North Carolina Division of Emergency Management ! November 2000

For Additional Copies of this Workbook, Contact:For Additional Copies of this Workbook, Contact:For Additional Copies of this Workbook, Contact:For Additional Copies of this Workbook, Contact: Mitigation Planning Branch Hazard Mitigation Section NC Division of Emergency Management 1830-B Tillery Place Raleigh, NC 27604 Phone (919) 715-8000 Fax (919) 715-9763 Web Site: www.ncem.org

Hazard Mitigation Planning Clinic Department of City & Regional Planning

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill CB #3140, Howell Hall

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3140

Keeping Natural Hazards from Becoming Disasters

A Workbook for Local Governments

INTRODUCTION 1

! What is Mitigation? ! Why Develop a Mitigation Strategy? ! Benefits of Mitigation ! Purpose of this Workbook ! How to Use this Workbook ! Case Study: Hazard County, N.C.

GETTING STARTED 5 STEP 1: Hazard Identification and Analysis ................................... 6

! Worksheet 1 STEP 2: Vulnerability Assessment ................................................. 9

! Worksheet 2 ! Worksheet 2a

STEP 3: Community Capability Assessment ................................... 13 ! Worksheet 3

STEP 4: Community Goals............................................................ 15 ! Worksheet 4

STEP 5: Mitigation Strategy.......................................................... 18 ! Worksheet 5 ! Worksheet 5a

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 21

APPENDICES

The National Flood Insurance Program and the Community Rating System ......................................... 22 Where to Get Help .......................................................... 25 Publications .................................................................... 27 Sources of Funding.......................................................... 28 Sources of Information .................................................... 29 Glossary ......................................................................... 30

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INTRODUCTION Floods, tornadoes, winter storms, hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires: natural hazards are part of the world around us. Their occurrence is inevitable. These events can wreak havoc on the natural environment--uprooting trees, eroding riverbanks and shorelines, carving new inlets, blackening forests. Yet, the natural environment is amazingly resilient, often recuperating in a matter of days or weeks. When these events strike the man-made environment, however, the result is often a “disaster.” Disasters occur when a natural hazard crosses paths with the man-made environment, such as buildings, roads, pipelines and crops. When hurricanes tear roofs off houses, it is a disaster. When tornadoes ravage a town, it is a disaster. And when floods invade low-lying homes, it is a disaster. If only wetlands and floodplains that are not developed were flooded, rather than homes and businesses, we would hardly take notice. The natural environment takes care of itself. The man-made environment, in contrast, often needs some emergency assistance. What is Mitigation?

Hazard mitigation is the practice of reducing risks to people and property from natural hazards. It includes both structural interventions, such as flood control levees, and nonstructural measures, such as avoiding construction in the most flood-prone areas. Mitigation includes not only avoiding the development of vulnerable sections of the community, but also making existing development in hazard-prone areas safer. For example, a community could identify areas in the community that are susceptible to damage from natural hazards and take steps to make these areas less vulnerable. It could also steer growth to less risky areas. Keeping buildings and people out of harm’s way is the essence of mitigation. Mitigation should not be seen as an impediment to the growth and development of a community. On the contrary, incorporating mitigation into decisions related to your community’s growth can result in a safer, more resilient community, and one that is more attractive to new families and businesses. Why Develop a Mitigation Strategy?

The cost of rebuilding after Hurricane Fran exceeded five billion dollars. The full cost of the damage--personal suffering, loss of lives, disruption of the economy, loss of tax base--is difficult to measure. Our state is subject to many types of natural hazards: landslides, hurricanes, earthquakes, nor’easters, floods, tornadoes, winter storms, and occasionally, wildfires, all of which can have significant economic and social impacts. Some, such as hurricanes, are seasonal and strike in predictable locations, in this case the coast. Others, such as tornadoes or floods, can occur anytime of the year and almost anywhere in the state. A separate guide that explains these natural hazards will help you determine the historically most likely and most damaging hazards in your area. Benefits of Mitigation Hazard mitigation offers many benefits for your community: $ Saves lives and property - Your community can save lives and reduce property damage from natural hazards through

mitigation actions, such as moving families and their homes out of harm’s way. $ Reduces vulnerability to future hazards - By having a mitigation strategy in place, your community is prepared to take

steps that will permanently reduce the risk of future losses. This opportunity is often lost when we build our communities without regard to natural hazards or when we rebuild them after a disaster “just like they were before.” While it is natural to want to return things to the way they were, it is important to remember that, in many cases, the disaster would not have been as severe if a mitigation plan had been implemented.

$ Facilitates post-disaster funding - By identifying and ranking projects before the next disaster, your community will be

in a better position to obtain post-disaster funding because much of the background work necessary for applying for federal funding will already be done.

$ Speeds recovery – By developing a mitigation strategy, your community can identify post-disaster mitigation

opportunities in advance of a disaster. By having this strategy thought-out in advance, your community can be ready to respond quickly after a disaster.

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$ Demonstrates commitment to improving community health and safety - A mitigation strategy demonstrates a community’s commitment to safeguarding its citizens and protecting its economic, social and environmental well-being.

Purpose of the Workbook

This workbook has been prepared to help you develop and implement a successful strategy to reduce your community’s vulnerability to natural hazards. When you finish the workbook, you will have a program for reducing your community’s vulnerability to natural hazards. This workbook will help you explore the current state of your community, including identifying hazard areas and existing policies that affect those areas. The workbook will help you define goals for increasing your community’s hazard resilience, identify mitigation strategies, and assign responsibility for action. How to Use this Workbook

To get the most out of this workbook, you should read through each section before you fill out the worksheets. Refer to the glossary if there are any terms that are unfamiliar. You can find help or places to look for help in the “Where to Get Help” appendix. The Hazard County case study, which immediately follows this section, details the hazard risk of a hypothetical community. The Hazard County hypo is used throughout the workbook to illustrate each step in the planning process. By following the steps outlined in this workbook, you can create an effective strategy for mitigating the impacts of natural hazards in your community.

