Hazard Mitigation Plan VAL VERDE COUNTY, TEXAS
“Cover the Border”
2011 - 2016
Draft July 9, 2011
Prepared by
THE RIO GRANDE INSTITUTE in partnership with Val Verde County officials and the Middle Rio Grande Development Council
Under authority of the Honorable Laura Allen
Val Verde County Judge
For more information, visit our website at:
www.riogrande.org
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ...... 1
Introduction...... 4
Chapter 1. Planning Process ...... 5 1.1. Purpose ...... 5 1.2. Participating jurisdictions ...... 5 1.3 Planning partners ...... 5 1.4 Planning process...... 6 1.4.1. Open public process...... 7 1.4.2. Hazard identification ...... 11 1.4.3. Risk assessment ...... 12 1.4.4. Mitigation strategies ...... 12 1.4.5. Implementation and monitoring ...... 13
Chapter 2. Mitigation Goals ...... 16
Chapter 3. Description of the County...... 18 3.1. Geography ...... 18 3.2. Climate ...... 19 3.3. Topography...... 19 3.4. History ...... 19 3.5. Population ...... 20 3.6. Economy and income...... 21
Chapter 4. Assets at Risk...... 22 4.1. Study area definition...... 22 4.2. Assets at risk ...... 24 4.3. Critical facilities and infrastructure ...... 24
Chapter 5. Risk Assessment ...... 28 5.1 Introduction...... 28 5.1.1. Hazards addressed in this plan ...... 28 5.1.2. Presidential disaster declarations...... 28 5.1.3. Risk assessment process ...... 29 5.1.4. Loss estimates……………………………………………….………… 31 5.1.5. Hazard profiles………………………………………………………… 33
5.2. Severe Thunderstorms...... 35 5.2.1. Description of the hazard...... 35 5.2.2. Measurement ...... 35
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5.2.3. Previous occurrences ...... 35 5.2.4. Geographic areas affected ...... 36 5.2.5. Probability of future disasters ...... 37 5.2.6. Vulnerability ...... 37 5.2.7. Potential impact ...... 37
5.3. Flooding ...... 38 5.3.1. Description of the hazard...... 38 5.3.2. Measurement ...... 39 5.3.3. Previous occurrences ...... 39 5.3.4. Geographic areas affected ...... 40 5.3.5. Probability of future disasters ...... 44 5.3.6. Vulnerability to flooding...... 44 5.3.7. Potential impact ...... 44 5.3.8. Previous mitigation actions...... 46
5.4. Hazardous materials incidents...... 50 5.4.1. Description of the hazard...... 50 5.4.2. Measurement ...... 50 5.4.3. Previous occurrences ...... 51 5.4.4. Geographic areas affected ...... 52 5.4.5. Probability of future disasters ...... 58 5.4.6. Vulnerability ...... 59 5.4.7. Potential impact ...... 60
5.5. Wildland fire ...... 63 5.5.1. Description of the hazard...... 63 5.5.2. Measurement ...... 63 5.5.3. Previous occurrences ...... 64 5.5.4. Geographic areas affected ...... 64 5.5.5. Probability of future disasters ...... 67 5.5.6. Vulnerability ...... 67 5.5.7. Potential impact ...... 67
5.6. Drought...... 68 5.6.1. Description of the hazard...... 68 5.6.2. Measurement ...... 69 5.6.3. Previous occurrences ...... 69 5.6.4. Geographic areas affected ...... 70 5.6.5. Probability of future disasters ...... 71 5.6.6. Vulnerability ...... 71 5.6.7. Potential impact ...... 71
5.7. Tornadoes ...... 72 5.7.1. Description of the hazard...... 72
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5.7.2. Measurement ...... 72 5.7.3. Previous occurrences ...... 73 5.7.4. Geographic areas affected ...... 74 5.7.5. Probability of future disasters ...... 74 5.7.6. Vulnerability ...... 74 5.7.7. Potential impact ...... 77
5.8. Fuel pipeline failure ...... 78 5.8.1. Description of the hazard...... 78 5.8.2. Measurement ...... 78 5.8.3. Previous occurrences ...... 78 5.8.4. Geographic areas affected ...... 79 5.8.5. Probability of future disasters ...... 79 5.8.6. Vulnerability ...... 79 5.8.7. Potential impact ...... 79
5.9. Dam failure...... 82 5.9.1. Description of the hazard...... 82 5.9.2. Measurement ...... 84 5.9.3. Previous occurrences ...... 85 5.9.4. Geographic areas affected ...... 85 5.9.5. Probability of future disasters ...... 86 5.9.6. Vulnerability ...... 86 5.9.7. Potential impact ...... 86
5.10. Conclusions ...... 90
Chapter 6. Mitigation actions ...... 93
6.1. Summary of mitigation actions ...... 93 6.2. Mitigation action plans ...... 99
Appendices A. County/City of Del Rio Local Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee ...... 148 B. Cover the Border Regional Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee ...... 149 C. Adoption Resolution (pending signature) ...... 152 D. Public hazard survey results...... 154 E. Studies, reports and plans...... 160 F. Analysis and Prioritization of Mitigation Actions...... 162
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Introduction
Val Verde County is uniquely at risk from a range of disasters, precipitated by weather events and human error. Risks are likely to increase as weather patterns change, global temperatures rise and population grows. Exposure to hazards that can originate across the border presents a special challenge. While control of Mother Nature or human behavior may not be achievable, experience has shown that much disaster damage is preventable.
Under the leadership of County Judge Mike Fernandez, local officials are aggressively taking steps to protect people and property from disaster. As a result of an effective consortium of citizens and local and regional officials, a new vision for hazard mitigation is being realized.
This document, Cover the Border, Hazard Mitigation Plan for Val Verde County, 2011 – 2016, was prepared by Val Verde County under the auspices of the non-profit Rio Grande Institute and in partnership with the Middle Rio Grande Development Council. It is a five-year blueprint for the future, aimed at making the County more disaster-resistant by reducing or eliminating the long-term risk of loss of life and property from the full range of disasters. It is designed to help build more robust and sustainable communities that, when confronted by disasters, will sustain fewer losses and recover more quickly. In addition, the Plan will serve as a basis for future funding that may become available through grant and technical assistance programs offered by the state or federal government. This Plan identifies and assesses the potential impact of eight hazards that threaten the County and sets forth mitigation actions and plans to reduce risk. Hazards include:
• Severe thunderstorms • Flooding • Hazardous materials incidents • Wildland fire • Drought • Tornadoes • Fuel pipeline failure • Dam failure
Chapter 1 addresses how the Plan was prepared and identifies the participants in the planning process. Chapter 2 articulates the vision, goals, and objectives that guided the development of the Plan. Chapter 3 profiles the County’s geography, population and economy. Chapter 4 identifies assets at risk. Chapter 5 provides an overview of the natural and human-caused hazards the may affect the County and prioritizes them in terms of their probability of occurrence, spatial extent of damage, and magnitude of impact. Chapter 6 sets for proposed mitigation actions and action plans to reduce risk.
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1. The Planning Process
1.1. Purpose The purpose of this plan is to help make Val Verde County more disaster-resistant by reducing or eliminating the long-term risk of loss of life and property from a range of natural and human-caused disasters.
1.2. Participating jurisdictions Hazard mitigation is any
This plan covers the unincorporated areas of Val Verde County, Texas. sustained action taken to It was prepared by the County under the leadership of the Rio Grande Institute and in partnership with the Middle Rio Grande Development reduce or eliminate the Council. Roger Cerny, the County’s Floodplain Manager and Health Inspector, and Billie Powers, Emergency Management Coordinator, led long-term risk to human the development process. Technical support was provided by Lacy Associates, LLC of Austin, Texas. AECOM Engineering conducted the life and property from all risk assessment. hazards. The Plan was developed in accordance with the provisions of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, as amended, and the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR 206). It was started in January 2005. In April 2010, participating jurisdictions joined the Rio Grande Institute’s Cover the Border plan. A draft was submitted to the Division of Emergency Management for Federal Emergency Management Agency review on October 21, 2010. The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the plan on _____ (date) and it was adopted by the Val Verde County Commissioner’s Court on ____ (date).
Figure 1-1. 1.3 Planning Partners
The Rio Grande Institute
The Rio Grande Institute sponsored the development of this plan which is an extension of the Institute’s Cover the Border plan for counties stretching from Pecos County to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The Institute is a non-profit organization headed by William C. Skeen. It is devoted to stewardship of the economic, cultural and natural resources of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands area (www.riogrande.org).
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The Middle Rio Grande Development Council
The Middle Rio Grande Development Council is working in partnership with Val Verde County and the Rio Grande Institute. Since 1970, the Middle Rio Grande Development Council has served the communities and residents in a nine-county region with services related to workforce development, planning and grant writing. With partner agencies, the Development Council is providing 911 emergency mapping and addressing, elderly ombudsmen and access to aging services. As operator for the Middle Rio Grande Workforce Board, the Development Council provides job seeker services to the unemployed members of the communities through nine workforce centers, one in each of the nine constituent counties.
1.4 The planning process
The process used to develop this plan was organized into five major steps (see Figure 2-1). Each of those is addressed below. As you will note, many individuals participated in the planning process, each with unique roles. The Rio Grande Institute, under the leadership of Bill Skeen, President, managed the Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant; provided overall leadership and coordination with all participating jurisdictions; chaired meetings; provided technical support with the assistance of Lacy Associates, LLC and AECOM Engineering; coordinated with stakeholders and neighboring jurisdictions and with “Sister Cities” through the Transboundary Risk Assessment and Mitigation Project; and conducted outreach to the public by posting the plan on their website. The Middle Rio Grande Development Council issued meeting invitations; hosted the kick-off meetings and mitigation workshops; coordinated public notices and newspaper announcements; and ensured the active participation of their Border Directors. Val Verde County officials participated in all aspects of the planning process, attending and actively contributing ideas at all meetings. The Val Verde County Health Inspector, Roger Cerny, who also serves as Floodplain Administrator, served as the liaison with the Val Verde County Judge and Commissioners Court; worked with individual Commissioners on issues of concern in their areas; served as liaison to the City of Del Rio; planned and executed the County’s open public meetings; and posted the draft plan. The Val Verde County Emergency Management Coordinator, Billie Powers, together with the Health Inspector and other team members, profiled hazards, assisted in the risk assessment, developed mitigation actions and action plans, and reviewed drafts. The Emergency Management Coordinator will be responsible for implementation, monitoring, update and amendment of the plan. From the outset, Community Liaisons were designated, responsible for outreach to the public. The public provided ideas and recommendations at public meetings and in writing. Lacy Associates, LLC, compiled the plan based on the active and extensive input from Val Verde County and other participants; monitored email comments; and developed proposed revisions based on comments received. AECOM Engineering conducted the risk assessment.
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1.4.1. Open public process (Step 1)
Figure 1 - 2 Planning Teams. The first step in developing the plan was to organize planning teams and establish an open public process. In May 2004, a local Val Verde County/City of Del Rio Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee was established by County Judge Mike Fernandez. This Committee was composed of local, regional and state officials (Appendix A).
The Committee met a number of times to identify and prioritize hazards and to develop goals, objectives and a mitigation strategy. Each member on the committee was asked to contribute ideas, provide information and technical support, and review draft materials. Input was received from citizens and stakeholders, the business community, County employees and other public sector representatives through the Community Liaisons for Val Verde County and the City of Del Rio.
Val Verde County also served on a Regional Cover the Border Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee, formed in April 2010 under the auspices of the Rio Grande Institute (Appendix B). It consists of cities and counties in the nine-County Middle Rio Grande region, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe, the Middle Rio Grande Development Council as well as local, regional, State and Federal government officials and stakeholders. The Regional Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee held two Kick-Off Meetings to discuss the objectives, scope of work, the planning process, roles and responsibilities and the timeline. The Committee held three Mitigation Workshops to identify and rank hazards and develop mitigation action plans (Table 1-1). The Committee served as the principal mechanism to coordinate with neighboring communities, agencies, businesses, academic, non-profits, and other interested parties.
Photo Photo Val Verde County/City of Del Rio Cover the Border Kickoff Meeting, Southwest Texas Junior College Local Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee Middle Rio Grande Development Council Board of Directors 2004 Holiday Inn, Uvalde, April 28, 2010
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Table 1-1.Cover the Border Regional Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee Meetings
Type Location Date Kickoff meeting Uvalde Workforce Center April 8, 2010
Kickoff meeting Uvalde Holiday Inn April 28, 2010
Mitigation Workshop Carrizo Springs Workforce Center June 8, 2010
Mitigation Workshop Eagle Pass Workforce Center June 9, 2010
Mitigation Workshop Uvalde Workforce Center June 10, 2010
Stakeholders. The planning process included coordination with stakeholders (Table 1-2). The stakeholders were invited to the three Mitigation Workshops and Public Meetings held in June 8 - 10, 2010. They were also asked to submit any studies, data or other information on disasters and ways to mitigate them. The Workshops, Public Meetings and solicitation of studies and email comments provided an opportunity for neighboring communities, agencies, businesses, academia, non- profits and other interested parties to become involved in the planning process.
On July 23, 2009, the County participated in a workshop sponsored by the Rio Grande Institute on mitigation of transboundary disasters. It was intended to develop a model for “Sister City” hazard mitigation and lay the foundation for cooperation between “Sister Cities” on both sides of the border. The focus was on transboundary risks that threaten lives, property and the natural environment across the border in either direction. These include natural disasters or catastrophic accidents which pose a threat to both cities and the region or that may affect one city or region to the extent assistance is necessary from the other city or region. Participants included the Val Verde County, the City of Del Rio, Cuidad Acuna, the International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Laughlin Air Force Base, Mundo Sustenable, Texas A&M International University, the Middle Rio Grande Development Council and the Rio Grande Institute.
Table 1-2. Cover the Border Stakeholders
International Organizations
International Boundary and Water Commission American Red Cross International Services Good Neighbor Environmental Board
United States Federal Governmental Organizations
FEMA Office of International Affairs FEMA Region VI
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Department of Homeland Security Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Laughlin Air Force Base U.S. Department of Agriculture
State of Texas
Division of Emergency Management Texas Natural Resources Information System Texas Commission on Environmental Quality National Flood Insurance Program Coordinator Texas Water Development Board Texas Forest Service Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Department of Rural Affairs Water Master for the Rio Grande Texas Railroad Commission
Regional Government
Middle Rio Grande Development Council
Legislative
Texas Border Coalition The Honorable Ciro D. Rodriguez, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable Henry Cuellar, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable Judith Zaffirini, Texas Senate District 21 The Honorable Pete P. Gallego, Texas House District 74
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Universities
Sul Ross State University Southwest Texas Junior College University of Texas Space Science Center, Austin Texas A&M University Colonias Research Center
Private sector
The H.E. Butt Foundation American Red Cross Chemical Response, Inc.
Mundo Sustenable (Sustainable World)
Tribal The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas
Public involvement. From the outset, the public was engaged in development of the plan. Two members of the Val Verde County/City of Del Rio Local Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee served as liaisons to the public and stakeholders. Five Public Meetings were held to solicit input from the public in the development of the draft plan (Table 1-3).
Table 1 – 3. Open Public Meetings
Sponsor Location Date
Val Verde County Commissioners and Del Del Rio City Council June 29, 2004 Rio City Council Chambers Cover the Border Public Meeting Carrizo Springs Workforce June 8, 2010 Center Cover the Border Public Meeting Eagle Pass Workforce Center June 9, 2010
Cover the Border Public Meeting Uvalde Workforce Center June 10, 2010
Val Verde County Commissioners Court Commissioners Courtroom July 12, 2010 Public Hearing
The Val Verde County Commissioners and Del Rio City Council sponsored a public meeting in 2004 to obtain input from the public identifying issues and possible solutions. Coverage of the meeting was carried on Del Rio Live on June 30, 2004. A newspaper article by Gary Cooper appeared on June 30, 2004. It solicited input and provided a phone number for interested persons.
Three Cover the Border public meetings were held in June 2010 sponsored by the Rio Grande Institute in partnership with the Middle Rio Grande Development Council. In April 2010, an email site, [email protected], was established to obtain written comments and recommendations. The
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meetings and email address were announced in every major newspaper throughout the nine-county Middle Rio Grande region. The newspaper notices stated, in part: “…We are seeking public input into the development of the plan. Public comments will be sought on disasters of concern and recommendations for action to prevent future disaster damage. Public meetings will be held in three locations throughout the Region (locations and times identified)….Written comments from the public are also welcome. They may be submitted by email to [email protected] or in writing to the Middle Rio Grande Development Council…”
On July 12, 2010, the Val Verde County Commissioners Court held a Public Hearing at the County Courthouse on the plan. Notice for the public hearing was posted by the Val Verde County Commissioners Court on July 9, 2010. The Hazard Mitigation Plan was also on the Commissioners Court agenda for the November 8, 2010 meeting. At that time, it was announced that the draft plan was available for public review and comment.
A Hazards Survey of the Public was distributed to obtain structured feedback about hazards of concern and recommendations for mitigation action. Survey results are summarized in Appendix D and were used to assess risks and formulate mitigation actions.
The draft plan was completed October 15, 2010. Comments were received from the State Division of Emergency Management on February 20, 2011. The plan was revised on March 31, 2011 based on comments from the public and the state. It was resubmitted to the State on April 7, 2011. The draft plan was posted for public review and comment at the County Clerk’s Office and the County Library and posted on the websites of Val Verde County and the Rio Grande Institute (http://riogrande.org/disasters- trims-update/). Formal adoption by the Commissioners Court is pending Federal Emergency Management Agency approval of the plan (Attachment C) (forthcoming).
1.4.2. Hazard identification (Step 2) The Hazard Mitigation Planning Team completed the hazard identification and risk assessment process on October 15, 2010. The County used the following process to identify the eight hazards addressed in this plan:
• Developed Hazard Profile Worksheets.
• Conducted independent research and requested that stakeholders share existing hazard studies, plans, reports, and technical information (Appendix E)). These reports were reviewed and integrated into the plan. The Texas Water Development Board provided information on land and water bodies. The Middle Rio Grande Development Council and the Texas Natural Resources Information System provided Geographic Information System (GIS) information. The National Weather Service, U.S. Fire Administration, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provided information on previous disasters. The Texas Forest Service, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Railroad Commission provided risk maps and incident data. The International Boundary and Water Commission provided data on flood levels during Tropical Storm Alex. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the University of Texas Spatial Sciences Center provided flood insurance studies and GIS data. FEMA also provided data on participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. The
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State Comptroller provided economic data and the Texas State Data Center provided population data. A number of studies on the flood risk were also reviewed (see Section 5.2).
• Reviewed the State Mitigation Plan dated October 25, 2007 for information on State risks, strategies and programs.
• Profiled and ranked hazards based upon previous occurrences and probability of future events; spatial impact; and impact on people and property.
1.4.3. Risk assessment (Step 3) The following process was used to assess risks. The risk assessment process is described further in Section 5.1.3.
• Developed a description of general vulnerability of the region to the hazard events.
• Mapped those hazards that have a distinct geographic boundary utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) technology.
• Performed risk assessments for hazards using FEMA’s Hazards U.S. Model (HAZUS) and similar modeling techniques. Based on the results of the hazard identification and risk assessment, eight hazards were identified as priorities for mitigation action by the participating jurisdictions (see Sections 5.2 through 5.9).
1.4.4. Mitigation strategies (Step 4)
Val Verde County participated in the Cover the Border Mitigation Workshops held in June 2010 with participants and stakeholders throughout the Middle Rio Grande border region (Table 1-1). An inclusive and structured process was used to develop and prioritize mitigation actions, including:
• Formulated mitigation goals and objectives to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property.
• Developed optional mitigation actions based on review of plans and studies and interviews with Federal, state and local officials.
• Considered the benefits that would result from the mitigation actions versus the cost of those projects. Detailed cost-benefit analyses were beyond the scope of this plan. However, an economic evaluation was one factor that was used to select mitigation actions.
• Prioritized mitigation actions taking into consideration social, technical, administrative, political, legal, economic and environmental criteria. The priority of each action is identified in Chapter 6.
• Developed action plans identifying proposed actions, estimated costs and benefits, the responsible organization(s), implementation schedule, potential funding sources and impact on existing and new buildings.
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• Held a meeting on September 3, 2010 between Val Verde County officials and representatives of the State Division of Emergency Management and the Rio Grande Institute to discuss possible projects to mitigate damage from Tropical Storm Alex.
1.4.5. Implementation and Monitoring (Step 5)
Implementation. A formal process is in place to ensure that the Plan is implemented and remains an active and relevant document. The Emergency Management Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Plan on an annual basis. The County will be responsible for further implementing the mitigation action plans contained in Chapter 6. Each action has been assigned to a specific organization within the jurisdiction. The potential funding sources listed for each identified action may be used when the jurisdiction begins to seek funds to implement actions. An implementation time period or a specific implementation date also has been assigned to each action as an incentive for seeing the action through to completion and to gauge whether actions are implemented in a timely manner. Once adopted, copies of the plan will be submitted to the organizations responsible for developing studies reviewed as the plan was developed (see Appendix E). The organizations and plans are listed below. The organizations will be asked to incorporate the risk assessment findings and mitigation actions into future updates of their plans. This will help facilitate integration of the mitigation actions with local, state, regional, Federal and international policies and plans.
Emergency Management Plan for the City of Del Rio, Texas Emergency Management Plan for Val Verde County, Texas International Boundary and Water Commission Crisis Management Plan State Mitigation Plan, Texas Division of Emergency Management, October 25, 2007 Strategic Plan for the Middle Rio Grande Development Council, 2001 Amistad Master Plan, National Park Service, March 26, 2007 Good Neighbor Environmental Board Annual Report to the President and Congress Colonias Comprehenive Plan, Texas Department of Rural Affairs, Texas Community Development Program
Finally, this Hazard Mitigation Plan will become an appendix to the Val Verde County Emergency Management Plan. It will also be briefed to County officials and used as a guide for County decisions on growth and development in future County comprehensive plans and for funding decisions in the County’s capital improvements plan. This plan will also be considered in the development of any future County regulations. The County will conduct periodic reviews of all plans and policies and analyze the need for amendments in light of the approved hazard mitigation plan. The County will consider the Hazard Mitigation Plan and incorporate any mitigation actions into these plans, as appropriate.
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Evaluation and Update. Periodic revisions and updates of the Plan are required to ensure that the goals, objectives, and mitigation action plans are kept current. Revisions may be necessary to ensure that the Plan is in full compliance with Federal regulations and State statutes. The Emergency Management Coordinator is responsible for continually monitoring the plan and overseeing the evaluation, amendment and update of the document. The Emergency Management Coordinator will assess any changes in risk; determine whether implementation of mitigation actions is on schedule or if there are any implementation problems; and identify needed changes in the plan. Based on these discussions, the Emergency Management Coordinator will prepare a report which will serve as the basis for revision of the plan. The Hazard Mitigation Plan will be formally reviewed every five years to determine whether significant changes may have occurred that could affect the Plan. Increased development, increased exposure to certain hazards, the development of new mitigation capabilities or techniques, and revisions to federal or state legislation are examples of changes that may affect the currency of the plan. Criteria to be included in the evaluation will include, at a minimum, whether: the goals and objectives address current and expected conditions; the nature, magnitude, and/or type of risks have changed; there have been changes in land development; and the current resources are appropriate for implementing the plan. The Plan also will be revised to reflect lessons learned from any disasters or changing conditions resulting from disaster events. The 5-year review will begin in December, 2015 and be completed by December, 2016. The County will review each goal and objective to determine its continued relevance; determine if the risk assessment should be updated or modified; report on the status of each mitigation action; and assess whether the mitigation actions should be revised. The results will be summarized in a report.
