealowornegligibleriskwillalsobeevaluated,buttheymaynot be fully addressed until they are determined to be of high ormoderate risk. This enables theparticipating jurisdictionstoprioritizemitigationactionsbasedonthosehazardswhichareunderstoodtopresentthegreatestrisktolivesandproperty.The geographic scope (i.e., the planning area) for the Plan includes ten counties and thirtysixincorporatedjurisdictions.Table1.1liststheparticipatingareas.



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TABLE1.1:PARTICIPATINGJURISDICTIONSINTHEMEMADISTRICT4REGIONALHAZARDMITIGATIONPLAN

CalhounCounty MonroeCounty BigCreek Bruce Aberdeen Amory CalhounCity Derma Gattman Hatley Pittsboro SlateSprings Smithville Vardaman NoxubeeCountyChickasawCounty Brooksville Macon Houston NewHoulka Shuqualak Okolona Woodland OktibbehaCountyChoctawCounty Maben Starkville Ackerman FrenchCamp Sturgis Weir WebsterCountyClayCounty Eupora Mantee WestPoint Mathiston WalthallLowndesCounty WinstonCounty Artesia Caledonia Louisville Noxapater Columbus Crawford

1.4 AUTHORITYTheMEMADistrict4RegionalHazardMitigationPlanhasbeendeveloped inaccordancewithcurrentstateandfederalrulesandregulationsgoverninglocalhazardmitigationplansandhasbeenadoptedbyeachparticipatingcountyandlocaljurisdictioninaccordancewithstandardlocalprocedures.CopiesoftheadoptionresolutionsforeachparticipatingjurisdictionareprovidedinAppendixA.ThePlanshallberoutinely monitored and revised to maintain compliance with the following provisions, rules, andlegislation: Section 322, Mitigation Planning, of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency

AssistanceAct,asenactedbySection104oftheDisasterMitigationActof2000(P.L.106390); FEMA'sMitigationPlanningFinalRulepublishedintheFederalRegisteronSeptember16,2009,

at44CFRPart201; FloodInsuranceReformActof2004(P.L.108264)andBiggertWatersFloodInsuranceReform

Actof2012 (P.L.112141).1.5 SUMMARYOFPLANCONTENTSThecontentsofthisPlanaredesignedandorganizedtobeasreaderfriendlyandfunctionalaspossible.Whilesignificantbackgroundinformationisincludedontheprocessesusedandstudiescompleted(i.e.,risk assessment, capability assessment), this information is separated from the more meaningfulplanningoutcomesoractions(i.e.,mitigationstrategy,mitigationactionplan).



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Section2,PlanningProcess,providesacompletenarrativedescriptionoftheprocessusedtopreparethePlan. This includes the identificationofparticipantson theplanning teamanddescribeshow thepublicandotherstakeholderswere involved. Italso includesadetailedsummary foreachof thekeymeetingsheld,alongwithanyassociatedoutcomes.The Community Profile, located in Section 3, provides a general overview of the MEMA District 4Region, including prevalent geographic, demographic, and economic characteristics. In addition,building characteristics and land use patterns are discussed. This baseline information provides asnapshot of the planning area and helps local officials recognize those social, environmental, andeconomicfactorsthatultimatelyplayaroleindeterminingtheregionsvulnerabilitytohazards.TheRiskAssessmentispresentedinthreesections:Section4,HazardIdentification;Section5,HazardProfiles;andSection6,VulnerabilityAssessment. Together, thesesectionsserve to identify,analyze,andassesshazardsthatposeathreattotheMEMADistrict4Region.TheriskassessmentalsoattemptstodefineanyhazardrisksthatmayuniquelyorexclusivelyaffectspecificareasoftheMEMADistrict4Region.TheRiskAssessmentbeginsby identifyinghazards that threaten theMEMADistrict4Region. Next,detailedprofilesareestablishedforeachhazard,buildingonavailablehistoricaldatafrompasthazardoccurrences, spatialextent,andprobabilityof futureoccurrence. Thissectionculminates inahazardriskrankingbasedonconclusionsregardingthe frequencyofoccurrence,spatialextent,andpotentialimpacthighlightedineachofthehazardprofiles.Inthevulnerabilityassessment,FEMAsHAZUSMHlossestimation methodology is used to evaluate known hazard risks by their relative longterm cost inexpecteddamages.Inessence,theinformationgeneratedthroughtheriskassessmentservesacriticalfunctionastheMEMADistrict4Regionseekstodeterminethemostappropriatemitigationactionstopursue and implementenabling it to prioritize and focus its efforts on those hazards of greatestconcernandthosestructuresorplanningareasfacingthegreatestrisk(s).TheCapabilityAssessment, found inSection7,providesa comprehensiveexaminationof theMEMADistrict4Regionscapacityto implementmeaningfulmitigationstrategiesand identifiesopportunitiesto increaseandenhance thatcapacity. Specificcapabilitiesaddressed in thissection includeplanningandregulatorycapability,staffandorganizational(administrative)capability,technicalcapability,fiscalcapability, and political capability. Information was obtained through the use of a detailed surveyquestionnaireandaninventoryandanalysisofexistingplans,ordinances,andrelevantdocuments.Thepurpose of this assessment is to identify any existing gaps,weaknesses, or conflicts in programs oractivitiesthatmayhindermitigationeffortsandtoidentifythoseactivitiesthatshouldbebuiltuponinestablishingasuccessfulandsustainablelocalhazardmitigationprogram.The Community Profile, Risk Assessment, and Capability Assessment collectively serve as a basis fordeterminingthegoalsfortheMEMADistrict4RegionalHazardMitigationPlan,eachcontributingtothedevelopment,adoption,andimplementationofameaningfulandmanageableMitigationStrategythatisbasedonaccuratebackgroundinformation.TheMitigationStrategy,foundinSection8,consistsofbroadgoalstatementsaswellasananalysisofhazard mitigation techniques for the MEMA District 4 Region to consider in reducing hazardvulnerabilities. The strategyprovides the foundation foradetailedMitigationActionPlan, found inSection 9, which links specific mitigation actions for each county department or agency to locallyassigned implementation mechanisms and target completion dates. Together, these sections are



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designedtomakethePlanbothstrategic,throughtheidentificationoflongtermgoals,andfunctional,through the identification of immediate and shortterm actions that will guide daytoday decisionmakingandprojectimplementation.Inadditiontotheidentificationandprioritizationofpossiblemitigationprojects,emphasisisplacedontheuseofprogramandpolicyalternativestohelpmaketheMEMADistrict4Regionlessvulnerabletothedamagingforcesofhazardswhile improvingtheeconomic,social,andenvironmentalhealthofthecommunity.Theconceptofmultiobjectiveplanningwasemphasizedthroughouttheplanningprocess,particularly in identifyingways to link,wherepossible,hazardmitigationpolicies andprogramswithcomplimentary community goals related to disaster recovery, housing, economic development,recreationalopportunities,transportationimprovements,environmentalquality,landdevelopment,andpublichealthandsafety.PlanMaintenance,foundinSection10,includesthemeasuresthattheMEMADistrict4RegionwilltaketoensurethePlanscontinuouslongtermimplementation.Theproceduresalsoincludethemannerinwhich thePlanwillbe regularlyevaluatedandupdated to remainacurrentandmeaningfulplanningdocument.CountyspecificAnnexes have been created for each of the Counties participating in this plan. EachAnnexcontains informationrelevanttotheCountyandtheparticipatingmunicipal jurisdictions in theCounty.Information included ineachCountylevelAnnex includesCommunityProfile,RiskAssessmentand Capability Assessment information. The Mitigation Actions identified for that County and itsmunicipaljurisdictionsarealsoincludedintheCountysAnnex.ThisallowseachCountyandjurisdictiontoquicklylocatetheinformationcontainedintheplanthatismostrelevantforthem.

SECTION2PLANNINGPROCESS


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This section describes the planning process undertaken by the Mississippi Emergency ManagementAgency (MEMA)District4 counties and jurisdictions in thedevelopmentof its2013RegionalHazardMitigationPlan.Itconsistsofthefollowingeightsubsections: 2.1OverviewofHazardMitigationPlanning 2.2HistoryofHazardMitigationPlanningintheMEMADistrict4Region 2.3Preparingthe2013Plan 2.4TheMEMADistrict4RegionalHazardMitigationCouncil 2.5CommunityMeetingsandWorkshops 2.6InvolvingthePublic 2.7InvolvingtheStakeholders 2.8DocumentationofPlanProgress

44CFRRequirement44CFRPart201.6(c)(1):Theplanshallincludedocumentationoftheplanningprocessusedtodeveloptheplan,includinghowitwasprepared,whowasinvolvedintheprocessandhowthepublicwasinvolved.

2.1 OVERVIEWOFHAZARDMITIGATIONPLANNINGLocal hazard mitigation planning is the process of organizing community resources, identifying andassessing hazard risks, and determining how to bestminimize ormanage those risks. This processculminates in a hazard mitigation plan that identifies specific mitigation actions, each designed toachievebothshorttermplanningobjectivesandalongtermcommunityvision.To ensure the functionality of a hazardmitigation plan, responsibility is assigned for each proposedmitigation action to a specific individual, department, or agency along with a schedule or targetcompletion date for its implementation (see Section 10: Plan Maintenance). Plan maintenanceprocedures are established for the routine monitoring of implementation progress, as well as theevaluationandenhancementofthemitigationplan itself. Theseplanmaintenanceproceduresensurethat the Plan remains a current,dynamic, and effectiveplanningdocumentover time thatbecomesintegratedintotheroutinelocaldecisionmakingprocess.Communities that participate in hazard mitigation planning have the potential to accomplish manybenefits,including: savinglivesandproperty, savingmoney, speedinguprecoveryfollowingdisasters,

SECTION2:PLANNINGPROCESS


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reducing future vulnerability through wise development and postdisaster recovery andreconstruction,

expeditingthereceiptofpredisasterandpostdisastergrantfunding,and demonstratingafirmcommitmenttoimprovingcommunityhealthandsafety.

