2012 POLK COUNTY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN Polk County, Texas DECEMBER 10, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... 1 A. Authorities ........................................................................................................................ 1 B. Public Involvement .......................................................................................................... 1 C. Plan Purpose ..................................................................................................................... 2 D. Population and Land Use/Development Trends............................................................... 3 E. Plan Background .............................................................................................................. 9 F. Adoption by Local Jurisdictions .................................................................................... 15 II. VULNERABILITY AND RISK EXPOSURE ..................................................................... 21 A. Current Hazard Analysis ................................................................................................ 21 B. Past Emergencies and Disasters ..................................................................................... 21 C. Hazard Identification: Natural Hazards ......................................................................... 21 D. Hazard Identification Process......................................................................................... 22 E. Natural Hazards of Polk County .................................................................................... 22 F. Risk Assessment: Vulnerable Groups ........................................................................... 23 G. People ............................................................................................................................. 25 H. Housing Units ................................................................................................................. 28 I. Critical Facilities ............................................................................................................ 34 J. Other Facilities ............................................................................................................... 38 K. Infrastructure and Lifelines ............................................................................................ 40 L. Hazmat Facilities ............................................................................................................ 46 M. Commercial Facilities .................................................................................................... 46 N. Risk Assessment: Probability of Occurrence ................................................................. 54 O. Risk Assessment: Vulnerability .................................................................................... 55 P. Risk Assessment: Extent/Impact ................................................................................... 56 Q. Risk Assessment: Potential Dollar Loss........................................................................ 57 R. Vulnerability: Future Buildings, Infrastructure, Critical Facilities ............................... 58 III. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................................ 59 A. Hazard Mitigation Taskforce Membership (Plan Development) ................................... 59 B. Planning Process ............................................................................................................ 60 C. Active and Proposed Public-Private Partnerships .......................................................... 70 D. Role of Partners in the Development, Implementation and Maintenance of the Plan ... 70 Polk County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Page i December 10, 2012 E. Information Sharing and Plan Update and Maintenance ............................................... 71 IV. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR PLAN DEVELOPMENT ............................................... 72 A. Public Involvement in General ....................................................................................... 72 B. Further Public Involvement ............................................................................................ 84 V. ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT AND COMPLETED MITIGATION ACTIVITIES ........ 89 VI. MITIGATION GOALS AND LONG-TERM STRATEGY ................................................ 99 A. Mitigation Goals ............................................................................................................. 99 B. Mitigation Strategies ...................................................................................................... 99 C. Mitigation Effects on Existing/Future Building and Infrastructure of Hazard Mitigation Actions .................................................................................................................................... 100 VII. PRIORITIZED MITIGATION ACTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN ........ 101 A. Specific Hazard Mitigation Action Item ...................................................................... 101 B. Multi-JURISDICTIONAL Mitigation Action Items ................................................... 103 VIII. COMMITMENT, ADOPTION, IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE ............ 111 A. Monitoring and Implementing the mitigation Plan ...................................................... 111 B. Evaluating and Updating the Plan ................................................................................ 114 APPENDIX 1 – WILDFIRE ....................................................................................................... 115 A. Definition ..................................................................................................................... 115 B. Risk/Probability of Occurrence .................................................................................... 115 C. Vulnerability................................................................................................................. 118 D. Areas Identified as “at Risk from Wildfire” ................................................................. 125 E. Potential Dollar Loss .................................................................................................... 133 F. Polk County Community Wildfire Protection Plan ..................................................... 140 G. Wildfire Mitigation Action Items ................................................................................. 142 APPENDIX 2 – FLOOD ............................................................................................................ 153 A. Description ................................................................................................................... 153 B. Location ........................................................................................................................ 153 C. Extent ........................................................................................................................... 155 D. Previous Occurrences ................................................................................................... 162 E. Potential dollar loss ...................................................................................................... 168 F. Probability of Future Events ........................................................................................ 169 G. Vulnerability................................................................................................................. 169 H. Secondary Hazards ....................................................................................................... 181 Polk County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Page ii December 10, 2012 I. Overall Summary of Vulnerability and Impacts .......................................................... 182 J. Mitigation Strategies .................................................................................................... 183 K. Flood Mitigation Action Items ..................................................................................... 185 APPENDIX 3 – THUNDERSTORM ......................................................................................... 196 A. Definition ..................................................................................................................... 196 B. Risk/Probability of Occurrence .................................................................................... 196 C. Vulnerability................................................................................................................. 196 D. Potential Dollar Loss .................................................................................................... 201 E. Thunderstorm Mitigation Action Items........................................................................ 202 APPENDIX 4 – TORNADO ...................................................................................................... 207 A. Definition ..................................................................................................................... 207 B. Risk/Probability of Occurrence .................................................................................... 207 C. Vulnerability................................................................................................................