Learning

1
Learning

• June 2004
• Lydeana Martin
• New River Valley Planning District Commission

2
Mitigation

• Sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate
  long-term risk to human life and property from
  natural hazards and their effect.
• National Flood Insurance Program (esp. ordinance
  component)
• Buying, elevating and/or moving flood-prone
  structures
• Part of Emergency Management
• Not emergency preparedness response

3
Why Were Doing This

• Meet Federal eligibility for FEMA assistance,
  Disaster Mitigation Act 2000 (local plans by
  11/1/04)
• Scenarios for funding
• Pre-disaster mitigation (250,000 state)
• Post-disaster mitigation (up to 7.5 of total
  response recovery assistance) following
  Presidentially-declared disaster
• Other federal collaborations in the future?
• Each locality list of priority mitigation
  projects
• It makes sense Save lives, property, protect
  resources

4
Regional Hazard Mitigation Planning

• Public participation
• Hazards
• Risk Assessment and Vulnerability
• Existing Mitigation
• Additional Mitigation options
• Local Plans, implementation and project list(s)
• Plan Maintenance
• Adoption

5
Virginia DEM Guidance, November 2003

• Which towns must actively participate
• Review Process
• VDEM and FEMA for pre-approval
• Localities for adoption
• VDEM and FEMA for final approval

6
How Were Doing This

• Public Planning Process
• Monthly meetings began June, 2002
• Some special meetings in Towns as requested
• Special Local Government Planners meetings and
  Admins and Managers
• Participate in regional conferences

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HAZARD Summary 1965-2000
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SUMMARY of HAZARDS
Based on 125-year history
Based on 125 years
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FLOODS History

• WORST (Recent) CASE
• Date February 22, 2003
• Severity rain on ice/snow accumPresidential-disa
  ster declaration in Montgomery Co.
• Location NRV
• Damages one person died, a few homes flooded,
  several small bridges lost

N Fk Roanoke R.
Photo from The Roanoke Times
Photo by Scott Stewart
Allegheny Springs
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Flood, 2003

• Town of Pulaski

Downtown Pulaski
Rt 99 Pulaski
Dora Hwy Pulaski
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Flood, 2003

• Floyd and Giles Co.
• State road damage (200,000 in Floyd County),
  private bridges, small stream flooding

Beside 460 in Giles Co.
RU Dedmon clean-up
Rt. 8, Floyd Co.
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July, 2002

• greater Pembroke Giles Co.
• 4-5 rain in 4 hours
• 400,000 in damage to homes bldgs

Pembroke area
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FLOODING Risks

• SPECIAL HAZARD AREAS
• Montgomery Co
• Blacksburg Stroubles Creek
• Christiansburg College Ave.
• Shawsville/Ellison/Lafayette/Allegheny Springs N
  S Roanoke Brake Br
• Plum Creek
• Giles Co. (NR, Doe Creek, Kow Camp)
• Pembroke (460, Castlerock, Cascade)
• Narrows (NR Wolf Cr)
• Pearisburg (Wenonah Ave, Clifford, Chestnut)
• Pulaski County
• Town of Pulaski (Downtown, Dora Highway and
  Kerseys Bottom)

NRV
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Closer Look at High Risk Areas
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• FLOOD WHATs at High Risk?

North Fork of Roanoke River
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• FLOOD WHATs at High Risk?
• Three assumptions when drive into water
• That water isnt strong enough to sweep you away
  (just takes a few inches of swift)
• That the road/bridge is still there
• That road/bridge is still strong

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(No Transcript)
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Existing FLOOD Mitigation

• Preventative/legal/policy Zoning/floodplain
  management
• Property Protection Acquisition, Relocating,
  elevating, retrofitting, insurance
• Emergency Services Monitoring, Warning, etc.
• Structures channels, floodwalls, dry hydrant,
  drainage system maintenance, etc.
• Natural Resource Protection wetlands, setbacks,
  BMPs, ES
• Public Information newsletter, library
  resources, maps, technical assistance,
  environmental education