Typically,mitigationplanning isdescribedashaving thepotential toproduce longtermand recurringbenefitsbybreakingtherepetitivecycleofdisasterloss.Acoreassumptionofhazardmitigationisthatthe investments made before a hazard event will significantly reduce the demand for postdisasterassistance by lessening the need for emergency response, repair, recovery, and reconstruction.Furthermore,mitigationpracticeswillenable localresidents,businesses,and industriestoreestablishthemselves in thewakeofadisaster,getting thecommunityeconomybackon tracksoonerandwithlessinterruption.Thebenefitsofmitigationplanninggobeyondsolelyreducinghazardvulnerability. Measuressuchastheacquisitionorregulationoflandinknownhazardareascanhelpachievemultiplecommunitygoals,such as preserving open space, maintaining environmental health, and enhancing recreationalopportunities.Thus,itisvitallyimportantthatanylocalmitigationplanningprocessbeintegratedwithotherconcurrent localplanningefforts,andanyproposedmitigationstrategiesmusttake intoaccountother existing community goals or initiatives that will help complement or hinder their futureimplementation.2.2 HISTORYOFHAZARDMITIGATIONPLANNINGINMEMADISTRICT4

REGIONEach of the counties and jurisdictions participating in this Plan has a previously adopted hazardmitigationplan.TheFEMAapprovaldatesforeachoftheseplans,alongwithalistoftheparticipatingmunicipalitiesforeachplan,arelistedbelow: Calhoun County Three Rivers Planning andDevelopmentDistrictNaturalHazardMitigation

Plan(November2010) BigCreek Bruce CalhounCity Derma Pittsboro SlateSprings Vardaman

ChickasawCounty ThreeRiversPlanningandDevelopmentDistrictNaturalHazardMitigationPlan(November2010)

Houston NewHoulka Okolona

Choctaw County Hazard Mitigation Plan Prepared by Golden Triangle Planning andDevelopmentDistrict(January2009)



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Ackerman FrenchCamp Weir

ClayCountyHazardMitigationPlanPreparedbyGoldenTrianglePlanningandDevelopmentDistrict(July2009)

WestPoint Lowndes County Hazard Mitigation Plan Prepared by Golden Triangle Planning and

DevelopmentDistrict(September2009) Artesia Caledonia Columbus Crawford

MonroeCountyThreeRiversPlanningandDevelopmentDistrictNaturalHazardMitigationPlan(November2010)

Aberdeen Amory Gattman Hatley Smithville

Noxubee County Hazard Mitigation Plan Prepared by Golden Triangle Planning andDevelopmentDistrict(February2009)

Brooksville Macon Shuqualak

Oktibbeha County Hazard Mitigation Plan Prepared by Golden Triangle Planning andDevelopmentDistrict(March2009)

Maben Starkville Sturgis

Webster County Hazard Mitigation Plan Prepared by Golden Triangle Planning andDevelopmentDistrict(September2009)

Eupora Mantee Mathiston Walthall

Winston County Hazard Mitigation Plan Prepared by Golden Triangle Planning andDevelopmentDistrict(September2009)

Louisville Noxapater



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EachoftheseplanswasdevelopedusingthemultijurisdictionalplanningprocessrecommendedbytheFederalEmergencyManagementAgency(FEMA). Forthisplan,alloftheaforementionedjurisdictionshave joined to form a regional plan. No new jurisdictions have joined the process and all of thejurisdictionsthatparticipated inpreviousplanningeffortshaveparticipated inthedevelopmentofthisregionalplan.Theprocessofmergingalloftheaboveplansintothisregionalplanisdescribedinmoredetailbelow.2.3 PREPARINGTHE2013PLANLocalhazardmitigationplansarerequiredtobeupdatedeveryfiveyearstoremaineligibleforfederalmitigation funding. To simplify planning efforts for the jurisdictions in theMEMADistrict 4 Region,MEMAofficialsworkedwitheachCounty toask them to join together tocreate theMEMADistrict4Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. This allows resources to be shared amongst the participatingjurisdictionsandeasestheadministrativedutiesofalloftheparticipantsbycombiningthetenexistingcountylevelplansintoonemultijurisdictionalplan.Topreparethe2013MEMADistrict4RegionalHazardMitigationPlan,MEMAhiredAtkinsasanoutsideconsultant to provide professional mitigation planning services. Atkins also enlisted AWG as asubcontractor for theproject. Tomeet requirementsof theCommunityRatingSystem, theplanningprocesswas facilitatedunder the directionof aprofessionalplanner. Nathan Slaughter fromAtkinsserved as the lead planner for this project and is a member of the American Institute of CertifiedPlanners(AICP).Perthecontractualscopeofwork,theAtkinsconsultingteamfollowedthemitigationplanningprocessrecommendedbyFEMA intheLocalMultiHazardMitigationPlanningGuidance1.TheLocalMitigationPlanReviewTool,found inAppendixC,providesasummaryofFEMAscurrentminimumstandardsofacceptability for compliancewithDMA 2000 andnotes the locationwhere each requirement ismetwithinthisPlan.ThesestandardsarebaseduponFEMAsFinalRuleaspublishedintheFederalRegisteronSeptember16,2009inPart201oftheCodeofFederalRegulations(CFR).Althougheachparticipatingjurisdictionhadalreadydevelopedahazardmitigationplaninthepast,thecombinationofthetencountylevelplansintooneregionalplanstillrequiredmakingsomeplanupdaterevisionsbasedonFEMAsLocalMultiHazardMitigationPlanningGuidance. Sinceallsectionsof theregionalplanare technicallynew,planupdate requirementsdonotapply. However,since this is thefirst regional plan among the jurisdictions, key elements from the previous approved plans arereferencedthroughoutthedocument(e.g.,existingactions)andrequiredadiscussionofchangesmade.For example, all of the risk assessment elements needed to be updated to include most recentinformation.Itwasalsonecessarytoformulateasinglesetofgoalsfortheregion,buttheywerebasedon previously determined goals (Section 8:Mitigation Strategy). The Capability Assessment sectionincludes updated information for all of the participating jurisdictions and theMitigationAction Planprovidesimplementationstatusupdatesforalloftheactionsidentifiedinthepreviousplans.TheprocessusedtopreparethisPlanincludedtwelvemajorstepsthatwerecompletedoverthecourseofapproximatelyninemonthsbeginning inMarch2013. Eachof theseplanning steps (illustrated inFigure2.1)resultedincriticalworkproductsandoutcomesthatcollectivelymakeupthePlan.SpecificplansectionsarefurtherdescribedinSection1:Introduction. 1 A copy of the negotiated contractual scope of work between MEMA and Atkins is available through MEMA upon request.



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Over thepast fiveyears,eachparticipating jurisdictionhasbeenactivelyworking to implement theirexistingplans. This isdocumented in theMitigationActionPlan through the implementation statusupdates foreachof theMitigationActions. TheCapabilityAssessmentalsodocuments changesandimprovementsinthecapabilitiesofeachparticipatingjurisdictiontoimplementtheMitigationStrategy.

FIGURE2.1:MITIGATIONPLANNINGPROCESSFORTHEMEMADISTRICT4REGION

2.4 THEMEMADISTRICT4REGIONALHAZARDMITIGATIONCOUNCILInorder toguide thedevelopmentof thisPlan, thecounties inMEMADistrict4 (Calhoun,Chickasaw,Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Monroe, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster and Winston) and representativesfromtheirparticipatingmunicipaljurisdictionscreatedtheMEMADistrict4RegionalHazardMitigationCouncil(RHMC).TheRHMCrepresentsacommunitybasedplanningteammadeupofrepresentativesfromvariouscountydepartmentsandmunicipalitiesandotherkeystakeholders identifiedtoserveascriticalpartnersintheplanningprocess.Beginning inMarch2013,theRHMCmembersengaged inregulardiscussionsaswellas localplanningworkshops to discuss and complete tasks associated with preparing the Plan. This working groupcoordinatedonallaspectsofplanpreparationandprovidedvaluableinputtotheprocess.Inadditionto



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regularmeetings,committeemembersroutinelycommunicatedandwerekeptinformedthroughanemaildistributionlist.Specifically,thetasksassignedtotheRHMCmembersincluded: participateinRHMCmeetingsandworkshops providebestavailabledataasrequiredfortheRiskAssessmentportionofthePlan helpreviewthelocalCapabilityAssessmentinformationandprovidecopiesofanymitigationor

hazardrelateddocumentsforreviewandincorporationintothePlan support the development of the Mitigation Strategy, including the design and adoption of

regionalgoalstatements help design and propose appropriate mitigation actions for their department/agency for

incorporationintotheMitigationActionPlan reviewandprovidetimelycommentsonallstudyfindingsanddraftplandeliverables supporttheadoptionofthe2013MEMADistrict4HazardMitigationPlan

Table2.1liststhemembersoftheRHMCwhowereresponsibleforparticipatinginthedevelopmentofthePlan.Councilmembersarelistedinalphabeticalorderbylastname.