Amendments. At any time, minor technical changes may be made to the plan to keep it up to date. However, any material changes to the mitigation actions or major changes in the overall direction of the plan or the policies contained within it must be subject to formal adoption by the Commissioners Court. Any amendment to the plan must undergo an open public process. The County will seek public input on any material change to the plan during a formal review and comment period of not less than 30 days. At the end of the comment period, the proposed amendments and all comments will be forwarded to the Commissioners Court. If no comments are received within the specified review period, this will also be noted. The Commissioners Court will then review the proposed amendment and comments received and vote to accept, reject, or amend the proposed change. Upon ratification, the amendment will be transmitted to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. In determining whether to recommend approval or denial of a plan amendment request, the following factors will be considered: errors or omissions made in the plan; new issues or needs that were not adequately addressed in the Plan; and changes in information, data, or assumptions on which the Plan was based.
Continued Public Involvement. Input from the public was an integral part of the preparation of this plan and will continue to be essential as the plan evolves over time. As noted above, a significant change to this plan will require an opportunity for the public to make its views known. Copies of the
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Plan will be kept for public review at the County Clerk’s Office and the Public Library and posted on the website of the Rio Grande Institute. Members of the public will be encouraged to comment on the plan and recommend changes. To make the public aware of the plan and the evaluation, update and amendment process, notices will be placed in the newspaper and on the Rio Grande Institute website. The [email protected] email address for comments will be maintained for continued public input. Once a year after adoption, the County Emergency Management Coordinator will notify the Commissioners Court in an open, public session that the plan is posted for public review and comments are welcome.
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2. Goals
The overall goal of this Hazard Mitigation Plan is to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of loss of life and property damage from the full range of disasters. The mitigation vision of a safe, secure, and sustainable County includes:
• Buildings located outside of hazardous areas and built to withstand the hazards that threaten them;
• An effective and sustainable public infrastructure;
• Informed citizens and active volunteers protecting their families, homes, workplaces, communities, and livelihoods from the effects of disasters;
• Mitigation actions tailored to the cultural and economic diversity in the Middle Rio Grande border region;
• Partnership among local, State and U.S. Federal and Mexican governments, nonprofit agencies, business, and individuals focused on reducing the loss of life and property from disasters; and
• Effective cross-border communication and coordination.
The goals and objective of this plan include: GOAL 1 Heighten public awareness. Objective 1.1 Heighten public awareness of hazards and actions that can be taken to reduce the loss of life or property.
Objective 1.2 Publicize and encourage appropriate hazard mitigation measures.
GOAL 2 Protect public health and safety. Objective 2.1 Ensure that an adequate infrastructure is in place to protect public health and safety. Objective 2.2 Establish a Geographic Information System (GIS) -based flood warning system.
Objective 2.3 Protect critical facilities and services.
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GOAL 3 Protect existing and new properties.
Objective 3.1 Reduce repetitive losses.
Objective 3.2 Ensure that development will not put people in harm’s way or increase threats to existing properties.
Objective 3.3. Acquire floodprone properties when economically feasible and encourage open space development.
GOAL 4 Maximize insurance coverage to provide financial protection against hazard events.
GOAL 5 Build and support transboundary hazard mitigation capability.
Objective 5.1 Develop a comprehensive, geo-coded database of hazards in Mexico that may impact U.S. lives and property.
Objective 5.2 Build and support local, regional, national and international partnerships.
Objective 5.3 Enhance communication and cooperation with “sister” jurisdictions in Mexico.
Figure 2-1. Val Verde County Courthouse Source: TexasCourthouses.com
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3. Description of the County
3.1. Geography
Val Verde is a rural county consisting of 3,150 square miles of territory in southwestern Texas on the Mexican border. Most of the county consists of rough hilly Chihuahuan desert, with numerous canyons, draws, washes and gullies. Val Verde County is considered to be the easternmost part of the Chihuahuan Desert in Texas. It is also considered to be the eastern border of what’s known as the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. Del Rio, the county seat, is 154 miles west of San Antonio. The center of the county is at 29°58' north latitude and 101°09' west longitude.
Vegetation consists of a riparian, thornscrub variety, with many varieties of succulents and cacti such as sotol and lechugilla, and prairie type grammas grasses. Trees and shrubs tend to consist of creosote and mesquite although in some areas live oak and pinion occur as well. Vegetation in the western and central sections of the county consists of desert shrub savanna. The extreme eastern part contains juniper, oak, and mesquite savanna.
Major highways include US 90, running horizontally along the southern portion of the county, paralleling the Rio Grande along counties southern border, west of Del Rio. State Highway 277 runs vertically from Del Rio towards Sonora in the eastern part of the county. Running vertically from the town of Comstock is TX163 that leads thru the town of Juno up to IH10. Just outside of Juno is CR1024 that leads to the hamlet of Pandale.
The county also contains many rivers (Pecos, Devils, Dry Devils), creeks (Carruthers, Buffalo, etc.), and springs (Carrizzo) that empty into the Rio Grande, which in turn empties into the Lake Amistad (Friendship) International Reservoir just west of Del Rio. Numerous creeks, which remain dry most of the year, provide drainage during floods and empty into the Pecos and Devils rivers. The Pecos flows into the Rio Grande in southwestern Val Verde County, and the Devils flows into Amistad Reservoir, on the dammed Rio Grande above Del Rio.
Although a part of the county extends west of the Pecos River, more than two-thirds of it is in the Edwards Plateau. Val Verde County is comprised of sharply dissected massive limestone, which underlies flat terrain. Fresh water is supplied from an aquifer in the various limestone formations, which receive their recharge from counties to the north. In early times numerous springs flowed in the area, but heavy well pumping has decreased their yields.
There are numerous public water systems throughout the county that draw water from the Edwards- Trinity Plateau Aquifer. These systems serve the communities of Comstock and Langtry as well as the many small subdivisions or colonias. Val Verde County consists of an arid semi desert region with little natural surface water impoundment. Amistad Dam was completed in 1969 by a cooperative effort between the United States and Mexico and impounds the waters of the Rio Grande, Devils, and Pecos Rivers into a reservoir known as Amistad Lake. Amistad Lake is located 12 miles west of Del Rio off
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Hwy 90 but is not used as a water supply for the county other than the unregulated watering of livestock along its shores.
The City of Del Rio draws its water from San Felipe Springs and municipal wells that extend into the Edwards-Trinity Plateau Aquifer. The municipal water system is overseen by the Water Wastewater Division of the city with a water plant capable of producing 17 million gallons of Chlorine and Fluoride treated water daily. There are 6 water storage sites supplied by the municipal water system with a total capacity of 8.9 million gallons. This system also supplies water to the Laughlin Air Force Base water system. The city water distribution system covers the entire city and has been extended into the areas known as Cienegas and Val Verde Park Estates that adjoin the city. The majority of this system is gridded and it supplies over 900 fire hydrants. 3.2. Climate
Rainfall in the county averages 17.20 inches per year compared to the Texas average of 21.0 inches per year. The rainy season tends to occur in late May, early June, with rainfall tapering off towards the end of June. This seasonal rainfall contributes the largest percentage to the year’s annual rainfall. During this period severe storms usually sweep from West to East, often bringing high winds, damaging hail, and tornadic activity. The potential for multi inch-rainfall makes flash flooding a dangerously common possibility in May/June. The average growing season in Val Verde County is 300 days with the average first freeze generally occurring around Dec 9th. Temperatures tend to range from mild to hot, with 60 degree lows in April, 70 degree lows in May and 80 degree lows in June. Temperature averages vary from 35° F in January to 97° in July. Average rainfall is seventeen inches per year. 3.3. Topography
The county is a plateau cut by many arroyos and canyons, giving deep relief to the topography. Soils are dark, calcareous stony clays and clay loams. Vegetation in the western and central sections of the county consists of desert shrub savanna. The extreme eastern part contains juniper, oak, and mesquite savanna. Altitudes vary from 2,248 to 2,925 feet above sea level.
3.4. History
The community of San Felipe was settled on San Felipe Creek in 1868. The community was sometimes called San Felipe Del Rio (for its proximity to the Rio Grande) to distinguish it from the San Felipe of Austin's colony, and the post office, named Del Rio, was opened in 1872. Val Verde County was organized from Crockett, Kinney, and Pecos counties in 1885. Its name, which is Spanish for "green valley," came from a Civil War battle. Del Rio became the county seat. By 1900 the county had 5,263 inhabitants. Herding continued as the focus of Val Verde agriculture. During the 1920s two dams were built on the lower Devils River to store water for power generation and for recreation. They were Devils Lake, also called Lake Hamilton, and Lake Walk. Both were inundated by Amistad Reservoir
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when its earthfill and concrete dam was completed on the Rio Grande twelve miles northwest of Del Rio in November 1969.1
3.5. Population
According to the office of the Texas Comptroller, the 2008 population of Val Verde County was 48,053, up 0.7 percent from 2007. The largest town was Del Rio, population 36,682. It consists of 19.1 percent Whites, 78.3 percent Hispanics and 1.2 percent Blacks. Residents under 20 years of age constituted 32.9 percent of the total as compared to 16.2 percent who were 65 years old and over. Enrollment in public education was 10,323 in 14 schools.2 The Texas State Demographer mid-range population projections show steadily increasing total population in Val Verde County through 2040 (Table 3-1).3
Table 3-1. Population Projections Val Verde County YEAR TOTAL ANGLO BLACK HISPANIC OTHER 2010 52,125 10,307 696 40,608 514 2015 55,677 10,360 703 44,072 542 2020 58,901 10,345 714 47,266 576 2025 62,003 10,333 718 50,352 600 2030 64,951 10,232 700 53,395 624 2035 67,685 10,073 682 56,287 643 2040 70,021 9,852 637 58,878 654
The 2000 census documented several characteristics of the county’s population:4
• Residents born in the United States---74.6 percent • Residents who speak English only at home—30.1 percent • Residents who speak another language at home who speak English less than “very well”—30.1 percent • Residents 25 years of age and older who have less than 9th grade education—27.2 percent • Residents 21 to 64 years of age with a disability—22.6 percent • Residents 16 years of age and older in the labor force—56.8 percent • Residents below poverty threshold—26.1 percent • Housing structures lacking complete plumbing facilities—1.5 percent
There are 11 colonias in Val Verde County with a population of 3,467 in 19965. Colonias are often located isolated and/or marginal areas lacking basic services and with a significant
1 The preceding sections were excerpted from “The Handbook of Texas Online,” Texas State Historical Association: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/VV/hcv1.html
2 Texas Comptroller http://www.texasahead.org/texasedge/run_report.html 3 http://txsdc.utsa.edu/tpepp/2008projections/2008_txpopprj_cntytotnum.php 4 http://txsdc.utsa.edu/data/census/2000/dp2_4/pdf/ 5 State Comptroller, Bordering the Future: Challenge and Opportunity in the Texas Border Region, 1998
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exposure to flooding and other hazards. Colonias consistently lag behind the rest of the County and the State economically. The rate of flood insurance is extremely low. Residents often avoid local officials. Therefore, in their communities, engaging the colonias population in mitigation is a special challenge.
3.6. Economy and income
The State Comptroller’s office provides economic statistics for Val Verde County:
• June 2010 total employment—19,616 • June 2010 unemployment rate—8.6 percent • Per capita income in 2008--$27,244 (as compared to $37,809 for all of Texas) • Largest employers as of 2008
1. Government—27.9 percent 2. Education and health services —15.6 percent 3. Retail trade—12.0 percent 4. Manufacturing—10.1 percent
The characteristics of the population and the economy offer unique challenges for mitigation planning and will be an important part of this mitigation plan.
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4. Assets at Risk
4.1. Study area definition
This plan covers the unincorporated areas of Val Verde County. To provide a more comprehensive assessment, it also presents data for the City of Del Rio which is covered by a separate plan.
Hazard identification consists of (1) defining the study area in terms of scale and coverage; and (2) describing the inventory of people and property assets located within that area; and (3) collecting and compiling a list of prevalent hazards in the study area to help narrow the focus of the analysis.
Figure 4-1 illustrates the extent of the study area for Val Verde County, as well as the population density distribution (based on Census 2000). Table 4-1 provides a numeric breakdown of the population by jurisdiction, including those with potential special needs.
Table 4-1. Population Distribution by Jurisdiction
Special Needs Population Total Population Jurisdiction (2000) Elderly Low Income (Over 65) (
Val Verde County 10,989 909 1,056 Del Rio 33,867 3,919 4,038 Source: Middle Rio Grande Development Council; HAZUS-MH
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Figure 4-1. Population Density Distribution Map for Val Verde County
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4.2. Assets at risk
The demographic and building stock inventory data derived from HAZUS-MH MR4 (Version 1.4, August 2009) forms the basis of the risk assessment presented in this report. Table 4-2 provides building count and the total estimated dollar exposure (i.e., replacement value) according to key occupancy classes for each participating jurisdiction.
Table 4-2. Building Distribution by Key Occupancy by Jurisdiction (2006 Valuations)
Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Other Buildings Total (All Buildings) Jurisdiction Number Value Number Value Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 4,793 $347,756,000 107 $41,116,000 63 $38,751,000 4,963 $427,623,000 Del Rio 12,468 $1,036,271,000 652 $224,791,000 244 $99,222,000 13,364 $1,360,284,000 Source: HAZUS-MH
4.3. Critical facilities and infrastructure
Table 4.3 includes the amount (kilometers) of oil and gas pipelines, highways and railways; and the number of hazardous materials sites (i.e., includes georeferenced TRI and Tier II sites) in the study area according to data made available through the Railroad Commission of Texas, HAZUS-MH and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Table 4-3. Infrastructure, Lifelines, and Hazardous Materials by Jurisdiction
Hazardous Materials Infrastructure and Lifelines Facilities Jurisdiction Gas Pipeline Oil Pipeline (km)* Highway (km)** Railroad (km)** Number of Sites (km)*
Val Verde County 0 244.18 363.04 160.05 82 Del Rio 0 .11 34.4 11.34 3 *Source: Railroad Commission of Texas **Source: HAZUS-MH ***Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Table 4-4 provides a list of the critical facilities that were included in the risk assessment as generated by HAZUS-MH). Geographic coordinates (i.e., latitude and longitude) were used to determine the location of each critical facility within each jurisdiction. Figures 4-2 and 4-3 illustrate the location of critical facilities in Val Verde County and Del Rio, respectively, in the HAZUS-MH database.
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Table 4-4. Critical Facilities in Val Verde County Generated by HAZUS-MH
Jurisdiction Name Type Replacement Value
Val Verde County COMSTOCK SCHOOL School $2,425,000 Val Verde County SAN FELIPE DEL RIO CISD Police Station $1,246,000 Val Verde County VAL VERDE COUNTY SHERIFF Police Station $2,800,000 Del Rio EAGLE ACADEMY OF DEL RIO School $965,000 Del Rio BUENA VISTA EL School $9,194,000 Del Rio DEL RIO H S School $39,396,000 Del Rio GARFIELD EL School $10,845,000 Del Rio MARION RUSSELL MIDDLE School $10,697,000 Del Rio NORTH HEIGHTS EL School $5,611,000 Del Rio DEL RIO FRESHMAN SCHOOL School $11,544,000 Del Rio RUBEN CHAVIRA ELEMENTARY School $7,015,000 Del Rio JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER School $1,549,000 Del Rio EAST SIDE EL School $6,272,000 Del Rio DR FERMIN CALDERON ELEMENTARY School $10,705,000 Del Rio DEL RIO MIDDLE SCHOOL School $27,746,000 Del Rio IRENE C CARDWELL ELEMENTARY School $6,387,000 Del Rio LAMAR EL School $5,364,000 Del Rio DR LONNIE GREEN JR ELEMENTARY School $10,680,000 Del Rio SACRED HEART SCHOOL School $2,395,000 Del Rio ST JAMES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL School $1,496,000 Del Rio AMISTAD CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL School $152,000 Del Rio THE BIBLE WAY CHRISTIAN ACADEM School $2,068,000 Del Rio VAL VERDE COUNTY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. Fire Station $0 Del Rio LAUGHLIN AFB FIRE DEPARTMENT Fire Station $0 Del Rio DEL RIO FIRE & RESCUE Fire Station $0 Del Rio VAL VERDE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER Hospital $15,854,000 Del Rio POLICE DEPT-WARRANT OFFICER Police Station $1,246,000 Del Rio POLICE DEPT-DETECTIVE DIVISION Police Station $1,246,000 Del Rio VAL VERDE COUNTY SHERIFF Police Station $1,246,000 Del Rio DEL RIO INTL Airport $10,651,000 Source: HAZUS-MH Table 4-4. Other Critical Facilities in Val Verde County (not included in HAZUS-MH)
Jurisdiction Name Type Replacement Value
Val Verde County 1400-bed Geo Val Verde Correctional Facility Prison To be determined
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Figure 4-2. Critical Facilities in Val Verde County Generated by HAZUS-MH
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Figure 4-3. Critical Facilities in Del Rio Generated by HAZUS-MH
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5. Risk Assessment
5.1. Introduction
5.1.1. Hazards addressed in the plan
Val Verde County is subject to frequent disasters. Flooding has been the primary hazard. Other weather-related hazards such as thunderstorms, drought, wildland fire and tornadoes are frequent occurrences. In addition, man-caused hazards ranging from dam failure, hazardous materials incidents to fuel pipeline failures threaten residents.
Val Verde County is also subject to transboundary risks that threaten lives, property and the natural environment across the border in either direction. These include natural disasters or catastrophic accidents which pose a threat to the Sister Cities of Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna and the region or that may affect one city or region to the extent assistance is necessary from the other city or region.
The Hazard Mitigation Planning Team used a formal process to identify the potential to impact the participating jurisdictions. This process is described in the sections below. Based on input such as historical data, public perception, and technical requirements, the following eight hazards were considered for analysis:
• Severe thunderstorms • Flooding • Hazardous materials incidents • Wildland fire • Drought • Tornadoes • Fuel pipeline failure • Dam failure
5.1.2. Presidential disaster declarations
Of the 1,938 major disaster declarations in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and eight U.S. territories between 1953 and October 2010, the State of Texas claims the highest number of Presidential Disaster Declarations, at 84, for any state or territory.
Since 1953, Val Verde County has experienced a total of five disaster declarations, shown in Table 5-1. The county has also experienced additional emergencies and disasters that were not severe enough to require federal disaster relief through a Presidential declaration.
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Table 5-1. Presidential Disaster Declarations for Val Verde County, 1953–2010
Declaration Declaration Event Date Number
Hurricane Alex 08/03/2010 1931 Texas Wildfires (Emergency Declaration) 03/14/2008 3284 Extreme Wildfire Threat 01/11/2006 1624
Hurricane Rita (statewide Emergency Declaration which did not directly affect Val Verde County) 09/24/2005 1606 Tropical Storm Charley 08/30/1998 1239 Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency
A careful examination of hazard event profiles relevant to the Val Verde County area serves to define historic hazard trends and provides a reference point for understanding the potential impacts from future predicted events. Reviewing historic data assists in evaluating hazard event profiles, which focus on answering the following questions: What? Where? How often? How bad? The remainder of this chapter includes a discussion of the risk assessment process, review of potential hazard exposure, historical frequency of occurrence and/or loss or damage estimates for Val Verde County and its incorporated jurisdictions.
5.1.3. Risk Assessment process
Risk is the probability of occurrence multiplied by the consequences. Loss estimates provided herein used available data, and the methodologies applied resulted in an approximation of risk. These estimates should be used to understand relative risk from hazards and potential losses. Uncertainties are inherent in any loss estimation methodology, arising in part from incomplete scientific knowledge concerning natural hazards and their effects on the built environment. Uncertainties also result from approximations and simplifications that are necessary for a comprehensive and cost-effective analysis (e.g., incomplete inventories, demographics or economic parameters).
It is important to note that loss estimates calculated for this risk assessment using available data and methodologies are approximate. These estimates should be used to understand relative risk from hazards and potential losses and are not intended to be predictive of precise results. Uncertainties are inherent in any loss estimation methodology arising in part from incomplete scientific knowledge concerning natural hazards and their effects on the built environment. Uncertainties also result from approximations and simplifications that are necessary for a comprehensive and cost-effective analysis (e.g., incomplete or outdated inventory, or demographic or economic parameter data). These factors can result in a range of uncertainty in loss estimates produced by this analysis, possibly at a factor of two or more.
Identification of hazards. The eight hazards addressed in this plan were selected using the multi-step process described below. The Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment process was conducted by AECOM Engineering. The Hazard Mitigation Planning Team started this risk assessment
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on April 2, 2010 and completed it on October 15, 2010. The Team first identified prevalent natural and human-caused hazards of concern. The Team reviewed:
• State Hazard Profile Worksheets and Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Worksheets developed by the Val Verde County Mitigation Planning Committee.
• History of Presidential Disaster Declarations in the County;
• Existing studies, plans, reports, and technical information from FEMA, the International Boundary and Water Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fire Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Texas Water Development Board, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Texas Geographic Society for data on potential hazards and information to aid in the risk assessment;
• The State Hazard Mitigation Plan, which provides an overview of hazards of concern to the state, assesses risk, and establishes state priorities for mitigation actions to be undertaken; and
Risk assessment. To assess risks, the Team:
• Screened a full range of natural and man-caused hazards that could affect the County.
• Profiled hazard events, providing information on previous occurrences and probability of future hazard events; extent of spatial impact; and magnitude of impact on people and property.
• Developed a description of general vulnerability of the region to the hazard events.
• Conducted an inventory of assets at risk in terms of buildings and critical facilities, lifelines and infrastructure utilizing data in FEMA’s Hazards United States-Multi-Hazards (HAZUS-MH) model.
• Mapped those hazards that have a distinct geographic boundary utilizing Geographic Information System technology.
• Performed risk assessments for selected hazards using FEMA’s two distinct methodologies, utilizing HZUS-MH, FEMA’s loss estimation software, and a statistical risk assessment methodology. Each approach provides estimates for the potential impact by using a common, systematic framework for evaluation.
• Ranked the hazards in terms of the exposure, annualized losses or annualized loss ratios depending upon the available data.
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5.1.4. Loss estimates
The risk assessment was conducted with two distinct methodologies, utilizing Hazards United States Multi-Hazards (HAZUS-MH), FEMA’s loss estimation software, and a statistical risk assessment methodology. Each approach provides estimates for the potential impact by using a common, systematic framework for evaluation.
The HAZUS-MH risk assessment methodology is parametric, in that distinct hazard and inventory parameters (wind speed and building types) were modeled using the HAZUS-MH software to determine the impact (damages and losses) on the built environment. The HAZUS-MH software was used to estimate losses from flood, hurricane wind and levee/dam failure hazards.
The statistical risk assessment methodology was applied to analyze hazards of concern that were outside the scope of the HAZUS-MH software. The HAZUS-MH driven methodology uses a statistical approach and mathematical modeling of risk to predict a hazard’s frequency of occurrence and estimated impacts based on recorded or historic damage information. Below is a brief description of both approaches.
