CITY OF HATTIESBURG FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLAN JANUARY 2019 2019 FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLAN CITY OF HATTIESBURG FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLAN JANUARY 2019 PURPOSE The purpose of the Floodplain Management Plan is to protect the residents of the City by lowering the risks and reducing the effects of disasters on property owners and critical facilities by identifying and implementing mitigation strategies that will reduce or prevent catastrophic damages, casualties, physical and/or financial losses. Step 1: Organize to Prepare the Plan The Mayor and City Council saw the need to update the Community Rating System (CRS) program and reduce flood insurance rates for the City and reached out to the former CRS Coordinator to come out of retirement and assist with the project in October 2017. After a few months of working on the CRS program, it was determined that the 20-year old Floodplain Management Plan needed to be updated and incorporated into the current Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan due for revision in early 2019. The City Council formally adopted a Resolution on June 5, 2018 forming the Floodplain Management Committee (FMP) and a Sub-Committee for the Property for Public Information (PPI), including language that the City will add all new and updated information to our current Multi-Jurisdictional Multi-Hazard Plan. On December 18 Council authorized the Floodplain Management Plan (FMP) Committee’s proposed revisions to the Regional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) to be submitted to Forrest County for inclusion in the 5-year renewal of the regional plan due in early 2019. Both documents are attached in Appendix A. It was later determined that the time frame for the HMP would not allow for the two plans to be merged within the CRS Modification timeframe, so in late January, this plan was created separately, with plans to merge before the next CRS annual review. The Planning Staff of the City of Hattiesburg under the direction of the Floodplain Management Committee prepared this plan. We wish to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the following individuals and the committees: Mayor and City Council: Toby Barker, Mayor Jeffrey George, Ward 1 Deborah Denard Delgado, Ward 2 Carter Carroll, President - Ward 3 Mary Dryden - Ward 4 Nicholas Brown, Ward 5 Planning Staff: Andrew Ellard, Director of Urban Development Ginger Maddox Lowrey, Planning Manager/Floodplain Manager Nick Williams, Planner/CRS Coordinator CITY OF HATTIESBURG FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLAN JANUARY 2019 Floodplain Management Committee and Property for Public Information Sub-Committee: Toby Barker, Mayor, Committee Chair Wilma Adams, Citizen, Floodplain Resident Michael Anderson, Citizen (Realtor – added for PPI Committee portion only) Ross Bell, Citizen (Insurance Agent) Dawn Burns, Staff (Accounting Department) Deborah Denard Delgado, City Councilwoman, Floodplain Resident (Ward 2) Chad Edmonson, Citizen Hema Gopalan and Grand Hobgood, Staff (GIS Department) Nadir Hasan, Citizen (Twin Forks Development Representative) Margaret Heath and Judy Mellard, Citizen (Hattiesburg Housing Authority) Colton Hill, Ronnie Perkins, Maurice Sutton and Keith Parks, Staff (Public Works) Ann Jones, Staff (Chief Administrative Officer) Myron Lott, Staff (Parks and Recreations) Samantha McCain, APR, Staff (Chief Communications Officer/PPI Committee) Steve Mitchell, Staff (Building Official) Khadijah Muhammad, Staff/Stakeholder (Municipal Court/Red Cross Representative) Lisa Reid, Staff/Citizen, Floodplain Resident (Consultant/PPI Committee) Lamar Rutland, Staff (City Engineer) Rev. Joseph Scott, Citizen, Floodplain Resident Paul Sheffield, Stakeholder (Emergency Operations Center) Hardy Sims, Major, Staff (Police Department, Operations Division) Paul Sims, Citizen (Insurance Representative on PPI Committee) James Trussell, Citizen, Floodplain Resident Melvin Williams, Citizen, Floodplain Resident Nick Williams, Staff (Planning Department/CRS Coordinator and PPI Committee) Doug Wimberly, Citizen (Engineer responsible for City’s MS-4 Program) Petra Wingo, Citizen (Twin Forks Development Representative) The first FMP Committee Public Meeting was held July 5, 2018 for an introduction of team and overview of their purpose and duties (see Table 1-1 for proposed additional meeting dates). Members were given a timeline of proposed meeting dates and topics for each meeting. A binder was issued to each member full of information, guidelines and current ordinances and resolutions, including but not limited to: project timelines and duties for the Committee and the PPI Sub-Committee existing drainage resolution and flood damage prevention ordinance, review of the CRS program, credit points, and what that means to citizens; CRS Manual Activity Series 300 - 600 and acronyms, MEMA’s Quick Guide, several FEMA documents on hazard mitigation, excerpts of the Comprehensive Plan. Land Development Code, a history of flooding, and existing maps, such as the areas in a SFHA and previously identified Community Assessed