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Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning

Article · January 2011

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James Schwab

University of Iowa

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University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO Exec_BR 2011 Presentations - Disaster Resilient Communities: A State-Level Executive Program in Resilience and Risk Management

Conferences and Workshops

6-24-2011

Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning James Schwab American Planning Association, Hazards Planning Research Center

Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uno.edu/ebr2011

This Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences and Workshops at ScholarWorks@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in Exec_BR 2011 Presentations - Disaster Resilient Communities: A State-Level Executive Program in Resilience and Risk Management by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Recommended Citation Schwab, James, "Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning" (2011). Exec_BR 2011 Presentations - Disaster Resilient Communities: A State-Level Executive Program in Resilience and Risk Management. Paper 1. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/ebr2011/1

James C. Schwab, AICP Manager,

APA Hazards Planning Research Center

Presented to UNO-CHART Executive Program

Baton Rouge, LA June 24, 2011

Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning What is it? • FEMA contract with APA to produce PAS Report • Launched in August 2007, completed May 2010 • FEMA now funding audio-web conference scheduled for

March 16, 2011 • Registration and details at:

http://www.planning.org/audioconference/index.htm

Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning What does it contain? • The role of planners in hazard mitigation • Explanation of hazard mitigation planning and the Disaster

Mitigation Act of 2000 • Integrating hazard mitigation throughout all aspects of the

planning process • Concept of a Safe Growth Audit • Six case studies • Overall findings and recommendations

Scenes from Iowa City: 2008 University of Iowa’s Advanced Technology Lab (ATL)

Iowa River viewed from eastern bank

Scenes from Iowa City: 2008

University of Iowa along the Iowa River

Coralville Business District

Cedar Rapids: Flood debris in neighborhoods near downtown

Above photos and statistics below from

CedarRapidsFloodStory.com

City Hall at Mays Island

Cedar Rapids 2008 Flood Statistics Flood Magnitude •31.12 feet - Crest of Cedar River on Friday, June 13, 2008 •More than 10 square miles (14%) of the City. •More than 80,000 tons of debris collected and removed •Amazingly no flood-related deaths

People •18,623 estimated persons in flood-impacted area •120 families in flood areas receiving Section 8 housing assistance •1,360 estimated job losses as a result of the flood •More than 57,218 flood recovery-related volunteer hours donated

Property •7,198 affected parcels (5,390 residential) •$2.4 billion estimated cost in damage to public infrastructure and future flood management options •As many as 1,500 properties will be demolished •86 farms in Linn County damaged

Cedar Rapids 2008 Flood Statistics Impacted Facilities •City of Cedar Rapids:

•City Hall, Jail, Municipal Court Facilities, Central Fire, Central Library, and the Police HQ completely flooded and displaced •Ground Transportation, municipal city transportation hub, completely displaced •3 of 4 city collector wells and 46 vertical wells disabled

•Linn County •10 damaged Linn County Buildings, including: Administrative Office Building (AOB), Correctional Center, Options of Linn County, AOB Annex, Elections Depot, Sheriff’s Office, County Courthouse, Mott Building, Witwer Building and Youth Shelter

•486 property tax exempt facilities (govt., schools, churches, Red Cross etc.) •136 other (utilities and railroads etc... )

Smulekoff’s two weeks after the flood

Resilience: This store reopened for business!

Collapsed CRANDIC railroad bridge

Cedar Falls, Iowa, Case Study (2008)

Sign: “Whose City was Saved?”

Cedar Falls

Devastation and Elevation

Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning

Chapter 1. Hazard Mitigation: An Essential Role for Planners

Chapter 2. Hazard Mitigation and the Disaster Mitigation Act

Chapter 3. Integrating Hazard Mitigation throughout the Comprehensive Plan

Chapter 4. Integrating Hazard Mitigation into Other Kinds of Local Plans

Chapter 5. Integrating Hazard Mitigation into the Implementation Tools of Planning

Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning

Chapter 6. Case Studies: Large Jurisdictions Chapter 7. Case Studies: Intermediate Jurisdictions Chapter 8. Case Studies: Small Towns and Rural

Communities Chapter 9. Findings and Recommendations

Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Preparers in California

Source: Boswell et al., 2008

Integration of Local Hazard Mitigation Plan with California’s Required Safety Element

Source: Boswell et al., 2008

Red: States Mandating Local Comprehensive Plans

Blue: States Requiring Hazards Element in Local Plans*

*CO & MT do not require local comprehensive plans.

