DRAFT TOWN OF WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN November 20, 2009 Prepared By: Wilmington, North Carolina DRAFT Wrightsville Beach Hazard Mitigation Plan Table of Contents PAGE Section 1. Introduction A. INTRODUCTION ............................................. 1-1 B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM . 1-1 C. HAZARD MITIGATION LEGISLATION . 1-2 D. TOWN OF WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN . 1-3 E. PLAN ORGANIZATION ......................................... 1-4 F. PLANNING PROCESS ......................................... 1-5 Section 2. Community Profile A. LOCATION AND GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY . 2-1 B. HISTORY .................................................. 2-1 C. CLIMATE .................................................. 2-3 D. DEMOGRAPHIC SUMMARY ..................................... 2-4 1. Permanent Population . 2-4 2. Seasonal Population ..................................... 2-5 3. Population Profile - Age .................................. 2-5 4. Housing ............................................. 2-6 5. Economy ............................................. 2-7 Section 3. Hazard Identification A. INTRODUCTION ............................................. 3-1 B. HURRICANES ............................................... 3-2 1. Description ........................................... 3-2 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-4 a. October 5 to 18, 1954 (Hurricane Hazel) . 3-4 b. August 3 to 14, 1955 (Hurricane Connie) . 3-5 c. August 7 to 21, 1955 (Hurricane Diane) . 3-5 d. September 10 to 23, 1955 (Hurricane Ione) . 3-6 e. August 29 to September 13, 1960 (Hurricane Donna) . 3-6 f. September 9 to 14, 1984 (Hurricane Diana) . 3-7 g. July 5 to 12, 1996 (Hurricane Bertha) . 3-7 h. August 23 to September 5, 1996 (Hurricane Fran) . 3-8 i. August 19 to 30, 1998 (Hurricane Bonnie) . 3-8 j. August 24 to September 7, 1999 (Hurricane/Tropical Storm Dennis) 3-9 k. September 7 to 18, 1999 (Hurricane Floyd) . 3-10 November 20, 2009 Page C-1 Table of Contents DRAFT Wrightsville Beach Hazard Mitigation Plan 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-10 a. August 24, 2004 (Hurricane Charley) . 3-10 b. September 14 to 15, 2005 (Hurricane Ophelia) . 3-11 c. August 31 to September 1, 2006 (Tropical Storm Ernesto) . 3-12 d. Retired Names ...................................3-12 C. NOR’EASTERS ..............................................3-13 1. Description ...........................................3-13 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-13 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-14 D. URBAN FIRES/WIND .......................................... 3-14 1. Description ...........................................3-14 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-15 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-15 E. THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES . 3-16 1. Description ...........................................3-16 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-17 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-18 F. LIGHTNING ................................................3-19 1. Description ...........................................3-19 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-19 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-20 G. FLOODING ................................................3-20 1. Description ...........................................3-20 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-22 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-22 H. RIP CURRENTS .............................................3-23 1. Description ...........................................3-23 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-23 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-23 I. SEVERE WINTER STORMS ...................................... 3-24 1. Description ...........................................3-24 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-25 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-25 J. DROUGHTS/HEAT WAVES ...................................... 3-26 1. Description ...........................................3-26 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-26 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-26 K. EARTHQUAKES .............................................3-27 1. Description ...........................................3-27 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-28 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-28 November 20, 2009 Page C-2 Table of Contents DRAFT Wrightsville Beach Hazard Mitigation Plan L. TSUNAMIS .................................................3-29 1. Description ...........................................3-29 2. Historical Impact ....................................... 3-30 3. Likelihood of Occurrence . 3-30 M. RANKING OF NATURAL HAZARD POTENTIAL . 3-30 N. EXPLANATION OF HAZARDS NOT IDENTIFIED . 