Calhoun County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2015 This page intentionally left blank. Calhoun County, Alabama 2015 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Calhoun County EMA 507 Francis St. W. Jacksonville, AL 36265 256-435-0540 www.calhounema.org This page intentionally left blank. Prepared under the direction of the Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee, the Local Emergency Planning Committee, and the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency by: 236 Town Mart Clanton, AL 35045 Office (205) 280-3027, Fax (205) 280-0543 www.leehelmsllc.com This page intentionally left blank. Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................... I 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 AUTHORITY .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 FUNDING .................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.4 SCOPE ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.5 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................. 2 2. PLANNING PROCESS .................................................................................................................................. 3 2.1 PLAN UPDATE PROCESS ........................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 CONTINUED PUBLIC PARTICIPATION .......................................................................................................... 3 2.3 HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING COMMITTEE .............................................................................................. 3 2.4 PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES ...................................................................................................................... 4 2.5 COMMITTEE AND PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE AND PARTICIPATION............................................................. 5 2.6 INITIAL MEETING ....................................................................................................................................... 6 2.7 SECOND MEETING .................................................................................................................................. 10 2.8 THIRD MEETING ..................................................................................................................................... 14 2.9 OHATCHEE MEETING .............................................................................................................................. 19 2.10 HOBSON CITY MEETING .......................................................................................................................... 20 2.11 PIEDMONT HEALTHCARE MEETING .......................................................................................................... 21 2.12 PIEDMONT MEETING ............................................................................................................................... 22 2.13 OXFORD MEETING .................................................................................................................................. 23 2.14 VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS MEETING ............................................................................................. 24 2.15 INTERAGENCY AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION ....................................................................... 25 2.16 INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING PLANS ....................................................................................................... 25 2.17 PLAN ADOPTION ..................................................................................................................................... 26 3. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................................................................. 28 3.1 COUNTY OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................ 28 3.2 GROWTH TRENDS .................................................................................................................................. 28 3.3 GENERAL GEOLOGY ............................................................................................................................... 30 4. RISK ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................................... 34 4.1 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 34 4.2 THUNDERSTORMS .................................................................................................................................. 50 4.3 LIGHTNING ............................................................................................................................................. 51 4.4 HAIL ...................................................................................................................................................... 53 4.5 TORNADOS ............................................................................................................................................ 55 4.6 FLOODS/FLASH FLOODS ......................................................................................................................... 59 4.7 DROUGHT/EXTREME HEAT...................................................................................................................... 63 4.8 WINTER STORM/FROST FREEZE/HEAVY SNOW/ICE STORM/WINTER WEATHER/EXTREME COLD ................ 67 4.9 HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM/TROPICAL DEPRESSION/HIGH WIND/STRONG WIND .................................. 68 4.10 SINKHOLE/EXPANSIVE SOIL .................................................................................................................... 72 4.11 LANDSLIDE ............................................................................................................................................. 76 4.12 EARTHQUAKES ....................................................................................................................................... 78 4.13 WILDFIRE ............................................................................................................................................... 84 4.14 DAM FAILURES ....................................................................................................................................... 86 5. VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................... 90 5.1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................. 90 5.2 THUNDERSTORMS .................................................................................................................................. 90 i Calhoun County Hazard Mitigation Plan 5.3 LIGHTNING ............................................................................................................................................. 91 5.4 HAIL ...................................................................................................................................................... 91 5.5 TORNADO .............................................................................................................................................. 91 5.6 FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD ............................................................................................................................. 92 5.7 DROUGHT/EXTREME HEAT...................................................................................................................... 93 5.8 WINTER STORM/FROST FREEZE/HEAVY SNOW/ICE STORM/WINTER WEATHER/EXTREME COLD ................ 94 5.9 HURRICANES/TROPICAL STORMS/TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS/STRONG WINDS/HIGH WINDS ......................... 95 5.10 SINKHOLES/EXPANSIVE SOILS ................................................................................................................ 96 5.11 LANDSLIDES ........................................................................................................................................... 96 5.12 EARTHQUAKES ....................................................................................................................................... 96 5.13 WILDFIRES ............................................................................................................................................. 97 5.14 DAM/LEVEE FAILURES ............................................................................................................................ 97 5.15 SOCIALLY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS .................................................................................................... 97 5.16 VULNERABLE STRUCTURES..................................................................................................................