Integration Case Studies: Large Jurisdictions

• Lee County, FL • 2010 pop.: 618,754 • Up 40.3% from 2000

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, NC • 2010 pop.: 919,628 • Up 32% from 2000

Lee County Lessons

• Brought countywide mitigation together into single unified plan with full involvement by all parties

• Direct integration of local mitigation strategy and comprehensive plan • Goals and strategies complement each other • Clear references to relevant programs

• Using capital investments and development regulations offers a model for establishing priorities and implementing initiatives

Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Lessons Learned

• Quantify and map flood elevations and floodplain boundaries based on “build-out” land-use conditions

• Secure buy-in from stakeholders by involving them early and through transparency of data and methods

• Still a need for better integration of flood mitigation into other local planning

• Bring more planners to the table

Rail Yard Explosion, 1973

1995 Floods

Examples of Flood Improvements from 1986-2001

Source: City of Roseville Flood Facts

Year Project Approx. Cost

1986 Quadrupled size of culvert at Rocky Ridge Drive on Linda Creek to handle 100-year storm $250,000

1986 Culvert added at Champion Oaks Drive at Linda Creek and improved channel upstream to increase channel capacity

$100,000

1986 Improved culvert at Union Pacific tracks on Dry Creek $100,000

1990 Enlarged culvert under Diamond Oaks Road thereby protecting 10 homes that flooded in 1986

$250,000

1992 Replaced Loretto Bridge over Cirby Creek and widened channel between Eich School and Sierra Gardens Drive, bringing all nearby homes out of floodplain

$700,000

1993 Replaced Diamond Oaks culvert, bringing all nearby homes out of floodplain $500,000

1996 Removed culvert under Union Pacific railroad tracks on Dry Creek downstream of Vernon Street, removing over 150 homes from the floodplain, lowering flood elevations by 5-7 feet

$2 million (City portion $220,000)

1996 Cirby Creek/I-80 project (Tina/Elisa area) included channel excavation and construction of berms and floodwalls. Brought entire Tina/Elisa neighborhood of 40 homes out of floodplain through acquisition. Entire area would have flooded during a 1997 flood if improvements and acquisitions had not occurred.

$3 million (100% City funded)

2001 Elevated structures not completely brought out of the floodplain by flood control project construction. With voluntary homeowner participation, 27 of 44 homes elevated. Most of 27 located in Folsom/Maciel neighborhood along Dry Creek.

$1 million (FEMA funded 75%)

2001 Flood control improvements on Linda Creek in the Champion Oaks/West Colonial Parkway and Sunrise/Oakridge areas replaced culverts with a bridge. Floodwalls and channel excavation brought 233 homes out of floodplain and reduced risk to 44 additional homes. Channel maintained in near natural state, with planting of over 500 oaks.

$16.1 million ($8.7 million FEMA, $7.4 million City funds)

Roseville Drainage Basins

Roseville Lessons Learned

• Public safety through mitigation can become an economic development marketing tool

• Protecting community assets from loss is a path to sustainability

• Using mitigation for open space and to reduce excess water consumption helps build a Green Community

• State and federal requirements can be used with unique local needs to build local capacity for resilience

• Strong culture of preparedness reinforces objectives of hazard mitigation, economic development, and conservation

Integration Case Studies: Rural Jurisdictions and Small Towns

Bourne, MA

Natural Hazard Likelihood of Occurrence

0 = unlikely 1 = Possible 2 = Likely 3 = Highly likely

Location

1 = Small area 2 = Medium area 3 = Large area

Impacts

1 = Limited 2 = Significant 3 = Critical 4 = Catastrophic

Hazard Index

Flood 3 3 3 9

Wind Related:

• Hurricane 3 3 3 9

• Coastal Storms 3 2 3 8

• Winter Storms 2 3 3 8

Fire Related:

• Drought 1 3 2 6

• Wildfires 2 3 2 7

• Urban Fires 1 1 1 3

• Shoreline Erosion 3 3 3 9

Shoreline Erosion 3 3 3 9

Geologic Hazards

• Associated Landslides of Coastal Banks

2 2 2 6

• Earthquakes 0 3 1 4

Tornadoes 0 1 1 2

Bourne Hazard Identification Matrix

Add canal photos here

Visualization of future Marine Life Center

Bourne Lessons Learned

• Be aware of current situation and what can be done • Provide that information generously to the public • Creative, sound, cost-effective strategies exist for

developing within strict flood mitigation requirements; financial incentives can further improve this outlook

• Hazard mitigation is an economic development issue; why reinvest where hazards can threaten your investment?

• Economic development interests can be enlisted to help generate buy-in for hazard mitigation

Findings: What Works

 Complementary Goals and Objectives in the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and Comprehensive Plan

 Implementing Hazard Mitigation through Government Expenditures and Development Regulations

 Documenting Existing and Predicted Future Conditions and Raising Awareness of What Can Be Done about Them

 Mutual Reinforcement Between Hazard Mitigation and Other Planning Goals

 Sustaining Leadership for Hazard Mitigation  Strong Culture of Preparedness and Mitigation  Using External Drivers As Leverage While Focusing on

Community Needs  Proactive Outreach and Stakeholder Involvement in

Planning

Findings: What Does Not Work?

 Procrastination  Failure to Involve Planners in Local Hazards Planning  Failure to Engage Public Participation or to

Communicate about Hazards  Investment in Redevelopment without Accounting for

Hazards  Failure to Use Other Plans to Address Hazards

Big Thoughts in Conclusion

THE ROAD AHEAD:  Learn from Disasters  Start Change Now  Strengthen Integration of Hazards with Other

Planning Activities  Think Linkages

Contact Information

Jim Schwab: [email protected]

Hazards Planning Research Center: http://www.planning.org/nationalcenters/hazards/inde x.htm

Hazard Mitigation Project: http://www.planning.org/research/hazards/index.htm

Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery (new project): http://www.planning.org/research/postdisaster/

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