TABLE2.1:MEMBERSOFTHEMEMADISTRICT4REGIONALHAZARDMITIGATIONCOUNCIL

NAME/TITLE DEPARTMENT/AGENCYBenson,Jackie/CityClerk AberdeenBerry,Christina/CityPlanner CityofColumbusBlissard,Kerrie/DeputyEMADirector ClayCounty/WestPointBritt,Jim/EMADirector OktibbehaCountyCampanella,Kristen/DeputyEMADirector OktibbehaCountyCulpepper,Charles/BuildingInspector LowndesCountyDunagin,Mike/EMADirector CalhounCountyGoodman,Al/Owner AWGConsulting,LLCGoza,RobertBunky/EMADirector MonroeCountyGriffin,Linda/CDDirector ChickasawCountyHilbun,Anne/ExtensionAssociate MississippiStateUniversityJames,Joanna/Clerk,AssistantEMADirector DermaKibler,Bill/VPSA MississippiStateUniversityKilgore,Ben/TownMarshall CaledoniaKing,Buddy/EMADirector WinstonCountyKing,Mike/CountyAdministrator MonroeCountyLawrence,Cindy/EMADirector LowndesCountyLittlefield,Johnny/EMADirector ClayCountyLove,Richard/DeputyEMADirector WebsterCountyMcKinney,Carolyn/MitigationPlanner MEMA



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NAME/TITLE DEPARTMENT/AGENCYMcKnight,Brent/CDDirector ChoctawCountyMiller,Patrick/ExtensionAssociate MississippiStateUniversityMoore,Brad NoxubeeCountyPharr,Tracy/AreaCoordinator MEMARendon,Andrew/AssistantDean MississippiStateUniversityRushing,Barry/CDDirector WebsterCountyScott,Kenneth/PoliceChief VardamanSlaughter,Nathan/ProjectManager AtkinsTurner,Walt/Mayor SturgisWiegel,Kenny/BuildingOfficial Columbus

Someof theRegionalHazardMitigationCouncilMembers listedaboveweredesignated to representmorethanonejurisdiction.Specifically:

MikeDunaginrepresentedCalhounCountyandtheVillageofBigCreek,TownofCalhounCity,VillageofPittsboro,TownofBruceandtheVillageofSlateSprings

LindaGriffinrepresentedChickasawCountyandtheCityofHouston,TownofNewHoulka,CityofOkolona,andtheVillageofWoodland

JimBrittrepresentedOktibbehaCountyandtheCityofStarkvilleandtheTownofMaben BrentMcKnight representedChoctawCountyandTownofAckerman,TownofFrenchCamp,

andtheTownofWeir Cindy Lawrence represented Lowndes County and the Town of Artesia and the Town of

Crawford RobertBunkyGoza representedMonroeCountyand theCityofAmory,VillageofGattman,

TownofHatley,andtheTownofSmithville BradMoorerepresentedNoxubeeCountyandtheTownofBrooksville,CityofMaconandthe

TownofShuqualak Barry Rushing and Richard Love representedWebster County and City of Eupora, Village of

Mantee,TownofMathisonandtheVillageofWalthall BuddyKingrepresentedWinstonCountyandtheCityofLouisvilleandtheTownofNoxapater

ThisauthorizedrepresentationisdocumentedinsignedlettersthatwereprovidedtoMEMAfromeachofthesejurisdictionsthatdesignatedthesepersonsastheirrepresentatives.CopiesoftheseletterscanbeobtainedbycontactingMEMA.AdditionalparticipationandinputfromotheridentifiedstakeholdersandthegeneralpublicwassoughtbytheMEMADistrict4countiesduringtheplanningprocessthroughphonecallsandthedistributionofemails,advertisementsandpublicnoticesaimedatinformingpeopleofthedevelopmentoftheHazardMitigationPlan(publicandstakeholderinvolvementisfurtherdiscussedlaterinthissection).2.4.1MultiJurisdictionalParticipationThe MEMA District 4 Hazard Mitigation Plan includes ten counties and thirtysix incorporatedmunicipalities. To satisfy multijurisdictional participation requirements, each county and itsparticipatingjurisdictionswererequiredtoperformthefollowingtasks:



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Participateinmitigationplanningworkshops; Identifycompleted/newmitigationprojects,ifapplicable;and Developandadopt(orupdate)theirlocalMitigationActionPlan.

Each jurisdictionparticipated intheplanningprocessandhasdevelopeda localMitigationActionPlanunique to their jurisdiction.Each jurisdictionwill adopt theirMitigationActionPlan separately.ThisprovidesthemeansforjurisdictionstomonitorandupdatetheirPlanonaregularbasis.2.5 COMMUNITYMEETINGSANDWORKSHOPSThe preparation of this Plan required a series ofmeetings andworkshops for facilitating discussion,gainingconsensusandinitiatingdatacollectioneffortswithlocalgovernmentstaff,communityofficials,and other identified stakeholders. More importantly, the meetings and workshops promptedcontinuous inputand feedback from relevantparticipants throughout thedrafting stagesof thePlan.The following is a summary of the key meetings and community workshops held during thedevelopmentoftheplanupdate.2Inmanycases,routinediscussionsandadditionalmeetingswereheldbylocalstafftoaccomplishplanningtasksspecifictotheirdepartmentoragency,suchastheapprovalofspecificmitigationactionsfortheirdepartmentoragencytoundertakeandincludeintheMitigationActionPlan.ProjectKickoffMeetingApril24,2013Starkville,MSImmediately following the contractual Notice toProceed,Atkins staff arranged for aproject kickoffmeeting. TheMEMADistrict4AreaCoordinatorhelpedtoarrangeameetinglocation.Anemailwasdistributedwhichinvitedrepresentativesfromtheparticipating counties andmunicipalities, external stakeholders, and other local organizations to themeeting. The regional participants are collectively known as the RegionalHazardMitigation Council(RHMC or Council). The meeting was held at Mississippi State University and several universityrepresentativesalsoattended.Nathan Slaughter, Project Manager from projectconsultantAtkinsbeganthemeetingbywelcomingtheattendeesandgivingabriefoverviewoftheprojectandthe purpose of the meeting. He began by havingattendees introduce themselves. Mr. Slaughter thenprovided an overview of the items to be discussed atthemeetingandbrieflyreviewedeachofthehandoutsthatweredistributed in themeetingpackets (agenda,publicsurvey,andpresentationslides).Hethendefinedmitigation and gave an overview of the DisasterMitigation Act of 2000 and potential funding sourceswhichmaybeutilizedformitigationprojectsorrequire 2 Copies of agendas, sign-in sheets, minutes, and handout materials for all meetings and workshops can be found in Appendix D.

April24,2013MEMADistrict4RHMCMeeting



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aFEMAapprovedmitigationplanforeligibility. Mr.Slaughteralsoaskedattendees ifanyhadworkedwithmitigationgrantfundsandthreeattendeesconfirmedthattheyhad.Followingtheintroductionsandoverview,Mr.Slaughterledthegroupinanicebreakerexercisetointroducemeetingparticipantstovariousmitigation techniquesand tohelpdeterminewhich techniquesareofmostinteresttoRHMCmembers.Hebrieflyexplainedthesixdifferentcategories ofmitigation techniques: emergency services; prevention;natural resourceprotection; structuralprojects;publiceducationandawareness;andpropertyprotection. Eachattendeewas thengiven$20million inmock currency and asked to spend theirmitigationmoney as they personally deemed appropriate among the sixmitigationcategories.Moneywasspentbyplacingitincupslabeledwith each of the mitigation techniques. Upon completion of theexercise,Mr.Slaughterstatedthattheresultswouldbetabulatedandsharedwiththegroupatthenextmeetingtohelpformulatemitigationactions.Following the icebreakerexercise,Mr.Slaughterdiscussed thekeyobjectivesof theplanningprocessandpresentedalistoftheparticipatingjurisdictionsfortheregionalplan.Mr.Slaughterthenexplainedthemitigationplanningprocessandspecifictaskstobeaccomplishedforthisproject,includingtheriskassessment, capability assessment,mitigation strategy,mitigation action plan and planmaintenanceprocedures.Keyobjectivesinclude:

MergethetenCountyplansintooneregionalplan; Completeupdateofexistingplanstodemonstrateprogressandreflectcurrentconditions; Increasepublicawarenessandeducation; Maintaingranteligibilityforparticipatingjurisdictions;and MaintaincompliancewithStateandFederalrequirements.

Ms.Cunningham,AtkinsRiskAssessmentSpecialist,spokebrieflyregardingtheriskassessmentduringthedetailedprojectoverview.Shetalkedaboutthemajorcomponentsoftheriskassessment (hazardidentification,assessment/profiling,andvulnerability).Shethenreviewedthehazardspresentedinthecontractwhichwereallnaturalhazards.Ms.CunninghamencouragedtheCouncilto lookbeyond justnaturalhazardsandasked iftherewereanyadditionalhazardsthattheCouncilwould likeaddressed.Thegroupvotedto includehazardousmaterialsandpandemic(duetothenumberofchickenfarms inthe area). Lastly, Ms. Cunningham presented slides on how the regional maps and data would bepresentedintheplan,emphasizingadetailedriskassessmentforeachjurisdiction.Mr.Slaughterpresented theproject scheduleandnoted that theyearlong scheduleprovidedampletimetoproduceaqualityplan,meetstateandfederaldeadlines,andallow forreviewby local,state,andfederalofficials.Theproject staffing chartwasalsopresented todemonstrate thenumberofexperienced individualsthatwillbeworkingonthisproject.Mr.SlaughterthenreviewedtherolesandresponsibilitiesofAtkins,theCounty leads,andtheparticipating jurisdictions. Thepresentationconcludedwithadiscussionofthe next steps to be taken in the project development. He encouraged meeting participants to

IcebreakerExercise



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distributethePublicParticipationSurveyandstatedthatan internet linkwouldprovidedtotheonlineversionof the survey. He requested that the linkbeplacedonCounty andmunicipalwebsites andsharedwithother localstakeholders. Itwasalsonoted that localGISanalystswouldbecontacted toobtainavailablelocaldata.Following themeeting,Mr. Slaughter solicited questions from the group. Severalwere raisedwhichwereaddressedbyMEMAandAtkinsasappropriate:Q: Explaintheregionalnatureoftheplan.A: Syncing plans in a general area allows those participating jurisdictions to share resources. It

helpsMEMAandFEMAbyreducingtheinflowofhazardmitigationplansatvarioustimes.Italsoallowsparticipating jurisdictionsto learnfromeachothersstrategiesandtoplantogether forpotential events where response, recovery, mitigation, and preparedness may requirecollaboration.

Q: Doesthepublicsurveyreleaseconfidentialorsensitiveinformation?A: The contentswere reviewed based on the handout provided.Once detailed questionswere

discussed,andthenatureclarified,thesensitivityofitwasnolongeraconcern.



