Whatcom County Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Analysis August 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. 1 HISTORY OF REVIEW .............................................................................................................................. 4 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 5 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................ 5 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................................... 5 WHATCOM COUNTY OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 6 OVERVIEW OF COUNTY HAZARDS – HAZARD RISK LEVEL MATRIX ....................................................... 7 HAZARD OVERVIEWS ............................................................................................................................. 8 1. AVALANCHES ................................................................................................................................. 8 2. COASTAL FLOODING / TIDAL OVERFLOW ..................................................................................... 9 3. CONFLAGRATION ......................................................................................................................... 10 4. DAM FAILURE .............................................................................................................................. 11 5. DROUGHT .................................................................................................................................... 11 6. EARTHQUAKE .............................................................................................................................. 12 7. EPIDEMIC / DISEASE ................................................................................................................... 13 8. FLOOD ......................................................................................................................................... 14 9. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RELEASE .............................................................................................. 15 10. LANDSLIDE ................................................................................................................................ 16 11. SEVERE STORMS ....................................................................................................................... 17 12. SEICHE/TSUNAMI ..................................................................................................................... 18 13. SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION ...................................................................................................... 19 14. TERRORIST ATTACK ................................................................................................................... 20 15. VOLCANO ................................................................................................................................... 20 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................................ 22 SECTION 1- DEMOGRAPHICS ......................................................................................................... 22 SECTION 2- TRANSPORTATION ...................................................................................................... 23 Whatcom County Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis, August 2010 Page 1 2.1- LAND TRANSPORTATION .................................................................................................... 23 2.2- WATERWAYS ...................................................................................................................... 23 2.3- AIR TRANSPORTATION ....................................................................................................... 24 SECTION 3- SERVICES ..................................................................................................................... 25 3.1- MEDICAL ............................................................................................................................. 25 3.2- MEDIA ................................................................................................................................. 25 3.3- PUBLIC EDUCATION K – 12 ................................................................................................. 25 3.4- COLLEGES / UNIVERSITIES .................................................................................................. 25 3.5- UTILITIES ............................................................................................................................. 25 SECTION 4- CLIMATE...................................................................................................................... 27 4.1- STORM TRACKS ................................................................................................................... 27 4.2- PRECIPITATION ................................................................................................................... 27 4.3- AVERAGE TEMPERATURES (Bellingham) ............................................................................ 28 4.4- SEASONALITY ...................................................................................................................... 28 SECTION 5- GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................... 29 5.1- LOWLANDS ......................................................................................................................... 29 5.2- MOUNT BAKER FOOTHILL COMMUNITIES ......................................................................... 29 5.3- NOOKSACK RIVER ............................................................................................................... 29 5.4- COAST AND ISLANDS .......................................................................................................... 29 5.5- LAKES .................................................................................................................................. 29 5.6- NORTH CASCADE MOUNTAINS ............................................................................................ 30 SECTION 6- HAZARD DATA / ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ............................................................ 31 6.1- AVALANCHES ...................................................................................................................... 31 6.2- COASTAL FLOODING / TIDAL OVERFLOW........................................................................... 32 6.3- CONFLAGRATION................................................................................................................. 32 6.4- DAM FAILURE ..................................................................................................................... 33 6.5- DROUGHT ........................................................................................................................... 33 6.6- EARTHQUAKES .................................................................................................................... 33 Whatcom County Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis, August 2010 Page 2 6.7- EPIDEMIC / DISEASE ........................................................................................................... 34 6.8- FLOODING ........................................................................................................................... 34 6.9- HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RELEASE ....................................................................................... 35 6.10- LANDSLIDE ........................................................................................................................ 36 6.11- SEVERE STORMS ............................................................................................................... 37 6.12- SEICHE/TSUNAMI ............................................................................................................. 38 6.13- VOLCANO .......................................................................................................................... 39 Whatcom County Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis, August 2010 Page 3 HISTORY OF REVIEW Date Changes Made Name June 2009 Major revisions proposed to content and WWU review team: Casey format. Proctor, Sam Ripley, and James White August 2010 Whatcom Unified EM review and revision. Andy Day Plan posted. Whatcom County Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis, August 2010 Page 4 INTRODUCTION The processes of Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Analysis (HIVA) serve as a foundation for the development of strategies in emergency management and risk reduction. Using a HIVA can also stand as a means for allocating resources, and for helping set priorities and standards in ensuring the safety of the public. Hazard identification is the systematic use of all available information to determine what types of natural or technological/man- made hazards may affect a jurisdiction, and how often these events can occur/have occurred in the past. Vulnerability analysis is the process used to determine the