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CASE STUDY: HAZARD COUNTY Hazard County contains 70,000 residents nestled in the Atlantic Mountain Territory of North Carolina. It's an area of incredible natural beauty with mountains, forests, clean rivers and streams, rich farmland, coastal plains, barrier islands and a medium size city, Graysonville (pop. 42,000), which serves as the county seat. Hazard County is now undergoing tremendous population growth. The investment in public and private infrastructure has exceeded $900 million for the past five years. In addition, major expansions to existing public schools have occurred. New subdivisions are springing up to accommodate families moving into the area. Developers are ecstatic. Over the years, however, natural disasters such as Hurricane Zelda in 1995, the Great Flood of 1969, devastating tornadoes in 1976, 1985, and 1991 as well as annual, intense forest fires have hurt local residents, businesses and tourism. In 1989, two back-to-back 18-inch snowstorms shut the county down for nearly a week. Power was out for two weeks in several remote areas, and inadequate snow removal equipment kept roads impassable for days. Occasionally, mild earthquakes can be felt in several areas of the county. No damage from quakes has been recorded since 1910 when several grain elevators were toppled north of Saxonville, a small farming community. The tremors serve as a reminder of the potential for a damaging quake. The scars of Zelda, a powerful category 3 hurricane, can still be seen throughout the county. In some neighborhoods, many of the damaged homes have not been fully repaired and a majority of the small businesses never re-opened. The coastal areas took the brunt of the storm, and numerous oceanfront lots have yet to be re-developed. The natural dune systems are especially slow to recover due to the annual effects of erosion and Nor’easters. During the Great Flood of 1969, entire mountainside communities were wiped out by flash flooding. Up to 28 people disappeared without a trace. Thousands of livestock, pets and wildlife were killed. People who survived this event often still struggle emotionally when they discuss the horrible catastrophes that occurred nearly thirty years ago. Some say they still don’t sleep well at night. Two smaller rivers converge five miles west of Graysonville to form the Red River, which flows east to the Atlantic Ocean. Major flooding threatens Graysonville every year because of snowmelt in the mountains to the west. On six occasions during the past twenty years, heavier than normal rainfall has caused intense flood damage to buildings, bridges, roads and farmland. The Army Corps of Engineers has worked with numerous agencies over the years to reduce the risk of repetitive flood damage to the community. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is no stranger to this county. In fact, James Lee Witt recently visited Graysonville to help dedicate a new county Emergency Operations Center located downtown. There is now growing interest in taking some proactive measures to ensure that the community becomes more disaster resistant. The many disasters of the past ten years all around the United States have made folks in Hazard County more alert and aware of what’s at risk in this rapidly growing community. Following Hurricane Zelda, Graysonville’s city council proposed local zoning regulations to the planning board that would require a 4’ freeboard on all new single family residential construction. The planning board accepted the freeboard requirement proposed by the city council, but felt in order to promote commercial growth within the city they needed to offer tax breaks to companies who were willing to develop along the Red River. Hazard County has just joined North Carolina’s Hazard Mitigation Planning Initiative… RIVER VIEW SUBDIVISION, GRAYSONVILLE 2,600 residents (6% of Graysonville’s population) live in the exclusive River View Subdivision, located along the Red River. The area is zoned for residential, commercial, and industrial uses. All 650 homes have access to the lovely river bank, which is low and sloping; some have decks and porches that extend over the water so that residents can enjoy being close to nature. Tax records show the houses are valued at $300,000 each. Graysonville has made heavy public investments in the River View neighborhood to encourage more growth here. There is much vacant land in the floodplain, and tax incentives are being implemented to attract revenue-generating development. There are large capacity sewage and water treatment plants, with replacement costs of $4 million each. Lines have been extended further along the river to facilitate location of future structures. There are 50 miles of winding roads throughout the

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area, and 25 more additional miles of road will soon be constructed. River View has its own police and fire stations, worth $3 million each. River View has 2 neighborhood schools, an elementary school valued at $2 million, and a middle school worth $3 million. Construction of the brand new Riverside Arts and Sciences Magnet High School is expected to be completed soon, although it is running over its budget of $5 million. There are 10 retail shops and department stores located in the River View commercial/industrial complex, valued at $1 million each, 5 office buildings worth $2 million each, and a $5 million 100-room hotel. 1 industrial building is located here as well, worth $10 million, and a $4 million hazardous waste facility, which will soon be doubling its capacity. A County hospital is contemplating opening a facility in the River View neighborhood, which will be valued at $10 million. Graysonville hopes to attract twice as many commercial and industrial facilities through its capital investment program and tax incentives.