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FLOODING Existing Mitigation

• Emergency Services IFLOWS
• Automated Rain Gauges
• Updated every 15 minutes
• www.afws.net

Giles Co
NE Floyd Co
E Montgomery Co
W Pulaski Co
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FLOODING Additional Mitigation

• Preventative/legal/policy
• Integrate hazard mitigation planning into
  Comprehensive Plan
• Better enforcement and/or tightening of
  Floodplain regulations
• Forest Conservation
• 1 AC Trees5,000cubic ft water retention
• 1 AC Trees10,000 on 1-time storm water
  restructure
• Source American Forests, June, 2002
• Storm water management ordinance
• Community Rating System

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FLOODING Existing Mitigation

• Enhanced stormdrain maintenance (routine, before
  and after storms)Pulaski, Pembroke
• Farm fences

Farm Fence in Floyd Co
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FLOODING Additional Mitigation

• Emergency Services
• Work toward compatible communication systems
  across NRV (Homeland Security)
• Reverse-911 or other electronic notification
• Develop swift-water rescue capacity in NRV

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DROUGHT

• "drought" means a moisture deficit bad enough to
  have social, environmental or economic effects
  (Drought Mitigation Center)
• Unlike other natural disasters, the event can
  last for yearsno rushing sirens

Mountain Lake, October, 2002
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DROUGHT History
WORST (Recent) CASE Date1998-2002 Severity
D3 Extreme Drought Location eastern US all
NRV Damages 10 mill Agri. Loss extreme fire
danger widespread water shortages or restrictions
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DROUGHT Risk
FREQUENCY Some level most every ten years most
recent probably 50-year event? SPECIAL HAZARD
AREAS Agricultural areas Floyd County
(limited central water) Eco-tourism sites
dependent on water Damages Wells, springs, lakes
go dry Wildfires
NRV Well Permits, July-Sept, 2002
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DROUGHT Mitigation
EXISTING Growth management tools zoning,
storm Bburg Zoning to protect groundwater
recharge VA Emergency Declaration new water
planning requirements USDA alternative water
source program
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DROUGHT Mitigation

• OTHER MITIGATION
• Conservation programs
• Education
• Low-use appliances
• Protect Groundwater, esp. recharge
• Agricultural techniques
• Forest Conservation
• Stormwater management low-impact development
• Alternative water supplies
• Improve efficiency storage and transport
• Additional public sources
• Interconnecting, creating regional system
• Rain catchment systems
• Alternative sources for agriculture needs
• Contingency plans

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WILDFIRE

• WORST (Recent) CASEs
• Date From January to Mid-Oct, 2002,
• Severity 1,629 wildfires that burned 13,195
  acres Location Virginia
• Damages
• Impact to wildlife, watersheds, threatens homes

April 16-19, 2003 142 AC on Draper Mtn 100 AC on
Poor Mountain
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WILDFIRE Risks

• FREQUENCYDrought, other weather factors, (such
  as lightning, wind, temperature, relative
  humidity and atmospheric stability) SEE INDEX
• Human activity
• Its not a matter of if but when wildfires of the
  massive magnitude . . Will occur in the
  Southern Appalachians where our forests are less
  open and fuels are far greater. . . Adding to
  building up is Southern pine beetle outbreak and
  hemlock woolly adelgid A Univ. of TN fire
  ecologist warned, July 8, 2002

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WILDFIRE Risks

• SPECIAL HAZARD AREAS
• Intrusion of residential development into
  woodland
• Based on Slope and Fuels
• Giles County 76 woodland
• Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and Radford steeply
  sloped (generally 20)
• Logging, sawmill, or tire piles

Photo by US Forest Service Hot Shots
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WILDFIRE Risks

• SPECIAL HAZARD AREAS (contd)
• Brush Mountain in Montgomery Co
• Slate Mountain in Floyd Co.
• Camp Powhatan in Pulaski Co.

