Document Pickenscountyga_doc_21fb51f626

PICKENS COUNTY, GEORGIA HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN UPDATE 2017 - 2022 Pickens County Emergency Management Agency Lux Mitigation and Planning Corp. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 1 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Pickens County, Georgia Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017 – 2022 Prepared for the Pickens County Board of Commissioners 1266 East Church Street Jasper, Georgia 30143 [PHONE REDACTED] www.Pickenscountyga.gov ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 2 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Pickens County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017 This document was funded in part by the Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant awarded to the Pickens County Emergency Management Agency by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to fulfill the requirements of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2013 was updated by the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee and was prepared by Lux Mitigation and Planning Corporation. For additional information, please contact Pickens County Emergency Management Agency. Director John Nicholson Pickens County Emergency Management Agency 1266 East Church Street Jasper, Georgia 30143 [EMAIL REDACTED] [PHONE REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 3 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Resolution – Pickens County WHEREAS, Pickens County and its municipalities recognize that it is threatened by a number of different types of natural and man-made hazards that can result in loss of life, property loss, economic hardship and threats to public health and safety; and WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has required that every county and municipality have a pre-disaster mitigation plan in place, and requires the adoption of such plans in order to receive funding from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program; and WHEREAS, a Hazard Mitigation Plan is a community’s plan for evaluating hazards, identifying resources and capabilities, selecting appropriate actions, and developing and implementing the preferred mitigation actions to eliminate or reduce future damage in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents in the community; and WHEREAS, the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017 - 2022 has been prepared in accordance with FEMA requirements at 44 CFR 201.6; and WHEREAS, the Plan will be updated every five years; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Commissioners of Pickens County, Georgia and the Mayors and Councils of the City of Jasper, City of Nelson, and Town of Talking Rock, each meeting in respective session, that: 1) Pickens County, Georgia, the City of Jasper, the City of Nelson, and Town of Talking Rock have adopted the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017 - 2022; and 2) It is intended that the Plan be a working document and is the first of many steps toward improving rational, long-range mitigation planning and budgeting for Pickens County and its municipalities. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Pickens County Board of Commissioners in regular session this day of 2017. Chairperson County Manager ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 4 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Resolution – Pickens County Municipalities Requirement §201.6(c)(5) PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Mayor and City Council of Jasper in regular session this day of 2017. Mayor City Clerk PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Mayor and City Council of Nelson in regular session this day of 2017. Mayor City Clerk PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Mayor and Town Council of Talking Rock in regular session this day of 2017. Mayor Town Clerk ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 5 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Preface Mitigation Vision for the Future Emergency Managers succeed and fail by how well they follow the following fundamental principles of emergency management, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Purposefully, our emergency management forefathers put the word mitigation first as a “means” to prevent or minimize the effects of disasters. Mitigation is commonly defined as sustained actions taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their effects. Hazard mitigation focuses attention and resources on community policies and actions that will produce successive benefits over time. A mitigation plan states the aspirations and specific courses of action that a community intends to follow to reduce vulnerability and exposure to future hazard events. These plans are formulated through a systematic process centered on the participation of citizens, businesses, public officials, and other community stakeholders. Mitigation forms, or should form, the very foundation of every emergency management agency. For the prevention of disasters in communities, emergency management agencies that adopt mitigation practices in an effort to reduce, minimize, or eliminate hazards in their community have found, the vision for the future of emergency management. The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 has set the benchmark and outlines the criteria for communities with the vision to implement hazard mitigation practices in their communities. Pickens County and its municipalities realize the benefits achieved by the development and implementation of mitigation plans and strategies in our community. Pickens County’s elected officials, public safety organizations, planners, and many others have proven that by working together towards the development and implementation of this plan, have the vision to implement mitigation practices therefore reducing the loss of life and property in their communities. The areas covered by this plan include: Pickens County City of Jasper City of Nelson Town of Talking Rock ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 6 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Table of Contents