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GETTING STARTED Before you begin, your community must decide who will be responsible for developing the mitigation strategy. Where time and resources are short, some communities may decide to assign the responsibility to the town manager or clerk. Others may choose to establish a working group comprised of officials from various departments, such as planning, building, community development, transportation, public works and emergency management. Larger communities may seek involvement from the business sector, community groups and the general public. Create your list of participants and keep a copy with this book. This workbook will take you through five steps to establish a mitigation strategy. These steps are designed to be followed sequentially. You do not need to do them in one session, but you should keep to the prescribed order because each step builds on work you did before. You may wish to look over the brief summary of steps 1-5 below so that you know what information you will need before you begin. Step 1: Hazard Identification and Analysis. This step asks you to broadly identify the natural hazards that affect your community and to analyze them in terms of frequency, strength and likely location of occurrence. You will want to have a map of your community, a map showing local topography and flood-prone areas, maps showing locations of critical facilities, and any available sources of data regarding where and when hazards have hit your community. Step 2: Vulnerability Assessment. In this step you will determine the potential for damage in each hazard-prone area of your community. This step will help you determine which areas would be most affected by a hazard event. You will want to have the tools to establish an inventory of each area, such as a population count or home and business assessed values. This can be done in different ways. For example, your community might choose to do a qualitative assessment using approximate values, or a more detailed inventory with actual values from a tax assessment map. When you finish steps 1 and 2, you will have a list of problems that need to be addressed. In Step 3, you will examine what your community is already doing to address those problems. Step 3: Community Capacity. This step asks you to assess your community’s current mitigation activities. While few communities in North Carolina have a dedicated mitigation strategy, most have policies that affect construction in hazard-prone areas. The workbook will suggest policies and categories of policies to look for. You may also need to identify common regulations, such as zoning, which may unintentionally counter your mitigation efforts. You will need to have the applicable policy documents at hand, including your community’s comprehensive plan or, if you are a coastal community, your CAMA Land Use Plan. By the end of Step 3, you will have a sense of the existing conditions in your community: where the potential problems are, and what is already in place to provide solutions. In the next two steps you will create solutions to address the remaining problems and plan for action. Step 4: Community Goals. In this step you will determine how mitigation fits into your community’s vision of its future. Mitigation may not be explicitly mentioned in your vision statement, goals, and objectives but you should identify where it could overlap with other community goals. You will need a copy of your community’s vision statement or general plan. If your community does not have these documents, you should use your best judgment or survey community leaders to discern what the community’s goals are. Step 5: Mitigation Strategy. Now that you have a list of issues to address, you can establish a plan to address them. Some issues may be addressed effectively by implementing existing policies or making modifications to those policies. Others will require new initiatives. (Ideas for modifying or creating programs may be found in Tools and Techniques for Mitigating the Effects of Natural Hazards. This document is available from the Division of Emergency Management.) You may choose to rank the policies in a way that helps you plan your implementation. You will also need to assign responsibility for each initiative. You may wish to set an implementation schedule after consulting with the responsible department or officer.

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STEP 1: HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS Each community should decide which specific hazards it should focus its attention and resources on. To plan for hazards and to reduce losses, a local government needs to know:

1) the type of natural hazards that threaten the community, 2) the likelihood of occurrence of the hazards, 3) the location of the community that are most vulnerable, 4) the impact of the hazard, and 5) the hazard index for each hazard.

Worksheet 1 will help you organize the information needed for items 1-5. In completing the worksheet, you should use the scales provided, although a more general qualitative scale (such as low, medium, and high or mild, moderate, and severe) is also acceptable. For example, a landslide or hurricane that destroys numerous homes could be severe, while flooding that temporarily makes a road impassable could be moderate or mild. $ Type - North Carolina experiences many different types of natural hazards. Some are more likely than others to occur in

your community. Different hazards call for different mitigation measures. The preferred approach is to consider all the hazards that threaten your community and focus on those that pose the greatest risk. Cross out any hazard that does not apply.

$ Likelihood of Occurrence - Estimate the likelihood of each type of hazard occurring in your area. This estimate should

be based on local historical evidence. ♦ Highly Likely: near 100% probability in the next year ♦ Likely: between 10% and 100% probability in the next year, or at least one chance in the next ten years. ♦ Possible: Between 1% and 10% probability in the next year, or at least one chance in the next 100 years. ♦ Unlikely: Less than 1% probability in the next year, or less than one chance in the next 100 years.

$ Location - Certain areas, such as floodplains and steep slopes, are more prone to hazards than others. Many of these

areas are readily identifiable on maps. Identify the areas that are most vulnerable to each natural hazard and mark whether they cover a small, medium, or large proportion of your community.

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$ Impact - Each community should determine the likely impact from each hazard threat. Impact is a combination of the

severity of the event, its magnitude, and the density of human activity in that area affected. You will evaluate the potential impact of natural hazards on human activity in your community on the next worksheet.

Magnitude Severity Catastrophic More than 50% Multiple deaths. Complete shutdown of facilities for 30 days

or more. More than 50 percent of property is severely damaged.

Critical 25 to 50% Multiple severe injuries. Complete shutdown of critical facilities for at least 2 weeks. More than 25 percent of property is severely damaged.

Limited 10 to 25% Some injuries. Complete shutdown of critical facilities for more than one week. More than 10 percent of property is severely damaged.

Negligible Less than 10% Minor injuries. Minimal quality-of-life impact. Shutdown of critical facilities and services for 24 hours or less. Less than 10 percent of property is severely damaged.

$ Hazard Index - Some natural hazards have extraordinary impacts, but occur infrequently (for example, severe

earthquakes). Other hazards occur annually or several times a decade, but cause less damage (for example, floods). You may use this last column to identify which type of risk each hazard poses for your community. For example, you should rank high likelihood, high impact hazards as your primary objective.

Hazard County’s mitigation plan-maker would identify the types of hazards in her county as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, forest fires, severe winter storms, and earthquakes. Turning first to hurricanes, she would recognize that as a coastal county in North Carolina, the risk of being struck by a hurricane is highly likely. The entire community is subject to hurricane risk, but she would note that Hazard County’s extensive coastal areas and floodplains are particularly susceptible to damage. She enters “large” in column 2. Based on the county’s experience in Hurricane Zelda, our planner rates the impact of a hurricane as “critical.” Given the frequency of hurricanes and the extensive damage they have caused in the past, the plan-maker tentatively rates hurricanes as the county’s primary hazard risk. She repeats this process for the remaining hazards, crossing off of the list any that do not apply. She may then decide to revisit her hazard ranking to reflect the relative risks of each of the hazards.