3-31 O. HAZARD DAMAGE AND LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRENCE SUMMARY . 3-32 Section 4. Capability Assessment A. INSTITUTIONAL CAPABILITY . 4-1 B. PLANNING AND ORDINANCE REVIEW . 4-3 1. Floodplain Damage Prevention Ordinance . 4-3 2. North Carolina State Building Code . 4-4 3. Zoning Ordinance ...................................... 4-4 4. Subdivision Ordinance ................................... 4-7 5. Town of Wrightsville Beach Stormwater Management Program . 4-8 6. Water Supply Shortage Ordinance . 4-8 7. Community Rating System . 4-9 8. Town of Wrightsville Beach Hurricane Operations Plan (Preparedness and Response) . 4-9 9. Town of Wrightsville Beach Hurricane Operations Re-Entry Plan . 4-10 10. Tsunami Ready Plan for New Hanover County . 4-10 11. New Hanover County Emergency Operations Plan . 4-10 12. Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) Land Use Plan . 4-11 C. LEGAL CAPABILITY ...........................................4-11 1. Regulations ...........................................4-12 a. General Police Power . 4-12 b. Building Code and Building Inspections . 4-12 c. Land Use .......................................4-13 2. Acquisition ...........................................4-15 3. Taxation .............................................4-15 4. Spending ............................................4-15 D. FISCAL CAPABILITY .......................................... 4-16 E. POLITICAL CAPABILITY . 4-17 F. TECHNICAL CAPABILITY ....................................... 4-17 Section 5. Vulnerability Assessment A. INTRODUCTION ............................................. 5-1 B. EXISTING DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS . 5-1 1. Central Beach Area ..................................... 5-3 November 20, 2009 Page C-3 Table of Contents DRAFT Wrightsville Beach Hazard Mitigation Plan 2. North End ............................................ 5-3 3. The Parmele Area ...................................... 5-3 4. The Waynick Boulevard-South Lumina Area . 5-3 5. South End ............................................ 5-4 6. Old Harbor Island ...................................... 5-4 7. Pelican Drive, Lees Cut, Channel Walk, and Lookout Harbor . 5-4 8. Causeway Drive/Marina Area . 5-5 9. Town Government and Parks Area . 5-5 10. Mainland/Wrightsville Sound Area . 5-5 C. VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS RESULTS . 5-6 1. Hazards Impacting the Town Overall . 5-6 a. Existing Vulnerability ............................... 5-6 b. Future Vulnerability ................................ 5-7 c. Estimated Impact of Residential Development . 5-8 2. Flooding ............................................. 5-9 Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) . 5-9 a. Existing Vulnerability . 5-11 b. Future Vulnerability . 5-11 c. Estimated Impact of Residential Development . 5-12 SLOSH Model .......................................... 5-12 a. Existing Vulnerability . 5-15 b. Future Vulnerability . 5-16 c. Estimated Impact of Residential Development . 5-18 D. FRAGILE AREAS ............................................. 5-18 1. Estuarine and Ocean System . 5-19 a. Estuarine Water ..................................5-19 b. Estuarine Shoreline . 5-19 c. Coastal Wetlands .................................5-20 d. Public Trust Areas . 5-20 2. Ocean Hazard System ................................... 5-21 a. Ocean Erodible Area ............................... 5-21 b. High Hazard Flood Area . 5-21 c. Inlet Hazard Area .................................5-22 d. Unvegetated Beach Area . 5-22 E. CRITICAL FACILITIES ......................................... 5-22 F. REPETITIVE LOSS AND SEVERE REPETITIVE LOSS STRUCTURES . 5-24 Section 6. Mitigation Strategies A. INTRODUCTION ............................................. 6-1 B. MITIGATION STRATEGIES ..................................... 6-2 November 20, 2009 Page C-4 Table of Contents DRAFT Wrightsville Beach Hazard Mitigation Plan C. HAZARD MITIGATION ACTIVITIES ELIMINATED THROUGH PLAN UPDATE . 6-14 Section 7. Plan Implementation and Maintenance A. IMPLEMENTATION ........................................... 7-1 B. ROLE OF THE MITIGATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE . 7-2 C. MAINTENANCE .............................................. 7-2 D. CONTINUED PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT . 7-4 E. INCORPORATION OF EXISTING PLANNING MECHANISMS . 7-4 TABLES Table 1 Town of Wrightsville Beach Population, 1990-2008 . 2-4 Table 2 Town of Wrightsville Beach High and Low Seasonal Population Estimates 2-5 Table 3 Town of Wrightsville Beach Age Composition, 1990-2000 . 2-5 Table 4 Town of Wrightsville Beach Housing Units, 2000 . 2-6 Table 5 Town of Wrightsville Beach Residential Building Permit Activity . 2-7 Table 6 Town of Wrightsville Beach Workers by Industry . 2-7 Table 7 The Dolan-Davis Nor’easter Intensity Scale . 3-13 Table 8 Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale . 3-17 Table 9 New Hanover County