Resolution – Pickens County 3 Resolution – Pickens County Municipalities 4 Preface 5 CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION 9 Summary of Updates for Chapter One 10 Introduction 11 Authority 12 Funding 13 Scope 14 Purpose 15 Consistency with Federal and State Mitigation Policies 16 Plan Review 18 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee 19 Public Participation 23 Multi-jurisdictional Considerations 25 Incorporation of Existing Plans, Studies, and Resources 26 CHAPTER TWO – PICKENS COUNTY PROFILE 28 Summary of Updates for Chapter Two 29 Past Hazards 30 History 31 Past Events 34 Demographics 37 Economy 38 Government 39 Transportation 40 Climate 41 Utilities 42 NFIP Compliance 42 CHAPTER THREE –HAZARD PROFILES 43 Summary of Updates for Chapter Three 44 Risk Assessment 46 Natural Hazards 47 Thunderstorms 47 Winter Storms 56 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 7 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 CHAPTER THREE – HAZARD PROFILES Flooding 60 Tornado 67 Drought 72 Wildfire 77 Earthquake 84 Technological Hazards 89 Hazardous Materials Incident 89 Dam Failure 91 Transportation Incident 94 Terrorism 97 CHAPTER FOUR – HAZARD MITIGATION STRATEGIES 99 Summary of Updates for Chapter Four 100 Goals and Objectives 101 Identification and Analysis of Mitigation Techniques 103 Prevention 105 Property Protection 106 Natural Resource Protection 107 Structural Projects 108 Emergency Services 109 Public Education and Awareness 110 Mitigation Strategies 111 Natural Hazards 111 Technological Hazards 150 Completed Strategies 154 Multi-jurisdictional Considerations 155 CHAPTER FIVE – PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE 157 Summary of Updates for Chapter Five 158 Maintenance 159 Plan Distribution 161 Implementation 162 Evaluation 165 Peer Review 166 Plan Update 167 Conclusion 168 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 8 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 APPENDICES 169 Appendix A – Pickens County Dams Information 169 Appendix B – Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Committee Sign-In Sheets 171 Appendix C – Critical Facilities Information 184 Appendix D – Natural Hazard Data Tables 188 Appendix E – Pickens County Worksheet 3As 207 Appendix F – Documentation of Peer Review 219 Appendix G – Documentation of Nelson Adoption Resolution 221 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 9 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Chapter One - Introduction ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 10 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Summary of Updates for Chapter One The following table provides a description of each section of this chapter, and a summary of the changes that have been made to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2013. Chapter 1 Section Update Introduction • Identification of Mitigation Goals Authority • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Funding • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Scope • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Purpose • Updated from 2013 Mitigation plan Consistency with Federal Guidelines • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Plan Review • Updated from 2013 Mitigation Plan Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee • Updated committee list to match the 2017 planning participants Public Participation • Updated from 2013 Mitigation Plan Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations • Updated with requirement descriptions Incorporation of Existing Plans, Studies, and Resources • Updated with new plan, study, and resource incorporations • Moved from Execution Chapter to Introductory Chapter ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 11 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Introduction The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update is the first phase of a multi- hazard mitigation strategy for the entire community. This Plan encourages cooperation among various organizations and crosses political sub-divisions. As written, this Plan fulfills the requirements of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 provides federal assistance to state and local emergency management agencies and other disaster response organizations in an effort to reduce damage from disasters. The Act is administered by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It is important that State and local government, public-private partnerships, and community citizens can see the results of these mitigation efforts; therefore, the goals and strategies need to be achievable. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee identified the following goals during plan development: GOAL 1 Protect the public health and safety GOAL 2 Reduce and eliminate (to the extent possible) community exposure to natural and manmade hazard events GOAL 3 Reduce loss and damage to private property and public infrastructure resulting from natural or manmade hazards GOAL 4 Maintain continuity of public and private sector operations during and after hazard events GOAL 5 Respond appropriately, and efficiently in the event of natural or manmade hazards This plan complies with all requirements and scope of work as described in Pickens County’s Hazard Mitigation Grant application. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 12 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Authority In the past, federal legislation has provided funding for disaster relief, recovery, and some hazard mitigation planning. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 is the latest legislation to improve the planning aspect of that process. The Act reinforces the importance of mitigation planning and emphasizes planning for disasters before they occur. The Act establishes a pre-disaster hazard mitigation program and designates new requirements for the national post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMPG). Section 322 of the Act identifies the new requirements for planning activities and increases the amount of HMPG funds available to states that have developed a comprehensive mitigation plan prior to the disaster. State and local communities must have an approved mitigation plan in place prior to receiving post-disaster HMGP funds. Local mitigation plans must demonstrate that their proposed mitigation measures are based on a sound planning process that accounts for the risk to and the capabilities of the individual communities. To implement the new DMA 2000 requirements, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepared an Interim Final Rule, published in the Federal Register on February 26, 2002 at 44 CFR Parts 201 and 206, which establishes planning and funding criteria for states and local communities. Developed in accordance with current State and Federal rules and regulations governing local hazard mitigation plans, Pickens County’s Updated Hazard Mitigation Plan will be brought forth to each participating jurisdiction in Pickens County to be formally adopted. The Plan shall be routinely monitored and revised to maintain compliance with the following provisions, rules, and legislation: Section 322, Mitigation Planning, of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as enacted by Section 104 of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-390); and FEMA's Interim Final Rule published in the Federal Register on February 26, 2002, at 44 CFR Part 201. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 13 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Funding Pickens County was awarded a $28,000 Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency for the update of Pickens County’s 2013 Hazard Mitigation Plan. The grant requires a 25% match by Pickens County, which was fulfilled by utilizing “in-kind” services. In-kind service documentation is available upon request. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 14 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Scope The scope of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update encompasses all areas of Pickens County, including all of its municipalities. The Plan identifies all natural and technological hazards that could threaten life and property in Pickens County. The scope of this Plan includes both short and long-term mitigation strategies with implementation and possible sources of project funding. The Hazard Mitigation Plan Update is organized to incorporate the requirements of Interim Final Rule 44 CFR 201.4. Chapter One includes an overview of the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, the overall goals of the plan, and details of the planning process as required by Interim Final Rule 44 CFR 201.4(c)(1). Chapter Two of the Plan details the Pickens County profile, including the demographics, municipalities, and history of Pickens County. Chapter Three identifies the risk assessment process, past natural hazard events with associated losses, and current natural hazard risks. Potential losses are also analyzed as required by Interim Final Rule 44 CFFR 201.4(c)(2). Additionally, Chapter Three identifies and analyzes potential technological hazards faced by Pickens County. Chapter Four identifies Pickens County’s hazard mitigation goals and objectives, mitigation strategies and actions, and sources of potential funding for mitigation projects as required by Interim Final Rule 44 CFR 201.4(c)(3). Chapter Five identifies the plan maintenance and implementation strategies. The process for evaluation of the hazard mitigation plan implementation progress is also detailed as required by Interim Final Rule 44 CFR 201.4(c)(4) and ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 15 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Purpose The purpose of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update is to: • Protect life, promote safety and preserve property by reducing the potential for future damages and economic losses that result from natural and technological hazards; • Make communities in Pickens County safer places to live, work, and play; • Qualify for grant funding in both the pre-disaster and post-disaster environments; • Speed recovery and redevelopment following future disaster events; • Demonstrate a firm local commitment to hazard mitigation principles; and • Comply with state and federal legislative requirements for local multi- jurisdictional hazard mitigation plans. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 16 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Consistency with Federal and State Mitigation Policies The Plan is intended to enhance and compliment state and federal recommendations for the mitigation of natural and technological hazards in the following ways: • Substantially reduce the risk of life, injuries and hardship from the destruction of natural and technological disasters on an ongoing basis; • Create a greater awareness to the public about the need for individual preparedness and about building safer, more disaster resistant communities; • Develop strategies for long-term community sustainability during community disasters; and, • Develop governmental and business continuity plans that will continue essential private sector and governmental activities during disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency publishes many guidance documents for local governments for mitigating natural disasters. The updated Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan fully recognizes, adopts, incorporates and endorses the following principles: • Develop a strategic mitigation plan for Pickens County; • Enforce current building codes; • Develop incentives to promote mitigation; • Incorporate mitigation of natural hazards into land use plans; • Promote awareness of mitigation opportunities and programs throughout our community on a continual basis; and, • Identify potential funding sources for mitigation projects. The private sector is often an overlooked segment of the community during disasters. It is vital that this sector of a community is included in mitigation efforts that are consistent with state and federal recommendations, such as the following: ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 17 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 • Develop mitigation incentives with insurance agencies and lending institutions; • Encourage the creation of a business continuity plan