Hazard Areas. We discussed each document to ensure members understood why and what we were doing as a Committee. Public in attendance were not provided a full binder, but were give the timeline of proposed dates: CITY OF HATTIESBURG FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLAN JANUARY 2019 Table 1 –1, Timeline of Proposed Public Hearings, Floodplain Management Plan 2018 Meeting 2 July 19th Assess the Hazard Meeting 3 August 2th Assess the Problem Meeting 4* August 16th Assess the Problem – continued (if needed) and start Setting Goals Meeting 5 August 30th Setting Goals and start Reviewing Possible Activities Meeting 6 September Review possible activities – continued (if needed) and start 13th Drafting Action Plan Meeting 7 September Draft an action plan – continued (if needed) 27th Meeting 8* October 4th Initial Review of Draft Plan Meeting 9* October 18th Final Review of Draft Plan Meeting 10 date to be Public Hearing determined Meeting 11 November Adopt the Plan (placed on City Council Agenda by 19th November 9th) Meeting 12 dates to be Implement, evaluate, and revise determined *Several of the above meetings were changed, such as the August 16 meeting which was cancelled to allow the new CRS Coordinator to attend CRS Training, and the October meetings were cancelled to allow staff time to draft the plan. All documentation, such as agendas, sign-in sheets, minutes and copies of each meetings live feed videos are attached as Appendix B. Step 2. Involve the Public Plan Process and Public Involvement The Mayor held Town Meetings with most of the Neighborhood Associations prior to and during the Plan process. Although not held just for the planning process, flood issues were discussed at every meeting, and notes were made of all flood problems reported in each area. The meeting list (Table 2-1) was then incorporated into the planning process and updated as the meetings continued. Full minutes of each meeting are available upon request; however, only the flood related info is included here. The Committee reviewed the list in July and determined these areas needed to be included in the Community Assessed Flood Hazard Maps and the map was updated as new meetings were held in other areas. As noted in the last column of Table 2-1, flooding is an issue across the entire City and not just in the Special Floodplain Hazard Areas. CITY OF HATTIESBURG FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLAN JANUARY 2019 Table 2 –1, Town Hall Public Hearings, 2017-2018 Meeting Neighborhood Town Hall Meeting Flooding Complaints: Date Association 10/19/17 University Heights Sewer issues on 40th Ave. Water flows over the road on the 400 block of S 3th Avenue Other listed streets with “water problems” Flood insurance has gone up 30% in the last 2 years. Homes flooding on 300 & 400 blk of S 32nd, from Corner Market south 11/13/17 Highlands Drainage problems due to ditch maintenance/drain issues listed on various streets but no specific mention of high water. 01/25/18 Grace Avenue and Drainage problems due to ditch maintenance/drain issues listed on North Hills Drive various streets but no specific mention of high water. 02/13/18 Mobile – Bouie There needs to be a way for water to flow on JD Randolph from 6th to 7th 6th Street Community Center looking South: problems with flooding and standing water. Scott Street experiences water backing into people’s yards when it rains. Standing water on the 9th Street ballpark after it rains Flooding behind Butler, 9th and 10th Street where Delk Tire is located. Families relocating due to storms and flooding. 02/15/18 Timberton Property Drainage problems due to ditch maintenance/drain issues listed on Owners various streets but no specific mention of high water. 03/01/18 Timberton Park Drainage problems due to ditch maintenance/drain issues listed on various streets but no specific mention of high water. 03/26/18 Unified The dead end on Willis Avenue floods. John and Katie floods after rain. 602 Stevens water rises into the yard while raining. Cypress and Peyton experience flooding issues. Water backs up and fills yard at 915 Franklin. 04/10/18 Jamestown Lincoln Flooding on Dovercliff Flooding south of Lincoln Flooding at Navajo Circle Flooding at Berkshire/40th 04/17/18 The Oaks Drainage problems due to ditch maintenance/drain issues listed on various streets but no specific mention of high water. 04/17/18 Irene Chapel Drainage problems due to ditch maintenance/drain issues listed on various streets but no specific mention of high water. 04/23/18 Longleaf Heights Some yard flooding at 204 North 20th Flooding on 21st with standing water. 05/03/18 Arcadia Sunset East end of Sunset Drive experiences flooding into yards when it CITY OF HATTIESBURG FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT PLAN JANUARY 2019 rains. Gordon’s Creek floods due to clogging. Clayton and Marie Flood insurance rates have jumped very high. 05/14/18 Pinehills Dam built on Gordon’s creek is causing standing water and mosquito increase. Erosion due to flooding at 105 Shady Lane from the back of Cascades 05/17/18 Audubon Westwood High water during rain on Fuller Street ono the 1900 and 2000 blocks.