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MitigationStrategyMeetingJune26,2013Mr.Slaughterinitiatedthemeetingwithareviewofthemeetinghandouts,whichincludedanagenda,proposedgoalsfortheregionalplan,mitigationactionsfromeachcountysexistingplan,andmitigationactionworksheetsfornewmitigationactions.Mr.SlaughterreviewedtheprojectscheduleandstatedthatadraftoftheHazardMitigationPlanwouldbepresentedtotheRegionalHazardMitigationCouncilinSeptember2013.He thengave the resultsof the icebreakerexercise from the firstRegionalHazardMitigationCouncilmeeting,whereattendeesweregivenmoneytospendonvarioushazardmitigationtechniques.Theresultswereasfollows: EmergencyServices $148 Prevention $83 PropertyProtection $49 PublicEducation $45 StructuralProjects $45 NaturalResourceProtection $27

Mr. Slaughter then presented the findings of the risk assessment. He reviewed the process forpreparing Hazard Profiles. He explained how each hazard falls into one of four basic categories:Atmospheric,Hydrologic,Geologic,andOther,andeachmustbeevaluatedandformallyruledoutifitisnotapplicabletothestudyarea,evenwhereitseemsobvious(suchasinthecaseofvolcano).Mr. Slaughter reviewed the Hazard Profiles and the following bullets summarize the informationpresented: FLOOD. Therehavebeen131 floodevents recorded in theMEMADistrict4Region since1995,

resulting in$15.5million inpropertydamage. Therehavebeen1,447NFIP lossessince1978andapproximately$7.67millioninclaims.148repetitivelosspropertiesintheregionaccountfor442oftherecordedlossesand$3.85millionoftheclaims.Thereare2SevereRepetitiveLossproperties.Futureoccurrencesarelikely.

EROSION. Erosion was not included in any of the previous plans. Flood damage preventionordinances may include measures to limit erosion. There is no known GIS data for mappingvulnerability and no information found about previous occurrences. Future occurrences arepossible.

DAMFAILURE. Thereare412dams intheRegion,21ofwhichareclassifiedashighhazarddams.Therehavebeennoreportedbreachesandfutureoccurrencesareunlikely.

WINTERSTORM.Therehavebeen66recordedwintereventsintheRegionsince1994resulting in$6.1millioninreportedpropertydamages.Futureoccurrencesarelikely.



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DROUGHT.Therewerefiveyearsoutofthepasttwelvewheredroughtconditionswerereportedtobesevere,extremeorexceptionalintheRegion.Futureoccurrencesarelikely.

EXTREMEHEAT.Therehavebeen8recordedextremeheatevents intheregionsince2005. Therehasbeen1reporteddeath.Futureoccurrenceslikely.

WILDFIRE. Atthetimeofthemeeting,datarequestedfromtheMSForestryCommissionhadnot

yetbeenprovided.

EARTHQUAKES. There has been 1 recorded earthquake events in the Region. It was a 3.4magnitudereportedinCalhounCity.Futureoccurrencesareunlikely.

LANDSLIDE.TherehasbeennoextensivehistoryoflandslidesinMississippi.Futureoccurrencesareunlikely.

SINKHOLE. There isno significanthistorical recordof sinkholesor land subsidence inMississippi.Futureoccurrencesareunlikely.

HURRICANEANDTROPICALSTORM. NOAAdatashowsthat38stormtrackshavecomewithin75

milesoftheRegionsince1850. Eightofthosestormswerehurricanesandtheremaining30weretropicalstorms.Futureoccurrencesarelikely.

SEVERETHUNDERSTORMWINDS. Therehavebeen1,227severe thunderstormeventssince1955with$82.1millioninreportedpropertydamages.Futureoccurrencesarehighlylikely.

HAILSTORM.Therehavebeen632recordedhaileventssince1957.Hailstoneshaverangedinsizefrom.5inchto3inches.Futureoccurrencesarelikely.

LIGHTNING. Therehavebeen19recorded lightningeventssince1996,causingat leastonedeath

and$2.1millioninreportedpropertydamages.Futureoccurrencesarehighlylikely.

TORNADOES. There have been 202 recorded tornado events in the Region since 1950. $387.4million in property damages and 42 deaths and 434 injuries have been reported. Futureoccurrencesarelikely.

HAZARDOUSMATERIALS INCIDENTS. At the timeof thispresentation, informationwas stillbeing

collected related to Hazmat incidents. Regional Hazard Mitigation Council members providedinformationaboutvariousareasofconcernregardinghazardousmaterialsfacilities(addTennTomWaterwayandarailwaylinefromMonroetoLowndes).ThisinformationwasincorporatedintotheRisk Assessment sections of the Plan. It was determined that fixed and mobile Hazmatvulnerabilitieswouldbemappedand included in theplanbut itwillalsobenoted that therearedetailed separateplans forhazardousmaterials incidents that containmoreof a comprehensiveassessmentofthishazard.

In concluding the review of Hazard Profiles, Mr. Slaughter stated that if anyone had additionalinformation for thehazardprofiles,ordisagreedwithanyof thedatapresented, they should calloremailhimwiththeirconcerns.



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RegionalHazardMitigationCouncilmembershadthefollowingrequestsoftheconsultantteam:

Theywantedtoreviewthelistofdamsfortheregion.Theyfeltthatthedatawasoutdatedorincorrect.

TheywantedtoreviewthelistofHazmatfacilitiesobtainedbytheprojectconsultanttoensureitsaccuracy.

TheresultsofthehazardidentificationprocesswereusedtogenerateaPriorityRiskIndex(PRI),whichcategorizesandprioritizespotentialhazardsashigh,moderateorlowriskbasedonprobability,impact,spatialextent,warningtime,andduration.ThehighestPRIwasassignedtoSevereThunderstorms/HighWinds, Tornado, Flood andHailstorm. After reviewing the findings of the PRI, the RegionalHazardMitigationCouncilmembersvotedtomoveWinterStorms/FreezestotheHighRiskcategory.Mr. Slaughter then presented the Capability Assessment Findings. Atkins has developed a scoringsystemthatwasusedtoranktheparticipatingjurisdictionsintermsofcapabilityinfourmajorareasofcapability(PlanningandRegulatory;AdministrativeandTechnical;Fiscal;Political).Importantcapabilityindicators include National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) participation, Building Code EffectiveGradingSchedule(BCEGS)score,CommunityRatingSystem(CRS)participation,andtheLocalCapabilityAssessmentSurveyconductedbyAtkins.Mr. Slaughter reviewed theRelevant Plans andOrdinances,Relevant Staff/PersonnelResources, andRelevant Fiscal Resources. All of these categories were used to rate the overall capability of theparticipating counties and jurisdictions. Most jurisdictions are in the limited range for Planning andRegulatory Capability and Fiscal Capability. There is variation between the jurisdictions forAdministrativeandTechnicalCapability,mainlywithrespecttoavailabilityofplannersandgrantwriters.BaseduponthescoringmethodologydevelopedbyAtkins,itwasdeterminedthatalloftheparticipatingjurisdictionshavelimitedtomoderatetoimplementhazardmitigationprogramsandactivities.Mr.Slaughteralsodiscussedtheresultsofthepublicparticipationsurveythatwaspostedonseveraloftheparticipatingcountieswebsites.Asofthemeetingdate,83responseshadbeenreceived.Basedonpreliminary survey results, respondents felt that tornadoes posed the greatest threat to theirneighborhood,followedbyseverethunderstorms/highwindsandHazmatincidents.88percentoftherespondentswereinterestedinmakingtheirhomesmoreresistanttohazards.However,69percentofthemdontknowwhotocontactregardingreducingtheirriskstohazards.Mr.SlaughtergaveanoverviewofMitigationStrategyDevelopmentandpresentedtheproposedgoalsfortheregionalplanbasedonareviewofthegoals intheexistingcountyplans. TheRegionalHazardMitigationCouncilaccepted theproposedgoals for the regionalplan. Mr.Slaughter thenaskedeachcountytoprovideastatusupdatefortheirexistingmitigationactions(completed,deleted,ordeferred)by July10,2013. Mr.SlaughteralsodiscussedtheMitigationActionWorksheetstobecompleted foranynewmitigationactionsandrequestedthatallworksheetsbereturnedbyJuly10,2013.Mr.Slaughterthankedthegroupfortakingthetimetoattendandthemeetingwasadjourned.



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2.6 INVOLVINGTHEPUBLIC44CFRRequirement44CFRPart201.6(b)(1):Theplanningprocessshallincludeanopportunityforthepublictocommentontheplanduringthedraftingstageandpriortoplanapproval.

An important componentof themitigationplanningprocess involvespublicparticipation. Individualcitizenandcommunitybased inputprovidestheentireplanningteamwithagreaterunderstandingoflocal concerns and increases the likelihood of successfully implementing mitigation actions bydeveloping community buyin from those directly affected by the decisions of public officials. Ascitizensbecomemoreinvolvedindecisionsthataffecttheirsafety,theyaremorelikelytogainagreaterappreciationof thehazardspresent in their communityand take the stepsnecessary to reduce theirimpact. Publicawareness isakeycomponentofanycommunitysoverallmitigationstrategyaimedatmaking a home, neighborhood, school, business or entire city safer from the potential effects ofhazards.PublicinvolvementinthedevelopmentoftheMEMADistrict4HazardMitigationPlanwassoughtusingtwomethods: (1)publicsurvey instruments (hardcopyandwebbased)weremadeavailable,and (2)copies of draft Plan deliverables were made available for public review on county websites and atgovernment offices. The Public was provided two opportunities to be involved in the actual plandevelopmentat twodistinctperiodsduring theplanningprocess: (1)during thedrafting stageof thePlan;and(2)uponcompletionofafinaldraftPlan,butpriortoofficialplanapprovalandadoption. Apublicparticipationsurvey (discussed ingreaterdetail inSection2.6.1)wasmadeavailableduringtheplanningprocessatvariouslocationsthroughouttheMEMADistrict4regionandatvariouslocationsontheinternet.Eachoftheparticipatingjurisdictionswillholdpublicmeetingsbeforethefinalplanisofficiallyadoptedbythelocalgoverningbodies.ThesemeetingswilloccuratdifferenttimesonceFEMAhasgrantedconditionalapprovalofthePlan.AdoptionresolutionswillbeincludedinAppendixA.2.6.1PublicParticipationSurveyTheMEMADistrict4RegionwassuccessfulingettingcitizenstoprovideinputtothemitigationplanningprocessthroughtheuseofthePublicParticipationSurvey.ThePublicParticipationSurveywasdesignedto capture data and information from residents of the Region thatmight not be able to participatethroughothermeansinthemitigationplanningprocess.Hardcopiesof thePublicParticipationSurveyweredistributed to theRHMC tobemadeavailable forresidents to complete at local public offices. A link to an electronic version of the surveywas alsopostedatvariouslocationsontheinternet.Atotalof113surveyresponseswerereceived,whichprovidedvaluableinputfortheRHMCtoconsiderinthedevelopmentoftheplanupdate.Selectedsurveyresultsarepresentedbelow.