for the continuance of commerce during disasters; and, • Partner with businesses in an effort to communicate with customers about the hazards in our community and possible solutions. Individual citizens must be made aware of the hazards they may encounter. Additionally, they must be educated on how to protect themselves from the hazards they face. They must be shown that mitigation in their community is an important part of reducing loss of life and property in their community. Their support is critical to the success of any mitigation effort. The updated Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan supports the following FEMA recommendations regarding individual citizens: • Become educated on the hazards that you and your community may encounter; • Become part of the process by supporting and encouraging mitigation programs that reduce vulnerability to disasters; and, • An individual’s responsibility is to safeguard his/her family, as well as themselves, prior to a disaster event. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 18 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Plan Review Requirement §201.6(c)(1) The contracted planner, Lux Mitigation and Planning, had the primary responsibility for collecting updated information and presenting data to the committee. The approved 2013 Hazard Mitigation Plan was provided to each member of the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee. Each chapter was reviewed with updated hazard, risk and vulnerability data; updated critical infrastructure information; and revised mitigation strategies based upon whether the strategy was completed, needed to be modified, is an ongoing strategy, or no longer applies. Irregularly attending participants were kept informed with emails containing the updated version of the plan. Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Meeting Dates: January 17, 2017 Kickoff Meeting February 22, 2017 Hazard Identification and Prioritization; Risk Assessment Analysis March 15, 2017 Analysis of Hazard Profile Research; Review and Edit of Current Hazard Mitigation Strategies April 12, 2017 Identification of New Mitigation Strategies May 10, 2017 Update of Critical Facilities; Presentation of Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Rough Draft July 12, 2017 Review and Edit of Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Final Draft November 16, 2017 Public Meeting #1 A second Public Meeting will be held prior to the adoption of the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update by the Pickens County Board of Commissioners. Each section of Pickens County’s 2013 Hazard Mitigation Plan has been revised in some manner. Therefore, a summary of those changes will be listed in the first section of each chapter. Major plan changes include the following: • Addition of Thunderstorms to Natural Hazards (Combined Wind and Hail) • Addition of Wildfire to Natural Hazards • Addition of Technological Hazards (Hazardous Materials Incident, Dam Failure, Transportation Incident, and Terrorism) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 19 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee Requirement §201.6(b)(2) The following members, representing various jurisdictions, city and county departments, and community organizations and businesses, participated in the update of Pickens County’s 2013 Hazard Mitigation Plan. Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update – 29 Committee Members Steven Atkins Fire Chief Community of Bent Tree Randy Banks Fire Marshal - City of Jasper Mayor – City of Talking Rock Seth Boyd Assistant Director Pickens County Recreation Department Rodney D. Buckingham Land Development Control Officer Pickens County Planning and Development Linda M. Casey Planning and Development Pickens County Government Curtis Clark Fire Marshal Pickens County Fire-Rescue Jody Collis Operations Chief Pickens County Fire-Rescue Phillip Dean Director of Utilities Pickens County Water Department ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 20 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Roy G. Dobbs Chief Appraiser Pickens County Tax Assessors Kristy Easterwood Operations Chief Pickens County 911 Sloan Elrod Fire Chief Pickens County Fire-Rescue Marcia Garrett Office Manager Pickens County Planning and Development Stacy Gilleland Director of Operations for Pickens County Schools Pickens County Board of Education Shane Godfrey Operations Chief Pickens County Fire-Rescue Tucker Green Public Information Officer Pickens County Emergency Management Agency Ricky Jackson Shop Foreman Pickens County Public Works Barbara Jones Assistant Administrator Wildwood Health and Rehabilitation Brian Z. Jones Director Pickens County Parks and Recreation ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 21 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Robert P. Jones Commission Chair Pickens County Board of Commissioners Richard Jordan Fire Chief/ Public Safety Director Big Canoe Property Owners Association Sam Kent Deputy Fire Chief Bent Tree Fire Department Mike Kimbrell Pickens County Water Department Roger Mulkey Road Superintendent Pickens County Public Works John Nicholson Director Pickens County Emergency Management Agency Kim Quinton Director Pickens County Public Works Sarah Rooker Intern Pickens County Planning and Development Lee Sanders Fire Administration Coordinator Pickens County Fire Department Lonnie Waters Utilities, Maps (Permits, DOT, EPD, EPA, Grants) City of Jasper ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 22 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Jerry W. Watkins Director Pickens County Animal Control Pickens County convened the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee comprised of representatives from various participating jurisdictions. The Committee worked with Lux Mitigation and Planning and provided input at key stages of the process. Efforts were made to involve municipal, city, and county departments and community organizations, which might have a role in the implementation of the mitigation actions or policies. These efforts included invitations to attend meetings, e-mail updates, and opportunities for input and comment on all draft deliverables. In addition to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee, all surrounding counties – Cherokee, Dawson, Gilmer, and Gordon– will be provided a copy of this FEMA approved plan for their review. This plan will be provided to each County EMA office. