LA PLATA TORNADO

1
(No Transcript)
2
(No Transcript)
3
(No Transcript)
4
LA PLATA - A RURAL MUNICIPALITY

• County seat
• Geographic center of County
• Transportation hub
• Provides county-wide services
• 25 Tax exempt property

5
BENCHMARKS IN LA PLATAS HISTORY

• 1873 First railroad train to La Plata
• 1888 Town incorporated
• 1894 Became County Seat
• 1940 US 301 completed
• 1966 St. Charles built
• 2002 Tornado

6
1926 TORNADO
7
(No Transcript)
8
LA PLATA - A GROWTH AREA

• AREA POPULATION
• 1960 1082 1214
• 1970 1098 1561
• 1980 3874 2484
• 1990 4073 5841
• 2000 4670 6600
• 2004 4700 8000

9
TORNADO APPROACHING700 PM - APRIL 28, 2002
10
DESTROYING BUSINESS DISTRICT
11
LEAVING CHARLES COUNTY
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
AERIAL PHOTO
15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
DAMAGED BUILDINGS
18
EXTENT OF DAMAGE

• Destroyed
• 41 SF homes
• 6 Apartment buildings
• 48 Commercial buildings (165 businesses)
• 1 School building
• 1 Water Tower
• 430 buildings suffered major damage

19
INITIAL RESPONSE

• Fire and rescue agencies
• Police departments
• Local government officials and agencies
• State agencies
• Established command post at County Building in La
  Plata

20
IMMEDIATE ACTION

• Search and rescue
• Security
• Infrastructure
• Water system
• Wells
• WWTP plant
• Human needs

21
(No Transcript)
22
RESCUE SQUAD BUILDING
23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25
NOT JUST REPAIR RE-CONSTRUCTION
26
(No Transcript)
27
PROBLEM AREAS

• Communications
• No electricity
• Town Hall damaged - telephone system inoperative
• Cable TV system out
• Roads impassable
• Sightseers

28
INFRA-STRUCTURE

• Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Minor damage
• Personnel
• Water system failed
• Hospital without enough water pressure to function

29
(No Transcript)
30
RESTORATION OF ELECTRICITY

• Power out across two counties
• Southern Maryland Electric Company re-arranged
  power grid to get wells back up for service
• First well back on line at 830 PM
• Second well in service by 900 PM
• Power restored in peripheral areas by Midnight

31
(No Transcript)
32
DEBRIS REMOVAL

• Clear roadways
• Established transfer station for rubble
• Disaster aid
• SHA - 25 of total resources in state
• MEMA - arranged for rubble disposal
• 26 jurisdictions in Maryland and the District of
  Columbia - 300 pieces of equipment and 600
  workers on Monday after tornado
• COST OF DISPOSAL - 2.5 MILLION

33
A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS

• MRWA, MES, Etc. called immediately
• 26 Jurisdictions responded to call
• Ocean City - EMD arrived 10 AM, Mayor 2 PM,
  Disaster unit arrived 6 AM on 30th
• Washington DC - 150 people by Tuesday morning
• Baltimore City 17 pieces of equipment, 35 men
  next week
• Oxford 1 man and 1 truck

34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
(No Transcript)
37
STATE AID

• Governors support - Vision Plan for Smart Growth
• Formed task force
• Committed financial aid
• State agencies committed to assist
• Legislative support
• Budget committees Senate and House on site visit
  - approval for funding

38
BUSINESS PRESERVATION

• Identify businesses that have been affected
• Provide assistance
• Identify opportunities for relocation
• Inform the public

39
TEMPORARY OFFICES
40
REBUILDING

• Single family residential - independent
• Apartments
• Mixed use
• Increase density for smart growth
• Commercial buildings
• Opportunities
• Sense of urgency

41
(No Transcript)
42
OBJECTIVES FOR REBUILDING

• Create walking downtown - make it a destination
• Increase density
• Encourage multi-story mixed use buildings
• Attract more retail and service businesses

43
REBUILDING PROCESS

• Temporary quarters
• Develop a plan
• Provide infrastructure
• Procure financing
• Offer incentives