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WORKSHEET #1

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS

Hazard Likelihood of Occurrence (i.e., highly, likely, possible,

unlikely)

Location (i.e., small, medium, large)

Impacts (i.e., catastrophic, critical,

limited, negligible)

Hazard Index (i.e. rank by combining how much

impact & how frequently this hazard affects your community)

Earthquake

Landslide

Hurricane

Nor’easter

Thunderstorm

Tornado

Severe Winter Storm

Flooding

Wildfire

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STEP 2: VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT In developing a strategy to reduce the impact of natural hazards, your community will need to determine its present and future vulnerability to such hazards. Vulnerability is calculated by combining the probability of various hazards in each area (as determined from Worksheet 1), and the amount and value of development in that area (to be determined in this step). A community should inventory and estimate the cost of damage to critical facilities (e.g., a hospital or waste treatment facility) and highly vulnerable residential, commercial, industrial and public facilities. You can use Worksheet 2 to help assess your community’s present and future vulnerability. Note that you should copy Worksheet 2 and complete one for each hazard area. You will then combine the information from all the areas of town onto Worksheet 2a to come up with a synthesized vulnerability summary for your community. For coastal communities, CAMA guidelines require that an existing inventory of each of the most hazardous areas be included in the mitigation section of the land use plan. The inventory must include the amount of existing development at risk, which can be achieved by overlaying each hazard area over the existing land use map and/or tax map. For non-coastal communities, preparing an inventory of people and property at risk, although not required, is an essential part of assessing your vulnerability to natural hazards. In addition, the Community Rating System gives points for an assessment of the impact of flooding on a community if it includes an inventory of the number and types of buildings subject to the hazards identified in the hazards assessment. Therefore, preparing this inventory can also help property owners in your community get subsidized flood insurance and other assistance in the future. Assessing your community’s vulnerability involves: 1) identifying (by name or neighborhood) areas of greatest risk; 2) conducting an inventory of those areas; and 3) putting these areas on a map. $ Identify areas of greatest risk.

! Refer to Worksheet 1 to identify those areas in the community that are subject to the greatest risk of damage from a natural hazard.

! Copy and fill out a Worksheet 2 for each hazard-prone area in your community. $ Conduct an inventory of current population and properties in vulnerable areas

! The first three columns of Worksheet 2 ask you to estimate the current number of people and buildings, and the value of those buildings, located in each hazard-prone area.

! You can estimate the current population of hazard-prone areas by estimating based on tax records or as a proportion of your community’s total population.

! Building count and approximate values can be established in one of two ways. You might choose to do an assessment using approximate values or a more detailed inventory with actual numbers and values from a tax assessment map.

$ Conduct an inventory of projected population and properties in vulnerable areas

! The next three columns of Worksheet 2 ask you to estimate the projected population and number of buildings, and the value of those buildings, located in each hazard-prone area.

! Estimate how many people will be in the vulnerable areas in the future if current land use policies remain unchanged. Note that for these estimates you should use the maximum number of people who may be affected. For example, if your community has seasonal influxes of people, you should use population estimates that reflect the largest number of people in your community. This will ensure that your community is adequately protected year-round.

! Method for estimating future population: If your community has not developed a method for projecting growth, one way is to rely on past growth trends. You can obtain these figures from the North Carolina Office of State Planning or rely on local government figures. To complete the approximate value column you can multiply the estimated future number of buildings times the average present value for that type of building. Note: this will be an

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underestimate of future value because it doesn’t account for appreciation and inflation, but it will give you a rough estimate.

! In addition, your local comprehensive plan should be a good source of information on future trends and conditions, such as whether future growth is likely to occur in areas highly vulnerable to natural hazards given existing policies

$ Prepare a map showing the areas identified above

Prepare a map that shows the areas of highest risk and that marks the critical facilities, major employers, repetitively damaged structures, and infrastructure in those areas. Areas prone to flooding that are not included on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps should be marked on the map. Areas subject to hazards other than floods, such as steep slopes, should also be identified. $ Summarize your findings on Worksheet 2a: Total Vulnerability Summary

Total your copies of Worksheet 2 on Worksheet 2a: Total Vulnerability Summary. This will help you assess the vulnerability of your entire community at the present and for the future.

$ Complete Worksheets 2 and 2a

Among Hazard County’s many at-risk areas is River View. On Worksheet 2, the plan-maker will assess that neighborhood’s present residential population (6,300), the value of commercial, residential, industrial and public properties, and estimate these values for the future. Because 100% growth is anticipated, it may be reasonable to double present values to get a rough future estimate of future values if better estimates are unavailable.

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WORKSHEET #2: AREA VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT Hazard Area Location _____________________

(copy this form and complete for each hazard area in your community) Developed Land Undeveloped Land

Number of

People

Number of Buildings

(from tax records)

Approximate Value (from tax records)

Number Of People (If developed under existing

policies)

Number of Buildings

(If developed under existing policies)

Approximate Value

(avg current value times the number of buildings from

previous column) Residential (use max. figures)

Commercial

Industrial

Public Buildings and Critical Facilities

Replacement Value Replacement Value

Sewage Treatment Plant

Water Treatment Plant

Hospital

Schools

Roads

Police

Fire

Hazardous Facilities

Other

TOTAL

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WORKSHEET #2A: TOTAL VULNERABILITY SUMMARY

DEVELOPED LAND UNDEVELOPED LAND Hazard Area Location

Total People

Total Buildings (by type)

Approximate Value (in dollars)

# of Critical Facilities

Projected Number of People

Projected Number of Buildings

Projected Value

(example) residential commercial industrial

(example) water treatment plant

TOTAL

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STEP 3: COMMUNITY CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT The capability assessment will help you analyze your community’s current capacity to address the threats posed by natural hazards. It identifies and evaluates existing policies and programs that either increase or decrease your jurisdiction’s vulnerability to natural hazards. The capability assessment is more than a mere inventory of existing mitigation measures and organizations with hazard mitigation responsibility. It should also help you understand why certain policies may or may not be effective at mitigating natural hazards. $ Analyze policies, programs, and ordinances that may affect vulnerability

! Prepare a list of the community’s existing and proposed mitigation initiatives and the policies, ordinances, and regulations that guide these efforts.

