City of Waveland Local Hazard Mitigation Plan March 2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of hazard mitigation is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards. The City of Waveland developed this Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) update to make the City and its residents less vulnerable to future hazard events. This plan was prepared pursuant to the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 so that Waveland would be eligible for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs. The City followed a planning process prescribed by FEMA, which began with the formation of a hazard mitigation planning committee (HMPC) comprised of key City representatives, and other regional stakeholders. The HMPC conducted a risk assessment that identified and profiled hazards that pose a risk to the City, assessed the City’s vulnerability to these hazards, and examined the capabilities in place to mitigate them. The City is vulnerable to several hazards that are identified, profiled, and analyzed in this plan. Floods, hurricanes, and sea level rise are among the hazards that can have a significant impact on the City. Based on the risk assessment, the HMPC identified goals and objectives for reducing the City’s vulnerability to hazards. The goals and objectives of this multi-hazard mitigation plan are: Goal 1 Minimize risk and vulnerability of the community to hazards and reduce damages and protect lives, properties, and public health and safety in the City of Waveland Prevent and reduce flood damage and related losses Minimize impact to both existing and future development Minimize economic and resource impact Goal 2 Provide protection for critical facilities, infrastructure, and services from hazard impacts. Goal 3 Increase public awareness of the risk and vulnerability of the community to hazards Enhance public outreach, education and preparedness program to include all hazards of concern Educate residents on how to best protect themselves and their property during hazard events (include people new to the area) Create targeted public outreach campaigns utilizing diverse and comprehensive outreach mechanisms (meetings, newspaper, radio, television, social media, schools) Increase public communications to keep the public well informed prior to, during and after a disaster event City of Waveland i Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update March 2013 Improve alert and warning capabilities informing public of hazard events, evacuation routes and sheltering options Increase public’s awareness and involvement in communities’ mitigation projects Assist residents in utilizing grant funds to mitigate property damage Goal 4 Increase communities’ ability to be prepared for a disaster event and capabilities to mitigate losses Enhance emergency services capabilities Enhance communication capabilities and interagency coordination Increase knowledge and use of technologies and data Enhance use of shared resources Goal 5 Enhance and improve floodplain management program to maximize CRS credits Goal 6 Maintain FEMA Eligibility/Position the communities for Grant funding To meet this identified goal, the plan recommends 53 mitigation actions, which are summarized in the table that follows. This plan has been formally adopted by the City and will be updated every five years at a minimum. Table ES.1. City of Long Beach Mitigation Actions New Action/ Action Item Priority 2007 Action Protect external A/C equipment in the Central Fire Station and Install Underground High New Storage Tanks Warning Sirens High New Residential Elevation High New Sarah Lane to Adams Lane Evacuation Route High New Culvert under Highway 603 High New Culvert under Railroad Track at South Street High New Coordinate with and support the US Army Corps of Engineers on Projects in the High New MsCIP Relating to the City of Waveland Public Outreach High New Education of Residential Retrofitting Medium New Evacuation Planning High New Protection of Public Records High New Public Warning Boards (Signs) High New Enhance City of Waveland Website Medium New Beach Front Erosion Protection High New Protection of Marshes and Natural Barriers High New City of Waveland ii Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update March 2013 New Action/ Action Item Priority 2007 Action Extension of Stormwater Drainage Facilities into Gulf Medium New Property Acquisition Project Medium New Drainage Projects Medium New Green Space Development Medium New Flood Insurance Promotion High New Elevation Certificate Program Medium New Dredge Jackson Marsh High New Canal Cleanout High New Mitigation Reconstruction/ Flood Proofing Medium New Retrofitting Medium New Sewage Lift Station Bypass Project High New Continue to control construction site runoff through requirement of clearing and High 2007 grading permits erosion and sediment control regulations. Continue to control post-construction site runoff so it does not exceed pre- High 2007 development site runoff through enforcement of best management practices. Continue to strengthen floodplain regulations, as appropriate. High 2007 Update list of City’s repetitive flood loss properties to include properties in area High 2007 annexed in 2006, encourage owners of repetitive and severe repetitive loss properties citywide to participate in mitigation activities such as flood proofing, elevation, or buyout programs, and prepare a floodplain management plan for the repetitive loss areas. Acquire or otherwise remove repetitive and severe repetitive loss properties from the High 2007 floodplain. Encourage business owners to protect vulnerable structures through flood proofing, Medium 2007 elevation, shutters, and other mitigation activities. Work with flood insurance agents and lending institutions to ensure that mandatory High 2007 flood insurance requirements are being met in area annexed in 2006 and throughout Waveland when new maps are adopted. Continue to publicize evacuation routes and approximate travel times to evacuate the High 2007 area. Continue to mail flood safety information, including evacuation zones and routes, to High 2007 every address in Waveland every year. Continue to publicize how families can prepare and plan for disaster. High 2007 Consider establishing a program to train and certify neighborhoods in first response Medium 2007 actions after hazards. Promote business continuity planning for small businesses and government. Medium 2007 Publicize information about the special needs registry maintained by the Hancock Medium 2007 County Emergency Management Agency and how residents with special needs can register themselves. Provide information on model construction techniques, such as storm shutters, in Medium 2007 public places so people can learn about these mitigation techniques and adopt them for their own homes. Encourage residents to acquire and monitor NOAA weather radios. Medium 2007 City of Waveland iii Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update March 2013 New Action/ Action Item Priority 2007 Action Establish a facility north of Interstate 10 that can be used as a command center in the Medium 2007 event of a major hurricane that can also serve as a shelter for essential city personnel and equipment and house a critical records vault. Develop a generator plan for all critical facilities. Medium 2007 Use the Reverse 911 system to issue evacuation warning and advisories, especially Medium 2007 for special needs residents. Use existing data from the monitoring and warning gauges on waterways to predict Medium 2007 hazardous situations. Use Hurrevac and other existing computer programs and data to predict hazardous situations. Maintain NOAA StormReady Designation. Low 2007 Provide an annual pre-hurricane season workshop and exercise for elected officials High 2007 and emergency operations staff. Enhance the communications system in a coordinated fashion between appropriate Medium 2007 departments in the county, city, and the state. The City of Waveland will continue to train its personnel in weapons of mass Low 2007 destruction and hazardous materials response through the following education programs: Continue to update CAMEO, MARPLOT, and ALOHA software where available and Medium 2007 install in all response vehicles. Continue to update information about hazardous materials facilities in Waveland upon Medium 2007 receiving Tier II Forms from the facilities. Continue to update the Pre-Plan Emergency Response Books for hazardous materials Medium 2007 locations within Waveland. Continue to seek grant funding through FEMA Fire Act Grants and Homeland Security Medium 2007 Grants for terrorist and HAZMAT equipment to enable its emergency response personnel to prepare and respond to acts of terrorism and hazardous materials incidents. City of Waveland iv Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update March 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapters 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................1.1 1.1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................1.1 1.2 Background and Scope .........................................................................................1.1 1.3 Community Profile................................................................................................1.2 1.3.1 Overview of the Community ....................................................................1.3 1.3.2 Topography and Climate...........................................................................1.5