Brush Mountain
Brush Mountain
Slate Mountain
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WILDFIRE Mitigation

• EXISTING
• VA Forestry Smokey the Bear, Fire Risk Index,
  Burn laws, Dry Hydrant and cross-training
  fire-fighting
• New River Highlands RCD Woodland home/mitigation
  demo site(s)
• Firewise/VA Forestry resources available for
  home-builders, home-buyers, government officials
• Federal Wildland Fire Policy, US Forest Service
  community initiatives

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WILDFIRE Mitigation

• OTHER MITIGATION Zoning, Subdivision Ord.s
• Slope (where we build)
• Level if possible, or 30 set back
• Fuel (building design, material, maintenance, and
  landscaping)
• Roof exterior walls fire resistive materials
• Keep flammable vegetation, wood piles, and debris
  away from the walls.
• Screen your chimneys, exterior attic and
  underfloor vents with noncombustible wire mesh
  screening, no larger than 1/2 inch
• Eliminate ladder fuels and keep Trees and shrubs
  30 feet from large windows
• Create fire breaks/ defensible open space

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WILDFIRE Mitigation

• OTHER MITIGATION
• Involve Forester in Subdivision plat review
• Fire-fighting (access and resources)
• Educate home-builders and home-buyers
• Additional dry-hydrants
• Adequate water resources

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EARTHQUAKE Risks

• SPECIAL HAZARD AREA
• 30 km around Pearisburg (Dr. Chapman)not surface
  faults
• POTENTIAL IMPACT
• Old brick or block construction (most deaths and
  injuries from structures)
• Fire house doors and hospital equipment rendered
  inoperable

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EARTHQUAKE Mitigation

• EXISTING MITIGATION
• Virginia Building Code
• International Building Code more stringent in
  building strength/flexibility 1 in 2,500-year
  event
• MITIGATION OPPORTUNITIES
• Be aware of high danger areas such as gas
  pipelines near dense population
• Be sure that new hospitals and firehouses are
  properly designed
• Seismic strengthening/flexibility of critical
  facilities
• Beware deep soils in risk areas, particularly
  with bridges

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NRV Plan Mission

• Minimize the loss of life and property caused by
  natural hazards by focusing on likely events,
  high-risk areas, and cost-effective mitigation
  opportunities.

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Lessons Learned Challenges

• Newness lack of knowledge guidance
• Timing and Coordination little benefit of
  centralized resources
• Lack of Data Infrastructure and Past Damage
• Variety of Input Needed (i.e. Pembroke)
• Language Barriers (i.e. 100-year flood)
• Tools needed (HAZUS, and risk terminology for
  non-floods)
• Priorities and Opportunities (concrete benefit?,
  post-disaster by other Feds)

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Successes

• Variety of Input informative, hopeful, real
• Local govt managers, planners, building
  officials, zoning officials, emergency personnel
• Citizens groups, Amer. Red Cross, RAAP, Rainwater
  Harvesting, Inc.
• State and Fed agencies, including Virginia Tech

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Successes

• Data to Information
• Past weather events
• Flood maps and tax parcel
• Well replacement points mapped in FC
• New Processes
• VA Dept. of Health GPS/GIS

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NRV MITIGATION THEMES/GOALS

• Opportunities to mitigate
• Pursue mitigation opportunities with State and
  Feds which include detailed studies,
  acquisition, structural projects, demonstration
  projects
• Review and update ordinances
• Develop/integrate information
• GIS layers floodplains, slopes, tree cover,
  modeling
• Educate citizens regarding hazards and
  mitigation, such as flood insurance,
  retrofitting, natural resource protection,
  easements
• Regional Telecommunications capacity and early
  warning mechanisms
• Consider Regional Swift Water Rescue,
  Damage-Assessment , Regional Water Supply

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NRV Hazard Mitigation Plan

• www.nrvpdc.org/HazardMitigationPlan/HazardMitigati
  onPlan.htm
• Lydeana Martin lmartin_at_nrvdc.org, 540 639-9313