$ Record on Worksheet 3 existing policies and programs that may increase or decrease your community's

vulnerability to natural hazards. List a document page reference for each, if applicable. For example, through its land use policies and investments in public facilities, a community may encourage development in high risk areas. You should identify current policies that weaken hazard mitigation efforts and those that enhance them. In addition, a community should identify areas where new policies are needed to reduce current and future risks of hazards. The following are some examples of policies you should look for: % Policies that restrict or encourage development in hazard-prone areas. % Policies that encourage the removal or relocation of buildings in the floodplain. % Policies that allow improvements or activities in hazard-prone areas. % Policies that protect critical facilities, such as police stations and emergency shelters % Policies that encourage the acquisition of properties, especially those in hazard-prone areas. % Policies or projects that earn community credits through the Community Rating System. % Policies or economic incentives that discourage development in high-hazard areas. % Policies that limit development in environmentally sensitive areas such as steep slopes. % Policies that protect mitigating features of the natural environment, such as wetlands or dunes. $ Evaluate the effectiveness of each policy for mitigation purposes. Rank these as high, medium or low.

Explain the rationale for this evaluation in column 4 (explain why the policy helps or hurts your mitigation efforts).

! For example, your community's zoning ordinance may allow development in the floodplain. Such a policy

would have low mitigation effectiveness. (However, a zoning ordinance that prevented floodplain development in the be a highly effective policy!)

$ Complete Worksheet 3: Community Capability

Two policies in effect in Hazard County should certainly be included. First, the county is offering tax incentives and public investment to encourage development along the river, instead of directing that growth toward less hazard-prone locations. This policy has low effectiveness. On the other hand, the zoning requirement mandating four foot freeboard on all new single-family residential construction is likely to be a highly effective strategy.

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WORKSHEET #3 COMMUNITY CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT

Policies and Programs (ex. Zoning Ordinance)

Document Reference (ex. Comprehensive Plan

& page number)

Effectiveness for Mitigation

(ex. low, medium, high)

Rationale for Effectiveness

(ex. low because allows development in

floodplain)

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STEP 4: COMMUNITY GOALS What are the hazard mitigation goals of the community? How do these goals fit with its other goals? How does the community envision its response to natural hazards in the future? An answer to these questions may already exist in the form of goals and policies in the community’s comprehensive plan, capital improvements plan, emergency management plan, building and subdivision ordinances, and other documents. By reviewing these plans and policies and listing the relevant goals, you may find statements that are helpful for developing your mitigation priorities. $ List community goals that are relevant to mitigation. Many communities may not have addressed hazards when they established their goals and objectives. As a result, hazard risks may have been overlooked, and some goals and objectives may even hinder mitigation. Thus, it may be necessary to create new goals or to reconcile old ones with the community’s interest in mitigation. In most cases, however, existing community goals will support mitigation initiatives. Completing Worksheet 4 will help you see how a mitigation strategy can address other community goals, such as preserving open space, providing public access to the coast, managing growth, prioritizing capital improvements and protecting natural resources. The following are some examples of goals you should look for: % Provide more community open space. % Ensure that emergency services are adequate to protect public health and safety. % Preserve environmentally-sensitive areas. % Ensure that critical facilities are adequate to serve the community. % Maintain a stable and growing business community. % Preserve community historic resources. % Provide infrastructure that accommodates future growth.

$ Complete Worksheet 4: Community Goals

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WORKSHEET #4

COMMUNITY GOALS Source Existing Goal Statements Effective Goal for Mitigation?

(If not, how to modify goal) Comprehensive Plan

Capital Improvements Plan

Economic Development Plan

Transportation Plan

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WORKSHEET #4 (continued)

Source Existing Goal Statements Effective Goal for Mitigation? (If not, how to modify goal)

Emergency Management Plan

Stormwater Management Plan

Parks and Open Space

Other

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STEP 5: MITIGATION STRATEGY The main goal of this workbook is to help communities develop their own strategies to reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards. In each community, those strategies will consist of specific mitigation initiatives or projects. This section will guide you in creating a list of mitigation initiatives or projects for your community and in matching programs to vulnerable areas. In Worksheet 3, you listed existing policies and evaluated their effectiveness for mitigating natural hazards. Worksheet 4 asked you to look at your community’s existing goals and objectives, as reflected in current plans, and to determine whether these goals address your mitigation needs. Worksheet 5 is your chance to add new mitigation goals and policies to fill the gap between existing policy (Worksheet 3) and your (new) mitigation goals (Worksheet 4). That is, Worksheet 5 will help identify gaps where new policies or projects are needed to reduce the community’s vulnerability to natural hazards. Example initiatives are described in Tools and Techniques for Mitigating the Effects of Natural Hazards. (See “Publications” for how to obtain a copy.) $ Copy hazard areas identified on Worksheet 2A into Worksheet 5, column 1: Hazard Area Location.

$ List hazard types affecting each location in column 2: Type of Hazard(s).

$ Identify new initiatives or changes to existing policies to improve resistance to the identified hazard(s) in each affected location. List these in column 3: Policy Changes and New Initiatives.

Consider the following when evaluating which policies to add or change: -Your community's capability to implement the required new policies. -Your community’s vulnerability to hazards. -Your community’s goals and needs.

$ Some of these policies and initiatives will help you meet the goals you identified on Worksheet 4. List the goals you are helping to achieve in column 4: Goals Addressed.

$ Assign responsibility for each initiative and set a date for its completion. Note these in column 5: Responsible Party and Date Due.

