A Water Year to Remember: Fire to Flood Reflections Panelists: Jeremy Lancaster Supervising Engineering Geologist California Geological Survey Rachael Orellana Flood Risk Program Manager U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tom Fayram Deputy Director County of Santa Barbara Pubic Works Department Moderator: Melissa Weymiller Jon Frey Project Manager Engineering Manager Flood Risk Management Program Santa Barbara County U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Flood Control District A Water Year to Remember: Fire and Flood Reflections Floodplain Management Association Annual Conference Reno, Nevada Wednesday, 2018 ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Jeremy Lancaster – Sup. Engineering Geologist California Geological Survey 2017 Wildfires – Historic Context California Wildfires Years over 1 million acres since 1987 Year Fires Acres 2017 9,133 1,248,606 2008 6,255 1,593,690 2007 6,043 1,520,362 1999 11,125 1,172,850 1987‐2016 average: 555,700 acres Source: CAL FIRE http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/radarArchive.php Post‐Wildfire Hazards to Life and Property PHYSICAL HAZARD EXPOSURE CHEMICAL HAZARD EXPOSURE • Flooding – 2 to 3 Times the • Incinerated household and Water industrial waste • Debris Flow – 20 Foot thick • Runoff laden with toxic soil boulder laden surge fronts • Degradation of water quality • Rockfall – Can be triggered by wind after a fire! • Hazard Trees – They fall on things! Public knowledge of these hazards generally lacking! Atlas Fire Napa/Solano Counties January 9, 2018; 5pm 2.6 inches, January 8‐ 10 • 1 Death ‐ debris slide/debris flow on CA‐121 ~5pm at Wooden Valley Road • CA‐121 Closed for one day Detwiler Fire March 22, 2018; 6:15p Mariposa County • 2 Deaths • 2 Residences flooded • High School flooded • Elementary School flooded • 11 Roadway Crossings Flooded Slinkard Fire May 21, 2018; 6:27p Mono County • U.S. 395 Damaged and Blocked in two locations • Maximum of 8 feet of mud and rocks • Topaz Lodge Damaged Photo Credit: Tim Bardsley, • 200 People Evacuated to Upper Floor NWS Cranston Fire August 16, 2018; ~3pm Riverside County • Several Road Closures • 6 foot deep debris flow • Hurkey Creek Campground Inundated Credit: Alex Tardy, NWS January 8, 2018; 3:45 am Thomas Fire Santa Barbara/Ventura • 23 lives lost • 20 foot deep debris flows in numerous canyons • >400 homes damaged • 41 structures knocked off foundations and completely washed away • Four major bridges destroyed • >$420,000,000 in losses Post‐Fire Hazard Perspectives: Post‐Fire Hazard Identification and Communication: • Where is the hazard most prevalent: Alluvial Fans Do we Communicate Hazards on Alluvial Fans? • Flood Risk – YES! • Post‐fire Debris Flow Risk – Yes and No! • USGS Modeling of Hazard Limited to Canyon Mouths • No Debris Flow Risk‐Based Mapping on the Fan Landforms • Does the 100‐year floodplain accurately communicate the hazard to the public? • Given that we anticipate fire and weather extremes in a changing climate, how can we move forward to address this identification and communication gap? POST-WILDFIRE COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH Rachael Orellana U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District FMA Conference September 5, 2018 PROJECT OVERVIEW Project Description Benefits Increase community participation in the Guidebook and website that provides a recovery process by providing resources for "one-stop" compendium of resources communities to use in the reduction of flood available to those affected from agencies risk after a wildfire. Provide information to prepare for and that are responsible for hazard respond to a flood after a wildfire which could recognition and recovery after a wildfire. reduce future expenditures from post-wildfire floods. Successes/Best Practices Documenting resources in a consolidated format helps state and local agencies know what resources are available to them after a wildfire. Multiple agencies are bringing diverse knowledge, expertise and resources to the table. POST-WILDFIRE GUIDE INTERAGENCY PROJECT CONTRIBUTIONS Additional Contributions From: USFS, USBLM, NRCS File Name GENERAL PRODUCTS 1.Detailed guidance document 2.Website mirroring guidance document 3.Postcard 4.Brochure TOPICS Coordinating local agency response Information on before, during, and after a wildfire Preparation for and response to a flood after a wildfire Consolidated resources for state/local agencies and residents Financial and funding tips Summary of post-fire natural hazards POST WILDFIRE WEBSITE Look and Feel: Simple Icons that create positive associations with content Access to awareness and recovery videos Advantage to website: communities affected by fire may be cut off from electricity, but most everyone has a smart phone www.readyforwildfire.org/postwildfire THOMAS FIRE AND THE 1-9 DEBRIS FLOW DECEMBER 2017 – JANUARY 2018 THOMAS FAYRAM, PE, CFM JON FRYE, PE, CFM SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL COMMUNICATION WE KNEW WE HAD A PROBLEM • Jan 5, 2018 - Press conference • Jan 7 – Initial maps received; EOC active and evacuation areas identified • Jan 8 – Evacuation announced • Storm intensity in burn area • predicted up to an inch per hour • received .86 inches in 15 minutes NOOZHAWK – JAN 7, 2018 “We need to organize and inform the public about a clear and present danger,” Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Das Williams said. “These storms are predicted to cause conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property” in the county of Santa Barbara and are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of the combined forces of Santa Barbara County Operational Area to combat,” the declaration said. “It’s a real risk that should be taken seriously,” Fayram said. “It’s critical that property owners and residents are aware of their environment, and understand where they are in relationship to the burn area and flood hazards.” INITIAL RISK IDENTIFICATION, ~JAN 5,2018 Posted Online So What Happened? • Message Not Received • Either not heard, or not heeded, misunderstood • Evacuation Fatigue • Magnitude hard to Communication - Messaging comprehend Thomas Fire and the 1‐9 Debris Flow December 2017 – January 2018 Photo Credit CNN Tom Fayram, PE,CFM Jon Frye, PE, CFM Santa Barbara County Flood Control District Photo Credit SBCFC Floodplain Management Association 2018 Annual Conference Timelines/Federal‐State‐Local Partnerships Local Emergency Operations BAER Team Watershed Emergency Response Team (WERT) Watershed Task Force (incl. BAER, WERT) Core Team Basin/Channel Clearing; Public Assistance Recovery Private Structure Reconstruction Structure Damages NUMBER OF NUMBER OF NUMBER OF TOTAL STRUCTURES STRUCTURES STRUCTURES NUMBER OF 60‐100% 10‐60% 1‐10% STRUCTURES DAMAGED* DAMAGED* DAMAGED* DAMAGED Total Structures with Damages 202 142 101 445 Within existingWithin existing FEMA FIRM special flood hazard area (A, AE, AO, AH, & VE Zones) 70 62 52 184 Within FEMA Recovery Mapping hazard area 141 122 89 352 A Water Year to Remember: Fire to Flood Reflections Panelists: Jeremy Lancaster Supervising Engineering Geologist California Geological Survey Rachael Orellana Flood Risk Program Manager U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tom Fayram Deputy Director County of Santa Barbara Pubic Works Department Moderator: Melissa Weymiller Jon Frey Project Manager Engineering Manager Flood Risk Management Program Santa Barbara County U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Flood Control District.