HAZUS-MH. HAZUS-MH is FEMA’s standardized loss estimation software program built upon an integrated geographic information system (GIS) platform. This risk assessment applied HAZUS-MH to produce profiles and estimate losses for three hazards. At the time this analysis was completed, HAZUS-MH MR-4 (Version 1.4) was used to estimate potential losses from flood, hurricane wind and levee/dam failure hazards using HAZUS-MH default building stock inventory data. The default inventory data included in HAZUS-MH was also used as the primary source for identifying assets and quantifying exposure for other hazards. Existing local critical facility data was reviewed, but it was determined that there are some facilities for which georeferenced points must be verified. The Texas Natural Resource and Information System (TNRIS) is in the process of updating the local critical facility list. This data could be used in the next plan update of this mitigation plan.
The Hazards U.S. – Multi-Hazard (HAZUS-MH) software was used to estimate losses from flood hazards. A similar statistical risk assessment methodology was applied to analyze hazards outside the scope of the HAZUS-MH software. The HAZUS-MH methodology uses a statistical approach and mathematical modeling of risk to predict a hazard’s frequency of occurrence and estimated impacts based on recorded or historic damage information.
Statistical risk assessment methodology. Risks associated with other hazards were analyzed using a statistical assessment methodology. Historical data for each hazard were used. Manual calculations were used to perform the statistical risk assessment methodology. It involved:
1. Compilation of data from the following sources; 2. Adjustment of the data for inflation, population growth and distribution; 3. Identification of patterns in frequency, intensity, vulnerability and loss; 4. Identification of patterns and development of annualized loss estimates.
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The economic loss results are presented here using two interrelated risk indicators, depending upon available data:
• The Annualized Loss (AL), which is the estimated average value of losses to property in any single year;
• The Annualized Loss Ratio (ALR), which expresses estimated annualized loss as a fraction of the replacement value of local inventory, normalized by property replacement value. The ratio is calculated using the following formula:
ALR = Annualized Losses / Total Exposure
The annualized loss ratio gauges the relationship between average annualized loss and replacement value. This ratio can be used as a measure of vulnerability in the areas and, since it is normalized by replacement value, it can be directly compared across different geographic units such as metropolitan areas or counties.
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5.1.5. Hazard profiles
The eight hazards addressed in this plan differ in important ways, such as in their predictability, length of warning time, speed of onset, magnitude, scope, duration of impact, and possibilities of secondary impacts. At the Mitigation Workshops, Val Verde County officials assessed the probability of future occurrence, spatial impact and severity of impact of each hazard. The information helped identify hazards to be addressed and determine which mitigation measures should be adopted. Definitions are:
Probability of Future Events. The probability of future occurrence, or chance of occurrence, is defined using four rankings (Table 5-2).
Table 5-2. Probability of Future Events Highly likely An event probable in next year Likely An event probable in next 2-3 years Possible An event possible in next 4-5 years Unlikely An event is unlikely in the next 10 years
Spatial Extent. The spatial extent of the hazard is defined in Table 5-3.
Table 5-3. Spatial Extent
Large Expected to affect more than 50% of people and/or property
Moderate Expected to affect 25% to 50% of people and/or property
Limited Expected to affect 10% to 25% of people and/or property
Minimal Expected to affect less than 10% of people and/or property
Severity of Impact. The severity of impact is defined in Table 5-4.
Table 5-4. Severity of Impact
Percent Property Deaths/Injuries Shutdown of Facilities Destroyed
Catastrophic High number of Complete shutdown for 30 More than 50% damaged injuries and deaths days or more or destroyed
Critical Multiple deaths or Complete shutdown for a 25% to 50% of property injuries week to 30 days damaged or destroyed
Limited Minor injuries only Complete shutdown of 10% to 25% of property facilities for 1 day to 1 week damaged or destroyed
Minor Few if any injuries Shutdown of facilities only Less than 10% of property temporary damaged or destroyed
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At the Mitigation Workshops, Val Verde County profiled the eight hazards shown in Table 5-5. Each of these hazards is addressed in Sections 5.2 through 5.9. These profiles were based on experience and perception of risk provided by local officials during the Kickoff and Mitigation Workshops in April and June, 2010, respectively. The profiles were subsequently refined based upon Geographic Information System modeling results and other, more formal analyses conducted by AECOM Engineering (see Sections 5.2 through 5.9).
Table 5-5. Hazard profiles (based on local perceptions of risk prior to engineering analyses) Val Verde County Probability of Severity of Hazard Occurrence Spatial Extent Impact Severe thunderstorm Highly likely Moderate Limited
Flooding Highly likely Limited Critical
Hazardous materials Highly likely Moderate Critical incidents – fixed and mobile
Wildland fire Likely Moderate Minor
Drought Possible Large Minor
Tornadoes Unlikely Limited Limited
Fuel pipeline failure Possible Minimal Critical
Dam failure Unlikely Limited Critical
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5.2. Severe Thunderstorms
5.2.1. Description of the hazard
Severe thunderstorms are the most likely of hazards to impact Val Verde County, although the impact is expected to be limited to minimal damage. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), thunderstorms form when clouds develop sufficient upward motion and are cold enough to generate and separate electrical charges within a cloud, most typically a cumulonimbus cloud.
Hail often accompanies thunderstorms. Ice crystals form within a low-pressure front due to warm air rising rapidly into the upper atmosphere and the subsequent cooling of the air mass. Frozen droplets gradually accumulate on the ice crystals until, having developed sufficient weight, they fall as precipitation. The size of hailstones is a direct function of the severity and size of the storm.
Lightning is another threat that often accompanies thunderstorms. Lighting is generated by the buildup of charged ions in a thundercloud, and the discharge of a lightning bolt interacts with the best conducting object or surface on the ground. The air channel of a lightning strike reaches temperatures higher than 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The rapid heating and cooling of the air near the channel causes a shock wave, which produces thunder.
5.2.2. Measurement
There is no single measurement for thunderstorms. By definition, the National Weather Service classifies a thunderstorm as severe if it contains hail of three-quarter inches or larger, and/or wind gusts of 58 mph or higher, and/or a tornado. Wind damage is measured on the Beaufort scale; hailstorms are classified according to the combine National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/TORRO Hailstorm Intensity Scales. A severe thunderstorm would constitute a disaster for Val Verde County. 5.2.3 Previous occurrences
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there were 23 thunderstorms reported in Val Verde County with winds of over 60 knots between July 1969 and September 2010 (Table 5-6). Many others may have occurred but were not reported.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also reports 219 occasions between May 1956 and June 2010 on which hail of at least 0.75 inches diameter fell on Val Verde County. The largest hail recorded was 5.0 inches in diameter which fell on May 10, 1957 in the county at large. Hail of 4.5 inches was recorded three different times. There are no NOAA records of lightning storms in Val Verde County.
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Table 5-6. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WINDS OF AT LEAST 60 KNOTS (KTS.) JULY 1969 – SEPTEMBER 2009 VAL VERDE COUNTY Property Location Date Magnitude Damage Crop Damage $0 County 7/27/1969 60 kts. $0 $0 County 4/18/1972 69kts. $0 $0 County 5/3/1980 76 kts. $0 $0 County 5/5/1982 61 kts. $0 $0 County 5/11/1982 63 kts. $0 $0 County 3/25/1983 63 kts. $0 $0 County 10/8/1983 63 kts. $0 $0 County 9/29/1985 65 kts. $0 $0 County 5/20/1987 60 kts. $0 $0 County 4/25/1990 98 kts. $0 $0 County 5/12/1991 69 kts. $0 $0 County 9/20/1992 61 kts. $0 $5,000 Laughlin AFB 4/15/1994 62 kts. $5,000 $1,000 Lake Amistad 6/23/1994 66 kts. $1,000 $0 Laughlin AFB 3/12/1995 61 kts. $0 $0 Juno 6/10/1995 61 kts. $0 $40,000 Del Rio 7/23/2003 60 kts. $0 $20,000 Del Rio 9/11/2003 60 kts. $0 $25,000 Comstock 5/27/2004 60 kts. $0 $0 Laughlin AFB 6/21/2004 70 kts. $0 $0 Del Rio 5/25/2007 65 kts. $0 $2,000 Langtry 9/20/2009 60 kts. $0 Del Rio 9/20/2009 61 kts. $0 $0 Total $93,000 $6,000
Source: NOAA Satellite and Information Service
5.2.4. Geographic areas affected
A thunderstorm can occur anywhere in the County. There is no geographic boundary for thunderstorm events.
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5.2.5. Probability of future disasters
A severe thunderstorm is highly likely, with an event probable in the next year.
5.2.6. Vulnerability
It cannot be predicted where a severe thunderstorm will occur. All the population, buildings, critical facilities, infrastructure and lifelines, and hazardous materials facilities in Val Verde County are considered exposed to the hazard and could potentially be impacted.
5.2.7. Potential impact
A severe thunderstorm is expected to cover a wide geographic area. The spatial extent (i.e., how large an area potentially affected) is expected to be moderate, affecting 25 – 50% of people and/or property. Severity of impact (i.e., severity of damage within the affected area), however, is expected to be limited to damage to 10 - 25% of property.
No estimate is available of the economic damages to Val Verde County from severe thunderstorms. Winds in excess of 58 miles per hour can break or uproot trees, damage roofs and cause considerable structural damage. Hail of .75 inches in diameter is too small to cause personal injury or serious property damage, except to crops. However, extreme hailstones can total cars, ruin roofs, break windows, damage shutters, kill animals and seriously hurt or kill humans. There may be a temporary shutdown of facilities.
Lightning damage can result in electrocution of humans and animals; vaporization of materials along the path of the strike; fire caused by the high temperature produced by the strike, and a sudden power surge that can damage electrical and electronic equipment, including on electric utility substations and distribution lines. While property damage is the major hazard associated with lightning, it should be noted that lightning strikes kill nearly 100 people each year in the United States.
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5.3. Flooding
5.3.1. Description of the hazard
Floods are the County’s most frequent and costly disasters. Flooding ranges from riverine flooding along the Rio Grande River, rains from degraded tropical systems that can overflow reservoirs on the U.S. or Mexican side of the border, flash flooding to localized flooding due to inadequate drainage systems and overflow of shallow floodplains. Hurricanes and tropical storms are not a direct threat to the County and therefore are not addressed as a hazard in this plan. However, flooding may be due to torrential rainfall associated with the remnants of degraded hurricanes or tropical storms which may stall in Mexico or the U.S. and threaten inland areas. Flooding may also be due to severe local thunderstorms of short duration and more routine storms lasting several days. These events sometimes cause heavy run-off from the surrounding terrain resulting in severe flooding along local waterways.
Flooding can be dangerous to vehicle drivers and pedestrians, who may be swept away as they try to cross flooded areas. Flooding can cause severe damage to buildings and disrupt transportation systems, critical utilities (water, sanitary sewers, electricity, data networks, and communications), commerce, and emergency services. Flooding-related health hazards include exposure to raw sewage, bacteria, mold, and viruses. The capital damages to building structures and their contents can be severe, in addition to lost revenue, decreased productivity, delays and drains on resources due to clean-up, and expenses to rebuild. Adverse impacts can result from utility outages and damage to critical facilities.
Riverine Flooding. Riverine flooding is the overbank flooding of rivers and streams. Both natural and inevitable, such flooding typically results from large-scale weather systems that generate prolonged rainfall over a wide geographic area. Some river floods occur seasonally when rainfall fills river basins with too much water. Torrential rains from decaying hurricanes or tropical systems can also produce river flooding.
Flooding from Degraded Tropical Systems. Hurricanes and tropical storms also can fill reservoirs, carry floodwaters from upstream in the Rio Grande River or its tributaries and bring floods. Val Verde County is not immune to the death and destruction that such flooding can bring. Indeed, almost 60 percent of deaths in the U.S. from tropical cyclones have been from inland freshwater flooding. Val Verde County is generally far enough inland not be affected by the brunt of hurricane force winds. However, torrential rains resulting from the hurricane can certainly affect the community. Tropical Storms that affect the County area are the remnants of Gulf Coast hurricanes that have made landfall and have been downgraded. These storms have generally made landfall somewhere between the Matagorda Bay area and just south of the Corpus Christi area. As the warm gulf air of the tropical event meets the cooler air of the region, torrential rain is generally the result.
Flash Flooding. Most flash flooding is caused by slow-moving thunderstorms, by thunderstorms repeatedly moving over the same area, or by heavy rains from hurricanes and tropical
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storms. Flash floods can occur within a few minutes or after hours of excessive rainfall, often with minimal warning.
Flash flooding can pose a deadly danger to residents of Val Verde County. A number of roads run through low-lying areas that are prone to sudden and frequent flooding during heavy rain. Motorists often attempt to drive through barricaded or flooded roadways. Only 18-to-24-inches of water moving across a roadway is enough to carry away most vehicles. Floating cars easily get swept downstream, making rescues difficult and dangerous.
Local Drainage. County drainage systems are challenged by inadequate funding and development pushing homes and businesses into floodplains. Flooding occurs when land loses its ability to absorb rainfall after being developed into roads, buildings, or parking lots. Urbanization changes the natural hydrologic systems of a basin, increasing runoff two to six times over what would occur on natural terrain. During periods of urban flooding, streets can become swift moving rivers, while highway underpasses can become death traps as they fill with water.
5.3.2. Measurement
Val Verde County’s flood risk was measured using engineering analyses presented on the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The maps identify Special Flood Hazard Areas showing the “100-year” or Base Floodplain, which have a 1-percent chance of a flood in any one year and the “500-year” floodplain. For purposes of this plan, a 10-year or greater flood would constitute a disaster due to estimated losses.
5.3.3. Previous occurrences
Torrential rains caused widespread damage resulting in Presidential Disaster Declarations during Tropical Storm Charlie in August, 1998 (DR 1239) and Hurricane Alex in August, 2010 (DR 1931). Table 5-7 lists flood events. The most deadly flood in Val Verde County occurred in 1998 when Tropical Storm Charley moved up from the Gulf of Mexico and sat on top of the city delivering between 17 and 21 inches of rain to various parts of Del Rio causing flooding in the 500 year flood plain. The most recent damage occurred when 10 – 20 inches of rain to the upper Rio Grande basin and mountains, from Hurricane Alex was followed by Tropical Depression number 2, bringing additional significant rain to the basin. The 14 day rain total was 200 – 400 percent of normal. Excessive rainfall inundated the tributaries of the Rio Grande and resulted in large releases from Amistad Dam, flooding downstream areas.
Table 5-7. FLOODS JANUARY 1995-FEBRUARY 2010 VAL VERDE COUNTY Year Number Deaths Injuries Property Damage Crop Damage 1995 2 0 0 $50,000 $10,000 1996 4 0 0 $11,000 $0 1997* 6 0 2 $165,000 $0
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Table 5-7. FLOODS JANUARY 1995-FEBRUARY 2010 VAL VERDE COUNTY 1998* 8 9 155 $40,135,000 $120,000 1999 4 0 0 $26,000 $0 2000* 6 0 0 $63,000 $0 2001 5 0 0 $35,000 $0 2002 4 0 0 $100,000 $0 2003 6 0 0 $153,000 $0 2004* 25 0 0 $10,000 $0 2005 10 0 0 $0 $0 2006 3 0 0 $0 $0 2007* 21 0 0 $60,000 $0 2008 6 0 0 $1,000,000 $0 2009 3 0 0 $0 $0 TOTAL 113 9 157 $41,808,000 $130,000 *All were flash floods except for one in 1997, 2000, and 2008, two in 1998, and 7 in 2004 and 2007 Note: Each day of a multi-day flood is counted separately Source: NOAA Satellite and Information Service
5.3.4. Geographic areas affected
In August, 2009, a digital, county-wide Flood Insurance Rate Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It was adopted by Val Verde County and became effective on July 22, 2010. Although it is digital format, the new map is a scanned version of the previous out of date flood maps and does not accurately portray the true flood risk. Additional flood studies are critically needed.
In order to assess flood risk, flood hazard areas were delineated using the latest digital flood data for Val Verde County (effective Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map of July 22, 2010). Figures 5-1a, 5-1b and 5-2 depict the Special Flood Hazard Areas (the 100-year flood) where there is potential for damage to property and loss of life in Val Verde County, the Los Campos Colonia and Del Rio, respectively.
Although in digital format, the new map is a scanned version of the previous, out of date flood maps and does not fully portray the current flood risk. Additional studies are critically needed, especially of Cienegas Creek which flows into the Rio Grande River. There has been much development along the headwaters of the creek, increasing flooding downstream. A detailed map and flood study are not currently available for Cienegas Creek; their development is included as a mitigation action in this Plan. The increased risk is not accurately reflected on the official flood maps.
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Figure 5-1a . Identified Flood Hazard Areas in Val Verde County
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Figure 5-1b . Identified Flood Hazard Areas in Los Campos Colonia
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Figure 5-2. Identified Flood Hazard Areas in Del Rio
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5.3.5. Probability of future disasters
Floods are random, variable events. Hydrologists characterize them as 10-year, 50-year, 100-year, or 500-year floods. For example, a “100-year flood” is a flood that has a one-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. A “10-year flood” is a flood that has a 10-percent chance of being equaled in any given year.
5.3.6. Vulnerability to flooding
Table 5-8 shows the estimated number of buildings and people that are at risk to flooding by jurisdiction.
Table 5-8. Potential Affected Exposure in Flood Hazard Areas
Potential Residential Building Potential Commercial Building Exposure at Risk Exposure at Risk Number of People at Jurisdiction Risk Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 1,329 $83,221,000 53 $24,659,000 2,334 Del Rio 1,501 $130,785,000 52 $16,921,000 3,926 Source: FEMA DFIRM data; HAZUS-MH
5.3.7. Potential impact
In order to estimate potential dollar losses to flood in Vale Verde County, the HAZUS-MH flood module was used. Flood depth was estimated at the pixel level for affected areas, along with proportion of the area affected within the census block. HAZUS-MH was utilized to estimate floodplain boundaries and potential exposure for the 100-year event frequency. GIS analysis was conducted to verify that the floodplain boundaries produced by HAZUS-MH correspond with the boundaries in the digital flood data used to estimate exposure above.
Table 5-9 shows the potential annualized loss estimates to flood hazards for each jurisdiction according to long-term flood risk modeling that takes into account various return period events, including the 10- year, 50-year, 100-year, 200-year and 500-year flood as estimated through HAZUS-MH.
Table 5-9. Potential Annualized Losses to Flood
Total Annualized Jurisdiction Expected Property Annualized Loss Ratio Losses
Val Verde County $2,612,000 0.61% Del Rio $2,880,000 0.21% Source: HAZUS-MH
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Tables 5-10 through 5-14 provide more detailed data on the potential property losses to flood according to various return period intervals, including the 10-year, 50-year, 100-year, 200-year and 500- year flood events as estimated through HAZUS-MH.
Table 5-10. Potential Losses to 10-Year Flood
Expected Property Losses for Expected Property Losses for Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Total Expected Jurisdiction Property Losses Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 66 $5,242,000 0 $663,000 $6,089,000 Del Rio 91 $4,964,000 0 $478,000 $5,516,000 Source: HAZUS-MH
Table 5-11. Potential Losses to 50-Year Flood
Expected Property Losses for Expected Property Losses for Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Total Expected Jurisdiction Property Losses Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 141 $10,354,000 1 $1,728,000 $12,459,000 Del Rio 253 $12,131,000 0 $1,245,000 $13,674,000 Source: HAZUS-MH
Table 5-12. Potential Losses to 100-Year Flood
Expected Property Losses for Expected Property Losses for Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Total Expected Jurisdiction Property Losses Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 176 $13,203,000 1 $2,160,000 $17,346,000 Del Rio 360 $17,244,000 1 $2,320,000 $21,506,000 Source: HAZUS-MH
Table 5-13. Potential Losses to 200-Year Flood
Expected Property Losses for Expected Property Losses for Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Total Expected Jurisdiction Property Losses Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 190 $15,766,000 1 $2,585,000 $18,962,000 Del Rio 608 $26,857,000 1 $3,726,000 $31,361,000 Source: HAZUS-MH
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Table 5-14. Potential Losses to 500-Year Flood
Expected Property Losses for Expected Property Losses for Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Total Expected Jurisdiction Property Losses Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 223 $17,387 1 $3,204,000 $21,289,000 Del Rio 801 $39,315 2 $5,359,000 $45,910,000 Source: HAZUS-MH
Table 5-15 lists the number and percentages of critical facilities and infrastructure deemed potentially at risk to flooding. Critical facilities and infrastructure includes airports, emergency operations centers, fire stations, hospitals, police stations and schools (as extracted from HAZUS-MH) as well as the locations of hazardous material facilities (Tier II and Toxic Release Inventory sites).
Table 5-15. Critical Facilities and Infrastructure Potentially Damaged by Flood
Number Inside the 100-Year Percentage Susceptible to Jurisdiction Total Number Floodplain Flooding
Val Verde County 72 8 11.11% Del Rio 31 3 9.68% Source: HAZUS-MH
5.3.8. Previous mitigation actions
Val Verde County has already taken a number of steps to mitigate the flood risk. Through its efforts, flood risks have been reduced. Val Verde County has a strong Flood Damage Prevention Order #09- 1076. Both the city and the county have experienced a growth in population and housing since the flood of 1998. The county has stepped up the zoning enforcement in an attempt to control construction in the flood zones and develop drainage systems to help redirect the runoff to uninhabited areas that will not disrupt the occupants. However, additional steps are needed to further protect the public.
Road barricades. Val Verde County closes roads during periods of heavy rainfall in the county or runoff that enters the county from the adjacent counties; these are listed in Table 5-16. The county has numerous low water crossings that necessitate miles of road closure in the county affecting both state highways and farm to market roads. The county and the State of Texas work in conjunction to reroute traffic during these times. The county also closes roads leading into the unincorporated housing areas of the county. The Cienegas Terrace colonia to the west side of Del Rio is one of these areas that have two roads leading into it, but both become impassable during times of flooding. Both access roads cross Cienegas creek and have low water crossings at the creek.
The City of Del Rio routinely closes roadways (Table 5-17) due to street flooding and certain areas of town are isolated due to this flooding. Structural damage continues to occur in the flood prone areas of the city but zoning has been enacted to restrict the independent styles of building that had occurred in the past. Many lives were lost in 1998 due to the citizens not wanting to evacuate the flood zones and
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the flash flooding that occupied those zones. Barricade locations in the City and County are shown below. Table 5-16. Val Verde County Flood Barricade Locations
ROAD BARRICADES FOR FREQUENTLY FLOODED AREAS VAL VERDE COUNTY PRECINCT 1 PRECINCT 2 PRECINCT 3 PRECINCT 4
Escondido Estates Val Verde Park Estates Spring Lake Estates Cienegas Cocobolo Road Piasano Road Cantu Road Cienegas Road South Del Rio Benita Drive Los Campos Industrial Blvd. Qualia Drive Quail Run Wagon Wheel Road Duck Pond Riverview Road Quail Road Windmill Road Finnegan Road Packsaddle Circle Vega Verde Yucca Drive Pandale Road Vega Verde Road HIGHWAY 277 N Miers Road Juno Road Dolan Creek Hwy. 2523
Table 5-17. City of Del Rio Flood Barricade Locations
STARTING POINT BARRICADED AREA Amistad Blvd. Kings Way to Pauline Avenue Stricklen Avenue Highway 90 to Fox Drive Kings Way Fox Drive to Arrowhead Trail Kings Way Mary Lou Drive to Siesta Circle Amistad Blvd. Chevrolet Drive to Terry 2nd Street St. Joseph to Cordona Road Edward Street Edward Street to Happy Lane Alta Vista Drive Arroyo Drive to Fox Drive Braddie DR Bedell to Highway 90 North Main 15th Street to 14th Street Avenue U Sage Drive to 10th Street 10th Street Avenue T to Airport Blvd. Avenue U 2nd Street to 3rd Street 1st Street Avenue G to Avenue H 2nd Street Avenue G to Avenue H 3rd Street Avenue G to Avenue H 7th Street Avenue G to Avenue H Avenue Q 11th Street to 12th Street Avenue I 1st Street to Gibbs Highway 90 East By Under Pass Bedell By Creek East Garza East Garza to Vitela San Felipe Street Bowie to Gutierrez Plaza Bowie to Gutierrez Arteaga Arteaga and Magnolia Academy Academy and Baron Bridge Bridge and Taini Alderete Spur 239 to Nicholson Nicholson Nicholson and Strickland
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Updated floodplain maps. Flood Insurance Rate Maps covering Val Verde County have recently been updated in digital form. The new Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map became effective on July 22, 2010. The updated information is used for communities and local residents to identify known flood risks and make informed decisions about flood insurance and flood protection and will serve as a basis for insurance and development decisions. The map is based on detailed ground elevation models, decades of rainfall and storm gauge information and current topographic data and presented in Geographic Information System (GIS) format.