44
AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY
45
VISION PLAN ADAPTATION

• Washington Architectural Foundation
• 3 design charrettes
• Developed an overall plan
• Worked with groups of property owners
• USDA grant for consultant to develop economic
  development plan

46
(No Transcript)
47
ROADBLOCKS

• 1. Insurance companies
• 2. Storm-water management regulations
• 3. Sanitary sewer collection limitations
• 4. Parking

48
FINANCIAL AID FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND

• 100,000 - Immediate assistance
• 1,400,000 - Vision plan financing
• 500,000 - Neighborhood Conservation
• Low Interest Loans

49
FEDERAL GRANTS

• 192,500 Sanitary Sewer upgrage
• 192,500 Water Tower Replacement
• 660,000 Stormwater Management
• 100,000 Parking structure planning and design
• 50,000 USDA economic plan
• 150,000 Police station construction

50
DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS

• Petroleum Dealers 25,000
• Maryland Mayors 10,000
• Homebuilders Association 20,000
• Rotary clubs - nationwide 10,000
• Local contractor 10,000
• Robin Hill nursery 100 trees
• Facchina Group Free rent for businesses

51
MDOT ASSISTANCE

• Debris removal (2,500,000)
• Sidewalk installation
• Centennial St. crossover Rt 301
• Rt 301 intersection improvements
• Infrastructure upgrades
• Streetscape project

52
STREETSCAPE PROJECT

• Financed outside normal Neighborhood Conservation
  funding
• Accelerated process
• Extended into damaged area to improving town
  streets
• Concept plan completed in 6 months

53
(No Transcript)
54
STREETSCAPE IMPLEMENTATION

• Divided into four phases
• Phase one funded as part of tornado recovery
• Town had to contribute 150,000
• Design completed and bid awarded
• Work scheduled to begin July 2004

55
RECONSTRUCTION
56
TEMPORARY TOWN CENTER
57
(No Transcript)
58
(No Transcript)
59
(No Transcript)
60
(No Transcript)
61
(No Transcript)
62
(No Transcript)
63
(No Transcript)
64
(No Transcript)
65
(No Transcript)
66
(No Transcript)
67
(No Transcript)
68
(No Transcript)
69
(No Transcript)
70
(No Transcript)
71
(No Transcript)
72
(No Transcript)
73
(No Transcript)
74
(No Transcript)
75
(No Transcript)
76
CONSTRUCTION - TWO YEARS LATER

• School and church rebuilt
• All but four single family dwellings repaired or
  replaced
• Two sold for commercial or public use
• Fourteen commercial buildings not replaced
• Two under construction that will replace 6 of
  them by consolidation of functions

77
ECONOMIC HEALTH TWO YEARS LATER

• Fifteen businesses, relocated or closed
• Twenty five new businesses opened in area
  damaged, many others outside damaged area
• New businesses include coffee shop and bakery in
  re-vitalization area

78
LA PLATA, TWISTED NOT BROKEN

• Buildings repaired - better than before
• New commercial buildings average twice the
  assessed valuation
• Long term problems with SSOs resolved with help
  of grant money
• Streetscape greatly improved - Vision Plan
• Sense of appreciation for community

79
LESSONS LEARNED

• Local officials need to maintain close
  relationships with other government agencies and
  jurisdictionsPrepare in advance
• Agree on division of responsibilities as soon as
  possible
• Maintain good records before, during and after

80
MOST IMPORTANT

• Inform the people involved
• Timely meetings
• News media
• News letters and handout material
• Personal contact
• Open communications

81
HOW ABOUT THE NEXT TIME?
82
RADIO ALERT RECEIVERS
83
WARNING SIREN
84
ALERT SIREN COVERAGE
85
POLICE STATIONCOMMUNITY CENTER

• Police department headquarters
• Hardened to withstand 170 mph winds
• Emergency generator
• Emergency shelter
• Emergency operations center
• Community meeting room

86
SUMMARY

• Opportunity to demonstrate Smart Growth
  Principles in accelerated manner
• All agencies and private industry involved
• Essential to economic growth of the Town and the
  County
• Opportunity to overcome the sins of the past
  and plan for the future