Luzerne County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2014 Update Prepared for: Prepared by: Luzerne County Planning Commission Vision Planning and Consulting, LLC 20 North Pennsylvania Avenue 7572 Morris Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 Fulton, MD 20759 August 2014 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 ...................................................................................................................................... 5 STUDY AREA BOUNDARIES ............................................................................................................................... 5 GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE .................................................................................................................................... 7 CLIMATE ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE .................................................................................................................................. 7 EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRY PROFILE ................................................................................................................. 8 CHAPTER 3 – PLANNING PROCESS ...................................................................................... 9 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 9 MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL PLANNING PARTICIPATION ................................................................................................. 10 STEERING COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT ................................................................................................................ 11 MUNICIPAL INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................................................... 12 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ................................................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 4 – DOCUMENT REVIEW AND CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ...................................... 14 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 14 DOCUMENT REVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 15 COUNTY’S STAFFING AND TRAINING CAPABILITIES ................................................................................................. 28 MUNICIPAL CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................ 29 CHAPTER 5 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT .......................................... 39 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 39 CHANGES IN DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................................ 40 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION ................................................................................................................................ 40 FLOODING ................................................................................................................................................. 42 WINTER WEATHER ....................................................................................................................................... 46 WIND EVENTS ............................................................................................................................................ 47 DROUGHT AND CROP FAILURE ......................................................................................................................... 51 LANDSLIDES ............................................................................................................................................... 52 WILDFIRES ................................................................................................................................................ 55 NUCLEAR RELEASE ...................................................................................................................................... 58 EARTHQUAKES ............................................................................................................................................ 60 HAZARDOUS MATERIAL RELEASES .................................................................................................................... 62 LAND SUBSIDENCE ....................................................................................................................................... 64 DAM FAILURE ............................................................................................................................................. 65 RADON ..................................................................................................................................................... 66 HAZARD RISK FACTORS AND RANKING ............................................................................................................... 67 SUMMARY OF ISSUES .................................................................................................................................... 68 CHAPTER 6 – MITIGATION STRATEGY ................................................................................ 70 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 70 i 2014 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Luzerne County, Pennsylvania LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................. 70 A. Preventive Measures ..................................................................................................................... 70 B. Natural Resources and Open Space Protection ................................................................................... 71 C. Outreach and Coordination ............................................................................................................. 71 D. Other ......................................................................................................................................... 71 IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF MITIGATION ACTIONS .......................................................................................... 72 IMPLEMENTATION OF MITIGATION ACTIONS AND PROGRESS IN LOCAL MITIGATION EFFORTS ............................................... 79 CONTINUED COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM ................................................................ 79 IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF MITIGATION ACTIONS: NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM (NFIP) COMPLIANCE ............ 81 MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL MITIGATION ACTIONS ....................................................................................................... 83 PRIORITIZATION OF MITIGATION ACTIONS ............................................................................................................ 98 CHAPTER 7 – PLAN MAINTENANCE PROCESS ................................................................... 105 INTRODUCTION AND UPDATE PROCESS SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 105 MONITORING, EVALUATING, AND UPDATING THE PLAN .......................................................................................... 105 BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................. 106 CONTINUED PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT .................................................................................................................. 106 INCORPORATION OF MITIGATION ACTIONS INTO EXISTING PLANNING MECHANISMS – MUNICIPALITIES .................................. 106 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