Approximately57percentofsurveyrespondentshadbeen impactedbyadisaster,mainlytornadoesandhurricanes(Ivan2004andKatrina2005).



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Respondents ranked Tornado as the highest threat to their neighborhood (69 percent),followedbySevereThunderstorm/HighWind(25percent).

Approximately31percentof respondentshave takenactions tomake theirhomesmoreresistanttohazardsand91percentareinterestedinmakingtheirhomesmoreresistanttohazards.

68percentof respondentsdonot knowwhatoffice to contact regarding reducing theirriskstohazards.

EmergencyServicesandPublicEducationwererankedasthemostimportantactivitiesforcommunitiestopursueinreducingrisks.

PublicsurveyresultswerepresentedtotheRHMCattheJune26meeting.AcopyofthesurveyandadetailedsummaryofthesurveyresultsareprovidedinAppendixB.2.7 INVOLVINGTHESTAKEHOLDERS 44CFRRequirement44CFRPart201.6(b)(2):Theplanningprocessshallincludeanopportunityforneighboringcommunities,localandregionalagenciesinvolvedinhazardmitigationactivities,andagenciesthathavetheauthoritytoregulatedevelopment,aswellasbusinesses,academiaandothernonprofitintereststobeinvolvedintheplanningprocess.

At the beginning of the planning process for the development of this plan, the project consultantworkedwithMEMAmitigationstaff,theMEMADistrict4AreaCoordinator,andeachofthetenCountyEmergency Management leads to initiate outreach to stakeholders to be involved in the planningprocess. The project consultant sent out a list of recommended stakeholders provided from FEMAPublication 3861 titled Getting Started: Building Support for Mitigation Planning. The list ofrecommendedstakeholdersisfoundinAppendixCofthatpublication(Worksheet#1:BuildthePlanningTeam)andhasbeenincludedinAppendixDofthisplantodemonstratethewiderangeofstakeholdersthatwereconsideredtoparticipateinthedevelopmentofthisplan.EachofthetenCountyEmergencyManagement leads used that list for reference as they invited stakeholders from their counties toparticipateintheplanningprocess.Additionally, the project consultant and the County EM leads contacted Mississippi AutomatedResources Information System (MARIS), Mississippi Forestry Commission, Mississippi Department ofEnvironmentalQuality,TriStateConsultingServices,GoldenTrianglePlanningandDevelopmentDistrict,and the Three Rivers Planning andDevelopmentDistrict to ask them to participate in the planningprocessandprovidedatathatwasusedinthedevelopmentofthisplan.Inaddition to theeffortsdescribedabove, theparticipating jurisdictions in theMEMADistrict4planwent above and beyond the minimum requirements for stakeholder outreach by designing anddistributing thePublicParticipation Surveydescribed earlier in this section. In addition to collectingpublic inputfortheplan,thesurveywasgeneratedtoallowthosestakeholdersthatcouldnotattendRegional Hazard Mitigation Council meetings the opportunity to provide input to the plan and theplanning process. All survey results were shared with the Regional Hazard Mitigation Council andrepresented inputfromcitizens, localofficials,businesses,academia,andotherprivate interests intheRegion.



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2.8 DOCUMENTATIONOFPLANPROGRESSProgressinhazardmitigationplanningfortheparticipatingjurisdictionsintheMEMADistrict4Regionisdocumented in this plan update. Since hazard mitigation planning efforts officially began in theparticipating counties with the development of the initial Hazard Mitigation Plans in the late1990s/early2000s,manymitigationactionshavebeencompletedandimplementedintheparticipatingjurisdictions. These actions will help reduce the overall risk to natural hazards for the people andpropertyintheRegion.TheactionsthathavebeencompletedaredocumentedintheMitigationActionPlanfoundinSection9.Inaddition,communitycapabilitycontinuestoimprovewiththeimplementationofnewplans,policiesand programs that help to promote hazardmitigation at the local level. The current state of localcapabilities for the participating jurisdictions is captured in Section 7: Capability Assessment. Theparticipating jurisdictionscontinuetodemonstrate theircommitmenttohazardmitigationandhazardmitigation planning and have proven this by reconvening the Hazard Mitigation Planning Team toupdatethePlanandbycontinuingtoinvolvethepublicinthehazardmitigationplanningprocess.

SECTION3COMMUNITYPROFILE


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ThissectionofthePlanprovidesageneraloverviewoftheMississippiEmergencyManagementAgency(MEMA)District4Region.Itconsistsofthefollowingfoursubsections: 3.1GeographyandtheEnvironment 3.2PopulationandDemographics 3.3Housing,Infrastructure,andLandUse 3.4EmploymentandIndustry

TheCountyspecificannexesprovidemoredetailedcommunityprofileinformationabouteachCounty.3.1 GEOGRAPHYANDTHEENVIRONMENTThe MEMA District 4 Region was named based on the Mississippi Emergency Management Agencydistricts lines and is one of nineMEMA regions throughout the state. The Region is located in theeasternportionof the state. It isboundedby theMississippi/Alabama State Line to the east. Statehighway82 runseast towest through the region,passing throughWebster,Oktibbeha,andLowndescounties. State highway 45 runs north to south, passing through Monroe, Lowndes, and NoxubeeCounties. TheMEMADistrict 4 Region includes the counties of Calhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay,Lowndes, Monroe, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster, and Winston. An orientation map is provided asFigure3.1.The MEMA District 4 region is well known for being the home to Mississippi State University inOktibbeha Countywhich ranks among the top agricultural and veterinarymedicine programs in thecountry.AlongwithOktibbehaCounty,ClayandLowndesCountyformaregionaleconomichubknownas the Golden Triangle which is anchored by the university, several manufacturing hubs, and theColumbusAirForceBase.The region isalsoknown formanyhistoric sites including thebirthplaceofTennessee Williams in Columbus and several Civil War sites throughout the region. In addition,ChickasawCountyhostsabiannualflywheelfestivalthatattractsenthusiastsfromaroundthecountry.ThetotalareaofeachoftheparticipatingcountiesispresentedinTable3.1.

TABLE3.1:TOTALAREAOFPARTICIPATINGCOUNTIESCounty TotalArea County TotalArea

CalhounCounty 588squaremiles MonroeCounty 772squaremilesChickasawCounty 504squaremiles Noxubee County 700squaremilesChoctawCounty 420squaremiles OktibbehaCounty 462squaremilesClayCounty 416squaremiles WebsterCounty 423squaremilesLowndesCounty 516squaremiles Winston County 610squaremilesSource:USCensusBureau

SECTION3:COMMUNITYPROFILE


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TheMEMADistrict4Regionenjoysfourdistinctseasonsbuttheclimate intheregion isgenerallyhotandhumidcomparedtomuchoftherestoftheUnitedStatesgivenitslatitudeandrelativeproximitytothe Gulf Coast. Precipitation is generally highest in winter months when the temperatures aremoderately lower,but the likelihoodofprecipitationremainsrelativelyconstant throughout theyear.Summers in the region can become fairly hot with average highs in the nineties and lows in theseventies.Theregionisalsooftensusceptibletoturbulentweatherwhenwarm,wetairfromtheGulfofMexico ispushedup intotheregiontomixwithcooleraircomingdownfromacrossthecontinentwhichcanresult insevereweatherconditions.This isparticularlytrue inthespringwhenseasonsarechanginganddiverseweatherpatternsinteract.



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FIGURE3.1:MEMADISTRICT4REGIONORIENTATIONMAP



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3.2 POPULATIONANDDEMOGRAPHICSAlthoughMonroeCounty isthe largestparticipatingcountybyarea,the largestpopulation isfound inLowndes County. Between 2000 and 2010, the majority of participating jurisdictions experiencedpopulationdecline,withonlyOktibbehaCountyseeinganygrowth.TheTownsofSturgisandVardamanhadthehighestratesofgrowth(bothatover23percent),thoughitisnotablethatStarkville,hometoMississippiStateUniversity,alsohadnearly10percentgrowth.PopulationcountsfromtheUSCensusBureaufor1990,2000,and2010foreachoftheparticipatingcountiesandjurisdictionsarepresentedinTable3.2.

TABLE3.2:POPULATIONCOUNTSFORPARTICIPATINGCOUNTIESJurisdiction 1990CensusPopulation

2000CensusPopulation

2010CensusPopulation

%Change20002010

CalhounCounty 14,908 15,069 14,962 0.7%ChickasawCounty 18,085 19,440 17,392 10.5%ChoctawCounty 9,071 9,758 8,547 12.4%ClayCounty 21,120 21,979 20,634 6.1%LowndesCounty 59,308 61,586 59,779 2.9%MonroeCounty 36,582 38,014 36,989 2.7%NoxubeeCounty 12,604 12,548 11,545 8.0%OktibbehaCounty 38,375 42,902 47,671 11.1%WebsterCounty 10,222 10,294 10,253 0.4%WinstonCounty 19,433 20,160 19,198 4.8%Source:USCensusBureauBasedonthe2010Census,themedianageforresidentsoftheparticipatingcountiesrangesfrom26to43years.Theracialcharacteristicsoftheparticipatingcountiesarepresented inTable3.3. Generally,whites make up the majority of the population in the region, however there is a substantial blackpopulationineverycountythatrepresentsthemajorityinsomecases.

TABLE3.3:DEMOGRAPHICSOFPARTICIPATINGCOUNTIES

Jurisdiction WhitePersons,Percent(2010)BlackPersons,Percent(2010)

AmericanIndianor

AlaskaNative,Percent(2010)

OtherRace,Percent(2010)

PersonsofHispanicOrigin,Percent(2010)*

CalhounCounty 67.5% 27.7% 0.1% 4.7% 5.4%ChickasawCounty 54.0% 42.1% 0.1% 3.8% 3.7%ChoctawCounty 68.4% 30.1% 0.2% 1.3% 0.9%ClayCounty 40.1% 58.9% 0.1% 0.9% 1.1%LowndesCounty 54.0% 43.5% 0.2% 2.4% 1.5%MonroeCounty 67.7% 30.9% 0.2% 1.3% 1.0%NoxubeeCounty 27.1% 71.6% 0.2% 1.1% 0.8%OktibbehaCounty 59.2% 36.6% 0.2% 4.0% 1.4%WebsterCounty 78.7% 19.9% 0.2% 1.2% 1.0%WinstonCounty 51.9% 45.6% 1.1% 2.6% 1.0%



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*Hispanicsmaybeofanyrace,soalsoareincludedinapplicableracecategoriesSource:USCensusBureau3.3 HOUSING,INFRASTRUCTURE,ANDLANDUSE3.3.1HousingAccordingtothe2010USCensus,thereare110,064housingunitsintheMEMADistrict4Region,mostofwhicharesinglefamilyhomes.HousinginformationforthetenparticipatingcountiesispresentedinTable3.4.Asshowninthetable,mostcountieshaveaverylowpercentageofseasonalhousingunits.