Participation in the National Flood insurance Program. Val Verde County and the City of Del Rio participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (Table 5-18). The City of Del Rio joined the program in 1979; Val Verde County joined in 1987. This program maps flood-prone areas and provides federally-backed flood insurance to help victims get back on their feet. The County and City have adopted and enforce floodplain management ordinances to regulate development in flood hazard areas. The Val Verde County and City of Del Rio Floodplain Administrators issue floodplain permits and enforce the Floodplain Regulations. Their implementation of permitting procedures and requirements for relocation of structures in the floodplain has reduced the number of persons exposed to the flood hazard.
Table 5-18. VAL VERDE COUNTY PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM Val Verde December 31, 2009 County Unincorporated Del Rio Total Policies in Force 41 230 271 Insurance in Force $9,065,400 $40,382,000 $49,447,400 Number of Paid Losses 7 84 91 Total Losses Paid $242,457 $2,301,533 $2,543,990 Substantial Damage since 1978 1 20 21
County and City officials encourage residents to purchase flood insurance policies. However, the rate of flood insurance coverage is low. As noted below, there are only 41 flood insurance policies in Val Verde County; paid losses amount to $242,457. There are 230 policies in Del Rio with losses paid of $2,301,533. Increasing flood insurance coverage to provide greater financial protection to residents and businesses is a priority.
Under a policy issued on September 7, 2010, a new cost-saving flood insurance option is now available for those whose homes or businesses were affected by the recent map changes. As of January 1, 2011, a low-cost Preferred Risk Policy will now be available for up to two years after a building has been mapped into high risk areas. This option is discussed on www.floodsmart.gov. The availability of these cost-saving options underscores the need to get information to the public quickly on insurance options.
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Repetitive Loss Properties. Due to the low rate of flood insurance coverage, Val Verde County had only one “repetitive loss” property according to FEMA records as of December 31, 2009. Repetitive loss properties are those that have flood insurance coverage and have incurred two or more losses under the National Flood Insurance Program in any rolling 10-year period. The property, locator number 0025525, is located in zip code of 78840-5864. Total losses paid were $4,511.50. Tropical Storm Alex may have left additional repetitive loss properties in its wake, but that data is not currently available.
International Boundary and Water Commission. The International Boundary and Water Commission regulates and conserves the waters of the Rio Grande by joint construction, operation and maintenance of international storage dams and reservoirs and plants for generating hydroelectric energy at the dams; protect lands along the river from floods by levee and floodway projects; addresses border sanitation and other border water quality problems. Lands along the Rio Grande, depending on their elevation, are subject to periodic flooding from tributary flows on both sides of the border and by releases from Amistad Dam. The Commission operates Amistad Dam during flood conditions to regulate and convey normal and flood flows. During flood releases from Amistad Dam and/or localized heavy rainfall/runoff events, the Rio Grande may overflow the river channel and adversely impact human life, property, livestock and other activities. The Commission publishes daily Rio Grande Flow Conditions and Reservoir Reports and current, real-time and historical mean daily discharge data for selected streams. Additional stream gages on both sides of the border are needed to collect real-time data as part of a comprehensive warning system.
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5.4. Hazardous Materials Incidents
5.4.1. Description of the hazard
Hazardous materials come in the form of explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons, and radioactive materials. A hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incident involves a substance outside normal safe containment in sufficient concentration to pose a threat to life, property, or the environment. These substances are most often released as a result of transportation accidents or because of chemical accidents in plants. Two categories of hazardous materials incidents are addressed in this Plan:
• Incidents at fixed hazardous materials facilities • Incidents involving mobile toxic materials being transported Fortunately, Val Verde County has not had any major HAZMAT releases causing severe damage to people or property. However, the potential exists and is growing daily. Hazardous materials are shipped daily from Mexico and north on the nation’s highways, railroads, waterways, and pipelines. The greatest probability of having a large scale hazardous material accident is on the railroad due to the large amounts of materials carried but the most probable incident would come from a motor vehicle accident as materials are transported through the County by cartage companies. Many of these materials pass through Del Rio and Val Verde County without incident but there has been an increase in traffic in the recent past and it is expected to further increase with the full implementation of the NAFTA Treaty by the U.S. and Mexico.
A major challenge faced by the County is the lack of information on hazardous materials stored in or transported from Mexico. While SEMARNAT collects data on Mexican hazardous materials sites, this information is generally not available to U.S. officials. An incident involving these materials poses a transboundary risk that threaten lives, property and the natural environment across the border in either direction. It could also affect one city or region to the extent assistance is necessary from the other city or region. A updated Sister City Contingency Plan is needed to enhance joint cooperation and communication between the City of Del Rio and Cuidad Acuna and the surrounding jurisidctions in responding to such transboundary incidents.
5.4.2. Measurement
There is currently no intensity scale for measuring hazardous materials incidents. The County and City considered a range of intensities that would constitute a hazard, taking into account:
• The type of agent
• The dose (how much)
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• The duration and frequency of exposure (how long and how often)
• The route of exposure (how and where the material gets in or on the body), such as absorption through the respiratory tract (inhalation), the skin, the digestive tract (ingestion), or percutaneous injection through the skin (e.g. accidental needle stick)
• Whether radioactive materials are involved. A site that meets Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) or Tier II criteria is considered a hazard for purposes of this Plan.
5.4.3 Previous occurrences
Hazardous materials releases are highly likely occurrences, with an average of one reported disposal or release a year from Federal Toxic Release Inventory sites. For example, U.S. Environmental Protection Administration records indicate that 55,506 pounds of toxic materials have been disposed of or otherwise released between 2002 - 2008 from Federal Toxic Release Inventory sites in the County (Table 5-19). Records of releases from mobile sites are not readily available.
Table 5-19. Toxic Release Inventory On-site and off-site reported disposed of or otherwise released (in pounds) Val Verde County 2002 - 2008 Total on-site Total off-site Year Chemical Company disposal or other disposal or other Total releases releases releases San Antonio Shoe Co., inc. 100 2002 Toluene 26,200 0 26,200 Johnson Blvd, Del Rio, Texas 78840
San Antonio Shoe Co., inc. 100 2003 Toluene 16,441 0 16,441 Johnson Blvd, Del Rio, Texas 78840 U.S. Natl. Park Service Amistad Lead NRA. 4121 Veterans Blvd, Del Rio, 526 0 526 Texas 78840 San Antonio Shoe Co., inc. 100 2004 Toluene 11,805 0 11,805 Johnson Blvd, Del Rio, Texas 78840 U.S. Natl. Park Service Amistad 2006 Lead NRA. 4121 Veterans Blvd, Del Rio, 534 0 534 Texas 78840
TOTAL POUNDS OF RELEASE 55,506 0 55,506
Source: www.epa.gov/triexplorer
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In addition to these releases from Federal Toxic Release Inventory Sites, fire department personnel have responded to the following incidents which resulted in toxic releases (Table 5-20):
Table 5-20. Historical Responses to Chemical Releases
YEAR EVENT 1970’s Civil Air Patrol Plane Crash at Del Rio International Airport 1970’s Fuel Tanker Fire 2nd and Ave F 1980’s Fuel Tanker Fire 401 W 1st 1980’s White Auto Fire 600 Blk of E Gibbs 1990’s Propane Truck Accident Hwy 163 at Juno 1990’s Propane Truck Accident Hwy 163 at Juno 2003 Jet Crash at Del Rio International Airport
5.4.4. Geographic areas affected
The Toxics Release Inventory is a publicly available database from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that contains information on toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities reported annually by certain covered industry groups as well as federal facilities. This inventory was established under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to- Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) and expanded by the Pollution 55 Prevention Act of 1990. Each year, facilities that meet certain activity thresholds must report their releases and other waste management activities for listed toxic chemicals to EPA and to their state or tribal entity. A facility must report if it meets the following three criteria: • The facility falls within one of the following industrial categories: manufacturing; metal mining; coal mining; electric generating facilities that combust coal and/or oil; chemical wholesale distributors; petroleum terminals and bulk storage facilities; RCRA Subtitle C treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities; and solvent recovery services; • Has 10 or more full-time employee equivalents; and • Manufactures or processes more than 25,000 pounds or otherwise uses more than 10,000 pounds of any listed chemical during the calendar year. Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals are subject to different thresholds of 10 pounds, 100 pounds or 0.1 grams depending on the chemical.
Tier II data is a publicly available database from the Texas Department of State Health Services Tier II Chemical Reporting Program. Under the community right-to-know program laws upheld at the state and federal level, all facilities which store significant quantities of hazardous chemicals must share this information with state and local emergency responders and planners. Facilities in Texas share this information by filing annual hazardous chemical inventories with the state, with Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs), and with local fire departments. The Texas Tier II Reports contain facility identification information and detailed chemical data about hazardous chemicals stored at the facility. A facility must report if it meets the following criteria:
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• Any company using chemicals that could present a physical or health hazard must report them, according to Tier II requirements. • If an industry has an OSHA deemed hazardous chemical that exceeds the appropriate threshold at a certain point in time, then the chemical must be reported. These chemicals may be on the list of 356 Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS) or could be one of the 650,000 reportable hazardous substances (not on the EHS list). This reporting format is for a "snapshot in time". EHS chemicals have to be reported if the quantity is either greater than 500 pounds or if the Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ) amount is less than 500 pounds.
Table 5-21 provides a list of hazardous material facilities that were included in the risk assessment for Val Verde County according to TRI and Tier II databases. Geographic coordinates (i.e., latitude and longitude) were used to determine the location of each critical facility within each jurisdiction. Figures 5-3 and 5-4 show the locations of available georeferenced Tier II listed toxic sites in Val Verde County and Del Rio, respectively. According to EPA data there were no TRI sites identified for Val Verde County.
Table 5-21. Hazardous Material Facilities in Val Verde County
Facility Name
47th Flying Training Wing ADAH CAUTHORN 10-A (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER 10B (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER 15B (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER 48A #1 (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER 4B (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER 5B (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER 6B (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER 7B (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER 8B (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER 9B (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER MINNEI LEE 50-1 (SOLD 6/1/09) ALTIZER MINNEI LEE B 25-1 (SOLD 6/1/09) AMISTAD PROPANE INC. Bledsoe (KCS) 1 Bledsoe (KCS) B1 Bledsoe (KCS) B2 BUNGER 30 1 BUNGER 30 10 BUNGER 30 11 BUNGER 30 2 BUNGER 30 3
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Facility Name
BUNGER 30 4 BUNGER 30 5 BUNGER 30 6 BUNGER 30 7 BUNGER 30 8 BUNGER 30 9 CAUTHORN 11-1 (SOLD 6/1/09) CAUTHORN 11-2 (SOLD 6/1/09) CAUTHORN 17-1 CAUTHORN 3-2 CAUTHORN 3-3 CAUTHORN 3-4 CAUTHORN A 1 (SOLD 6/1/09) CAUTHORN A 49-C (SOLD 6/1/09) CAUTHORN A 49-D (SOLD 6/1/09) CAUTHORN A 49-E (SOLD 6/1/09) CAUTHORN A 49-F (SOLD 6/1/09) Cauthorn B Cauthorn C Cauthorn D Cauthorn E Cauthorn F Cauthorn G Cauthorn H Cauthorn J Coca Cola- Del Rio Sales Center COE 26-1 (SOLD 6/1/09) COE 27-1 (SOLD 6/1/09) CSA Materials, Inc. Del Rio Del Rio International Airport Del Rio Sand and Gravel Del Rio Streets & Drainage Del Rio Welders Equipment Devon Energy-Vinegarone Field Duncan Industrial Solutions-Del Rio DC ETT-Hamilton Road Substation Glasscock (KCS) 2 Glasscock, Bertha 3
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Facility Name
Glasscock, Bertha 4A Glasscock, Bertha 5 JA Ranch K JA Ranch L Level 3 - Comstock Level 3 - Del Rio Level 3 - Langtry MILLS TRUST 126 3 MILLS TRUST 19 1 MILLS TRUST 19 10 MILLS TRUST 19 2 MILLS TRUST 19 3 MILLS TRUST 19 4 MILLS TRUST 19 5 MILLS TRUST 19 6 MILLS TRUST 19 7 MILLS TRUST 19 9 MITCHELL 5-1 OMI San Felipe Water / Wastewater Plant OMI Silver Lake Water/Wastewater Plant Qwest - Comstock Regen RED RIVER SERVICE CORPORATION DBA RR WASTE SOLUTIONS San Felipe Spings Water Treatment Plant TCC-Buena Vista Substation TCC-Del Rio City Substation THE HOME DEPOT STORE #6832 TxDOT-Laredo-Del Rio Shop and Centerstripe US Air Force (USAF) Southwinds Marina VAL VERDE COUNTY FACILITY 1 Val Verde County WCID Verizon Del Rio CO East (Laughlin AFB) (TX5121006) Verizon Del Rio Main CO (TX5121001) Verizon Del Rio North CO (TX5121005) WARDLAW 9A (bpo) (SOLD 6/1/09) West Battery (OXY USA Inc. - Mid-Continent Business Unit) Source: Texas Department of State Health Services, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The maps which follows maps those selected fixed Tier II sites for which georeferenced data is available (Figures 5-3 and 5-4). Due to the lack of georeferenced data, all sites are not included on the map; all sites are listed in (Table 5-21).
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Figure 5-3.Locations of Selected Toxic Sites in Val Verde County (limited to sites with available georeferenced data)
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Figure 5-4. Locations of Toxic Sites in Del Rio (limited to sites with available georeferenced data)
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In addition to the sites listed above, the County and City are concerned about several additional sites. The area known as industrial park lies in the county just to the west side of the Del Rio city limits and is composed mainly of twin plant operators and freight companies and is one of the areas that is expected to receive a marked increase in traffic. These twin plants operate in the county and are not required to comply with the code requirements in place in the city as to building construction, fire suppression systems, alarm systems or procedures that are set forth for the handling of hazardous materials and have no municipal inspections performed. All Fire Code enforcement in the county is under the auspice of the State Fire Marshals’ Office, a division if the Texas State Board of Insurance. The plants in the industrial park are governed by their own financial needs as to the care taken in the various processes and the on-site storage of hazardous materials.
There are five business locations in and adjacent to the City of Del Rio that store what are considered to be large amounts of hazardous materials. These are business that wholesale petroleum products (e.g., gasoline and diesel), a welding supply shop and their remote warehouse location and 2 Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) wholesale / retailers. All of these businesses are located on or adjacent to one of the major transportation routes of the city and have considerable vehicular traffic around them. These businesses are routinely inspected by the code enforcement division of the City of Del Rio and the Del Rio Fire & Rescue Department and have to meet certain federal guidelines for the storage and sale of their merchandise. None of these businesses have a history of accidents or spills involving hazardous materials that required response by emergency personnel.
A concern to the citizens is that future development in the area of the San Felipe Springs recharge zone will not be controlled to the extent of preventing hazardous materials from entering the springs and polluting the city’s water supply. Currently the city has authority to enforce certain zoning and regulations in this area as it falls into the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of the city and subdivisions and development in the recharge zone will require approval by the city council.
There are other businesses and structures that if a catastrophic situation occurred would no doubt cause a considerable disruption to the lives of our citizens but not to the extent of those listed in the table. The risk assessment performed also included the major transportation routes and the cargo normally transported over them. These mobile hazards were considered to be the most problematic as there was no feasible way to prevent or plan specific mitigation operations against them. The major mobile concerns were first the truck traffic traversing the city that carries hazardous cargo and second the railroad that bisects the city and not only passes hazardous cargo through but also stores it on the rail sidings. The history of truck or rail incidents in the city involving hazardous cargo has been negligible for the 3 years that was considered in the assessment.
5.4.5. Probability of future disasters
A hazardous materials incident is a highly likely event with an incident expected on average annually.
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5.4.6. Vulnerability
Table 5-22 shows estimated toxic release exposure of people and buildings by jurisdiction for fixed sites using census block data.
Table 5-22. Estimated Exposure of People and Buildings by Jurisdiction (Fixed Site Toxic Release)
Total Number of Immediate (Primary) Impact Secondary Impact Total Jurisdiction Residential and Population Commercial Units Number of Number of Number of Number of Units at Risk People at Risk Units at Risk People at Risk
Val Verde County 4,900 10,989 906 2,933 2,693 7,815 Del Rio 13,120 33,867 1,499 3,411 13,257 33,529 Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Table 5-23 shows the results for mobile site toxic release. Primary and secondary impact sites were selected based on guidance from FEMA Publication #246 and engineering judgment. Since many sites containing hazardous materials are located in densely populated areas, there are population and structures that could be susceptible to a release from more than one site.
For fixed site analysis, only toxic sites that have georeferenced data available were analyzed and the circle buffers are drawn around each hazardous material site. Two sizes of buffers, 500 and 2,500 meters are assumed in respect to the different levels of effect—immediate (primary) and secondary. For mobile analysis, the major roads (Interstate highway, US highway, State highway) and railroads are chosen to be the routes where hazardous material is allowed. The buffer along the roads is drawn with the same size as fixed site analysis. Census block data was used to estimate exposure.
Table 5-23. Estimated Exposure of People and Buildings by Jurisdiction (Mobile Site Toxic Release)
Total Number of Residential Immediate (Primary) Impact Secondary Impact Total Jurisdiction and Population Commercial Number of Number of Number of Number of Units Units at Risk People at Risk Units at Risk People at Risk
Val Verde County 4,900 10,989 3,006 6,344 4,556 10,890 Del Rio 13,120 33,867 7,441 17,980 13,364 33,720 Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
There is also concern that people and the built environment in Val Verde County could be affected by a hazardous materials release from a site in Mexico. Georeferenced data on the location and nature of the toxic chemicals in Mexico was not available at the time this assessment was prepared. To obtain an estimate of exposure, a two-mile buffer was created from the Mexican border to determine potential impacts (Figures 5-5a and 5-5b). Table 5-24 provides the potential toxic release exposure of people and buildings for Val Verde County jurisdictions. Working with Mexican officials to obtain georeferenced data for hazardous materials sites in Mexico is a priority mitigation action in Chapter 6.
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Table 5-24. Potential Exposure of People and Buildings by Jurisdiction from Hazardous Material Incidents Originating in Mexico
Total Number of Residential Potential Impact Total Jurisdiction and Population Commercial Number of Number of Units Units at Risk People at Risk
Val Verde County 4,900 10,989 1,302 3,798 Del Rio 13,120 33,867 572 1,414
5.4.7. Potential impact
Hazardous materials can cause death, serious injury, and damage to buildings, homes, and other property. Hazardous materials incidents vary in their intensity, size, and duration. Most incidents are small in scope and only require a limited response. Occasionally, there will be a large incident or one involving a chemical that requires evacuation of the surrounding area with a critical impact (i.e., causing multiple deaths or injuries, a complete shutdown of facilities for a week to 30 days and 25% to 20% of affected property destroyed or damaged). Weather conditions directly affect how the hazard develops. For example, the micro-meteorological effects of buildings and terrain can alter the travel and duration of harmful agents. Shielding in the form of sheltering-in-place can protect people and property from harmful effects. Tables 5-22 and 5-23 show the potential areas of impact for fixed and mobile sites with georefenced data. Circle buffers are drawn around each hazardous material site. Two sizes of buffers, 500 and 2,500 meters are assumed in respect to the different levels of effect—immediate (primary) and secondary.
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Figure 5-5s. Exposure of Val Verde County to Hazardous Materials Incidents Originating in Mexico
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Figure 5-5b. Exposure of the City of Del Rio to Hazardous Materials Incidents Originating in Mexico
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5.5. Wildland Fire
5.5.1. Description of the hazard
A wildland fire is any fire occurring on grassland, forest, or prairie, regardless of ignition source, damages, or benefits. According to the National Fire Plan, 2000, the wildland fire risk is now considered by authorities as “the most significant fire service problem of the Century.” Wildland fires can occur at any time of the year. Climatic conditions such as severe freezes and drought can significantly increase the intensity of wildland fires since these conditions kill vegetation, creating a prime fuel source for these types of fires. The intensity of fires and the rate at which they spread are directly related to wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity.
5.5.2. Measurement
The U.S. Forest Service Wildland Fire Assessment System rates the fire potential or danger according to the following system (Table 5-25).
Table 5-25. Fire Danger Rating System (source: http://www.wfas.net/content/view/34/51/) Rating Basic description Detailed description
CLASS 1: Low Danger (L) Fuels do not ignite readily from small firebrands. Fires in open or cured grassland may fires not easily started COLOR CODE: Green burn freely a few hours after rain, but wood fires spread slowly by creeping or smoldering and burn in irregular fingers. There is little danger of spotting. Fires can start from most accidental causes. Fires in open cured grassland will burn CLASS 2: Moderate Danger (M) fires start easily and briskly and spread rapidly on windy days. Woods fires spread slowly to moderately fast. COLOR CODE: Blue spread at a moderate rate The average fire is of moderate intensity, although heavy concentrations of fuel – especially draped fuel -- may burn hot. Short-distance spotting may occur, but is not persistent. Fires are not likely to become serious and control is relatively easy. All fine dead fuels ignite readily and fires start easily from most causes. Unattended brush and campfires are likely to escape. Fires spread rapidly and short-distance spotting is CLASS 3: High Danger (H) fires start easily and common. High intensity burning may develop on slopes or in concentrations of fine fuel. COLOR CODE: Yellow spread at a rapid rate Fires may become serious and their control difficult, unless they are hit hard and fast while small. Fires start easily from all causes and immediately after ignition, spread rapidly and increase quickly in intensity. Spot fires are a constant danger. Fires burning in light fuels CLASS 4: Very High Danger (VH) fires start very easily and may quickly develop high-intensity characteristics - such as long-distance spotting - and COLOR CODE: Orange spread at a vary fast rate fire whirlwinds, when they burn into heavier fuels. Direct attack at the head of such fires is rarely possible after they have been burning more than a few minutes.
Fires under extreme conditions start quickly, spread furiously and burn intensely. All fires are potentially serious. Development into high-intensity burning will usually be faster and fire situation is explosive CLASS 5: Extreme (E) occur from smaller fires than in the Very High Danger class (4). Direct attack is rarely and can result in extensive COLOR CODE: Red possible and may be dangerous, except immediately after ignition. Fires that develop property damage headway in heavy slash or in conifer stands may be unmanageable while the extreme burning condition lasts. Under these conditions, the only effective and safe control action is on the flanks, until the weather changes or the fuel supply lessens.
