City of North Myrtle Beach South Carolina Hazel 1954 Hazard Mitigation Plan Drainage Problems – Hugo December 2004 Hazel 1954 “A natural disaster resistant community is one that can tolerate – and overcome – damage, diminished productivity, and reduced quality of life from a natural hazard event within a shortened time frame and with less outside public and private assistance.” Dennis S. Mileti City of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Hazard Mitigation Plan Mayor and City Council Marylin Hatley, Mayor Doris Williams, Councilwoman Robert J. Cavanaugh, Councilman Greg Duckworth, Councilman Hal Hoff, Councilman Terry W. White, Sr., Councilman J. O. Baldwin, III John Smithson, City Manager Hazard Mitigation Committee Ed Prince, Chair Russell Burgess Clinton Norris Myron Cox DeWayne Bates Butch Coster Hank Thomas Tripp Morton Technical Assistance Provided By Berry A. Williams and Associates 1117 Manchester Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27609 i Acknowledgments This Hazard Mitigation Plan was prepared under the guidance of the City of North Myrtle Beach’s Mitigation Planning Committee. The members of the Committee are noted on page 1 - 3. Several members of the City’s staff also made significant contributions to the plan during its preparation. Staff members providing information and support include: Tom Barstow, Chief of Fire – Rescue and Emergency Preparedness Director Kevin D. Blayton, City Engineer and Public Works Director Paul Blust, Zoning Administrator Jamie Davis, Administrative Assistant, Planning and Development Douglas M Maddock, Director of Planning and Development David H. Prince, Public Works Engineer Joyce Rowley, Principal Planner Meredith Smith, City Clerk Delane Stevens, Residential Building Plan Reviewer Robert Turner, Street Superintendent Sarah Wells, GIS Analyst, Information Services Department ii City of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Hazard Mitigation Plan Contents 1. Introduction . 1 - 1 1.1. Why Plan? . 1 - 1 1.2. North Myrtle Beach Planning Process . 1 - 2 1.3. The Community Rating System . 1 - 15 2. Hazard Vulnerability Analysis . .. 2 - 1 2.1. North Myrtle Beach Background Data . .. 2 - 1 2.2. Hazard Vulnerability Analysis Tasks . 2 - 3 2.2.1 Task 1 List the Types of Natural Hazards and their Associated Elements . .2 - 4 2.2.2 Task 2 Indicate the Hazards’ Intensity . .2 - 4 2.2.3 Task 3 Indicate the Hazards’ Likelihood of Occurrence . 2 - 5 2.3. Natural Hazards and the Likelihood of Occurrence in the North Myrtle Beach Area . .. 2 - 5 2.3.1. Hurricanes and Tropical Storms . .2 - 5 2.3.2. Floods . .. 2 - 14 2.3.3 Nor’Easters . 2 - 20 2.3.4. Coastal Erosion . .. .2 - 22 2.3.5. Severe Thunderstorm/ Lightening . .2 - 25 2.3.6. Wildfire . 2 - 26 2.3.7. Extreme Heat . .. 2 - 28 2.3.8. Tornadoes / Waterspouts . .. 2 – 29 2.3.9. Severe Winter Storms . .. .2 - 33 2.3.10. Drought . .. 2 - 34 2.3.11. Dam Failure . 2 - 36 2.3.12 Earthquake . 2 - 37 2.3.13 Tsunami . .. 2 - 40 2.3.14 Sinkholes . 2 - 40 2.3.15 Volcanoes . .. 2 - 41 2.3.16 Landslides . 2 - 41 2.4. Task 1.4 Estimate the Hazards’ Level of Impact . .. 2 - 42 2.5. Task 1.5 Formulate Conclusions . …2 - 42 2.6. Summary of Hazard Mitigation Problems . .. 2 - 44 3. Goals, Strategies and Possible Mitigation Actions . .. 3 - 1 3.1. Mitigation Goals and Objectives . .. 3 - 1 3.2. Mitigation Strategies and Measures . 3 - 4 3.3. Mitigation Actions . .3 - 6 iii 4. Prevention Measures . .. .. .4 - 1 4.1. Comprehensive Plan . ... …. .4 - 1 4.2. Beach Management Plan . .... 4 - 3 4.3. Zoning . …. 4 - 4 4.4. Building Codes . .. .... .. .. .4 - 5 4.5. Floodplain Construction Standards . .. … . .. .. 4 - 6 4.6. Floodplain Mapping/Data Maintenance . .. … . 4 - 8 4.7. Floodplain Open Space Preservation . .. .... .. .4 -10 4.8. Low-density Zoning . .. ... .. .. 4 -11 4.9. Planned Unit Development . .. … . 4 - 12 4.10. Subdivision Regulations. .. … . .4 - 13 4.11. Setback Regulations . .... ..4 -14 4.12. Coastal AE-Zone Regulations . .. ... …4 -15 4.13. Enclosure Regulations . .. .... .. 4 -22 4.14. Design/Regulatory Flood Elevation . .. … . .4 -24 4.15. Cumulative Substantial Improvement and Substantial Damage Regulations .. 4 - 27 4.16. Critical Facility Regulations . .. .. 4 - 29 4.17. Advanced Acquisition . .. 4 - 31 4.18. Wildfire Regulations . .. .4 - 32 4.19. Regulations for Additions to Buildings . .. .4 - 33 5. Property Protection . .. 5 - 1 5.1. Acquisition and Demolition . .. … . 5 - 1 5.2. Acquisition and Relocation . ... .. .. ... 5 - 3 5.3. Building Elevation . … . 5 - 5 5.4. Floodproofing . … . 5 - 7 5.5. Lifeline protection . .. ... 5 - 9 5.6. Flood insurance . … . 5 - 11 5.7. Windproofing . … . 5 - 11 5.8. “Safe Rooms” . … . 5 - 12 5.9. Seismic Retrofitting . ... 5 - 13 6. Natural Resource Protection . .. 6 - 1 6.1. Wetlands protection . .. .. 6 - 2 6.2. Erosion and sediment control . .. .. 6 - 3 6.3. Best management practices . .. .. 6 - 3 6.4. Dumping regulations . .. 6 - 4 6.5. Recommendations . .. 6 - 5 7. Structural Measures . .. .7 - 1 7.1..