TABLE3.4:HOUSINGCHARACTERISTICSOFPARTICIPATINGCOUNTIESJurisdiction HousingUnits(2000)

HousingUnits(2010)

SeasonalUnits,Percent(2010)

MedianHomeValue(20062010)

CalhounCounty 6,902 6,913 3.7% $58,700ChickasawCounty 7,981 7,514 2.0% $62,300ChoctawCounty 4,249 4,150 5.3% $68,800ClayCounty 8,152 8,810 2.1% $78,200LowndesCounty 25,104 26,556 1.0% $110,400MonroeCounty 16,236 16,455 1.7% $79,000NoxubeeCounty 5,228 5,170 4.9% $53,000OktibbehaCounty 17,344 20,947 1.6% $108,100WebsterCounty 4,344 4,804 4.6% $72,100WinstonCounty 8,472 8,745 3.1% $75,100

Source:USCensusBureau3.3.2InfrastructureTRANSPORTATIONThereareseveralmajorthoroughfaresthattraversetheMEMADistrict4Region. USHighway45runsroughlynorthsouththroughMonroe,Lowndes,andNoxubeeCountiesconnectingmanytownsinthosecountiestoMeridianandTupelo. It is intersectedbyUSHighway82whichtraversesacrossLowndes,Oktibbeha,andWebsterCountiesfromeasttowest,ultimately leadingtoTuscaloosa,Alabamatotheeast. SeveralotherUSHighwaysalso run through the region,connectingmanyof the towns toeachother and municipalities outside the region. In addition, the Natchez Trace Parkway runs throughChoctaw,Webster,Clay,andChickasawCounties.TheNatchezTraceParkwayisaNationalParkwaythatishighlyregardedforitsscenicviews,hikingtrails,picnicareas,campsites,andexhibits.Thereare several smallgeneralaviationairportswithin theMEMADistrict4Region, includingone innearlyevery county. GoldenTriangleRegionalAirport is the largest in the regionand is located justoutsideofColumbus,whichisalsohometotheColumbusAirForceBase.Therearealsoseveralmajorairports that areusedby residents located innearby counties including TupeloRegionalAirport andJacksonEvers International Airport, which offers international and domestic flights to a number oflocationsaroundtheworld.



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UTILITIESElectricpower in theMEMADistrict4Region isprovidedbyseveralelectricitycooperatives. NatchezTrace Electric Power Association serves Calhoun, Chickasaw, Clay, and Webster Counties. PontotocElectricPowerAssociationprovidespowertoCalhounandChickasawCounties,aswellasseveralothernearby counties. 4 County Electric Power provides service tomany counties in the region includingMonroe,Choctaw,Webster,Chickasaw,Clay,Lowndes,Oktibbeha,andNoxubee.Additionally,TriplettElectricCompanyisoperatedoutofWinstonCounty.Waterandsewerservice isprovidedbyalloftheparticipatingtowns,butunincorporatedareasoftenrelyonsepticsystemsandwellsintheMEMADistrict4Region.COMMUNITYFACILITIESThereareanumberofpublicbuildingsandcommunityfacilitieslocatedthroughouttheMEMADistrict4Region.Accordingtothedatacollectedforthevulnerabilityassessment(Section6.4.1),thereare26firestations,31policestations,11medicalcarefacilities,and112schoolslocatedwithinthestudyarea.Eleven hospitals are located in the MEMA District 4 Region. The largest is the Baptist MemorialHospitalGolden Triangle, a 328bed regional hospital located in Columbus. The Oktibbeha RegionalMedicalCenter inStarkville isanothermajor96bedhospital in theregion,as istheNorthMississippiMedicalCenterWestPointwith60beds.Therearealsoseveraladditionalmedicalcarefacilitieslocatedthroughouttheregionasoutlinedinthevulnerabilityassessment(Section6.4.1).TheMEMADistrict4Regioncontainsnumerous local, state,andnationalparksand recreationareas,includingtheNatchezTraceParkway,TombigbeeNationalForest,LegionStatePark,andLakeLowndesStatePark.Thesefacilitiesofferrecreationalopportunitiestoarearesidentsandhundredsofthousandsofvisitorseachyear.3.3.3 LandUseManyareasoftheMEMADistrict4Regionareundevelopedorsparselydeveloped.AsshowninFigure3.1above,therearemanysmall incorporatedmunicipalities locatedthroughoutthestudyarea,withafewlargerhubsinterspersed.Theseareasarewheretheregionspopulationisgenerallyconcentrated.Theincorporatedareasarealsowheremanyofthebusinesses,commercialuses,andinstitutionalusesare located. Land uses in the balance of the study area generally consist of rural residentialdevelopment,agriculturaluses,andrecreationalareas,althoughtherearesomenotableexceptions inthelargermunicipalities.3.4 EMPLOYMENTANDINDUSTRYLikemany other parts ofMississippi, theMEMA District 4 Regions economy has traditionally beenheavilyreliantonthemanufacturingindustries.However,theregionhassufferedfromnumerousplantclosingsduringthe1990sand2000s.Asaresult,manyofthecommunitiesarenowworkingtodevelopplacebasedeconomiesthatwillrelyontheMEMADistrict4Regionsareasofcomparativeadvantage.One area of economic emphasis has been in the Golden Triangle which is formed by the cities ofColumbus,Starkville,andWestPoint.MississippiStateUniversityandColumbusAirForceBaseactas



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majoremployersinthissubregionandtherehasbeenarenewedfocusonbringingbackmanufacturingjobs.Agriculturealsocontinuestoplayamajorroleinthelocaleconomyandtherearecattle,poultry,andotheroperationslocatedthroughouttheregion.AccordingtotheMississippiEmploymentSecurityCommission(MESC),in2012,CalhounCountyhadanaverage annual employment of 3,498 workers and an average unemployment rate of 9.5 percent(comparedto9.2percentforthestate).In2012,theManufacturingindustryemployed34.8percentofthe Countysworkforce followed byAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing, andHunting (21.8%); Retail Trade(6.9%);andPublicAdministration (6.7%). Theaverageannualwage in2012 forCalhounCountywas$30,784comparedto$37,440inthestateofMississippi.In 2012, Chickasaw County had an average annual employment of 5,892 workers and an averageunemployment rate of 11.0 percent. According to the MESC, in 2012, the Manufacturing industryemployed themostpeople,with64.6percentof theworkforce, followedbyRetailTrade (17.2%)andAgriculture,Forestry,Fishing,andHunting(4.2%). Theaverageannualwage inChickasawCountywas$31,928.ChoctawCountyhadanaverageannualemploymentof1,896workersandanaverageunemploymentrateof9.9percentin2012.AccordingtotheMESC,in2012,theEducationServicesindustryemployed31.6 percent of the workforce followed by Manufacturing (27.8%) and Retail Trade (12.4%). TheaverageannualwageinChoctawCountywas$34,320.In 2012, Clay County had an average annual employment of 5,138 workers and an averageunemployment rate of 16.8 percent. In 2012, according to the MESC, the Retail Trade industryemployed25.7percentof theworkforce. Manufacturingwas the second largest industry,employing19.9percentofworkers,andEducationServicesfollowedcloselybehind(17.9%). TheaverageannualwageinClayCountywas$32,708.LowndesCountyhadanaverageannualemploymentof25,700workersandanaverageunemploymentrateof9.6percentin2012.AccordingtotheMESC,in2012,theManufacturingindustryemployed18.5percent of the workforce followed by Retail Trade (15.7%) and Health Care and Social Assistance(14.9%).TheaverageannualwageinLowndesCountywas$39,104.In 2012, Monroe County had an average annual employment of 9,358 workers and an averageunemployment rate of 11.4 percent. According to the MESC, in 2012, the Manufacturing industryemployed themostpeople,with33.6percentof theworkforce, followedbyRetailTrade (15.9%)andEducationServices(12.1%).TheaverageannualwageinMonroeCountywas$34,892.In 2012, Noxubee County had an average annual employment of 2,503 workers and averageunemployment rate of 15.2 percent. In 2012, according to the MESC, the Manufacturing industryemployed44.2percentoftheworkforce.RetailTradewasthesecondlargestindustry,employing23.1percent ofworkers, and PublicAdministration followed closely behind (12.5%). The average annualwageinNoxubeeCountywas$27,248.Oktibbeha County had an average annual employment of 18,223 workers and an averageunemploymentrateof9.2percent in2012. AccordingtotheMESC, in2012,theAccommodationandFoodServices industryemployed27.8percentof theworkforce followedbyRetailTrade (19.0%)andHealthCareandSocialAssistance(13.6%).TheaverageannualwageinOktibbehaCountywas$34,944.



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In 2012, Webster County had an average annual employment of 2,104 workers and an averageunemployment rate of 11.9 percent. In 2012, according to the MESC, the Manufacturing industryemployed26.6percentoftheworkforce.EducationServiceswasthesecondlargestindustry,employing23.1percentofworkers,andRetailTradefollowedcloselybehind(19.8%).TheaverageannualwageinWebsterCountywas$28,392.In 2012, Winston County had an average annual employment of 4,583 workers and an averageunemployment rate of 12.5 percent. According to the MESC, in 2012, the Manufacturing industryemployed themostpeople,with32.1percentof theworkforce, followedbyRetailTrade (24.1%)andEducationServices(13.8%).TheaverageannualwageinWinstonCountywas$35,204.