For purposes of this Plan, a Class 2 or above would constitute a disaster for the City and County.
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5.5.3 Previous occurrences
Grassland and woodland wildfires are more frequent and cause more property damage than structure fires in Val Verde County. Recent occurrences include a Federal Disaster Declaration in January, 2006; Federal Emergency Declaration in March, 2008; the White Fields fire on Moody Ranch off Highway 277 in February, 2011; the Deaton/Cole fire in April, 2011 which affected 175,000 acres with two homes lost; and the Devils River Ranch fire in May, 2011 affected 16,8 acres with no homes lost.
Figure 5-6. Cane along a river
Cane fires on the Rio Grande are almost an annual event. The fast-growing cane is a naturalized and invasive species. It impacts native and endangered species and wastes large quantities of water. Cane impedes access of Federal law enforcement officials to the edge of the Rio Grande river. It is also highly flammable, causing extremely hot and damaging fires. Since cane is located in the floodplain, it impedes flows and exacerbates the impacts of floods, draining county dollars and manpower as well as increasing the risk to lives and property. A cane eradication program is needed to reduce the risk of fires and flooding. Eradication methods include controlled burns, mechanical cutting and removal, or treatment with herbicides. Because the Rio Grande River runs through urban areas, cane fires can affect populated residential areas, especially when they meet up with fuel-dense areas.
5.5.4. Geographic areas affected
In an effort to map potential wildland fire hazard areas in Val Verde County, a GIS-based data layer called the “Wildland Fire Susceptibility Index” was obtained from the Texas Forest Service. The Index is a component layer derived from the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment, a multi-year project to assess and quantify wildfire risk for the 13 Southern states. The Wildland Fire Susceptibility Index is a value between 0 and 1. It was developed consistent with the mathematical calculation process for determining the probability of an acre burning. The WFSI integrates the probability of an acre igniting and the expected final fire size based on the rate of spread in four weather percentile categories into a single measure of wildland fire susceptibility. Due to some necessary assumptions, mainly fuel homogeneity, it is not the true probability. However, since all areas of Val Verde County (and the Middle Rio Grande Region as a whole) have this value determined consistently, it allows for comparison and ordination of areas of the county and region as to the likelihood of an acre burning.
Figures 5-7 and 5-8 illustrate the level of wildland fire susceptibility for Val Verde County based on the Wildland Fire Susceptibility Index data provided by the Texas Forest Service. Tables 5-26 and 5-27 show the potential affected exposure of property and people to areas of high and moderate wildland fire susceptibility according to the Wildland Fire Susceptibility Index data, respectively.
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Figure 5-7. Wildfire Susceptibility in Val Verde County
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Figure 5-8. Wildfire Susceptibility in Del Rio
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5.5.5. Probability of future disasters
A Class 2 or above wildland fire is a likely event with an event probable in the next 2 - 3 years. Class 1 fires are more frequent occurrences.
5.5.6. Vulnerability
Tables 5-26 and 5-27 show the vulnerability of buildings and people to wildland fires. Table 5-26 shows vulnerability to high susceptibility fires; Table 5-27 shows vulnerability to moderate susceptibility fires.
Table 5-26. Potential Affected Exposure to Wildland Fire (High Susceptibility)
Potential Residential Building Potential Commercial Building Exposure at Risk Exposure at Risk Number of People at Jurisdiction Risk Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 819 $66,225,000 20 $3,623,000 1,571 Del Rio 357 $40,608,000 12 $7,623,000 913 Source: Texas State Forest Service
Table 5-27. Potential Affected Exposure to Wildland Fire (Moderate Susceptibility)
Potential Residential Building Potential Commercial Building Exposure at Risk Exposure at Risk Number of People at Jurisdiction Risk Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 712 $52,877,000 16 $3,818,000 1,129 Del Rio 642 $78,250,000 30 $12,326,000 1,650 Source: Texas State Forest Service
5.5.7. Potential impact
The potential impact of wildland fires is minor. Wildland fires are expected to result in few if any injuries, only temporary shutdown of facilities and less than 10 percent of property damaged or destroyed.
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5.6. Drought
5.6.1. Description of the hazard
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “Drought is one of the most complex, and least understood, of all natural hazards, affecting more people than do other natural hazards, but differing from them in important ways. Unlike earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes, drought unfolds at an almost imperceptible pace with beginning and ending times that are difficult to determine, and with effects that often are spread over vast regions…. ”. 6
Over time, droughts can have very damaging effects on crops, municipal water supplies, recreation and wildlife. If droughts extend over a number of years, the direct and indirect economic impact can be significant. Droughts can kill crops, grazing grasses, edible plants and, in severe cases, trees. Dying vegetation also serves as a prime ignition source for wildland fires. Figure 5-9 Agricultural Research Service Since Val Verde County has many rivers -- the Pecos, Devils and Engineers inspect a dry stream channel. Dry Devils Rivers -- are in the recharge zone for the Edwards - Photo by Scott Bauer Trinity Plateau Aquifer, droughts in the Val Verde County can impact areas far away. In addition, the loss of livestock due to lack of food and water can be devastating to local ranchers. Grassland and woodland fires are more frequent and much more difficult to control during drought conditions.
Drought is a period of time without substantial rainfall that persists from one year to the next. Drought is a normal part of virtually all climatic regimes, including areas with high and low average rainfall. Drought is the consequence of a natural reduction in the amount of precipitation expected over an extended period of time, usually a season or more in length. Droughts can be classified as meteorological, hydrologic, agricultural and socioeconomic. Table 5-28 defines these different types of drought.
6 July 2000, Todd H. Votteler, Ph.D, Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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Table 5-28. Drought Classification Definitions
The degree of dryness or departure of actual precipitation from an expected average or normal amount Meteorological Drought based on monthly, seasonal, or annual time scales.
Hydrologic Drought The effects of precipitation shortfalls on stream flows and reservoir, lake, and groundwater levels.
Agricultural Drought Soil moisture deficiencies relative to water demands of plant life, usually crops.
Socioeconomic Drought The effect of demands for water exceeding the supply as a result of a weather-related supply shortfall.
Source: FEMA, Multi-Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment: A Cornerstone of the National Mitigation Strategy
5.6.2. Measurement
The Palmer Drought Indexes are used to measure the extent and severity of drought. The Palmer Z Short-Term Conditions Index measures short-term drought on a weekly scale. The Palmer Long-Term Meteorological Drought Index attempts to measure the duration and intensity of the long-term drought-inducing circulation patterns. Long-term drought is cumulative, with the intensity of drought during the current month dependent upon the current weather patterns plus the cumulative patterns of previous months. The hydrological impacts of drought (e.g., reservoir levels, groundwater levels, etc.) take longer to develop. The Palmer Long-Term Hydrological Drought Index is used to quantify these hydrological effects. The following indexes are standardized to the local climate and based on formulas.
Table 5-29. Palmer Drought Condition Classifications Drought Index Moderately Very moist Extremely Extreme Severe Moderate Normal moist moist -2.75 and -2.00 to - -125 to -1.24 to +.99 +1.00 to +2.49 +2.50 to n/a Z index below 2.74 -1.99 +3.49 -4.00 and -3.00 to -2.00 to -1.99 to +2.00 to +3.00 to +4.00 and Meteorological below -3.99 -2.99 +1.99 +2.00 +3.00 above -4.00 and -3.00 to -2.00 to -1.99 to +2.00 to +3.00 to +4.00 and Hydrological below -3.99 -2.99 +1.99 +2.00 +3.00 above
A severe drought would constitute a disaster for purposes of this plan due to its impact on water supplies, agriculture, livestock, wildlife and recreation.
5.6.3 Previous occurrences
Figure 5-10 illustrates historical periods of severe to extreme drought conditions in the Rio Grande Basin based on data provided by the National Climatic Data Center.
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Figure 5-10. Historical Drought in the Rio Grande Basin
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Satellite and Information Service, major drought events occurred during the following periods (Table 5-30):
Table 5-30. HISTORICAL DROUGHTS JANUARY 1996-FEBRUARY 2010 VAL VERDE COUNTY Range Property Damage Crop Damage 04/96-12/96 $118,000,000 $230,000,000 01/97-06/97 $24,000,000 $55,000,000 03/2000-10/2000 $0 $0 Total $142,000,000 $285,000,000 Note: Damage totals are for all affected Texas counties Source: NOAA Satellite and Information Service
Together, these three incidents caused $ 142 million in property damage and $285 million in crop damage to all the affected counties in Texas. Dollar losses specific to Val Verde County is not available.
5.6.4. Geographic areas affected
There is no distinct geographic boundary to drought. Drought can affect every area part of the County equally.
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5.6.5. Probability of future disasters
Based on historical experience and global warning trends, a severe drought event is possible in the next 4 - 5 years.
5.6.6. Vulnerability
Droughts are slow-onset hazards, but over time can have very damaging affects to crops, municipal water supplies, recreational uses, and wildlife. If droughts extend over a number of years, the direct and indirect economic impact can be significant. Due to the lack of quantifiable data on documented historic losses across various sectors caused by the effects of drought in Val Verde County, this risk assessment study is limited to only a simple estimation of potential losses to the agricultural sector as it is often the most directly affected, and due to the fact that some local agricultural data is available as it relates to current exposure. Table 5-31 provides information on the potential agricultural exposure to the drought hazard in Val Verde County.
Table 5-31. Potential Agricultural Exposure in Val Verde County Market Value of Total Market Value Land in Farms Market Value of Jurisdiction Number of Farms Livestock, Poultry, of Agricultural (Acres) Crops Sold etc. Sold Products Sold Val Verde County* 402 1,493,671 $402,000 $11,574,000 $11,976,000 Del Rio 0 0 $0 $0 $0 Source: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service (2007 Census of Agriculture) *Agriculture data made available through the USDA is only available at the county level; however it is generally assumed that most agricultural exposure is located outside of incorporated jurisdictions and in the outlying unincorporated areas of Val Verde County.
5.6.7. Potential impact
In order to generate a potential annualized dollar loss estimate for drought to the agricultural sector in Val Verde County, the following assumptions were made: (1) severe to extreme drought conditions will decrease countywide agricultural production by 20 percent; and (2) Val Verde County experiences severe to extreme drought conditions 15 percent of the time (as recorded in the Palmer Drought Severity Index from 1895-1995).
According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, the total market value of agricultural products sold (including crops, livestock, poultry and their products) in Val Verde County was $11,976,000, or $29,791 per farm. Using this data in combination with the assumptions listed above, total annualized losses due to severe and extreme drought conditions is estimated to be approximately $360,000.
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5.7. Tornadoes
5.7.1. Description of the hazard
Tornadoes are relatively infrequent in Val Verde County and are usually associated with degraded hurricanes or tropical storms or other severe weather storms. Tornadoes can be deadly. Tornadoes are the most unpredictable and most violent of all atmospheric storms. Winds in the strongest of these storms can exceed 250 mph. By definition, a tornado is often described as a violently rotating column of air, in contact with the ground, either pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud, and often (but not always) visible as a condensation funnel cloud. Significant damage can occur even when the condensation funnel does not reach the ground. Some tornadoes are associated with "supercell" thunderstorms. Large and violent tornadoes, almost without exception, fall into this class. Other, generally weaker tornadoes form along windshift lines. The intensity of these storms is rated using the Fujita Scale of wind damage.
5.7.2. Measurement
Tornadoes are measured based on the Fijuta scale (Table 5-32). The scale used in records to date are shown on the scale below.
Table 5-32. Fujita Scale F-Scale Intensity Number Phrase Wind Speed Type of Damage Some damage to chimneys; breaks branches off trees; pushes over shallow-rooted trees; damages F0 Gale tornado 40-72 mph sign boards. The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peels surface off roofs; mobile homes Moderate F1 73-112 mph pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads; attached garages may be tornado destroyed.
Significant 113-157 F2 tornado mph Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light object missiles generated. 158-206 Roof and some walls torn off well constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in forest F3 Severe tornado mph uprooted Devastating 207-260 F4 Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown off some distance; cars tornado mph thrown and large missiles generated.
Incredible 261-318 F5 Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances to disintegrate; tornado mph automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters; trees debarked; steel reinforced concrete structures badly damaged.
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These winds are very unlikely. The small area of damage they might produce would probably not be Inconceivable 319-379 F6 recognizable along with the mess produced by F4 and F5 wind that would surround the F6 winds. tornado mph Missiles, such as cars and refrigerators would do serious secondary damage that could not be directly identified as F6 damage. If this level is ever achieved, evidence for it might only be found in some manner of ground swirl pattern, for it may never be identifiable through engineering studies Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujita_scale
On February 1, 2007, the Fujita scale replaced by a more accurate Enhanced Fujita Scale (Table 5-33). The Enhanced Fujita Scale, or EF Scale, is the scale for rating the strength of tornadoes in the United States estimated according to the damage they cause. Implemented in place of the Fujita scale, it was used starting February 1, 2007 and was, therefore, not used in this Plan. The new scale is thought to be a more accurate representation of the surface wind speeds in the most violent tornadoes.
Table 5-33. Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale Enhanced Fujita Wind Speed Category (mph) Potential Damage
EF0 65-85 Light damage. Peels surface off some roofs; some damage to gutters or siding; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF1 86-110 Moderate damage. Roofs severely stripped; mobile homes overturned or badly damaged; loss of exterior doors; windows and other glass broken. Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-constructed houses; foundations of frame homes EF2 111-135 shifted; mobile homes completely destroyed; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated; cars lifted off ground. Severe damage. Entire stories of well-constructed houses destroyed; severe damage to large EF3 136-165 buildings such as shopping malls; trains overturned; trees debarked; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown; structures with weak foundations blown away some distance.
EF4 166-200 Devastating damage. Well-constructed houses and whole frame houses completely leveled; cars thrown and small missiles generated.
EF5 >200 Incredible damage. Strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept away; automobile- sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 m (109 yd); high-rise buildings have significant structural deformation; incredible phenomena will occur. source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Fujita_Scale
For purposes of this Plan, the level of intensity that would create a tornado hazard for the County is an F2 tornado due to the potential damage to roofs, disruption of travel, and light-objective missiles that would be created.
5.7.3 Previous occurrences
Table 5-34 displays aggregated historical information by jurisdiction. Figures 5-11 and 5-12 illustrate the location and magnitude of historical tornado events since 1950 in Val Verde County and Del Rio, respectively. It is important to note that only those tornadoes to be reported and officially confirmed
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have been factored into this risk assessment. However, in the past 60 years it is likely that a higher number of tornado events have occurred but were not reported or officially confirmed.
Table 5-34. Historical Tornado Impact by Jurisdiction, 1950–2010
Number of Magnitude (Fujita Scale) Maximum F Jurisdiction Events Scale F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Val Verde County 19 9 6 4 0 0 0 F2 Del Rio 20 15 4 1 0 0 0 F2 Source: National Climatic Data Center, 2010
5.7.4. Geographic areas affected
Tornadoes do not have a distinct geographic boundary. Figures 5-11 and 5-12 show the locations of previous tornado events for Val Verde County and the City of Del Rio, respectively.
5.7.5. Probability of future disasters
F2 or higher tornadoes are unlikely events in Val Verde County with an event possible in the next ten years.
5.7.6. Vulnerability
It cannot be predicted where a tornado will touch down. All the population, buildings, critical facilities, infrastructure and lifelines, and hazardous materials facilities in Val Verde County are considered uniformly exposed to the hazard and could potentially be impacted. Potential exposure to tornadoes is shown on Table 5-35.
Table 5-35. Potential Affected Exposure to Tornado
Potential Residential Building Potential Commercial Building Exposure at Risk Exposure at Risk Number of People at Jurisdiction Risk Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 4,793 $347,756,000 107 $41,116,000 10,989 Del Rio 12,468 $1,036,271,000 652 $224,791,000 33,867 Source: HAZUS-MH
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Figure 5-11. Historical Reported Tornado Events in Val Verde County (1950–2010)
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Figure 5-12. Historical Reported Tornado Events in Del Rio (1950–2010)
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5.7.7. Potential impact
An F2 tornado would cause considerable damage. Roofs would be torn off well-constructed houses; foundations of frame homes shifted; mobile homes would be completely destroyed; large trees would be snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles would be generated; and cars lifted off ground. Annualized property losses to tornado are shown in Table 5-36.
Table 5.36. Potential Annualized Losses to Tornado
Annualized Expected Annualized Jurisdiction Total Exposure Property Losses Loss Ratio
Val Verde County $427,623,000 $276,000 0.06% Del Rio $1,360,284,000 $10,100 0.00%
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5.8. Fuel Pipeline Failure
5.8.1. Description of the hazard
Val Verde County has oil and natural gas pipeline which cross the county. Although no lives have been lost in pipeline accidents in the County, recent failures across the U.S. have raised questions about the nation's aging pipeline infrastructure. An estimated 2.2 million miles of pipelines in the United States carry hazardous materials such as oil and natural gas. Pipelines are out of sight and unnoticed, yet have caused fires and explosions that killed more than 200 people and injured more than 1,000 people nationwide in the last decade. Between 1984 and 2000, 50 Texans have died in pipeline incidents. The natural gas explosion that struck San Bruno, California on September 9, 2010 is a rare but not unheard of failure of the pipelines that cross the nation. Eight were killed and 50 people injured in that explosion. In 2000, corrosion of a 30-inch pipeline caused a major explosion in Carlsbad, New Mexico, killing a dozen people camping on the Pecos River. Figure 5-13 Abilene house reduced to rubble by a punctured pipeline Photo by Taylor Johnson, Austin American-Statesman
5.8.2. Measurement
There is no standard classification of pipeline failures. Failures are measured in barrels or gallons spilled and deaths and injuries. The Texas Railroad Commission maintains records on pipeline failures, including the name of the operator, the location it occurred, the primary cause of the failure, size of pipe, injuries and deaths, and whether there was a fire or explosion.
5.8.3 Previous occurrences
According to the records of the Texas Railroad Commission, an underwater pipeline near Del Rio owned by West Texas Gas, inc., suffered a break because of “earth movement” on August 25, 1998. Property damage was estimated at $50,000 and there were no injuries or fatalities. On November 14, 2007 a 6 inch gas pipeline in Del Rio was broken in an accident. Damage was minor and no deaths or injuries resulted.
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5.8.4. Geographic areas affected Figures 5-14 and 5-15 show the locations of State-regulated energy pipelines in Val Verde County and Del Rio, respectively. These include only natural gas pipelines, as there were no oil pipelines identified by the Texas Railroad Commission for Val Verde County. Data is not available on those trans- Continental energy pipelines not regulated by the Texas Railroad Commission. If any of these energy pipelines were to rupture, such an event could endanger property and lives in the immediate area (probably within less than half a mile radius).
5.8.5. Probability of future disasters
It is estimated that a pipeline failure is possible, with an event possible in the next 4 - 5 years.
5.8.6. Vulnerability
Table 5-37 shows the total people and buildings at risk from identified gas pipelines. It should be noted that many pipelines run through less densely populated areas, creating less risk in many cases than those pipelines that run through heavily populated areas. Due to the fact that many pipelines run through densely populated areas, there are population and structures that could be susceptible to a breach from more than one pipeline. In some jurisdictions the number of people and property has been counted more than once to account for their susceptibility to multiple pipeline breaches. Therefore, the number of people and structures that could potentially be impacted may exceed the total number of building units and total population by jurisdiction.
Table 5-37. Potential Impact Due to Gas Pipelines by Jurisdiction
Total Number of Immediate (Primary) Impact Secondary Impact Residential and Total Jurisdiction Commercial Population Number of Number of Number of Number of Number of Number of Units Commercial People at Residential Commercial People at Residential Units Units Risk Units Units Risk Val Verde County 4,900 10,989 550 21 1,761 1,933 44 6,512 Del Rio 13,120 33,867 2 0 4 2,408 68 6,913 Source: Railroad Commission of Texas
5.8.7. Potential impact
Although a pipeline failure would affect less than 10 percent of people and property, the potential impact of a pipeline failure at the rupture site would be potentially critical.
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Figure 5-14. Gas Pipelines in Val Verde County
Note: Does not include transcontinental pipelines that are not regulated by the State of Texas Railroad Commission.
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Figure 5-15. Gas Pipelines in Del Rio
Note: Does not include transcontinental pipelines that are not regulated by the State of Texas Railroad Commission.
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5.9. Dam Failure
5.9.1. Description of the hazard
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Inventory of Dams, there are eight major dams in Val Verde County. They are listed in Section 5.9.4.
Dams are water storage, control, or diversion barriers that impound water upstream in reservoirs. Dams provide many benefits and are an important part of our public works infrastructure. They are built for a variety of reasons, including maintenance of lake levels, flood control, power production, and water supply. Although dams have many benefits, the risk that a dam could fail still exists. Dams can pose a risk to communities if not designed, operated and maintained properly. Dam failure is a collapse or breach in the structure. While most dams have storage volumes small enough that failures have little or no repercussions, dams with large storage amounts can cause significant flooding downstream. Dam failures can result from any one or a combination of the following causes:
1. Prolonged periods of rainfall and flooding, which cause most failures; 2. Inadequate spillway capacity, resulting in excess overtopping flows; 3. Internal erosion caused by embankment or foundation leakage or piping; 4. Improper maintenance, including failure to remove trees, repair internal seepage problems, or maintain gates, valves, and other operational components; 5. Improper design, such as use of improper construction materials; 6. Failure of upstream dams in the same drainage basin; 7. Landslides into reservoirs, which cause surges that result in overtopping; and, 8. High winds, which can cause significant wave action and result in substantial erosion.
The nation’s infrastructure of dams is aging. Old age and neglect can intensify vulnerability to these same influences. Furthermore, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have brought increased focus on infrastructure protection nationwide, including the safety of dams. Dam failures may result in the quick release of all the water in the reservoirs. In the event of a dam failure, the energy of the water stored behind the dam is capable of causing rapid and unexpected flooding downstream, resulting in loss of life and great property damage downstream of the dam.
Another major issue related to the dams in the Rio Grande Border region relates to releases. Even though Val Verde County is not threatened by a direct hit by a hurricane, in a large rain event in the U.S. or Mexico, the International Boundary and Water Commission may decide to release waters from the dams to save lives or property. In that event, there is a potential for backing up floodwaters in the inadequate local drainage systems across the County.
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Amistad Dam is the largest of the storage dams and reservoirs built on the international reach of the Rio Grande River. The dam was dedicated in 1969. Its primary purpose is flood control and water conservation storage for the benefit of the United States and Mexico. The dam is 6.1 miles (10 km) long, stands 254 feet (77.4 meters) above the riverbed and consists of a concrete gravity spillway section within the river canyon flanked by earth embankments. The dam has sixteen (16) spillway gates capable of releasing 1,500,000 cubic feet (42,670 cubic meters) per second. The dam is operated and maintained jointly by the United States and Mexico Sections of the IBWC. The reservoir impounded by the dam extends up the Rio Grande River approximately 75 miles has a surface area of 65,000 acres and a volume of 3,124,260 acre feet at conservation elevation of 1117.00 feet (340.460 meters) above mean sea level.
Figure 5-16. Amistad Dam
The International Boundary and Water Commission has an active Dam Safety Program and conducts Joint (Binational) Inspections every five years. Technical advisors from both countries with expertise in dam safety inspect the facilities and prepare recommendations for implementation. Recommendations implemented by the U.S. are funded through the USIBWC’s Safety of Dams construction appropriations. The Commission operates the international dams in accordance with binational flood operations criteria to balance water conservation and flood releases and insure the safety of the structures. Annual Flood Workshops are held prior to each flood season so that dam engineering, operations and administration personnel are briefed and the procedures exercised for readiness in the event of a flood.
