Luzerne County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2014 Update Prepared for: Luzerne County Planning Commission 20 North Pennsylvania Avenue Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 Prepared by: Vision Planning and Consulting, LLC August 2014 7572 Morris Street Fulton, MD 20759 2014 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Luzerne County, Pennsylvania TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 – ADOPTION RESOLUTIONS ............................................................................... 1 ADOPTION BY THE LOCAL GOVERNING BODY ..................................................................................................... 1 MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL PLAN ADOPTION .......................................................................................................... 2 CHAPTER 2 – INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 3 OVERVIEW OF HAZARD MITIGATION ................................................................................................................ 3 2009 HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN ................................................................................................................... 3 PROJECT SCOPE ..................................................................................................................................... 4 ORGANIZATION OF THE PLAN........................................................................................................................ 4 COMMUNITY PROFILE ................................................................................................................................ 6 STUDY AREA BOUNDARIES .......................................................................................................................... 6 GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE ............................................................................................................................... 8 CLIMATE ............................................................................................................................................... 8 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE ............................................................................................................................. 8 EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRY PROFILE ............................................................................................................ 9 CHAPTER 3 – PLANNING PROCESS .................................................................................... 10 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 10 MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL PLANNING PARTICIPATION ............................................................................................. 11 STEERING COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................................................... 12 MUNICIPAL INVOLVEMENT ......................................................................................................................... 13 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT .............................................................................................................................. 15 CHAPTER 4 – DOCUMENT REVIEW AND CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ...................................... 16 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 16 DOCUMENT REVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 17 COUNTY’S STAFFING AND TRAINING CAPABILITIES ............................................................................................. 30 MUNICIPAL CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................ 32 CHAPTER 5 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT .......................................... 42 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 42 CHANGES IN DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................................... 43 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION ........................................................................................................................... 43 FLOODING ........................................................................................................................................... 45 WINTER WEATHER ................................................................................................................................. 49 WIND EVENTS....................................................................................................................................... 50 DROUGHT AND CROP FAILURE .................................................................................................................... 54 LANDSLIDES ......................................................................................................................................... 55 WILDFIRES .......................................................................................................................................... 58 NUCLEAR RELEASE ................................................................................................................................ 61 EARTHQUAKES ...................................................................................................................................... 63 HAZARDOUS MATERIAL RELEASES ............................................................................................................... 65 LAND SUBSIDENCE ................................................................................................................................. 67 DAM FAILURE ....................................................................................................................................... 68 RADON ............................................................................................................................................... 69 HAZARD RISK FACTORS AND RANKING .......................................................................................................... 70 SUMMARY OF ISSUES .............................................................................................................................. 71 CHAPTER 6 – MITIGATION STRATEGY ................................................................................ 73 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 73 i 2014 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Luzerne County, Pennsylvania LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................... 73 A. Preventive Measures ................................................................................................................ 74 B. Natural Resources and Open Space Protection ............................................................................... 74 C. Outreach and Coordination ......................................................................................................... 74 D. Other .................................................................................................................................... 74 IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF MITIGATION ACTIONS ...................................................................................... 76 IMPLEMENTATION OF MITIGATION ACTIONS AND PROGRESS IN LOCAL MITIGATION EFFORTS ............................................. 82 CONTINUED COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM ............................................................. 82 IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF MITIGATION ACTIONS: NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM (NFIP) COMPLIANCE ........... 84 MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL MITIGATION ACTIONS ................................................................................................... 86 PRIORITIZATION OF MITIGATION ACTIONS ....................................................................................................... 93 CHAPTER 7 – PLAN MAINTENANCE PROCESS ..................................................................... 97 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 97 MONITORING, EVALUATING, AND UPDATING THE PLAN ......................................................................................... 97 BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................................... 98 CONTINUED PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................................... 98 INCORPORATION OF MITIGATION ACTIONS INTO EXISTING PLANNING MECHANISMS – MUNICIPALITIES .................................. 98 APPENDICES APPENDIX A – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT DATA AND MAPS APPENDIX B – MEETINGS AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION APPENDIX C – MITIGATION CAPABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE APPENDIX D – LOCAL MITIGATION PLAN REVIEW TOOL ii 2014 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Chapter 1 – Adoption Resolutions Adoption by the Local Governing Body Requirement §201.6(c)(5): [The local hazard mitigation plan shall include] documentation that the plan has been formally adopted by the governing body of the jurisdiction