Central Shenandoah Valley All Hazards Mitigation Plan Timberville ! Broadway ! ROCKINGHAM Monterey HARRISONBURG ! Dayton ! ! ! Elkton Bridgewater ! HIGHLAND Mt. Crawford Grottoes ! AUGUSTA STAUNTON ! Craigsville WAYNESBORO BATH ! Goshen ROCKBRIDGE BUENA LEXINGTON VISTA ! Glasgow “Reducing the impact of natural disasters on citizens of the Central Shenandoah Valley through planning, prevention, mitigation, and education.” Prepared by: The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission September 2005 Central Shenandoah Valley All Hazards Mitigation Plan _____________________________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 II. PLANNING PROCESS ................................................................ 1 Mitigation and Planning Committee Members Mitigation and Planning Committee Meetings Training Attended by Staff/Committee Training Sponsored by Staff/Committee III. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION .......................................................... 6 Public Involvement Activities IV. HAZARD IDENTIFICATION RISK ASSESSMENT .......................... 9 1 - Purpose ................................................................................. 9 Methodology for Identifying and Prioritizing Hazards Project Study Area and Planning District Description Watersheds Critical Facilities Data Limitations Glossary 2 - Hazard Identification ............................................................... 26 Types of Hazards Probability of Hazards Major Disasters 3 - Flooding (significant ranking)..................................................... 33 Hazard History Hazard Profile Secondary Effects Flood Maps Vulnerability Analysis FEMA-Designated Repetitive Loss Properties Structures At Risk Vulnerability Estimating Losses Critical Facilities 4 - Drought (high ranking) ............................................................. 46 Hazard History Hazard Profile Vulnerability Analysis 5 - Hurricane (high ranking) ........................................................... 51 Hazard History Hazard Profile Secondary Hazards Hurricane Damage Scale Vulnerability Analysis HAZSUS-MH Building Types Critical Facilities Loss Estimation _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Page i Central Shenandoah Valley All Hazards Mitigation Plan _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 6 - Severe Winter Storm (high ranking) ............................................. 60 Hazard History Hazard Profile Predictability and Frequency Vulnerability Analysis 7 - Land Subsidence and Karst (medium ranking) ................................ 70 Hazard History Hazard Profile Hazard Areas Vulnerability Analysis 8 - Tornado (medium ranking) ........................................................ 73 Hazard History Hazard Profile 9 - Wildfire (medium ranking) ........................................................ 80 Hazard History Hazard Profile Hazard Areas Vulnerability Analysis Structures at Risk 10 - Landslide (low ranking)........................................................... 85 Hazard History Hazard Profile Hazard Areas 11 - Terrorism (low ranking) .......................................................... 87 Hazard History Hazard Profile Hazard Areas Vulnerability Analysis V. MITIGATION ACTIONS, STRATEGIES, AND PROJECTS .............. 88 Mitigation Categories Actions Projects by Community VI. PLAN MAINTENANCE .............................................................. 118 VII. ADOPTION PROCESS AND DOCUMENTATION .......................... 119 VIII. REFERENCES ........................................................................... 120 Other Mitigation Plans Websites Software Federal & State APPENDICES Appendix A - Flood History and Critical Facilities Appendix B – Central Shenandoah Valley Regional Flood Maps Appendix B2 - Central Shenandoah Valley Regional Relative Snow Potential Maps Appendix B3 – Central Shenandoah Valley Regional Relative Ice Potential Maps Appendix C – Other Local Jurisdiction Resolutions Public Meeting Notifications Natural Hazard Survey _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Page ii Central Shenandoah Valley All Hazards Mitigation Plan _____________________________________________________________________________________________ I. INTRODUCTION The Central Shenandoah Valley Regional All Hazards Mitigation Plan was developed in accordance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA2K) and requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Section 322 local hazard mitigation planning regulations. DMA2K was enacted on October 10, 2000, when President Clinton signed the Act (Public Law 106-390). The new legislation reinforces the importance of mitigation planning and emphasizes planning for disasters before they occur. As such, this Act establishes a pre-disaster hazard mitigation program and new requirements for the national Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). States and local governments are required to adopt hazard mitigation plans in order to qualify for pre- and post- disaster federal hazard mitigation funding. The purpose of the plan is to identify natural hazards that impact the region and to offer mitigation strategies that will lessen the effects that these hazards have on the citizens, property and businesses in the region. The plan was developed on a multi-regional basis which included the five counties of Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge, and Rockingham, the five cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, and Waynesboro and the eleven incorporated towns which include Glasgow, Goshen, Craigsville, Grottoes, Bridgewater, Broadway, Dayton, Elkton, Mt. Crawford, Timberville and Monterey. The planning process was led by the Mitigation and Planning Work Group of the Shenandoah Valley Project Impact and supported by staff of the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission. The Hazard Identification Risk Assessment (HIRA) was prepared by Virginia Tech’s Center for Geospatial Information Technology. Funding for the development of the plan was provided in large part through a grant from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management with matching funds provided by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission. II. PLANNING PROCESS The planning process actually began back as early as 1995 when local government officials recognized a void in flood planning and prevention after the devastating floods in 1995 and 1996. They called on the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) to develop a local mitigation strategy and offer planning and technical assistance to abate future damages. For the next several years and the next few flood events, the CSPDC assisted many of the localities in identifying at-risk properties, applying for state and federal funds, and administering flood mitigation projects. Since 1995, the CSPDC has secured nearly $10,000,000 in federal, state and local funds to elevate, move, acquire or floodproof 173 structures and provide a disaster education and mitigation program in our region. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 1 Central Shenandoah Valley All Hazards Mitigation Plan _____________________________________________________________________________________________ In 1999 the Region began looking at ways to prevent floods from becoming disasters through a viable planning process with effective public input. A committee comprised of elected officials, local government staff and private citizens as well as technical experts from the various natural resource agencies was created to assess the problem, review possible solutions and recommend actions for the Region to take. Led by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, the committee met over the course of a year and half to produce the Central Shenandoah Valley Regional Flood Mitigation Plan. The Plan addressed the flood hazards that put each of our 21 communities at risk. The Plan identified and illustrated flood risks and the history of flooding. It described the projects and efforts that localities have implemented to reduce flood damage and more importantly it explains what still needs to done. The Plan offered sound, viable mitigation options and offered guidance and options for dealing with floods, setting priorities and effectively planning to minimize future damage and protect floodplain resources. From there the region was directed by FEMA and the Virginia DEM to look at other natural hazards that impact the central Shenandoah Valley. The Flood Mitigation Committee that was created back in 1999 to oversee the Central Shenandoah Regional Flood Mitigation Plan was called back into action to address the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. In the meantime, the Central Shenandoah Region became a Project Impact Community. The purpose of Project Impact was to develop a sustainable long-term program of disaster-resistance education in the Shenandoah Valley. The Central Shenandoah Project Impact structure is made up of a steering committee and 4 work groups: 1) Mitigation and Planning; 2) Business Continuity, 3) Public Awareness and 4) Special Populations. Under this structure the former Flood Mitigation Committee was reinstated and reorganized and became Project Impact’s Mitigation and Planning Workgroup. The purpose