Based on their inspection of Amistad Dam in April 2007, Technical Advisors to the International Boundary and Water Commission issued a "Joint Report of the Technical Advisors of the International Boundary and Water Commission regarding the Geotechnical, Electrical, Mechanical and Structural Safety of Amistad Dam." The Technical Advisors found that the entire foundation at Amistad Dam needed evaluation due to the potential impact of seepage from naturally occurring sinkholes, several meters in diameter, first identified in 1990. The report reviewed the potential for failure of Amistad Dam and the potential consequences in that unlikely event. The Joint Report rated Amistad Dam as a Class II dam -- an urgent priority and potentially unsafe. The report said that, "Urgent actions are needed based on the high risk in terms of the combination of potential loss of life and economic damages." Three of the many recommendations in the Report are:
1. Dam break and inundation mapping should be performed for various discharges, extending all the way downstream past Falcon Dam, and should be used to disclose impacts on populations at risk in the U.S. and Mexico and on Falcon Dam. Inundation maps should be included in
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Emergency Action Plans and furnished to and coordinated with local authorities responsible for developing evacuation plans. Inundation mapping is currently underway and is expected to be released in the Spring, 2011. When completed, the results will be integrated into this plan.
2. Both the U.S. and Mexican Sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission should update their Emergency Action Plans and update notification lists at least annually.
3. The International Boundary and Water Commission should encourage the development and testing of evacuation plans by local jurisdictions; joint emergency exercises should be conducted to test the Emergency Action Plan.
These recommendations are reflected in the mitigation actions in Chapter 6.
As a result of the report, the International Boundary and Water Commission has been closely monitoring the dam. The Commission has been working on a project plan to make improvements, beginning with foundation and embankment studies. The Commission has requested funding to address sinkhole problems in the foundation and embankments and begin rehabilitating Amistad Dam.
5.9.2. Measurement
Table 5-38. Dam Safety Action Classes There are two methods of assessing dam safety. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers first method is a classification of downstream effects by the Interagency Committee on Dam Safety and is reflected in Table 5-39 and Figures 5-17 and 5-18. Class Priority Safety assessment High-hazard-potential dams are those at which failure I Urgent and compelling Unsafe or misoperation would probably cause loss of human II Urgent Potentially unsafe life. Intermediate-hazard-potential dams are those at which failure or misoperation probably would not III High priority Conditionally unsafe result in loss of human life but could cause economic IV Priority Marginally safe loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline V Normal Safe facilities, or other significant damage. Intermediate- hazard-potential dams often are located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be located in populated areas having significant infrastructure. Low-hazard-potential dams are those at which failure or misoperation probably would not result in loss of human life and would cause limited economic and/or environmental losses. Losses would principally be limited to the owner’s property.
The second method of assessing dam safety is a ranking by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers based on the probability of failure and potential failure consequences. The Corps classifies dams into five Dam Safety Action Classes as shown in Table 5-38. The Technical Advisors to the International Boundary and Water Commission have rated Amistad Dam as a Class II dam -- an urgent priority and potentially unsafe. As shown in Table 5-39, Amistad Dam is also rated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a "high" hazard dam based on its potential downstream effects, probably causing loss of life. Other dams
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in Val Verde County on the National Inventory of Dams are rated as either "intermediate" or "low" hazard potential based on their downstream effects.
5.9.3 Previous occurrences
There are no known reported historical dam failure events reported for Val Verde County.
5.9.4. Geographic areas affected
Table 5-39 lists the eight major dams located in Val Verde County National Inventory of Dams (NID) database. Of these, one is classified as “high” hazard where failure or mis-operation of the dam would probably cause loss of human life; two are classified as “intermediate” hazard where failure would result in possible loss of human life and likely significant property or environmental destruction. It is important to note that these hazard classifications are not related to the physical condition or structural integrity of the dam (nor the probability of its failure) but strictly to the potential for adverse downstream effects if the dam were to fail.
Table 5-39. Major Dams in Val Verde County, according to the National Inventory of Dams, Source: US Army Corps of Engineers
Dam Name River/Stream Hazard Classification
Amistad Dam Rio Grande RIver High Altizer Dam Tr-San Felipe Creek Low Gillis East Lake Dam Tr-Evans Creek Low Gillis West Lake Dam Tr-Evans Creek Low Horseshoe Lake Dam Off Ch-Cienegas Creek Low Moody Lake Dam Tr-North Fork San Pedro Creek Low Twin Lakes Upstream Dam Tr-Salt Creek Intermediate Upper Twin Lake Dam Tr-Salt Creek Intermediate
Figures 5-17 and 5-18 depict the location of the major dams in Val Verde County along with the estimated dam failure inundation areas where there is potential for damage to property and loss of life in Val Verde County and Del Rio, respectively. Amistad Dam is not included; the potential dam inundation area is currently under study by the International Boundary and Water Commission.7 For planning purposes only, in order to assess potential dam failure risk, possible inundation areas were delineated by creating a 2,000 foot buffer along river and stream reaches for a distance of 10 miles downstream from all dam structures included in the National Inventory of Dams. Those inundation areas were then overlaid on the 30-meter default Digital Elevation Model used in the flood hazard analysis to create a depth grid that was then overlaid with the HAZUS-MH inventory to estimate potential exposure.
7 Because results are not yet available, severity of impact was rated based on local official input as critical pending more detailed analyses (see page 34).
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5.9.5. Probability of future disasters
Dam failure is an unlikely event. An event is not expected in the next ten years. Dam failure is generally assumed to be a low probability event, mainly due to periodic inspection and maintenance practices for those structures posing high or significant hazards. However it should be recognized that while a low probability event, any dam failure would likely result in high consequences for people and property located within the downstream inundation areas.
5.9.6. Vulnerability
Table 5-40 shows the estimated buildings and the number of people that may be at risk of dam failure from all major dams except Amistad Dam. When completed, the International Boundary and Water Commission's inundation study results of Amistad Dam will be integrated into the analysis.
Table 5-40. Potential Affected Exposure to Dam Failure (does not include Amistad Dam pending IBWC dam inundation study)
Potential Residential Potential Commercial Building Building Exposure at Risk Exposure at Risk Number of Jurisdiction People at Risk Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 210 $13,592,000 4 $898,000 432 Del Rio 1,691 $135,147,000 72 $23,172,000 4,530 Source: HAZUS-MH, National Inventory of Dams
5.9.7. Potential impact
In order to generate an annualized loss estimate for property damages caused by dam failure, the depth grid created to identify potential exposure was imported into HAZUS-MH and used to generate potential losses to a 100-year return period event for all major dams except Amistad. These figures were then divided by 100 in order to provide a crude estimate of potential annualized losses as shown in Table 5- 41. Annualized loss estimates from Amistad Dam are not included since the International Boundary and Water Commission has a study underway to define potential inundation areas. When completed, the International Boundary and Water Commission results will be included in this analysis.
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Table 5-41. Potential Annualized Losses to Dam Failure (does not include losses from Amistad Dam, which is currently under study by the IBWC)
Expected Property Losses for Expected Property Losses for Total Annualized Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Annualized Loss Jurisdiction Expected Ratio Property Losses Number Value Number Value
Val Verde County 1 $16,000 0 $1,000 $18,000 0.00% Del Rio 5 $285,000 0 $65,000 $386,000 0.03% Source: HAZUS-MH
Note: Does not include potential losses from Amistad Dam which are currently under study by the International Boundary and Water Commission.
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Figure 5-17. Dam Failure Inundation Areas in Val Verde County from selected dams on the National Inventory of Dams (does not reflect IBWC's dam inundation study of Amistad Dam which is currently underway)
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Figure 5-18. Dam Failure Inundation Areas in Del Rio from selected dams on the National Inventory of Dams) (does not reflect the International Boundary and Water Commission's inundation study of Amistad Dam which is currently underway.)
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5.10. Conclusions
Using the previously described methodology, the economic impact of each hazard is summarized in Table 5-42 below.
The economic loss results are presented here using Annualized Loss (AL), which is the estimated long- term value of losses to the general building stock in any single year in a specified geographic area. In other words, what would be the expected economic losses in any one year? The estimated Annualized Loss (AL) addresses the two key components of risk: the probability of hazard occurring in the study area and the consequences of the hazard, largely a function of building construction type and quality, and of the intensity of the hazard event. By annualizing estimated losses, the AL factors in historic patterns of frequent smaller events with infrequent but larger events to provide a balanced presentation of the risk.
Table 5-42. Summary of Annualized Loss Estimates by Hazard Dam Failure* (not including Fuel Hazardous Amistad which Jurisdiction Drought Flood Pipeline Material Thunderstorms Tornado Wildland Fire is currently Accident Incident under study by IBWC) Not Not Val Verde County $360,000 $2,612,000 available available Not available $18,000 $276,000 Not available Not Not Not Del Rio available $2,880,000 available available Not available $386,000 $10,100 Not available Note: For drought, the numbers presented are the annualized market losses for agriculture products sold. Loss estimates are at the county level due to data limitations.
Note: Estimates for dam failure do not include losses from Amistad Dam. The International Boundary and Water Commission is currently undertaking a dam inundation study. When they are made available, the results will be integrated into this plan.
A summary of the Annualized Loss Ratio (ALR) results are presented in Table 5-43. The ALR represents the AL as a fraction of the replacement value of the local inventory. The annualized loss ratio gauges the relationship between average annualized loss and replacement value. This ratio can be used as a measure of vulnerability in the areas and, since it is normalized by replacement value, it can be directly compared across different jurisdictions.
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Table 5-43. Summary of the Annualized Loss Ratios (ALR) (Calculated as annualized losses divided by the total exposure at risk) Dam Failure (not Fuel Hazardous including Thunder- Wildland Jurisdiction Drought Flood Pipeline Material Amistad Tornado storms Fire Accident Incident which is under study by IBWC) Not Not Not Not Val Verde County 3.01% 0.61% available available available 0.00% 0.06% available Not Not Not Not Not Del Rio available 0.21% available available available 0.03% 0.00% available
Note: For drought, the numbers presented are the annualized market losses for agriculture products sold. Loss estimates are at the county level due to data limitations.
Note: Estimates for dam failure do not include losses from Amistad Dam. The International Boundary and Water Commission is currently undertaking a dam inundation study. When they are made available, the results will be integrated into this plan.
The results of this study are useful in at least three ways:
• Improving our understanding of the risk associated with the natural hazards in Val Verde County through better understanding of the complexities and dynamics of risk, how levels of risk can be measured and compared, and the myriad factors that influence risk. An understanding of these relationships is critical in making balanced and informed decisions on managing the risk.
• Providing a baseline for policy development and comparison of mitigation alternatives. The data used for this analysis present a current picture of risk in Val Verde County. Updating this risk “snapshot” with future data will enable comparison of the changes in risk with time. Baselines of this type can support the objective analysis of policy and program options for risk reduction.
• Comparing the risk among the natural hazards addressed. The results quantify the risk to all these hazards relative to one another. The ranking provides a systematic framework to compare and prioritize the very disparate natural hazards that are present in Val Verde County.
• This final step in the risk assessment provided the necessary information for the Mitigation Planning Committee to craft a mitigation strategy to focus resources on those hazards that pose the most threat to the County.
Hazard risk ranking depends on the anticipated severity, area of impact, and probability of occurrence (return period) as determined and profiled in this risk assessment. Table 5-44 provides the hazard ranking by jurisdiction for each hazard. For each jurisdiction, each hazard was given a rating of high (H), moderate (M), low (L), or very low based on how vulnerable they are to that hazard. The rating of VL was used if the potential exposure and loss was determined to be zero. Ratings are based on a
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combination of factors such as population and building exposure, historical occurrences and probability of future events, annualized loss and/or annualized loss ratios (if available), along with input from the Mitigation Planning Committee.
Table 5-44. Hazard Risk Ranking by Jurisdiction
Dam Failure* Fuel Hazardous (*not including Thunder Wildland Jurisdiction Drought Flood Pipeline Material Amistad, which is Tornado -storm Fire Accident Incident under study by IBWC) Val Verde County M H L M L L* M M Del Rio L H L M L M* M L
*Note: Estimates for dam failure do not include losses from Amistad Dam. The International Boundary and Water Commission is currently undertaking a dam inundation study. When they are made available, the results will be integrated into this plan. The hazard ranking for dam failure will likely change as a result of the IBWC study.
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6. Mitigation Actions
Val Verde County identified mitigation actions to reduce the long term risks from the hazards addressed in this Plan. The actions are presented below. Each action relates to one of the goals set forth in Chapter 2 of this Plan. Many of the actions in this section are directed at reducing the risk from a specific hazard, such as flooding or tornadoes. Other actions in this section are directed at multiple or all hazards. Mitigation action plans present the benefits and estimated costs of each action, organization within the County responsible for implementation, implementation schedule, potential sources of funding, impact on existing and new buildings, and benefit/cost considerations. Implementation is dependent upon availability of funding. An overall priority is assigned to each action based on its effect on overall risk to life and property, costs and benefits, ease of implementation, institutional support, and potential funding. Mitigation action plans to be carried out by Val Verde County are summarized in Table 6-1 and presented in greater detail in Section 6.2.
6.1. Summary of Mitigation Actions The following table summarizes the mitigation actions which follow.
Table 6-1. VAL VERDE COUNTY Mitigation Actions
Mitigation Actions: Project Description Drought Flooding Incidents Tornadoes Dam Failure Wildland Fire Thunderstorms
Hazardous Materials Fuel Pipeline Failure
Conduct a cane eradication program to conserve water, reduce fire hazards along the 1 banks of the Rio Grande X X X River adjacent to populated areas, and improve water flows.
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VAL VERDE COUNTY Mitigation Actions
Mitigation Actions: Project Description Drought Flooding Incidents Tornadoes Dam Failure Wildland Fire Thunderstorms
Hazardous Materials Fuel Pipeline Failure
Work with Laughlin Air Force Base on the installation of a 120 foot telecommunications tower at the Lake Amistad marina store to transmit emergency 2 X X X X X information through the Base's "Giant Voice" system. Develop joint protocols with Laughlin Air Force Base for their activation of the system in emergency situations. Conduct regular exercises simulating a tornado, including establishment of 3 shelters and coordination of X Emergency Medical Services, fire, police, and the Sheriff’s department. Provide public information to residents to improve anchoring of manufactured 4 X X homes and exterior attachments such as carports and porches. Design and undertake a public awareness campaign to promote public awareness of hazards. This will include 5 distribution of pamphlets X X X X X and public service announcements on how to prepare for a range of hazards.
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VAL VERDE COUNTY Mitigation Actions
Mitigation Actions: Project Description Drought Flooding Incidents Tornadoes Dam Failure Wildland Fire Thunderstorms
Hazardous Materials Fuel Pipeline Failure
6 Install surge protectors on X critical electronic equipment. Educate Comstock High School students on climatology, the nature and impact of natural hazards and protective measures. 7 X X X The curriculum will include the availability of warning systems, including battery operated weather channel radios. Complete State Loop 79 and re-route hazardous materials away from Veterans 8 Boulevard; and develop an X inter-local agreement with the City of Del Rio and Laughlin Air Force Base.
Identify and map hazardous materials sites in Mexico that 9 X could potentially impact Val Verde County in the event of an accident.
Build a drainage swale and ditch to implement a joint 10 City/County drainage X project to convey flood waters from North Del Rio into the Rio Grande River.
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VAL VERDE COUNTY Mitigation Actions
Mitigation Actions: Project Description Drought Flooding Incidents Tornadoes Dam Failure Wildland Fire Thunderstorms
Hazardous Materials Fuel Pipeline Failure
Undertake a culvert 11 improvement project to X increase the capacity to carry flood flows at Frontera Road. Conduct a voluntary acquisition program for the Vega Verde subdivision as 12 well as other low lying areas X X below Amistad Dam; strictly enforce county flood damage prevention order # 09-1076. Complete the Corps of Engineers flood study of the Cantu Branch of Cienegas Creek and implement 13 X findings. Ensure that the study results are reflected in Flood Insurance Rate Map changes. Aggressively enforce the Abatement of Public Nuisance, Chapter 343, Texas 14 Health and Safety Code to X clear drainage easements and irrigation canals of brush and overgrowth. Make the public aware that it is a violation of public law to disregard high water barricades; encourage 15 X enforcement by local law enforcement. Promote the "Turn Around Don't Drown campaign.
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VAL VERDE COUNTY Mitigation Actions
Mitigation Actions: Project Description Drought Flooding Incidents Tornadoes Dam Failure Wildland Fire Thunderstorms
Hazardous Materials Fuel Pipeline Failure
Promote rain water harvesting and encourage 16 new homes to be plumbed X X for the maximum retention of grey water Work with the International Boundary and Water Commission to finalize 17 Amistad Dam inundation X maps and provide them to local officials and the general public. Work with the International Boundary and Water Commission to ensure that their Amistad Emergency Action Plan is current, including annual updates of notification lists. Develop and test an emergency action 18 plan, including an X evacuation plan, in the unlikely event of a breach or failure of Amistad Dam. The evacuation plan should be coordinated with International Boundary and Water Commission and U.S. and Mexican officials. Increase the level of flood 19 X insurance in the County.
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VAL VERDE COUNTY Mitigation Actions
Mitigation Actions: Project Description Drought Flooding Incidents Tornadoes Dam Failure Wildland Fire Thunderstorms
Hazardous Materials Fuel Pipeline Failure
Vigorously enforce the National Flood Insurance Program requirements, 20 X including those relating to substantial damage and substantial improvements. Develop a "Sister City" 21 Hazard Mitigation and X Contingency Plan. Work with pipeline owners to ensure that pipelines 22 X crossing the County have proper signage. Conduct a pipeline awareness program in 23 X partnership with the Texas Pipeline Awareness Alliance.
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6.2. Mitigation Action Plans
ACTION 1: Conduct a cane eradication program to conserve water and reduce fire hazards along the banks of the Rio Grande River adjacent to populated areas.
Hazard: Wildland fire, flooding, drought
Background: Cane fires on the Rio Grande are almost an annual event. The fast- growing cane is a naturalized and invasive species. It impacts
native and endangered species and wastes large quantities of water. Cane impedes access of Federal law enforcement officials to the edge of the Rio Grande river. It is also highly flammable, causing extremely hot and damaging fires. Since cane is located in the floodplain, it impedes flows and exacerbates the impacts of floods, draining county dollars and manpower as well as increasing the risk to lives and property. A cane eradication program is needed to reduce the risk of fires and flooding.
Eradication methods include controlled burns, mechanical cutting and removal, or treatment with herbicides.
Benefits: A cane eradication program will eliminate fire hazards and minimize the impact of flooding, thereby reducing the risk to life
and property and conserving county resources. Eradicating cane hazards along the Rio Grande River will allow federal law enforcement officials clear access to the edge of the River. It will also reduce the drain on water resources, especially in drought situations.
Priority: High
Estimated Cost: $500,000
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Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management, in coordination with the Federal government
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: Grants under the Homeland Security Program and the Texas Water Resources Institute. All projects are subject to availability of
federal and local funding as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on existing and Reduction in the number and severity of cane fires will protect new buildings. existing structures and any new buildings.
Benefit/Cost A detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope of this plan. Considerations: However, the many benefits of this project – reduced fire hazards and damage from flooding, conservation of scarce water resources, and more effective border patrol – clearly outweigh the relatively limited project costs.
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ACTION 2: Work with the Laughlin Air Force Base on the installation of a 120 foot telecommunications tower at the Lake Amistad marina store to transmit emergency information through the Base’s “Giant Voice” system. Develop joint protocols with Laughlin Air Force Base for their activation of the system in emergency situations.
Hazard: Thunderstorms, tornadoes, flooding, wildland fires and dam failure
Background: Laughlin Air Force Base is planning to install a 120 foot telecommunications tower at the Lake Amistad marina store.
The marina is a military marina leased from the National Park Service. The tower would transmit emergency information directly from Laughlin Air Force Base to the marina and back. The Laughlin Command Post would be able to activate a siren and announcement system referred to as “Giant Voice” to notify patrons in the area of pending bad weather or any other hazards. Currently, the Air Force Base relies on runners to transmit such information.
This system would enable Val Verde County to transmit vital information in emergency situations through Laughlin Air Force Base. Joint protocols for the Base’s use of the system for emergency information to alert the public and Air Force personnel are needed. Air Force funding and approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Park Service are pending.
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Benefits: The “Giant Voice” system will provide warning to the public and thereby save lives in a developing emergency situation.
The “Giant Voice” system will be heard in the “Amistad Land Use and Zone Area” which includes the following subdivisions subject to flooding, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, wildland fires and dam failure. Several of these subdivisions are comprised of mobile homes, and at higher risk in tornadoes and severe storms. Amistad Heights I and II (50 homes) Sleeping Lady Estates (13 homes) Rancho De Los Venados Subdivision (65 mobile homes) Holiday Travel Park (at least 100 recreational vehicles on a year around basis)
Del Grande Mobile Home Village (126 homes) Joint protocols will help insure coordinated use of the system with appropriate safety messages depending upon the type of emergency.
Priority: Medium
Estimated Cost: To be determined in coordination with the U.S. Air Force
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management in coordination with the U.S. Air Force. All projects are subject to availability of federal and local funding as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: U.S. Air Force
Impact on existing and None new buildings
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Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the additional warning time provided by the announcement system could save many lives in an emergency at a relatively low cost which will be borne by the U.S. Air Force.
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ACTION 3: Conduct regular exercises simulating a tornado, including establishment of shelters and coordination of Emergency Medical Services, fire, police and the Sheriff’s department.
Hazard: Tornadoes
Background: Val Verde County has interlocal agreements with the City of Del Rio Fire Department and Laughlin Air Force Base. The last
joint exercise took place about two years ago. Exercise scenarios have included an airplane crash, terrorist incident, and hazardous materials incident. To date, an exercise has not been conducted simulating a severe tornado; a day long exercise is needed.
Benefits: Since tornados are a constant if not frequent event, regular exercises keep fresh in everyone’s mind the potential for the
devastation that results from tornados. It will also facilitate coordination of emergency responders and identify issues that need to be addressed to improve emergency management.
Priority: Medium
Estimated Cost: $10,000 to $15,000
Responsible Organization: County Emergency Management Office
Target Completion Date: 2015
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Funding Sources: General revenues, Homeland Security grant funding. All projects are subject to availability of federal and local funding
as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on existing and None new buildings
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the increased level of emergency preparedness that would result from the exercises clearly outweigh the very small project costs.
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ACTION 3: Conduct regular exercises simulating a tornado, including establishment of shelters and coordination of Emergency Medical Services, fire, police and the Sheriff’s department.
Hazard: Tornadoes
Background: Val Verde County has interlocal agreements with the City of Del Rio Fire Department and Laughlin Air Force Base. The last
joint exercise took place about two years ago. Exercise scenarios have included an airplane crash, terrorist incident, and hazardous materials incident. To date, an exercise has not been conducted simulating a severe tornado; a day long exercise is needed.
Benefits: Since tornados are a constant if not frequent event, regular exercises keep fresh in everyone’s mind the potential for the
devastation that results from tornados. It will also facilitate coordination of emergency responders and identify issues that need to be addressed to improve emergency management.