$ After completing Worksheet 5 for each of the hazard area locations identified in Worksheet 2a, complete Worksheet 5a.

! Worksheet 5a re-orders the information from Worksheet 5 and allows you to see what policy changes are needed to mitigate hazards in the locations identified. Some policies may affect more than one hazard mitigation area.

! You may need to photocopy these sheets to provide enough space. This list of proposed projects should guide funding and policy decisions both before and after a disaster.

$ Complete Worksheets 5 and 5a

Hazard County considers adopting a new ordinance prohibiting the siting of public facilities in the 100-year floodplain, including public water and sewer extensions. Because several such projects are imminent, the target date should be soon. Although responsibility for passing the ordinance belongs to the county commissioners, the plan-maker also identifies the county’s school board and sewer authority as similarly accountable entities.

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WORKSHEET #5 MITIGATION STRATEGY

(copy as needed)

Hazard Area Location

Type of Hazard(s)

New Initiative or Recommended Policy Changes

Goals Addressed Responsible Party and Date Due

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WORKSHEET #5a SUMMARIZED ACTION STEPS FOR MITIGATION STRATEGY

New Initiative or Recommended Policy Change

Hazard Areas Affected (list all areas affected by policy changes)

Responsible Party and Date Due

Hazard Type(s)

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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER This workbook can help you develop a strategy to reduce your community’s present and future vulnerability to natural hazards. The strategy should reflect your community’s unique needs, vulnerability and capabilities and should include the right mix of new and revised programs, ordinances, policies, and other tools that work for your community. Completing the workbook, however, is just the beginning. For the strategy to be effective, it must be adopted by the governing body of your community and implemented by the appropriate agency or office. Developing the mitigation strategy should not be viewed as an isolated effort, independent of other government functions. On the contrary, mitigation efforts should be integrated with other community planning and development activities, such as preparing land use and subdivision plans and ordinances, enforcing construction and building regulations, and making choices about future spending for infrastructure. By integrating mitigation concepts into governmental activities today at a relatively low cost, the community can reduce its vulnerability to natural hazards and avoid much more costly losses from future disasters. The time, energy and resources invested in mitigation could significantly reduce the demand for future dollars by reducing the amount needed for emergency recovery, repair, and reconstruction following a disaster. Mitigation is an on-going process. It is not just something that occurs after a disaster strikes. As conditions in your community change, you may find it necessary to revisit the strategy you developed here. Repeating the process of working through this book will not only allow you to update your strategy, it will allow you to assess how well your strategy is working. This will be especially true immediately following a disaster. During this time people are more receptive to making changes to mitigate future disasters. You should re-examine your mitigation strategy each year or at some other regular interval.

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The National Flood Insurance Program and the Community Rating System National Flood Insurance Program FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program makes available federal insurance for structures (and their contents) located in participating communities. In order to participate and qualify their residents for flood insurance, communities must adopt minimum regulations governing floodplain development. For example, participating communities must prohibit new development in designated floodways that raises flood levels. Additionally, the lowest floor of all new buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas must be elevated to or above the height of the 1% probable flood elevation or 100-year flood. A third requirement is that subdivisions must be designed to minimize exposure to flood hazards. Added standards are imposed on communities where the flood hazard is compounded by coastal wave action. NFIP is also notable for its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), which delineate the Special Flood Hazard Areas or areas subject to the 1% chance of flooding as A-zones (riverine floodplains) and V-zones (coastal flood hazard areas). In order for participating communities to receive federal or federal-related financial assistance to build on or acquire property in Special Flood Hazard Areas, property owners in the community must purchase flood insurance. NC DEM also requires NFIP participation as a prerequisite for participation in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Community Rating System The Community Rating System (CRS) encourages communities to go beyond the NFIP’s minimum regulatory requirements. Communities that adopt a comprehensive floodplain management plan, or pursue other mitigation, outreach and educational activities, earn CRS credits that are reflected in reduced flood insurance premiums for constituent property owners. Participation in the CRS is not required as a prerequisite for participating in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program; however, the Division of Emergency Management strongly encourages CRS participation. CRS Flood Mitigation Plan credits are based not on the particular recommendations of the CRS plan, but on the process that is used to prepare the plan. Many of the procedures involved in creating a CRS plan are similar to those you will undertake to prepare your hazard mitigation plan. You may wish to expand your efforts in order to complete a mitigation plan and a CRS plan at the same time. This Workbook does not describe the steps for creating a CRS plan, nor will you have a CRS plan if you follow only the steps described in this book. To complete a CRS plan, you should consult the current CRS Application, CRS Example Plans, and CRS Coordinator’s Manual, which are available from NFIP/CRS. The following are procedures that generate CRS Flood Mitigation Plan credits. The table also identifies the step in the Workbook that would best match with the CRS process. Some of the CRS steps have minimum procedures that must be followed to achieve any CRS points for that step.

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CRS step Workbook Step

Organize to prepare the plan

Procedures that earn points: % planning is directed by a professional planner % the planning committee is staffed by members of the

departments that will be implementing the plan % the planning process is formally recognized by the community’s

governing board

Getting Started

Involve the Public

Minimum Procedure: % holding one public meeting to seek input on the plan at the end

of the planning process

Other procedures that earn points: % holding meetings prior to planning % disseminating public information % distributing questionnaires seeking input % soliciting comments from neighborhood groups % including the public on the planning committee

Throughout

Coordinate with other agencies

Minimum procedure: % sending the draft plan to other agencies for comment

Other procedures that earn points: % soliciting comment from other agencies at the beginning of the

planning process % holding meetings with representatives of agencies to review the

plan % reviewing plan compatibility with community needs, goals and

plans

Throughout

Assess the Hazard

Minimum procedure: % including in the plan a map of known flood hazards and a

description of these hazards and a discussion of past floods

Other procedures that earn points: % mapping and discussing other natural hazard risks