SECTION4HAZARDIDENTIFICATION


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Thissectiondescribeshowtheplanningteamidentifiedthehazardtobeincludedthisplan.Itconsistsofthefollowingfivesubsections: 4.1Overview 4.2DescriptionofFullRangeofHazards 4.3DisasterDeclarations 4.4HazardEvaluation 4.5HazardIdentificationResults

44CFRRequirement44CFRPart201.6(c)(2)(i):Theriskassessmentshallincludeadescriptionofthetype,locationandextentofallnaturalhazardsthatcanaffectthejurisdiction.Theplanshallincludeinformationonpreviousoccurrencesofhazardeventsandontheprobabilityoffuturehazardevents.

4.1 OVERVIEWTheMEMADistrict4Region isvulnerable toawide rangeofnaturalandhumancausedhazards thatthreatenlifeandproperty.CurrentFEMAregulationsandguidanceundertheDisasterMitigationActof2000(DMA2000)require,ataminimum,anevaluationofafullrangeofnaturalhazards.Anevaluationof humancaused (i.e., terrorism) and technological hazards (i.e., hazardous materials incident) isencouraged, though not required, for plan approval. The MEMA District 4 Region has included acomprehensiveassessmentofallhazards. It shouldbenotedhowever, that this listmaynotbeallinclusiveandwillberevisitedwitheachplanupdate.Upon a review of the full range of natural hazards suggested under FEMA planning guidance, theparticipating jurisdictions in the MEMA District 4 Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan have identified anumberofhazardsthataretobeaddressedinthisRegionalHazardMitigationPlan.Thesehazardswereidentifiedthroughanextensiveprocessthatutilized inputfromtheMEMADistrict4HazardMitigationCouncilmembers,researchofpastdisasterdeclarationsintheparticipatingcounties1,andreviewoftheMississippiStateHazardMitigationPlan (2010). Readilyavailable information fromreputablesources(such as federal and state agencies) was also evaluated to supplement information from these keysources.Table4.1 liststhefullrangeofhazards initially identifiedfor inclusion inthePlanandprovidesabriefdescriptionforeach.Thistableincludes25individualhazards.Someofthesehazardsareconsideredtobeinterrelatedorcascading(onehazardeventmaycauseanother,i.e.hurricanescauseflooding),butforpreliminaryhazardidentificationpurposestheseindividualhazardsarebrokenoutseparately. 1 A complete list of disaster declarations for the MEMA District 4 Region can be found below in Section 4.3.

SECTION4:HAZARDIDENTIFICATION


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Table4.2liststhedisasterdeclarationsthathaveimpactedtheMEMADistrict4Region.Table 4.3 documents the evaluation process used for determining which of the initially identifiedhazards are considered significant enough towarrant further evaluation in the risk assessment. Foreachhazard considered, the table indicateswhetherornot thehazardwas identifiedasa significanthazard to be further assessed, how this determinationwasmade, andwhy this determinationwasmade. The tableworks tosummarizenotonly thosehazards thatwere identified (andwhy)butalsothosethatwerenotidentified(andwhynot).HazardeventsnotidentifiedforinclusionatthistimemaybeaddressedduringfutureevaluationsandupdatesoftheriskassessmentifdeemednecessarybytheMEMADistrict4RHMCduringtheplanupdateprocess.Lastly,Table4.4providesasummaryofthehazardidentificationandevaluationprocessnotingthat16ofthe25initiallyidentifiedhazardsareconsideredsignificantenoughforfurtherevaluationthroughthisPlansriskassessment(markedwitha)4.2 DESCRIPTIONOFFULLRANGEOFHAZARDS In thissection,hazardsareclassified intogroups includingatmospherichazards,hydrologicalhazards,geologic hazards, and other hazards (a catchall category of hazards that typically includes humancausedandtechnologicalhazards).Asnotedabove,severalsourceswhereconsultedtodeterminealistofhazard tobeconsideredbyMEMADistrict4.These include theMEMADistrict4RHMCmembers,research of past disaster declarations in the participating counties2, review of FEMAs MultiHazardIdentificationandRiskAssessment(1997)andreviewoftheStateofMississippiHazardMitigationPlan(2010). Readilyavailable informationfromreputablesources(suchasfederalandstateagencies)wasalsoevaluatedtosupplementinformationfromthesekeysources.

TABLE4.1:DESCRIPTIONSOFTHEFULLRANGEOFINITIALLYIDENTIFIEDHAZARDS

Hazard Description

ATMOSPHERICHAZARDS

Avalanche Arapidfallorslideofalargemassofsnowdownamountainside.Drought Aprolongedperiodoflessthannormalprecipitationsuchthatthelackofwatercausesa

serious hydrologic imbalance. Common effects of drought include crop failure, watersupplyshortages,andfishandwildlifemortality.Hightemperatures,highwinds,andlowhumiditycanworsendroughtconditionsandalsomakeareasmoresusceptibletowildfire.Human demands and actions have the ability to hasten or mitigate droughtrelatedimpactsonlocalcommunities.

Hailstorm Anystormthatproduceshailstonesthatfalltotheground;usuallyusedwhentheamountorsizeofthehailisconsideredsignificant.Hailisformedwhenupdraftsinthunderstormscarryraindropsintopartsoftheatmospherewherethetemperaturesarebelowfreezing.

2 A complete list of disaster declarations for the MEMA District 4 Region can be found below in Section 4.3.



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HeatWave Aheatwavemayoccurwhentemperatureshover10degreesormoreabovetheaveragehightemperaturefortheregionand lastforseveralweeks. Humidormuggyconditions,which add to the discomfort of high temperatures, occur when a dome of highatmospheric pressure traps hazy, damp air near the ground. Excessively dry and hotconditions can provoke dust storms and low visibility. A heat wave combined with adroughtcanbeverydangerousandhavesevereeconomicconsequencesonacommunity.

HurricaneandTropicalStorm

Hurricanes and tropical storms are classified as cyclones and defined as any closedcirculationdevelopingarounda lowpressure center inwhich thewinds rotate counterclockwiseintheNorthernHemisphere(orclockwiseintheSouthernHemisphere)andwithadiameteraveraging10 to30milesacross. Whenmaximum sustainedwinds reachorexceed39milesperhour,thesystemisdesignatedatropicalstorm,givenaname,andisclosely monitored by the National Hurricane Center. When sustained winds reach orexceed74milesperhourthestormisdeemedahurricane.Theprimarydamagingforcesassociated with these storms are highlevel sustained winds, heavy precipitation andtornadoes.Coastalareasarealsovulnerabletotheadditionalforcesofstormsurge,winddrivenwavesand tidal floodingwhich canbemoredestructive thancyclonewind. Themajorityofhurricanesandtropicalstormsform intheAtlanticOcean,CaribbeanSeaandGulf of Mexico during the official Atlantic hurricane season, which extends from JunethroughNovember.

Lightning Lightning is a discharge of electrical energy resulting from the buildup of positive andnegative chargeswithin a thunderstorm, creating a boltwhen thebuildupof chargesbecomesstrongenough.Thisflashoflightusuallyoccurswithinthecloudsorbetweenthecloudsand theground. Aboltof lightning can reach temperaturesapproaching50,000degreesFahrenheit. Lightningrapidlyheatstheskyas itflashes,butthesurroundingaircools following the bolt. This rapid heating and cooling of the surrounding air causesthunder. On average, 73people are killed each yearby lightning strikes in theUnitedStates.

Noreaster Similartohurricanes,noreastersareoceanstormscapableofcausingsubstantialdamageto coastal areas in the EasternUnited States due to their associated strongwinds andheavysurf.Nor'eastersarenamedforthewindsthatblowinfromthenortheastanddrivethestormuptheEastCoastalongtheGulfStream,abandofwarmwaterthatliesofftheAtlantic coast. They are caused by the interaction of the jet stream with horizontaltemperature gradients and generally occur during the fall and winter months whenmoistureandcoldairareplentiful.Noreastersareknownfordumpingheavyamountsofrainandsnow,producinghurricaneforcewinds,andcreatinghighsurfthatcausesseverebeacherosionandcoastalflooding.

Tornado Atornadoisaviolentlyrotatingcolumnofairthathascontactwiththegroundandisoftenvisibleasafunnelcloud.Itsvortexrotatescyclonicallywithwindspeedsrangingfromaslow as 40 mph to as high as 300 mph. Tornadoes are most often generated bythunderstormactivitywhencool,dryairintersectsandoverridesalayerofwarm,moistairforcingthewarmairtoriserapidly.Thedestructioncausedbytornadoesrangesfromlighttocatastrophicdependingontheintensity,sizeanddurationofthestorm.

SevereThunderstorm

Thunderstorms are caused by air masses of varying temperatures meeting in theatmosphere. Rapidly rising warm moist air fuels the formation of thunderstorms.Thunderstormsmayoccur singularly, in lines,or in clusters.They canmove through anareaveryquicklyorlingerforseveralhours.Thunderstormsmayresultinhail,tornadoes,or straightline winds. Windstorms pose a threat to lives, property, and vital utilitiesprimarilyduetotheeffectsofflyingdebrisandcandowntreesandpowerlines.



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WinterStormandFreeze

Winter stormsmay include snow, sleet, freezing rain,oramixof thesewintry formsofprecipitation. Blizzards, the most dangerous of all winter storms, combine lowtemperatures,heavysnowfall,andwindsofatleast35milesperhour,reducingvisibilitytoonly a few yards. Ice storms occurwhenmoisture falls and freezes immediatelyuponimpact on trees, power lines, communication towers, structures, roads and other hardsurfaces.Winterstormsandicestormscandowntrees,causewidespreadpoweroutages,damageproperty,andcausefatalitiesandinjuriestohumanlife.

GEOLOGICHAZARDS

Earthquake Asudden,rapidshakingoftheEarthcausedbythebreakingandshiftingofrockbeneaththe surface. This movement forces the gradual building and accumulation of energy.Eventually, strain becomes so great that the energy is abruptly released, causing theshakingattheearthssurfacewhichweknowasanearthquake.Roughly90percentofallearthquakes occur at the boundaries where plates meet, although it is possible forearthquakestooccurentirelywithinplates.Earthquakescanaffecthundredsofthousandsof squaremiles; cause damage to propertymeasured in the tens of billions of dollars;resultinlossoflifeandinjurytohundredsofthousandsofpersons;anddisruptthesocialandeconomicfunctioningoftheaffectedarea.

