VERMILION PARISH HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This 2015 Vermilion Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan Update was coordinated by the Vermilion Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Steering Committee, in collaboration with the participating jurisdictions as well as community stakeholders and the general public. The participating jurisdictions are made up of the following communities: Vermilion Parish Gueydan Abbeville Maurice Erath Delcambre. Special thanks is directed to all of those who assisted in contributing feedback and expertise on this document, especially the Vermilion Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. These combined efforts have made this project possible. The Vermilion Parish Steering Committee consists of the following individuals, who are credited in the creation of this document: Alex Crochet Stormwater Mgmt/Water District Andrew Granger Department of Ag and Forestry Bill Gerard Public Hospital/Medical Brandon Alleman Police/Sheriff’s Department Carly Vaughan Emergency Management Carolyn Bessard City Council/Police Jury Clay Menard Public Works David Smith American Red Cross Gabriel Mathiew Communications District Jason Huffman Community Organizations Jerome Puyau Schools Keith Frederick Solid Waste Kevin Faulk Tax Assessor’s Office Linda Duhon Building Code Enforcement/Floodplain Mgr Margaret Trahan Community Organizations Nicole Soirez Public Health/Hospital Rebecca Broussard Emergency Management/GIS Ronald Darby City Council/Police Jury Tony Richard Drainage Districts Wayne Theriot City Management/Parish Administration Wayne Touchet City Council/Police Jury William “Billy” Noegel Public Works The 2015 Vermilion Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan Update was written by the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute, Louisiana State University. Further comments should be directed to the Vermilion Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness: 100 North State Street, Suite 211, Abbeville, LA, 70510. VERMILION PARISH HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN ii ***This Page Intentionally Left Blank*** VERMILION PARISH HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN iii Contents Section 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Location ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 Physiography ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Socioeconomic Factors ............................................................................................................................. 5 Economy.................................................................................................................................................... 6 Hazard Mitigation ..................................................................................................................................... 7 General Strategy ....................................................................................................................................... 8 2015 Plan update ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Section 2: Hazard Identification and Parishwide Risk Assessment .............................................................. 1 Prevalent Hazards to the Community ....................................................................................................... 1 Previous Occurrences ............................................................................................................................... 3 Probability of Future Hazard Events ......................................................................................................... 3 Inventory of Assets for the Entire Parish .................................................................................................. 4 Essential Facilities of the Parish ................................................................................................................ 5 Future Development Trends ................................................................................................................... 12 Future Hazard Impacts ............................................................................................................................ 14 Zoning and Land Use ............................................................................................................................... 15 Hazard Identification ............................................................................................................................... 17 Coastal Land Loss ................................................................................................................................ 17 Flooding ............................................................................................................................................... 28 Sinkholes ............................................................................................................................................. 59 Tornadoes ........................................................................................................................................... 62 Tropical Cyclones ................................................................................................................................ 71 Section 3: Capability Assessment ................................................................................................................. 1 POLICIES, PLANS, AND PROGRAMS ........................................................................................................... 1 ADMINISTRATION, TECHNICAL, AND FINANCIAL ...................................................................................... 2 Section 4: Mitigation Strategy...................................................................................................................... 1 Goals ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Mitigation Actions ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Action Prioritization ............................................................................................................................ 23 Appendix A: Planning Process ....................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 VERMILION PARISH HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN iv The Vermilion Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan Update .............................................................................. 1 Planning .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Coordination ............................................................................................................................................. 2 Neighboring Community, Local, and Regional Planning Process .............................................................. 2 Program Integration .................................................................................................................................. 4 Documentation (Meetings and Public Outreach) ..................................................................................... 5 Meeting #1: Coordination Meeting ...................................................................................................... 5 Meeting #2: Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Kick-Off........................................................................... 6 Meeting #3: Risk Assessment................................................................................................................ 8 Meeting #4: Public Meeting ................................................................................................................ 10 Supplemental Materials ...................................................................................................................... 16 Appendix B – Plan Maintenance ................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 Monitoring, Evaluating, and Updating the Plan ........................................................................................ 1 Responsible Parties ................................................................................................................................... 1 Methods for Monitoring and Evaluating the Plan .................................................................................... 2 Plan Evaluation Criteria ............................................................................................................................. 3 Updating the Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 3 2015 Plan Version Plan Method