Hazard Identification and Analysis

More CRS credit steps ➡

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Assess the Problem

Minimum procedure: % including the number and types of building subject to hazards

identified in the hazard assessment

Other procedures that earn points: % describing the impact of past or predicted flooding % describing procedures for warning and evacuation % identifying critical facilities % identifying natural mitigative areas, such as wetlands % describing anticipated development and population trends % summarizing the impact of flooding on the community and its

economy and tax base

Vulnerability Assessment and Community Capability

Set Goals

Procedure that earns points: % including a statement of goals

Community Goals

Review Possible Activities

Procedures that earn points: % reviewing preventative activities % reviewing property protection activities % reviewing natural conservation activities % reviewing emergency services activities % reviewing structural mitigation activities, such as reservoirs and

channel modifications % reviewing public information activities

Mitigation Strategy

Draft an Action Plan

Procedures that earn points: % following the model plan organization outlined in the

Coordinator’s Manual % establishing post-disaster mitigation policies and procedures for

most likely hazard events

Mitigation Strategy

Adopt the Plan

Procedures that earn points: % plan adoption by the community’s governing body

Putting It All Together

Implement, Evaluate, Revise

Procedures that earn points: % adopting procedures for monitoring implementation, reviewing

progress, and recommending revisions in an annual report % having the same committee that prepared the plan prepare

subsequent evaluation reports

Putting It All Together

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WHERE TO GET HELP ORGANIZATIONS $ Division of Emergency Management (DEM)

116 West Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27603 Tel: 919-733-3867 Web: http://www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us/TPFDL/TPFDL2/index.htm

$ Department of City and Regional Planning New East Campus Box 3140 The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3140 Tel: 919-962-4775 Web: http://www.unc.edu/depts/dcrpweb/

$ N.C. Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (CGIA) 301 N. Wilmington Street, Suite 700 Raleigh, NC 27601-2825 Tel: 919-733-2090 Web: http://cgia.state.nc.us/cgia/cgiaintro.html

$ Division of Coastal Management (DCM) PO Box 27687 Raleigh, NC 27611-7687 Tel: 919-733-2293 Web: http://dcm2.enr.state.nc.us/

DCM Field Offices:

Elizabeth City: 252-264-3901 Morehead City: 252-808-2808 Washington: 252-946-6481 Wilmington: 910-395-3900 $ Division of Community Assistance (DCA)

1307 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 250 Raleigh, NC 27605 Tel: 919-733-2850 Web: http://www.commerce.state.nc.us/commerce/commasst/dcahome.html

$ North Carolina League of Cities (NLC) PO Box 3069/215 N. Dawson Street Raleigh, NC 27602 Tel: 919-715-4000

$ Office of State Planning (OSPL) 116 West Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27603-8003 Tel: 919-733-4131 Web: http://www.ospl.state.nc.us/

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$ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 500 C Street SW Washington, DC20472 Tel: 202 646-3923 Web: http://www.fema.gov/ FEMA Regional Office 3003 Chamblee-Tucker Road Atlanta, GA 30341 Tel: 770-220-5200 Web: http://www.fema.gov/about/regoff.htm

FEMA National Emergency Training Center 16825 South Seton Avenue Emmitsburg, MD 21727 Tel: 301-447-1000 Web: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/tr_eenet.htm

$ Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

New Executive Office Building 725 17th Street, NW, Room 8002 Washington, DC 20503 Tel: 202-395-3080 Web: http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/omb

$ Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance Division Office of Disaster Assistance 409 Third Street SW Washington, DC 20416 Tel: 202-205-6734 Web: http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/DISASTER

$ US Army Corps of Engineers Floodplain Management Services and Coastal Resources Branch 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20314 Tel: 202-272-0169 Web: http://www.usace.army.mil

$ US Geological Survey (USGS)

807 National Center 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA 20192 Tel: 703-648-4000 Web: http://www.usgs.gov

$ US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Community Planning and Development Office of Block Grant Assistance 451 7th Street SW Washington, DC 20410-7000 Tel: 202-708-1871 Web: http://www.hud.gov

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PUBLICATIONS Division of Emergency Management (DEM) ♦ Local Hazard Mitigation Planning Manual, March 1998 ♦ Tools and Techniques for Mitigating the Effects of Natural Hazards, August 1998 ♦ Disaster Recovery Manual ♦ Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs)

- also available from the NFIP Map Service Center at 1-800-358-9616 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ♦ Guide for the Review of State and Local Emergency Operation Plans ♦ Disaster Assistance: A Guide to Recovery Programs (FEMA publication # 229(4)) ♦ Mitigation: Cornerstone for Building Safer Communities, 1995 FEMA publications are available from the FEMA Distribution Facility: 1-800-480-2520 Center for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) ♦ Making Mitigation Work: Recasting Natural Hazards Planning and Implementation, February 1997 National League of Municipalities (NLM) ♦ Emergency Management Mini-Guide, 1992 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ♦ Federal Programs Offering Non-Structural Flood Recovery and Floodplain Management Alternatives –

Available by fax (202-395-4817) or from OMB’s website http://www.whitehouse.gov/wh/new/html/flood.pdf

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SOURCES OF FUNDING $ Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) – The Federal Disaster Assistance Act (Stafford Act) provides

funds authorized by the federal government and made available by FEMA for a cost-share program to states. The HMGP provides 75% of the funds while the states provide 25% of the funds for mitigation measures through the post-disaster planning process. The Division of Emergency Management administers the program in this state. The state share may be met with cash or in-kind services. The program is available only for areas affected by a Presidentially-declared disaster.