Priority: Medium
Estimated Cost: $10,000 to $15,000
Responsible Organization: County Emergency Management Office
Target Completion Date: 2015
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Funding Sources: General revenues, Homeland Security grant funding. All projects are subject to availability of federal and local funding
as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on existing and None new buildings
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the increased level of emergency preparedness that would result from the exercises clearly outweigh the very small project costs.
107 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 4: Provide public information to residents to improve anchoring of manufactured homes and exterior attachments such as carports and porches.
Hazard: Thunderstorms, tornadoes
Background: Val Verde County has many residents living in manufactured housing consisting of mobile homes and recreational vehicles.
In severe wind events such as thunderstorms and tornadoes, damage and injury can be prevented by anchoring manufactured homes and exterior attachments such as carports and porches. This action will be implemented through a public information campaign which will include distribution of information to the public through brochures and the County’s website.
Benefits: This action prevents damage to manufactured homes and reduces the risk of loss of life and injury. It will help secure
loose items so that they will not injure others.
Priority: Medium
Estimated Cost: Minimal
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: General revenues
108 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Impact on existing and This action will strengthen existing manufactured homes new buildings: against severe winds. It will not affect new buildings.
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the additional protection that would be provided to very vulnerable mobile homes and the reduced risk from flying objects clearly exceed the project’s minimal costs.
109 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 5: Design and undertake a public awareness campaign to promote public awareness of hazards. This will include distribution of pamphlets and public service announcements on how to prepare for a range of hazards.
Hazard: Severe thunderstorms, drought, flooding, hazardous materials incidents, fuel pipeline failure, dam failure, wildland fire and
tornadoes
Background: A comprehensive awareness and educational campaign is needed to give the residents of Val Verde County the
knowledge and tools necessary to carry out their responsibilities to mitigate damage to their own lives and property before disaster strikes, better prepare for disasters, and know what to do in an emergency situation.
The campaign will be a long-term initiative, providing educational opportunities to advance the community’s knowledge and skills. Possible components of the planned campaign may include events, web postings, television and radio station outreach calendar and safety handbook, partnerships, and use of existing resources for education about hazards. Materials will be provided in English and Spanish to help reach all populations within the County. Outreach will be conducted with the two radio stations in Del Rio and three radio stations in Ciudad Acuna which can provide emergency information in Spanish.
The public awareness campaign will include such items as what to include in an emergency kit and the need for generators, a fresh supply of batteries for flashlights, as well as emergency supply of drinking water.
110 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Benefits: This action will result in a more informed public, aware of the risks they face from various hazards and knowledgeable about
how to protect their families, homes, workplaces, communities and livelihoods from the impact of disasters. It will also result in lasting partnerships with those partners and community members who provide support. It will also assist in the recovery process since damage will be minimized and more residents will be self-sustaining for a longer period.
Priority: Very high
Estimated Cost: Nominal, not over $10,000
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: General revenue, Hazard Mitigation Program grants. All projects are subject to availability of federal and local funding
as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on existing and This action will provide information on how to protect existing new buildings: buildings and construct new buildings more safely, thereby reducing losses to existing and new buildings.
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, this action’s minimal cost is insignificant compared to the potential property damages that could be lessened and lives that could be saved through educating the public about proper preparation for and response to a wide range of emergencies.
111 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 6: Install surge protectors on critical electronic equipment.
Hazard: Severe thunderstorms
Background: Damage from thunderstorms and lightning is often underestimated. Surge protectors can prevent lightning
damage. This action would install surge protectors on the County’s critical electronic equipment.
Benefits: This action will reduce damage to critical electronic equipment, thereby reducing replacement costs and ensuring
continuing operation in emergency conditions.
Priority: Medium
Estimated Cost: An average of $40 for each surge protector
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office
2015 Target Completion Date:
Funding Sources: General revenues
Impact on existing and None new buildings:
112 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, purchasing low cost surge protectors is highly cost-beneficial. It protects very expensive county electronic equipment at minimal cost from lightning strikes and ensures the continuity of county services during and after frequent severe thunderstorms.
113 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 7: Educate Comstock High School students on climatology, the nature and impact of natural hazards, and protective measures. The curriculum will include the availability of warning systems including battery operated weather channel radios.
Hazard: Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, flooding, wildland fire, dam failure
Background: This action would educate high school students in Val Verde County and heighten public awareness of disasters and
warning systems, including battery operated weather channel radios.
Benefits: Educating school children has lasting benefits and helps reach parents with important safety information.
Priority: Very high
Estimated Cost: Nominal, not over $10,000
Responsible Organization: Consolidated School District in coordination with Emergency Management
Target Completion Date: 2015
114 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Funding Sources: General revenue and Hazard Mitigation Program grant funding. All projects are subject to availability of federal and
local funding as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on new and None existing buildings
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the long-term benefits from educating young people about the threat of natural disasters and protective measures clearly exceed this project’s minimal costs, particularly in a county where many adults have limited education. Project costs are minimized since existing facilities and staffing are paid for through the school district.
115 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 8: Complete State Loop 79 and re-route hazardous materials away from Veterans Boulevard; and develop an inter-local agreement with the City of Del Rio and Laughlin Air Force Base.
Hazard: Hazardous material incidents
Background: We have been extremely fortunate not to have had any major hazmat event. State Loop 79 will remove all mobile hazmat
traffic from Veterans’ Blvd.
Benefits: By removing hazardous materials traffic from Veterans’ Boulevard, this action will reduce the risk to populated areas.
Priority: High
Estimated Cost: Completion of State Loop 79 will cost $60,000,000. Minimal additional costs will be required to re-route hazardous
materials traffic and develop the inter-local agreement.
Responsible Organization: County Administrator
Target Completion Date: 2011
116 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Funding Sources: Texas Department of Transportation and general issue bonds. All projects are subject to availability of federal and local
funding as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on existing and None new buildings:
Benefit/Cost A detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope of this Considerations: plan. Building of State Loop 79 will significantly improve traffic flows and costs can be amortized over a long period of time, utilizing Texas Department of Transportation funds. Re- routing hazardous materials and developing the inter-local agreement will incur minimal additional costs. These will be outweighed by removing the constant threat to County residents from a hazardous materials incident close to densely populated areas.
117 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 9: Identify and map hazardous materials sites in Mexico that could potentially impact Val Verde County in the event of an accident.
Hazard: Hazardous materials incidents
Background: Hazardous materials sites in Mexico could potentially impact people in Val Verde County. A single geo-referenced database
of hazardous materials sites and materials stored in Mexico is not currently available. This action calls for coordination between U.S. and Mexican officials to identify hazardous materials sites that could have transboundary impacts in either direction. This action can be undertaken as part of the Border 2012 program of the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality.
Benefits: This action will make available data on hazardous materials sites in Mexico which could potentially affect Val Verde
County. It also can increase cooperation between U.S. and Mexican officials and aid in planning for transboundary hazardous materials incidents.
Priority: Medium
Estimated Cost: $30,000
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office
Target Completion Date: 2015
118 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Funding Sources: Grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Border 2012
Impact on existing and None new buildings:
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the minimal costs of this effort are outweighed by knowing the location and nature of hazardous materials sites on the Mexican side of the border. It could protect the health and even lives of Val Verde County residents at a very low cost.
119 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 10: Build a drainage swale and ditch to implement a joint City/County drainage project to convey flood waters from North Del Rio into the Rio Grande River.
Hazard: Flooding, especially flash flooding
Background: A City/County drainage project is needed to alleviate sheet and flash flooding in the County and convey flood waters
from North Del Rio into the Rio Grande River. It will alleviate flooding from 10th to 15th Street in the City of Del Rio.
The County portion of the project involves a 100 foot drainage easement and a 25 foot irrigation canal. The canal has very thick brush, necessitating heavy clearing equipment. The drainage easements have not been used for agriculture for about 20 years and maintenance has been inadequate.
Benefits: The drainage project will alleviate sheet and flash flooding in the County and convey the flood waters to the Rio Grande
River. It will also help alleviate flooding from 10th to 15th Street in the City of Del Rio.
Priority: Very high
Estimated Cost: $350,000 (County portion)
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County in coordination with the City of Del Rio and the Texas Department of Transportation
120 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Target Completion Date: 2012
Funding Sources: FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds with local match. All projects are subject to availability of federal and
local funding as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on existing and This action will guide flood waters to the Rio Grande River new buildings: and thus protect existing and new buildings from flooding in the County. It will also protect existing and new buildings
within the City of Del Rio located between 10th to 15th Street.
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the proposed drainage project is the only feasible method of diverting heavy flow of water away from North Del Rio through the County and into the Rio Grande River. The cost to the County is far less than the damage that would result from flooding, especially between 10th and 15th Streets.
121 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 11: Undertake a culvert improvement project to increase the capacity to carry flood flows at Frontera Road.
Hazard: Flooding
Background: This action is to undertake a culvert improvement project along Frontera Road in the County. The project will replace
the existing, aged box culvert with a higher capacity culvert to substantially increase the capacity to carry off flood waters.
Frontera Road is currently being rebuilt. The project will be undertaken as the Road is being rebuilt. The project will substantially increase peak discharges and ensure that Frontera Road is passable during major rain event.
A major area of local concern is the industrial park located in the County near the Rio Grande River on Frontera Road.
The specific location of the culvert improvement project along Frontera Road and project details are to be determined by engineering analyses.
Benefits: The culvert improvement project will increase the size of the culvert and thereby increase the capacity of the drainage
system to carry off flood flows and help alleviate flooding at Frontera Road. It will reduce the potential loss of life and property in the industrial park off Frontera Road. It will help ensure that Frontera Road remains passable and that the industrial park can continue to operate in a major rain event.
Priority: Very high
Estimated Cost: $75,000
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County, in coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation
122 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Target Completion Date: 2012
Funding Sources: FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds with local match. All projects are subject to availability of federal and
local funding as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on existing and This action will protect existing and new buildings, including new buildings: the industrial park, along Frontera Boulevard by increasing flood flows away from the industrial park and off Frontera
Road. It will also minimize future damage to Frontera Road.
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the proposed project’s relatively small cost is far outweighed by the value of keeping Frontera Road open and protecting the industrial park from repetitive flooding which can interrupt business operations and thereby reduce tax revenue.
123 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 12: Conduct a voluntary acquisition program for the Vega Verde subdivision as well as other low lying areas below Amistad Dam; strictly enforce county flood damage prevention order # 09-1076.
Hazard: General flooding
Background: Due to flooding in the Rio Grande River above Amistad Dam, at times it is necessary for IBWC to release large amounts of
water, flooding the Vega Verde subdivision as well as other populated low lying areas below the dam. The Vega Verde subdivision has 305 homes, with an average value of $150,000 each for land and structures. About 75 of the homes are repetitively flooded but most are uninsured and therefore do not meet the criteria for inclusion on FEMA’s repetitive flood loss list. Flood insurance coverage is extremely low in the County. An assessment is currently underway of flood insurance coverage of these properties as part of the buy-out process. A large map of the proposed subdivision acquisition area has been provided to the State Division of Emergency Management as part of a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program grant application. It is not included as part of this plan due to size.
Benefits: Acquisition of repetitively damaged properties and conversion to open space will eliminate long-term risk to homes in the
subdivision. Enforcement of the county flood damage prevention order will eventually eliminate populated areas below the dam.
Priority: Very high
124 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Estimated Cost: The estimated cost of the FEMA buy-out is $2.25 million. Total appraised value (land and buildings) for all 305 properties is
$4,757,930, but only a portion of homeowners will participate.
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Texas Department of Rural Affairs
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant funds or Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant funds, with non-Federal match supported by
Community Development Block Grant funding. All projects are subject to availability of federal and local funding as well as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on existing and This action will have a significant impact on both existing and new buildings: new buildings. Voluntary buy-outs along with enforcement of the county flood damage prevention order will eventually
eliminate existing and new buildings in areas below the dam.
Benefit/Cost A detailed benefit/cost analysis will be conducted as part of Considerations: the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program application. Award of funds will be contingent upon a benefit to cost ratio exceeding 1.0. Generally, voluntary acquisitions of repetitively flooded properties is the most cost-effective way to permanently eliminate flood risk.
125 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 13: Complete the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood study of the Cantu Branch of the Cienegas Creek and implement the findings. Ensure that the study results are reflected in Flood Insurance Rate Map changes.
Hazard: Flooding
Background: Cienegas Creek flows into the Rio Grande River. There has been much development along the headwaters of the creek,
increasing flooding downstream. The increased risk is not accurately reflected on flood maps. A detailed map and flood study are not currently available; they will be developed as this mitigation action is implemented. In August, 2009, a digital, county-wide Flood Insurance Rate Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It was adopted by Val Verde County and became effective on July 22, 2010. Although it is digital format, the new map is a scanned version of the previous out of date flood maps and does not accurately portray the true flood risk. Additional flood studies are critically needed.
Benefits: Completion of Corps study on the Cienegas will provide more accurate information on flood risk and serve as the basis for
options to reduce flooding.
Priority: Very high
Estimated Cost: County match on Corps study--$150,000
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
126 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with County match. All projects are subject to availability of federal and local funding as well
as availability of local staff to administer the project.
Impact on existing and The Corps’ findings will serve as the basis for options to new buildings: reduce flooding of existing buildings on the Cienegas. It will also serve as the basis for regulatory decisions to prevent
development of new buildings in the floodplain.
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, completion of the Corps’ study will allow informed mitigation actions to prevent flooding as well as a Flood Insurance Rate Map that more accurately represents risk and allows setting of more actuarially sound flood insurance premium rates. Benefits far outweigh the project costs for the County’s match.
127 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 14: Aggressively enforce the Abatement of Public Nuisance, Chapter 343, Texas Health and Safety Code to clear drainage easements and irrigation canals of brush and overgrowth.
Hazard: Flooding
Background: A cost-effective mitigation measure is to keep drainage channels clear of debris in order to maintain its flood carrying
and storage capacity. Drainage channels can lose their carrying capacities due to debris accumulation, sedimentation and the growth of vegetation.
The area commonly known as South Del Rio is interlaced with an irrigation system that is poorly maintained since only portions of this system are still used for irrigation. Natural brush and overgrowth as well as human-caused debris impede water flows and cause flooding in populated areas. This action involves inspection of the drainage system, removing debris from drainage easements and irrigation canals, and correcting drainage problem sites. It also involves aggressive enforcement of the Abatement of Public Nuisance, Chapter 343, Texas Health and Safety Code.
Benefits: This action will reduce natural growth and or human-made debris that reduces the carrying capacity of the channels. It
would significantly reduce the flash flooding risk in portions of South Del Rio.
Priority: High
Estimated Cost: Minimal
128 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Health Department, local law enforcement agencies
Target Completion Date: 2011
Funding Sources: General revenue. All projects are subject to availability of federal and local funding as well as availability of local staff to
administer the project.
Impact on existing and This action will help reduce the impact of repetitive flooding new buildings: on existing buildings, even in small storms.
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the project would substantially reduce the risk of flooding by improving drainage, a major benefit that far exceeds the minimal cost of the project.
129 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 15: Make the public aware that it is a violation of the law to disregard high water barricades; encourage enforcement by local law enforcement. Promote the “Turn Around Don’t Drown” campaign.
Hazard: Flash flooding
Background: Val Verde County has many low water crossings. People often underestimate the depth, force and power of water. Many
deaths can occur in automobiles as drivers are swept downstream. Many of these drownings are preventable, but too many people continue to drive around the barriers that warn you the road is flooded, even though it is a violation of the law.
This action involves conducting outreach on the law and promoting the National Weather Service’s Turn Around Don't Drown program. It also provides for greater enforcement for those who violate the law by driving around barriers.
Benefits: This action will provide greater awareness of flash flood risks and the importance of not crossing a flooded low water
crossing. It will help reduce the loss of life from flash flooding.
Priority: High
Estimated Cost: Costs are minimal. Free Turn Around Don’t Drown outreach materials are available from the National Weather Service.
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Health Department, local law enforcement agencies
130 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Target Completion Date: 2011
Funding Sources: General revenue. All projects are subject to availability of federal and local funding as well as availability of local staff to
administer the project.
Impact on existing and None new buildings:
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the benefit of preventing even a single fatality is greater than the project’s minimal costs. Outreach materials are free.
131 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 16: Promote rain water harvesting; and encourage new homes to be plumbed for the maximum retention of grey water.
Hazard: Drought, wildland fire
Background: Val Verde County’s low annual rainfall is one of the lowest in the state. Drought conditions are a way of life in Val Verde
County. These are punctuated by periods of heavy rains. A way to capture rain is needed. For example, an average house in Val Verde County can harvest 12,000 gallons of water from an eight inch rain. This action will involve a public education program with distribution of information for residents via the County’s website and brochures.
Benefits: Use of grey water to its fullest can provide adequate water for lawns and shrubs. A properly constructed rain harvesting
system could provide water domestic use, livestock, and fire fighting.
Priority: Very high
Estimated Cost: To be determined
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas Department of Agriculture
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture
132 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Impact on existing and This action will affect water conservation in existing and new new buildings: buildings.
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the government’s cost for the action is negligible and could result in significant benefit to residents who take the recommended conservation measures.
133 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 17: Work with the International Boundary and Water Commission to finalize dam break and inundation maps and provide them to local officials responsible for preparedness and response actions and the general public.
Hazard: Dam failure
Background: In April 2007, a Joint Report of the Technical Advisors of the International Boundary and Water Commission Regarding the
Geotechnical, Electrical, Mechanical and Structural Safety of Amistad Dam was issued. Based on their engineering judgment, Amistad Dam was classified as “potentially unsafe” (Dam Safety Action Class – Urgent). The report concluded that the entire dam foundation is in need of further evaluation and study due to potential impact of seepage from naturally- occurring sinkholes, and the high risk in terms of the combination of potential loss of life and economic damages. The inspection report recommended that the Commission convened a joint panel of experts to conduct additional studies. Recommendations for mitigating the risk of a dam failure were presented.
A dam breach or failure at Amistad Dam is an unlikely event but potentially life-threatening event. With the assistance of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission is currently undertaking a study of the potential effects of a dam break or inundation and preparing maps of the affected area. Maps are under development for various discharges up to maximum spillway release bands. The maps will be used to disclose impacts on populations at risk in the U.S. and Mexico and on Falcon Dam. The dam breach and inundation maps are nearing completion. Once received, this action will involve outreach to local officials within the County to share the results and provide a basis for mitigation and preparedness actions.
134 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Benefits: Inundation maps will serve as the basis for development of emergency evacuation plans and other response actions.
Priority: Very high
Estimated Cost: Minimal costs to the County; study costs will be borne by the International Boundary and Water Commission.
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office in partnership with the International Boundary and Water Commission
Target Completion Date: 2011
Funding Sources: General revenues
Impact on existing and None new buildings:
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, having accurate flood inundation maps would allow county officials to prepare for a potentially catastrophic dam failure at an insignificant cost to the county.
135 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 18: Work with the International Boundary and Water Commission to ensure that their Amistad Emergency Action Plan is current, including annual updates of notification lists. Develop and test an emergency action plan, including an evacuation plan, in the unlikely event of a breach or failure of Amistad Dam. The evacuation plan should be coordinated with International Boundary and Water Commission and U.S. and Mexican officials.
Hazard: Dam failure
Background: Amistad Dam is under the management of the International Boundary and Water Commission and is governed by State
Department rules and international treaties. As noted in Action 14, a dam breach or failure at Amistad Dam is an unlikely but potentially life-threatening event. Amistad’s Emergency Action Plan should include a hydraulic analysis that produces a dam failure inundation map, flood elevations, and arrival times at various points downstream from the dam.
This action calls for the County’s development and testing of a notification and evacuation plan in the unlikely event of a dam breach or failure. The plans will be based upon the International Boundary and Water Commission inundation studies. The County’s plan will include: ensuring that communications systems are in good order; establishment of methods to notify affected residents of an imminent flood event resulting from a possible or ongoing dam failure; development of standard operating procedures; an evacuation plan that includes evacuation routes and detailed procedures for notifying and evacuating critical facilities; a shelter plan; provisions for special populations, including those without the means to evacuate on their own.
136 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Benefits: A County Emergency Action Plan will help ensure that local officials and downstream residents understand the potential
results of the unlikely event of dam failure and prepare for them, saving lives in a dam breach or failure. It will also improve communications between local County officials and U.S. and Mexican officials. Updated notification lists will help ensure that the appropriate local officials are notified in the event of a dam failure event in time for evacuation.
Priority: Very high
Estimated Cost: $20,000
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office in coordination with the International Boundary and Water Commission
Target Completion Date: 2012 and annually thereafter
Funding Sources: General revenues; Federal Emergency Management Agency, International Boundary and Water Commission,
Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services funding
Impact on existing and None new buildings:
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the lives potentially saved from a catastrophic failure of the Dam far outweigh the project’s small cost.
137 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 19: Increase the level of flood insurance in the County.
Hazard: Flooding
Background: Val Verde County has a very low rate of flood insurance coverage. Flood insurance provides the best financial
protection in the event of a flood disaster. Homeowner or business property insurance policies do not cover flood damages. Flood insurance enables property owners to recover quickly and more fully from a flooding event. Reliance on Federal disaster assistance leaves many without financial protection for those events that are not Federally-declared disasters. Often, Federal disaster assistance is in the form of long–term loans that must be repaid.
In August, 2009, the digital, county-wide Flood Insurance Rate Map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and adopted by Val Verde County. Some property owners may find themselves located in the 100-year floodplain as a result of the map revisions; others may be remapped to low risk areas.
Activities will include an awareness campaign aimed at property owners in the 100- and 500-year floodplains to inform residents of map changes and encourage them to purchase insurance. Owners of buildings re-mapped to a Special Flood Hazard Area will be made aware that for up to two years after the effective date of the map, a Preferred Risk Policy will be available at a savings of over $1,0008 a year. For more information, see www.FloodSmart.gov.
8 Savings of over $1,000 per year are estimated for $200,000 in building and $80,000 in contents coverage. There are also other rating options offered through the National Flood Insurance Program which may result in additional savings.
138 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Benefits: Increased flood insurance coverage will provide greater financial protection for Val Verde residents. Purchasing a
Preferred Risk Policy for those affected by map changes is estimated to save over $1,000 per year for $200,000 in building and $80,000 in contents coverage.
Priority: Medium
Estimated Cost: Minimal. Training and publications are available at no cost through the Texas Water Development Board, the Texas
Floodplain Management Association and the National Flood Insurance Program.
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: General revenues and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds.
Impact on existing and This action will facilitate the rebuilding of flood damaged new buildings: properties in compliance with the local ordinance.
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, the minimal cost of encouraging residents to buy flood insurance is small compared to the financial protection flood insurance will bring. This action will minimize the costs for Federal disaster assistance and County services.
139 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 20: Vigorously enforce the National Flood Insurance Program requirements, including substantial damage/substantial improvement provisions of the Val Verde County floodplain management ordinance.
Hazard: Flooding
Background: When a building in a Special Flood Hazard Area is substantially improved or substantially damaged, it must be
rebuilt to standards contained in the County’s floodplain management ordinance. This action calls for vigorous enforcement of this provision.
"Substantial improvement" means any rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a building when the cost of the improvement equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the building before start of construction of the improvement. The term includes buildings that have incurred "substantial damage." "Substantial damage" means damage of any origin sustained by a building when the cost of restoring the building to its pre-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the building before the damage occurred.
Benefits: This action will reduce future flood risks and remove buildings from the floodplain over time.
