All-Hazard Mitigation Plan
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STATE OF DELAWARE ALL-HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN Revised August, 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction....................................................................................................................Section 1 Purpose Scope Background A Practical Approach to Hazard Mitigation Planning Description of the Planning Process Assurances and Adoption Plan Updates Planning Process..........................................................................................................Section 2 Overview of Hazard Mitigation Planning Coordination Among Agencies The Planning Process State and Federal Mitigation Program Coordination Local Mitigation Planning Coordination Plan Updates Community Profile.........................................................................................................Section 3 Geography and the Environment Population and Demographics Infrastructure and Land Use Employment and Industry Disaster Declarations Plan Updates Hazard Identification………………………....................................................................Section 4.1 Coastal Flooding Storms Hurricanes Winter Precipitation Coastal Erosion Inland Flooding Severe Thunderstorms Extreme Heat Extreme Cold Tornadoes Dam/Levee Failure Drought Wildfire Earthquakes, Landslides, and Sinkholes Tsunamis Public Health Incidents Terrorism Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Transportation/Infrastructure Incidents Other Incidents Plan Updates Data Sources TABLE OF CONTENTS Vulnerability Assessment – Natural Hazards..........................................................Section 4.2 Creating the Local Risk Assessments Hazard Vulnerability Assessment • Flooding • Storms • Hurricanes • Winter Precipitation • Coastal Erosion • Inland Flooding • Severe thunderstorms • Extreme Heat • Extreme Cold • Tornadoes • Plan Updates Capability Assessment.................................................................................................Section 5 What is a Capability Assessment? Conducting the Capability Assessment State Capability Assessment Local Capability Assessments Assessment Analysis Conclusions Plan Updates Mitigation Strategy.....................................................................................................Section 6.1 Introduction Mission Statement Mitigation Goals and Objectives Identification and Analysis of Mitigation Techniques Introduction to the Mitigation Action Plan Plan Updates Mitigation Action Plan................................................................................................Section 6.2 Overview Active Mitigation Actions Completed or Cancelled Mitigation Actions (2007 - 2013) Completed or Cancelled Mitigation Actions (2018) Plan Updates Plan Maintenance Procedures.....................................................................................Section 7 Implementation Monitoring Progress of Mitigation Activities Evaluation and Enhancement Continued Public Involvement Plan Updates TABLE OF CONTENTS Annex A: Plan Adoption Document Annex B: State Mitigation Plan Review Tool Annex C: FEMA Plan Approval Annex D: Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs Administrative Plan Annex E: Supporting Documents Annex F: For Official Use Only Documents, see note Note - This annex contains sensitive data and has been classified For Official Use Only (FOUO). This annex will not be distributed with the Basic Plan. Requests for this annex are required in writing and subject to the approval of the DEMA Director. Contact the State Hazard Mitigation Officer for more information. INTRODUCTION Section 1 This section provides a general introduction to the State of Delaware’s All-Hazard Mitigation Plan. It is broken down into the following seven sub-sections: • Purpose • Scope • Background • A Practical Approach to Hazard Mitigation Planning • Description of the Planning Process • Assurances and Adoption • Plan Updates Purpose The purpose of this plan is: • To protect life, safety and property by reducing the potential for future damages and economic losses that result from natural and man-caused hazards; • To meet the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, and therefore qualify for additional grant funding in both the pre-disaster and post-disaster environment; • To speed recovery and redevelopment following future disaster events; • To demonstrate a firm local commitment to hazard mitigation principles; and • To comply with both state and federal legislative requirements for local hazard mitigation plans. Scope This plan will focus on those hazards determined to be “high risk” and “moderate risk” in the State. Fortunately, Kent County, New Castle County, and Sussex County have developed hazard mitigation plans which complement the State plan. This allowed for the use of county- level risk assessments to evaluate statewide hazard vulnerability. In addition, conducting county-level capability assessments enables state officials to identify existing strengths and potential weaknesses that the state addresses in the plan. The ability to provide state-level assistance is evaluated relative to the findings of the State Capability Assessment. Finally, the ability to review proposed county-level mitigation actions will help state officials to craft more meaningful policies, while identifying potential mitigation projects. Background Natural hazards, such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and severe winter storms, are a part of the world around us. Their occurrence is natural and inevitable, and there is little we can do to control their force and intensity. Human-caused hazards can be caused by technological accidents or acts of terrorism. The State of Delaware faces a variety of natural hazards, including flooding, tornadoes, ice storms, tropical systems, and earthquakes. Human-caused hazards include technological accidents, railroad spills, and industrial chemical releases. Although not a direct hazard, future conditions, such as climate change and sea level rise, can increase the adverse effects of both severe storm and flood events. These hazards are discussed in detail in Section 4.1 - Hazard Identification. Through hazard mitigation planning, we can minimize the impact of natural and human-caused hazards on people and the built environment. Through proper planning and the implementation of policies and projects identified in the Plan, we can reduce the likelihood that these events will result in disasters. This document, titled the “State of Delaware All-Hazard Mitigation Plan” (Henceforth referred to as the “Plan”), is a logical, information-driven process that systematically identifies and guides the implementation of specific actions and the creation of policies designed to make Delaware safer from the threat of natural and human-caused hazards including terrorism. 1 SHMP Revised August 2018 INTRODUCTION Section 1 “Hazard mitigation” is a technical term for reducing risks to people and property from natural and human- caused hazards. It includes both structural measures, such as protecting buildings and infrastructure from the forces of nature, technological accidents and acts of terrorism, and non-structural measures, such as natural resource protection and wise floodplain management. Actions may be targeted to protect existing development, or could be designed to protect future development as well. It is widely accepted that the most effective mitigation measures are implemented at the local government level, where decisions on the regulation and control of development are ultimately made. The easiest way a community can get serious about hazard mitigation is through the development and adoption of a local hazard mitigation plan. A mitigation plan will ensure that measures to reduce the present and future vulnerability of a community are thoroughly considered before, during and after the next disaster strikes. A hazard mitigation plan is designed to help decision makers guide actions based on accurate information. A Practical Approach to Hazard Mitigation Planning The plan is designed to be both strategic — providing a long-term vision of how the State will address natural and human-caused hazards, and functional — guiding the day-to-day decisions of State officials. In addition to the identification and prioritization of possible projects, emphasis has been placed on the use of broad policy goals and more refined objectives and actions to assist Delaware to become less vulnerable to the damaging forces of nature, technological hazards, and acts of terrorism, while improving the economic, social, and environmental health of the State. The concept of multi-objective planning is emphasized throughout this document, identifying ways to link hazard mitigation policies and programs with complimentary State goals related to housing, economic development, recreational opportunities, transportation improvements, environmental quality, and public health and safety. Mitigation planning offers many benefits, including: • Saving lives and property; • Saving money; • Speeding up recovery following disasters; • Reducing future vulnerability through wise development and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction; • Expediting the receipt of pre-disaster and post-disaster grant funding; and • Demonstrating a firm commitment to improving community health and safety. More importantly, mitigation planning has the potential to produce long-term benefits by breaking the repetitive cycle of disaster loss. It has been estimated that, on average, every one dollar ($1)