$ Disaster Preparedness Improvement Grant (DPIG) - This grant provides federal matching funds for

communities to develop hazard mitigation plans, expand existing plans, update disaster preparation plans, and to prepare the administrative plans required to qualify for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program grants. Funds for the DPIG are provided by FEMA and the Division of Emergency Management administers the program in each state.

$ Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMAP) – This program provides grants for cost-effective measures

to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to the built environment and real property. The program’s main goal is to reduce repetitive losses to the National Flood Insurance Program. The FMAP is available to eligible communities every year, not just after a Presidentially declared disaster. Funds for the FMAP are provided by FEMA and the Division of Emergency Management administers the program in each state.

$ Public Assistance Program (PA) - The Public Assistance provides federal aid to communities to help save

lives and property in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and to help rebuild damaged facilities. Grants cover eligible costs associated with the repair, replacement, and restoration of facilities owned by state or local governments and nonprofit organizations. The Public Assistance program is administered by FEMA.

$ Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Program –This program provides loans to businesses

affected by Presidentially declared disasters. The program provides direct loans to businesses to repair or replace uninsured disaster damages to property owned by the business, including real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and supplies. Businesses of any size are eligible. Nonprofit organizations are also eligible. The SBA administers the Disaster Assistance Program.

$ Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) - The CDBG program provides grants to entitlement

communities (metropolitan cities and urban counties) for post-disaster hazard mitigation and recovery following a presidential declaration of a Major Disaster of Emergency. Funds can be used for activities such as acquisition, rehabilitation or reconstruction of damaged properties and facilities and redevelopment of disaster-affected areas. Funds may also be used for emergency response activities, such as debris clearance and demolition and extraordinary increases in the level of necessary public services. HUD provides funds for the CDBG and the Division of Community Assistance administers the program in each state.

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SOURCES OF INFORMATION Data Sources

Item Available From

% Land use plan......................................................................City or County planning office

% Capital facilities plan ..........................................................City or County planning office

% Emergency management plans............................................City or County Emergency Management Office

% Tax maps, property values and uses....................................City or County Tax Assessor

% Past insurance claims ..........................................................NFIP and local insurers

% Employment data ................................................................N.C. Employment Security Commission

% Flood Insurance Rate Maps ................................................DEM or FEMA

% SLOSH Maps (for coastal areas) ........................................US Army Corps of Engineers

% Location of critical facilities ...............................................City or County planning office

% Past disaster-related road closings ......................................N.C. Department of Transportation

% Rainfall information............................................................North Carolina Erosion and Sediment Control Planning and Design Manual

% Weather data .......................................................................National Climatic Data Center

% Past hurricane trajectories...................................................National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

% State GIS information and assistance..................................Center for Geographic Information and Analysis

% Topographic Maps..............................................................United States Geological Service

% Soils information.................................................................USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

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GLOSSARY 100-Year Flood – Floodplain managers use the term “100-year flood” to describe a flood that has a one-percent chance of occurring in any given year. Many people find it helpful to think of the 100-year flood risk as a bag of 100 marbles: 99 clear marbles and one black marble. Depending on weather conditions, a community may draw one or more marbles, or floods, from the bag. Most of these—the clear marbles—will be minor floods. It is possible, however, to draw the black marble, representing the 100-year flood, at any time. Because the marbles must be returned to the bag after they are drawn, it is even possible to draw the black marble several times in a row. Just because a community has suffered a 100-year flood does not mean that it won’t face a flood of similar magnitude for another 99 years. The location of the 100-year floodplain is often indicated on maps, such as the National Flood Insurance Program’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). In practice, the location of the 100-year flood should be judged in part by community experience as well. Where the water goes in a flood depends on many changing variables, including land use, that may not be accurately reflected by a map in every instance. Community Rating System (CRS) – Administered by FEMA, the Community Rating System provides flood insurance discounts for residents in NFIP communities that undertake floodplain mitigation activities above the minimum NFIP standards. Disaster/Emergency - Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the “Stafford Act”), the Governor may request that the President declare a major disaster or emergency when state and local resources are insufficient to recover from the impact of the event. Following a Presidential declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency designates the types of assistance to be made available under the Stafford Act. This may include individual assistance, public assistance, and/or hazard mitigation assistance. Depending upon the situation, other Federal disaster relief programs may be activated as well. A major disaster is defined as any natural catastrophe or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion that causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant assistance supplementing state, local, and disaster relief organization efforts to alleviate damage, loss, hardship, or suffering. An emergency is defined as any occasion or instance for which federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts to save lives and protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – An independent agency of the federal government, reporting to the President. FEMA’s mission is to reduce loss of life and property and protect our nation’s critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) – The official map of a community prepared by FEMA, showing base flood elevations along with the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones. Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) – Authorized under Section 404 of the Stafford Act, the HMGP provides funding for cost-effective hazard mitigation projects in conformance with the post-disaster mitigation plan required under Section of the Stafford Act. Mitigation - Any action taken to permanently reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and their property from the effects of hazards. Some examples include elevating houses above base flood levels, acquiring land in high hazard areas, and zoning land in floodplains for parkland or low density use. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) – Administered by the Federal Insurance Administration, the National Flood Insurance Program makes federally subsidized flood insurance available to property owners in communities that participate in the program. Participating communities must adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances that meet the criteria established by FEMA.

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North Carolina Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) – Enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1974, the act created a new regulatory and planning framework for managing the resources and land uses in the twenty counties included in the designated coastal zone. CAMA created the Coastal Resources Commission, established a permitting system for activities in areas of environmental concern, and mandated local coastal planning. Section 409 Hazard Mitigation Plan – Requires the identification and evaluation of mitigation opportunities, and that all repairs be made to applicable codes and standards, as a condition of receiving federal disaster assistance. It was enacted to encourage communities to identify and mitigate natural hazards. Vulnerability - the extent to which people will experience harm and property will be damaged from a hazard.