Priority: Medium
Estimated Cost: Minimal
140 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Health Department
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: General revenues
Impact on existing and This will ensure that substantially improved or damaged new buildings: buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas are rebuilt in ways that reduce flood risks. It will not impact new buildings.
Benefit/Cost A detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope of this Considerations: plan. This action helps to remove properties over time from the floodplain through more vigorous enforcement of the ordinance, at a minimal cost. It will reduce the long-term costs associated with properties located in the floodplain. It will also reduce costs for Federal disaster assistance and County services.
141 ______Val Verde County July 9, 2011 “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan
ACTION 21: Develop a “Sister City” Hazard Mitigation and Contingency Plan.
Hazard: Hazardous materials incidents and a range of other transboundary hazards
Background: A “Sister City” hazard mitigation and contingency plan will lay the foundation for cooperation between officials in Val
Verde County and the City of Del Rio and their counterparts in Cuidad Acuna. Development of the plan will be consistent with the U.S. – Mexico treaty objectives and on-going federal and state bi-national cooperation programs.
The focus will be on transboundary risks that threaten lives, property and the natural environment across the border in either direction. These include natural disasters or catastrophic accidents which pose a threat to both cities and the region or that may affect one city or region to the extent assistance is necessary from the other city or region. The project will also include a disaster simulation event at an international bridge.
The project will be carried out by the Transboundary Risk Identification and Mitigation (TRIMS) Consortium, composed of the Rio Grande Institute, Mundo Sustenable, Sul Ross University and the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon and/or the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. Other participants will include Val Verde County, the City of Del Rio, Cuidad Acuna, the International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Laughlin Air Force Base, Mundo Sustenable, Sul Ross University, the Middle Rio Grande Development Council and the Rio Grande Institute.
The plans will result in well defined, mutually agreed upon, binational mitigation actions and contingency plans that reduce the risk that border neighbors face.
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Benefits: Benefits include increased cooperation between officials on both sides of the border; increased awareness of
transboundary hazards and ways to mitigate them; and improved procedures to save lives and property in a transboundary emergency.
Priority: Medium
Estimated Cost: $120,000 for the total grant. The County will put up a portion of the non-Federal match in the form of in-kind services.
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office in coordination with the Rio Grande Institute
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grants through the Rio Grande Institute
Impact on existing and None new buildings:
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, costs to the County are minimal and involve providing in-kind contributions to the matching requirements of the grant. The benefits to the public on both sides of the border from joint planning for shared risks is much greater than the County’s costs.
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ACTION 22: Work with gasoline and natural gas pipeline owners to ensure that pipelines crossing the County have proper signage.
Hazard: Fuel pipeline failure
Background: Locating fuel pipelines in the County and installing proper signage to alert the public are important first steps in
mitigating risk from pipeline failure. Since the Texas Railroad Commission does not regulate interstate pipelines, information on their location is available from owners, not the state.
Benefits: This action will ensure that the public has information necessary to locate pipelines and take necessary action before
they dig, plant or otherwise disturb the land.
Priority: Low
Estimated Cost: Minimal since pipeline owners are responsible for installation of signage.
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: Pipeline owners
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Impact on existing and None new buildings:
Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, requiring pipeline owners to post warning signs would cost the county very little and would have the major benefit of preventing inadvertent pipeline damages from construction and digging. It will also minimize county costs for response to an incident.
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ACTION 23: Conduct a pipeline awareness program in partnership with the Texas Pipeline Awareness Alliance.
Hazard: Fuel pipeline failure
Background: In order to ensure pipeline safety, the public needs to know how to identify pipelines near their homes or businesses, signs
of a pipeline leak and how to quickly respond. They also need to be aware of the Texas law and what steps are needed before they dig, plant or build.
The Texas Pipeline Awareness Alliance provides information to the public on pipeline safety.
Benefits: This action will enable the public to be informed and protect themselves against fuel pipeline failure.
Priority: Low
Estimated Cost: Minimal. Publications and web materials are available through the Texas Pipeline Awareness Alliance. The Alliance
also operates a toll free hotline.
Responsible Organization: Val Verde County Emergency Management Office
Target Completion Date: 2015
Funding Sources: General revenues
Impact on existing and None new buildings:
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Benefit/Cost Although a detailed benefit/cost analysis is beyond the scope Considerations: of this plan, County costs are minimal. Informing the public of how to identify pipelines, the need to call the free hotline before digging and what to do in the event of a pipeline failure should reduce pipeline failures and reduce risk to lives and property. It will reduce county response costs and outweighs the minimal costs to the county.
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APPENDIX A
Val Verde County/City of Del Rio Local Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee
Val Verde County and City of Del Rio Local Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee
Name Organization
Billie Powers Val Verde County Emergency Management Coordinator
John Sheedy Deputy Fire Chief, Del Rio Fire and Rescue, and Emergency Management Coordinator
Forrest Anderson Representative, Middle Rio Grande Development Council
Joe Harrington Administrative Captain, Del Rio Fire and Rescue
Ramiro Barrera GIS Director, City of Del Rio
Jerry Simpton City of Del Rio Community Liaison
Bob Parker Director of Public Works, City of Del Rio
Roger Cerny Health Inspector, Val Verde County
Hector Castillo Assistant Engineer, City of Del Rio
Jerry Simpton City of Del Rio Community Liaison
Oscar San Miguel Director of Public Works, Val Verde County
Jerry Rust Val Verde County Fire Chief
Ann Markowski Smith Val Verde County Attorney
Frank Low Val Verde County Auditor
Abner Martinez Val Verde County Surveyor/Engineer
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APPENDIX B
Cover the Border Regional Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee
Regional Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee Middle Rio Grande Cover the Border Plan Jurisdiction Name Big Wells, City of Charles Greenhill Brackettville, City of Suzanna Lowery Brackettville, City of Dr. Kent Lowery Brackettville, City of Jewell F. Robinson Brackettville, City of Henry Garcia Camp Wood, City of Ben Cox Camp Wood, City of John Maxwell Camp Wood, City of Josh Cox Carrizo Springs, City of Mariso B. Chavez Carrizo Springs, City of Rolando Carpenter Carrizo Springs, City of Conrad Longarn Carrizo Springs, City of Sandra Santos Carrizo Springs, City of Jose Luis Rodriguez Carrizo Springs, City of Joe Rodriguez Chemical Response (CRRC) David Hanawa Citizens for Cleaner Uvalde Rauni Leilani McClure Cotulla, City of Larry Dovalina Crystal City, City of Richard Santos Crystal City, City of Michael Camerillo Del Rio, City of John Sheedy Del Rio, City of Joe Harrington Dimmit County Francisco Dimmit County Ernest Flores II Dimmit County Mike Uriegas Eagle Pass EOC Jesus Rodriguez Eagle Pass Fire Department Sonny Mello Eagle Pass Fire Department Jose Felix Carrazco Eagle Pass Parks and Recreation Department Rosa M Aguirre Eagle Pass Parks and Recreation Department Jorge Sanchez Eagle Pass Police Department Orlando T. Escondito Eagle Pass Police Department Aldo G. Escamilla Eagle Pass Police Department Luis A. Garza Eagle Pass Police Department Alejandro Guedea Eagle Pass Police Department Moises Pena, Jr. Eagle Pass Police Department Tony Castanela, Chief
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Regional Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee Middle Rio Grande Cover the Border Plan Jurisdiction Name Eagle Pass Police Department Jose Ibarra Eagle Pass Public Works I. Ruiz Eagle Pass Public Works Mike Castillo Eagle Pass Public Works Sergio Garcias Eagle Pass Public Works Joe M. Sanchez Eagle Pass, City of Arturo Garcia Eagle Pass, City of Jesus Rodriguez Eagle Pass, City of Celestino Hernandez, Jr. Eagle Pass, City of Don Williams Eagle Pass, City of Imelda Rodriguez Eagle Pass, City of D. Tijerina Eagle Pass, City of Gloria Barrientos Eagle Pass, City of David Velemzuela Eagle Pass, City of Mario Diaz Eagle Pass, City of Hector Chavez Edwards County Deyonira Gonzalez Edwards County Nick Guillagos Encinal, City of Sylvano Sanchez Encinal, City of Frank Weikel International Boundary and Water Commission Sheryl Franklin Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Alexander Trevino Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Antonio Garza Kinney County Herb Senne Kinney County Chris Keith Lacy Associates, LLC Laurel Lacy LaSalle County Elio Ramirez LaSalle County Joe M. Laughlin Air Force Base Rob Lindt Laughlin Air Force Base Craig Alexander Laughlin Air Force Base Craig Wilgus Laughlin Air Force Base Mike Curry Laughlin Air Force Base Derek Phillips Leakey, City of Henry Jones Leakey, City of Jesse Pendley Maverick County John Sullivan Maverick County Apolinio Rodriguez Middle Rio Grande Development Council Forrest Anderson Middle Rio Grande Development Council Carl Essen Middle Rio Grande Development Council David Avalos Middle Rio Grande Development Council Erica Bustamante
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Regional Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee Middle Rio Grande Cover the Border Plan Jurisdiction Name Middle Rio Grande Development Council Smokey Cranfill Middle Rio Grande Development Council Eddie Gueria Middle Rio Grande Development Council Ernest Flores III Middle Rio Grande Development Council John Ruiz, Jr. Middle Rio Grande Development Council Vangie Alejandro Mundo Sustentable Alfanso Martinez Real County W.B. Sanson Rio Grande Institute Bill Skeen Rocksprings, City of Jeff C. Yaman State Representative Tracy King Joe Ornelm Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Victor Hugo Wong Texas Department of Public Safety/DEM Fernando Perez Texas Department of State Health Services Calixto Seca Texas Park and Wildlife Armando Guzman US Representative Ciro Rodriguez Yecenia Martinez US Representative Ciro Rodriguez Irma Gutierrez Uvalde County Richardo S. Benavidez Uvalde, City of William R. Mitchell Uvalde, City of Spade Condry Uvalde, City of Joe A. Cardenas Val Verde County Billie Powers Val Verde County Roger S. Cerny Val Verde Sheriff Joe Frank Zavala County Jesse Guajardo, Jr. Zavala County Joe Puna (not provided) Eva Guerra-House
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APPENDIX C Adoption Resolution (pending signatures)
Val Verde County
WHEREAS, a range of hazards in Val Verde County historically have caused significant disasters with losses of life and property and natural resources damage;
WHEREAS, the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and FEMA require communities to adopt a hazard mitigation action plan to be eligible for pre-disaster and post-disaster federal funding for mitigation purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Rio Grande Institute is coordinating the “Cover the Border” hazard mitigation planning process for the region, and has put into place a framework for coordinated and focused hazard mitigation actions at both the local and regional levels; and
WHEREAS, Val Verde County has participated in the development of a plan covering each jurisdiction;
WHEREAS, Val Verde County has been an active participant in the hazard mitigation planning process, and has conducted and documented its own community public involvement process; and
WHEREAS, the “Cover the Border” Hazard Mitigation Plan outlines mitigation goals and identifies risk reduction strategies for hazards that threaten Val Verde County. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
Section 1: Val Verde County adopts the “Cover the Border Hazard Mitigation Plan for Val Verde County, 2011- 2016.”
Section 2: Vests with ______(title of official) of Val Verde County with the responsibility, authority, and the means to inform all parties of the action; develop an addendum as necessary; assure that the plan will be reviewed at least annually and that any needed adjustments will be developed and presented to the Commissioners Court as necessary; and agrees to take such other official action as may be reasonably necessary to carry out the objectives of the Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Section 3: The County will pursue available funding opportunities for implementation of the proposals designated therein, and will, upon receipt of such funding or other necessary resources, seek to implement the actions contained in the mitigation strategies.
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Section 3: The County will continue to participate in the multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation planning process, including reporting of progress as required by FEMA and the State’s Division of Emergency Management.
Section 4: This resolution is in effect immediately.
Approval signatures
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APPENDIX D Public Survey Results
1. A small number of responses came from Val Verde County. They are shown below.
2. In the past five years, have you ever been adversely affected personally by any of the hazards listed below? Please check those you have experienced. Yes 100% No 0%
Droughts 100% Wildland Fires 33% Hail 100% Flooding 100% Hurricanes 0% Lightning 33% Tornadoes 33% High Winds 100% Thunderstorm 67% Severe Winter/Ice Storms 0% Extreme Summer Heat 100% Poor Air Quality 0% Structure fire 0% Stream Bank Erosion 67% Earthquake 0% Landslides 0% Expansive Soils 0% Dam failure 0%
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Levee failure 0% Terrorism 0% Explosive Blast 0% Hazardous materials incidents 0% Civil disturbance 0% Fuel pipeline accident 0% Nuclear power plant accident 0%
3. How concerned are you about the possibility of your being adversely affected by these hazards?
Extremely concerned 67% Somewhat concerned 33% Not concerned 0%
4. Please select the hazard you think is the highest threat to you and your community
Droughts 0% Wildland Fires 0% Hail 0% Flooding 67% Hurricanes 0% Lightning 0% Tornadoes 0% High Winds 0% Thunderstorm 0% Severe Winter/Ice Storms 0% Extreme Summer Heat 0% Poor Air Quality 0% Structure fire 0% Stream Bank Erosion 0% Earthquake 0%
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Landslides 0% Expansive Soils 0% Dam failure 33% Levee failure 0% Terrorism 0% Explosive Blast 0% Hazardous materials incidents 0% Civil disturbance 0% Fuel pipeline accident 0% Nuclear power plant accident 0%
4a. If “other” please explain.
5. Please select the hazard you think is the second highest threat to you and your community:
Droughts 67% Wildland Fires 0% Hail 33% Flooding 0% Hurricanes 0% Lightning 0% Tornadoes 0% High Winds 0% Thunderstorm 0% Severe Winter/Ice Storms 0% Extreme Summer Heat 0% Poor Air Quality 0% Structure fire 0% Stream Bank Erosion 0% Earthquake 0%
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Landslides 0% Expansive Soils 0% Dam failure 0% Levee failure 0% Terrorism 0% Explosive Blast 0% Hazardous materials incidents 0% Civil disturbance 0% Fuel pipeline accident 0% Nuclear power plant accident 0%
5a. If there is another hazard not listed in this survey that you think is a wide-scale threat to you, your business or your community, please explain. Border violence
6. Have you taken any actions to make your home, business, or community more resistant to hazards? Yes 67% No 33%
6a. If “yes”, please describe the action you have taken: Developed and exercised emergency plans
7. Are you interested in making your home, business or neighborhood more resistant to hazards? Yes 100% No 0%
8. What is the most effective way for you to receive information about how to make your home, business or community more resistant to hazards? Newspaper 33% Other 0% Television 0% Public workshops/meetings 33% Radio 0% Internet 67%
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Mail 0%
9. In your opinion, what are some steps your local government could take to reduce or eliminate the risk of future damages from hazards in your neighborhood? • Rigorously enforce floodplain management regulations • Proper planning • Continue efforts to complete the US Corps of Engineers study on the Cantu Branch of the Ciengas
10. Are there any other issues regarding the reduction of risk and loss associated with hazards or disasters in the community that you think are important? Public awareness
11. A number of community-wide activities can reduce our risk from hazards. In general, these activities fall into one of the following six broad categories. Please tell us how important each one is for your community to consider pursuing.
11a. Prevention Very important 100% Somewhat important 0% Not important 0%
11b. Property protection Very important 67% Somewhat important 33% Not important 0%
11c. Emergency services Very important 100% Somewhat important 0% Not important 0%
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11d. Natural resource protection Very important 67% Somewhat important 33% Not important 0%
11e. Structural projects (two responses) Very important 50% Somewhat important 50% Not important 0%
11f. Public education and awareness Very important 67% Somewhat important 33% Not important 0%
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Appendix E Studies, Reports and Plans
The following studies and reports were reviewed in development of this Hazard Mitigation Plan. Information contained on numerous Federal, State and local agency websites was also researched for background information on the County and on each hazard addressed in this plan.
Flood Insurance Rate Map for Val Verde County, Texas, July 22, 2009
Good Neighbor Environmental Board Report to the President and Congress, March 2008, Natural Disasters and the Environment along the Rio Grande Border
Final Flood Zone Determinations, Docket FEMA-B-1049 for Calveras Creek, Cantu Branch and San Felipe Creek
Drought Management Plan in the Texas Region, State Water Management Process, Texas Water Development Board, May 31, 2009
Plateau Regional Water Planning Group Regional Water Plan, Texas Water Development Board
Texas State Data Center, 2000 U.S. Census Results
Texas State Comptroller, Bordering the Future: Challenge and Opportunity in the Texas Border Region, 1998
Quantifying Wildland Fire Risk in the South: the Southern Wildland Fire Risk Assessment, Sanborn Map Company, Inc. 2006
The plans listed below were also reviewed as part of the planning process. Once this Hazard Mitigation Plan is adopted, copies of the plan will be submitted to the responsible organizations for incorporation of the risk assessment findings and mitigation actions into future updates of their plans. This will help facilitate integration of the mitigation actions with local, state, regional, Federal and international policies and plans.
Emergency Management Plan for the City of Del Rio, Texas Emergency Management Plan for Val Verde County, Texas International Boundary and Water Commission Crisis Management Plan State Mitigation Plan, Texas Division of Emergency Management, October 25, 2007 Strategic Plan for the Middle Rio Grande Development Council, 2001 Amistad Master Plan, National Park Service, March 26, 2007 Good Neighbor Environmental Board Annual Report to the President and Congress Agreement between the U.S. and Mexico on Cooperation in Case of Natural Disasters, 1980
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Colonias Comprehenive Plan, Texas Department of Rural Affairs, Texas Community Development Program
Finally, this Hazard Mitigation Plan will become an appendix to the Val Verde County Emergency Management Plan. Although the County lacks zoning authority, it will also be used as a guide for County decisions on growth and development and for funding decisions in the County’s capital improvements planning. This plan will also be considered in the permitting process and in development of any future County regulations for septic systems. It will also be provided to the City of Del Rio for information and consideration in updates to the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Capital Improvements Plan.
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Appendix F Analysis and Prioritization of Mitigation Actions
This appendix describes in greater detail how the mitigation actions set forth in Chapter 6 were selected to meet the goals and objectives of the Plan. The unique character of Val Verde County was taken into account in formation of the actions -- a large, rural county on the border with Mexico, with a vivid landscape marked by canyons and arroyos and a massive reservoir. The county’s diverse population is challenged by economic conditions and the large number of people living in colonias located in isolated and marginal areas that lack basic services and have a significant exposure to hazards. All of these posed unique challenges for mitigation planning.
Process for identifying and prioritizing actions. A comprehensive range of actions was identified by members of the Val Verde County/City of Del Rio Mitigation Committee. Members of the Committee participated in a Transboundary Risk Identification and Mitigation System (TRIMS) Workshop on July 23, 2009 where they discussed transboundary risks and mitigation actions with local, state, regional, Federal and international officials from both sides of the border. They also met at the Cover the Border Mitigation Workshop and held special working sessions on May 5, 2010 and September 30, 2010.
Criteria for evaluation and prioritizing actions. Potential actions were evaluated in light of the risk as well as the following factors:
• Social – community acceptance; • Technical - technical feasibility and effectiveness in reducing losses over the long term; • Administrative – whether the County has adequate staffing and funding to execute and maintain the project; • Political – the transboundary nature of risk, and implementation of mitigation actions within a complex set of local, regional, state, Federal and international governmental entities; • Legal - whether the County, which lacks zoning authority, can implement the actions; • Economic – comparison of the costs and benefits of the actions, and the state of the County’s budget and need to maximize outside funding; and • Environmental – impact on the environment.
Range of actions considered. A comprehensive range of possible mitigation actions was considered for each hazard. The actions included prevention, property protection, public education and awareness, natural resource protection and structural projects. The State Hazard Mitigation Plan and City of Del Rio Hazard Mitigation Plan were also reviewed. Examples of actions considered include:
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• Multiple hazards. Some mitigation actions were considered that would address multiple hazards. The lack of zoning authority was a major factor in considering alternatives. These included:
o warning systems, with an emphasis on systems that are effective at minimal cost including sirens and announcement systems. Developing partnerships to utilize Laughlin Air Force Base’s warning system for protection of civilians was also a priority. o evacuation planning, which was determined to be a critical need o enhanced data collection methods, especially on transboundary risks o public awareness and education, including school-based programs o communications, especially with international partners o structural projects
• Thunderstorms. Tie downs, tree trimming and structural measures were considered. In view of the number of mobile homes and recreational vehicles, options for securing them received priority. Providing public information to residents to improve anchoring of manufactured homes and exterior attachments was selected as a mitigation action. This will include posting information on the county website and distribution of brochures. Property protection measures such as surge protectors were viewed as a highly cost-effective option for critical facilities.
• Drought. Measures considered included increasing public awareness, undertaking structural projects and planning to expand and conserve the supply of water. Instead of structural projects, increasing water resources through rain water harvesting and use of grey water was considered the most cost-effective option in the long term. Public information and education was considered feasible and cost-effective.
• Flooding. Some possible mitigation actions focused on natural resources protection; clearing cane which impedes flood flows was considered the best alternative. Conducting flood studies was determined also to be a priority since the recently issued Flood Insurance Rate Maps simply digitized the existing maps which do not accurately characterize flood risk. Structural measures were also considered; the highest priorities were a joint city/county drainage project and a culvert improvement project. The most cost-effective flood project over the long term to reduce risk to life and property was a buyout of the Vega Verde subdivision below Amistad Dam. This area is repetitively damaged when the International Boundary and Water Commission releases water to manage flood flows and protect the integrity of the dam. Enforcement actions were considered, including those relating to clearing of drainage easements and irrigation canals. Enhancing public awareness of hazards was also considered to be highly effective at minimal cost.
• A number of actions related to the National Flood Insurance Program were considered, including expanding insurance coverage, mapping flood risk, instituting higher standards and enhancing enforcement. Considering the low rate of insurance coverage, outreach to increase flood insurance was viewed as a pressing need and a feasible and cost-effective alternative. The greatest need for vigorous enforcement related to the substantial damage/improvement
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provisions of the floodplain ordinance. More vigorous enforcement will, over time, help remove structures from the floodplain. Mapping of the Cantu Branch and using the results to update the FEMA flood maps are also pressing needs in light of the development along Cienegas Creek. This will help prohibit new construction in this rapidly growing area.
• Options for addressing the hazard of dam failure were considered, including rehabilitation projects, data collection, and preparedness actions. A critical need is working with the International Boundary and Water Commission on dam inundation modeling and using those results as a basis for evacuation and emergency planning. Working with the IBWC to ensure that their Amistad Emergency Action Plan is up to date was viewed as an important preparedness action. Use of the Laughlin Air Force Base’s warning system was also determined to be a highly cost-effective option. Educating the public on the risk and steps to protect lives was also viewed as essential in successful evacuation planning.
• Options for addressing wildland fires ranged from structural measures such as building fire breaks to preventive measures such as controlled burning. It was decided that eradication of cane concentrations near populated areas was the most effective alternative and one that would have an impact on other hazards. This measure would also increase flood flows and preserve scarce Rio Grande River water resources.
• Options for hazardous materials incidents and fuel pipeline failures ranged from enhancing emergency services to installing preventive measures such as re-routing traffic and providing more public information. Obtaining data on hazmat locations in Mexico and improving contingency planning with Mexico were selected as well. Providing better signage for pipelines, with costs to be borne by pipeline owners, was selected as the highest priority to mitigate pipeline failures. Public education was chosen as an option for both hazardous material incidents and pipeline failures.
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