IOSCO COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN July 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Planning Process Chapter 3: Community Profile Chapter 4: Hazard Analysis Chapter 5: Evaluation of Alternatives Chapter 6: Action Plan Chapter 7: Follow-up Appendix A: Advisory Committee Meeting Sign-in Sheets Appendix B: Local Community Sections Appendix C: Possible Mitigation Strategies Appendix D: Final Mitigation Strategies Appendix E: Proposed Action Items CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Iosco County is in the northeast quarter of the lower peninsula of Michigan in the heart of Lake Huron’s “Sunrise Side.” The County is bordered on the north by Alcona County, on the west by Ogemaw County, on the south by Arenac County and on the east by Lake Huron. According to the U.S. Census, the County covers an approximate area of 351,424 acres or about 549 square miles. Using the 2010 US Census population figures, the population density of the county is roughly 47 people per square mile. The County consists of eleven townships and three cities. The county seat in located in Tawas City. Predominately regarded as a recreational and tourist area, there are several auto related manufacturers, an aircraft maintenance & refurbishment center, local health services, various mining operations, and retail trade that contributes to the economy. Approximately 60% of the county is held in public ownership (Huron National Forest and the AuSable State Forest lands). The AuSable River, which has been designated as a Wild and Scenic River by the State, runs across the northern portion of the county. Forests, inland waters, and wetlands comprise over 86% of the County’s surface area. Agricultural uses account for approximately 10.7% of the area. Several inland lakes in the county have significant resort developments. These cottages are becoming retirement homes for many former seasonal vacationers. North-south access is provided by US-23 to the east near the shoreline and by M-65 to the west side of the county. M-55 connects with these roads to provide east-west access. What is Hazard Mitigation? Hazard Mitigation is any action taken before, during, or after a disaster to permanently eliminate or reduce the long term risk to human life, and property from natural, societal, and technological hazards. Hazard mitigation, along with preparedness, response, and recovery comprise the four phases of emergency management. There is a cyclical relationship between these four phases of emergency management: a community prepares for disaster, including hazard mitigation activities, and then responds to a disaster when it occurs. Following the response, there is a transition into the recovery process, during which hazard mitigation measures can be evaluated and adopted. This in turn, improves the resilience of the community for the next incident, and so on. When successful, hazard mitigation will lessen future impacts to such a degree that succeeding occurrences will remain incidents and not become disasters. Hazard mitigation strives to reduce the impact of hazards on people and property through the coordination of resources, programs, and authorities so that, at the very least, communities do not contribute to the increasing severity of the problem. When repairs and reconstruction are completed as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions, then pre-disaster conditions may simply result in a cycle of repeated damages. However, post-disaster repairs and reconstruction provide an opportunity to strengthen a community’s resilience. Recovery projects can rebuild things in a safer manner, informed by the lessons of past disasters, so that future disasters will not have as much of an impact. Hazard mitigation is needed to ensure that such cycles are broken, that post-disaster repairs and reconstruction take place after damages are analyzed, and that sounder, less vulnerable conditions are produced. Through a combination of regulatory, administrative, and engineering approaches, losses can 1 be limited by reducing susceptibility to damage. Hazard mitigation provides the mechanism by which communities and individuals can break the cycle of damage, reconstruction, and damage again. Recognizing the importance of reducing community vulnerability to natural and technological hazards, Iosco County is actively addressing the issue through the development and subsequent implementation of this plan. The many benefits to be realized from this effort – protection of the public health and safety, preservation of essential services, prevention of property damage, and preservation of the local economic base, to mention just a few – will help ensure that Iosco County remains a vibrant, safe, and enjoyable place in which to live, raise a family, and conduct business. Under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, state and local governments are required to develop local hazard mitigation plans in order to be eligible for pre- and post-disaster funding from the federal government. The Plan was prepared in accordance with the Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) documents: Local Mitigation Handbook and the Local Mitigation Plan Review Guide, and the Michigan State Police Emergency Management Division (MSP/EMD) publication 207: Local Hazard Mitigation Workbook. The Iosco County Hazard Mitigation Plan (the “Plan”) serves as the foundation for hazard mitigation activities within the community. Implementation of the plan’s recommendations will assist in the reduction of injuries, loss of life, and destruction of property due to natural and technological hazards. The Plan provides a path toward continuous, proactive reduction of vulnerability to the most frequent hazards that result in repetitive and often severe social, economic and physical damage. The ideal end- state would be the total integration of hazard mitigation activities, programs, capabilities, and actions into normal, day-to-day governmental functions and management practices. Iosco County Emergency Management Director and the Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) worked with the East Michigan Council of Governments (EMCOG) and the MSP/EMD to develop this Plan. The intent of the Plan is to work with those familiar with Iosco County to describe the County, and to create an action plan to protect the health, safety, and economic interests of residents through hazard mitigation, planning, awareness, and implementation. In the Plan, the hazard analysis section describes the major categories of hazards that affect Iosco County and provides some additional information about lesser hazards. The analysis of hazards makes use of community profile information that includes a description of community organizations and potential resources. The major hazards have been identified as severe weather, geological threats, fires, floods/drought, hazardous materials, infrastructure problems, public health emergencies, transportation incidents, seasonal population shifts, and civil unrest and war. For each of the major hazards, the following is provided: • Description of the hazard; • Explanation of how it affects the County; • Requirements/Rules affecting the County; • Hazard mitigation Goal(s) that have been identified; and • Description and explanation of the Action Item proposed. This new Plan updates the previous Iosco County Hazard Mitigation Plan that was approved in 2007. This process began in 2012, as recertification of the Hazard Mitigation Plan shall take place at least once every five (5) years. It has been modified so that it is easier to find and use information contained within it. This 2 should be helpful for stakeholders to more easily find and review the information that is most relevant for their jurisdictions and areas of expertise/interest. Certain information that is considered confidential or too sensitive for widespread public distribution has been kept out of this document, and will only be distributed at the discretion of the Iosco County Office of Emergency Management. This plan is the culmination of our interdisciplinary and interagency planning effort that required the assistance and expertise of numerous agencies, organizations, and individuals. Without their technical assistance and contributions of time and ideas this plan could not have been completed. A map of Iosco County identifying the local units of government follows. Iosco County Municipal Map MAP 1.1 3 Executive Summary The Plan was created to protect the health, safety, and economic interests of the Iosco County residents and businesses by reducing the impacts of natural and technological hazards through hazard mitigation planning, awareness, and implementation. The Plan serves as the foundation for hazard mitigation activities and actions within Iosco County. Implementation of recommendations will reduce loss of life, destruction of property, and economic losses due to natural and technological hazards. The Plan provides a path toward continuous, proactive reduction of vulnerability to hazards which result in repetitive and oftentimes severe social, economic, and physical damage. The ideal end state is full integration of hazard mitigation concepts into day-to-day governmental and business functions and management practices. This Plan employs a broad perspective in examining multi-hazard mitigation activities and opportunities in Iosco County. Emphasis is placed on hazards which have resulted in threats to the public health, safety and welfare, as well as the social, economic and physical fabric of the community. This plan addresses such hazards as floods,