ExpansiveSoils Soils that will exhibit some degree of volume change with variations in moistureconditions.Themostimportantpropertiesaffectingdegreeofvolumechangeinasoilareclay mineralogy and the aqueous environment. Expansive soils will exhibit expansioncausedby the intakeofwaterand,conversely,willexhibitcontractionwhenmoisture isremoved by drying. Generally speaking, they often appear sticky when wet, and arecharacterized by surface cracks when dry. Expansive soils become a problem whenstructuresarebuiltuponthemwithouttakingproperdesignprecautionsintoaccountwithregardtosoiltype.Crackinginwallsandfloorscanbeminor,orcanbesevereenoughforthehometobestructurallyunsafe.

Landslide Themovementsofamassofrock,debris,orearthdown aslopewhentheforceofgravitypullingdowntheslopeexceedsthestrengthoftheearthmaterialsthatcomprisetoholditinplace.Slopesgreaterthan10degreesaremorelikelytoslide,asareslopeswheretheheightfromthetopoftheslopeto itstoe isgreaterthan40feet. Slopesarealsomorelikelytofailifvegetativecoverislowand/orsoilwatercontentishigh.

LandSubsidence The gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earths surface due to the subsurfacemovementofearthmaterials.Causesof landsubsidenceincludegroundwaterpumpage,aquifer system compaction, drainage of organic soils, underground mining,hydrocompaction,naturalcompaction,sinkholes,andthawingpermafrost.

Sinkhole Sinkholesareanaturalandcommongeologicfeature inareaswithunderlying limestoneandotherrocktypesthataresolubleinnaturalwater.Mostlimestoneisporous,allowingtheacidicwaterofrain topercolate through theirstrata,dissolvingsome limestoneandcarrying it away in solution. Over time, this persistent erosional process can createextensive underground voids and drainage systems in much of the carbonate rocks.Collapseofoverlyingsedimentsintotheundergroundcavitiesproducessinkholes.



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Tsunami A series ofwaves generated by an undersea disturbance such as an earthquake. Thespeedofatsunamitravelingawayfromitssourcecanrangefromupto500milesperhourindeepwatertoapproximately20to30milesperhourinshallowerareasnearcoastlines.Tsunamis differ from regular oceanwaves in that their currents travel from thewatersurfaceall thewaydown to thesea floor. Waveamplitudes indeepwaterare typicallylessthanonemeter;theyareoftenbarelydetectabletothehumaneye.However,astheyapproachshore,theyslowinshallowerwater,basicallycausingthewavesfrombehindtoeffectively pileup, andwaveheights to increasedramatically. Asopposed to typicalwaveswhichcrashattheshoreline,tsunamisbringwiththemacontinuouslyflowingwallof water with the potential to cause devastating damage in coastal areas locatedimmediatelyalongtheshore.

Volcano Amountainthatopensdownwardtoareservoirofmoltenrockbelowthesurfaceoftheearth. Whilemostmountains are createdby forcespushingup the earth frombelow,volcanoesaredifferentinthattheyarebuiltupovertimebyanaccumulationoftheirowneruptive products: lava, ash flows, and airborne ash and dust. Volcanoes eruptwhenpressure from gases and themolten rockbeneathbecomes strongenough to cause anexplosion.

HYDROLOGICHAZARDS

DamandLeveeFailure

Dam failure is the collapse, breach, or other failure of a dam structure resulting indownstreamflooding.Intheeventofadamfailure,theenergyofthewaterstoredbehindeven a small dam is capable of causing loss of life and severe property damage ifdevelopmentexistsdownstreamofthedam.Damfailurecanresultfromnaturalevents,humaninducedevents,ora combinationof the two. Themost common causeofdamfailure isprolongedrainfall thatproduces flooding. Failuresdue toothernaturaleventssuch as hurricanes, earthquakes or landslides are significant because there is generallylittleornoadvancewarning.

Erosion Erosionisthegradualbreakdownandmovementoflandduetobothphysicalandchemicalprocessesofwater,wind,andgeneralmeteorologicalconditions.Natural,orgeologic,erosionhasoccurredsincetheEarthsformationandcontinuesataveryslowanduniformrateeachyear.

Flood Theaccumulationofwaterwithinawaterbodywhich results in theoverflowofexcesswaterontoadjacent lands,usually floodplains. The floodplain is the landadjoining thechannel of a river, stream ocean, lake or other watercourse or water body that issusceptible to flooding. Most floods fall into the following three categories: riverineflooding,coastalflooding,orshallowflooding(whereshallowfloodingreferstosheetflow,pondingandurbandrainage).

StormSurge Astormsurge isa largedomeofwateroften50 to100mileswideandrisinganywherefromfourtofivefeet inaCategory1hurricaneuptomorethan30feet inaCategory5storm. Stormsurgeheightsandassociatedwavesarealsodependentupontheshapeofthe offshore continental shelf (narrow or wide) and the depth of the ocean bottom(bathymetry). A narrow shelf, or one that drops steeply from the shoreline andsubsequentlyproducesdeepwaterclosetotheshoreline,tendstoproducealowersurgebuthigherandmorepowerfulstormwaves.Stormsurgearrivesaheadofastormsactuallandfallandthemoreintensethehurricaneis,thesoonerthesurgearrives.Stormsurgecanbedevastatingtocoastalregions,causingseverebeacherosionandpropertydamagealongthe immediatecoast. Further,waterrisecausedbystormsurgecanbeveryrapid,posingaseriousthreattothosewhohavenotyetevacuatedfloodproneareas.



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OTHERHAZARDS

HazardousMaterialsIncident

Hazardous material (HAZMAT) incidents can apply to fixed facilities as well as mobile,transportationrelatedaccidents in theair,by rail,on thenationshighwaysandon thewater.HAZMAT incidents consist of solid, liquid and/or gaseous contaminants that arereleased from fixedormobile containers,whetherby accidentorbydesign aswith anintentional terrorist attack. A HAZMAT incident can last hours to days, while somechemicalscanbecorrosiveorotherwisedamagingoverlongerperiodsoftime.Inadditiontotheprimaryrelease,explosionsand/orfirescanresultfromarelease,andcontaminantscanbe extendedbeyond the initial areabypersons, vehicles,water,wind andpossiblywildlifeaswell.

Pandemic Pandemics are infectious and contagious outbreaks typically caused by a virus thatoriginatedinanimalsandspreadstohumans.Commonsourcesareswineandavian.Thereareseveraldefinitionsofpandemicdependingontheseverityoftheoutbreak. Itcanbedefinedgenerallyasanepidemicoccurringoveralargegeographicarea.Pandemicvirusesreproduceandmutaterapidly.Unlikeseasonalinfluenza,humanshavenoimmunitytothemutatedstrains,makingitespeciallydeadlyinpopulations.

TerrorThreat TerrorismisdefinedbyFEMAas,theuseofforceorviolenceagainstpersonsorpropertyinviolationofthecriminallawsoftheUnitedStatesforpurposesofintimidation,coercion,orransom.Terroristactsmayincludeassassinations,kidnappings,hijackings,bombscaresand bombings, cyber attacks (computerbased), and the use of chemical, biological,nuclearandradiologicalweapons.

Wildfire Anuncontrolled fireburning inanareaofvegetative fuels suchasgrasslands,brush,orwoodlands. Heavier fuels with high continuity, steep slopes, high temperatures, lowhumidity, low rainfall, andhighwinds allwork to increase risk forpeople andpropertylocatedwithinwildfirehazardareasoralongtheurban/wildland interface. Wildfiresarepart of the naturalmanagement of forest ecosystems, butmost are caused by humanfactors. Over80percentofforestfiresarestartedbynegligenthumanbehaviorsuchassmoking in wooded areas or improperly extinguishing campfires. The second mostcommoncauseforwildfireislightning.

4.3 DISASTERDECLARATIONS Disaster declarations provide initial insight into the hazards that may impact the MEMA District 4Regionalplanningarea. Since1973,19presidentialdisasterdeclarationshaveoccurred intheregion.Thisincludes12eventsrelatedtotornadoes,9eventsrelatedtoflooding,4eventsrelatedtohighwind,4eventsrelatedtohurricaneandtropicalstorm,and2eventsrelatedtowinterstormevents.



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TABLE4.2:MEMADISTRICT4REGIONDISASTERDECLARATIONSBYCOUNTY

DisasterNumber Year Description C

alho

un

Chickasaw

Ch

octaw

Clay

Lownd

es

Mon

roe

Noxub

ee

Oktibbe

ha

Web

ster

Winston

368 1973HEAVYRAINS,TORNADOES

&FLOODING X X X X X X

577 1979STORMS,TORNADOES,

FLOODS X X X X X X X X

683 1983SEVERESTORMS,TORNADOES,AND

FLOODING X

888 1991SEVERESTORMS,

TORNADOES&FLOODING X X X X

895 1991SEVERESTORMS&

FLOODING X X X X


TORNADOES&FLOODING X X X X X X X X

967 1992WINDSTORMS,TORNADOES

&HAIL X

968 1992SEVERESTORMS,HIGHWINDS&TORNADOES X X X X

1009 1994SEVEREWINTERSTORM,

FREEEZINGRAINANDSLEET X X

1265 1999SEVEREWINTERSTORMS,ICEANDFREEZINGRAIN X X X X X X X X X X

1360 2001SEVERESTORMSAND

TORNADOES X X X X X X X X X X

1443 2002SEVERESTORMSAND

TORNADOES X X X X X


TORNADOESANDHIGHWINDS

X X X X X X 1550 2004 HURRICANEIVAN X X X X X X1594 2005 HURRICANEDENNIS X X X X X X X X X

1604 2005MSHURRICANEKATRINA

FLOODING X X X X

1906 2010MSSEVERESTORMS,TORNADOES,AND

FLOODING X

1972 2011

MSSEVERESTORMS,TORNADOES,STRAIGHT

LINEWINDS,ANDASSOCIATEDFLOODING

X X X X X X

4081 2012 MSHURRICANEISAAC X XTOTALNUMBEROFDISASTERS: 9 9 8 12 14 13 9 8 9 8


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