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 23 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Public Participation Requirement §201.6(b)(1) State Requirement Element F2 As citizens become more involved in decisions that affect their safety, they are more likely to gain a greater appreciation of the natural hazards present in their community and take the steps necessary to reduce their impact. Public awareness is a key component of any community’s overall mitigation strategy aimed at making a home, neighborhood, school, business, or city safer from the potential effects of natural hazards. Participation from local organizations and businesses during the update process included: Wildwood Health and Rehabilitation and Big Canoe Property Owner’s Association The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee took it upon themselves to ensure the processes undertaken for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update adequately considered public needs and viewpoints. A list of public outreach initiatives can be found below: - Emails were sent to all Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee members and other stakeholders prior to every meeting. Recipients were encouraged to share the meeting invitation with others in their and other organizations who would benefit and benefit from the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan update. - A Public Meeting was held on November 16, 2017 at the Pickens County Administrative Offices in Jasper to provide the public an opportunity to review and comment on the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. The Public Meeting was advertised via Social Media. By advertising this meeting via social media platforms, Pickens County was able to utilize this resource to invite Pickens County residents as well as people from neighboring jurisdictions to attend the public meeting and review the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 24 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Documentation of Public Meeting Notice ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 25 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations While cities are not required by FEMA to adopt hazard mitigation plans, the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires all municipalities that wish to be eligible to receive FEMA hazard mitigation grants to adopt a local multi-hazard mitigation plan and to update the plan every five years. Pickens County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan was approved by FEMA in 2013, and the 2017 Plan Update provides the first five-year update. This approved Hazard Mitigation Plan makes Pickens County and the municipalities of Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock eligible for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Flood Assistance Mitigation Grants, and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grants. As set forth by Georgia House Bill 489, the Emergency Management Agency is the implementing agency for projects pertaining to hazard mitigation. Pickens County is dedicated to work in the best interests of the County, as well as, the Municipalities of Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock. During the creation and update of this Plan, Pickens County Emergency Management Agency solicited and received participation from the following Pickens County municipalities: Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock. Therefore, the result is a truly multi-jurisdictional plan. A few mitigation action steps identified in this plan update may apply to selected jurisdictions. These steps are identified in the appropriate sections. Unless specifically noted otherwise, most steps apply equally to all jurisdictions. The municipality of Nelson did not participate in the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. Nelson straddles the line between Pickens and Cherokee Counties. The municipality of Nelson participated in the Cherokee County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update in 2016. An adoption resolution for Nelson’s adoption of the Cherokee County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update can be found in Appendix G. Distribution of Buildings in Pickens County ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 26 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Incorporation of Existing Plans, Studies, and Resources Requirement §201.6(b)(3) State Requirement Element F3 Existing Plans 2013 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Plan Pickens County Local Emergency Operations Plan Georgia Forestry Commission’s Pickens Co. Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2008-2028 Pickens County Joint Comprehensive Plan Studies 2012 United States Department of Agriculture Ag Census 2010 United States Census 2009 Pickens County Flood Insurance Study 2017 Pickens County HAZUS Report Radeloff, V. R. B. Hammer, S. I Stewart, J. S. Fried, S. S. Holcomb, and J. F. McKeefry. 2005. The Wildland Urban Interface in the United States. Ecological Applications 15:799-805. Resources 2014 City of Boston Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2010 Camden County Joint Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2010 Northern Virginia Hazard Mitigation Plan Update National Climactic Data Center National Weather Service Pickens County Tax Assessor’s Data Pickens County Website – www.pickenscountyga.gov GMIS Database City University of New York Colorado State University United States Geological Survey FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps National Flood Insurance Program United States Coast Guard National Response Center Data Georgia Department of Transportation Georgia Safe Dams Program ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 27 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Application of Existing Plans and Studies Existing Planning Mechanism Reviewed? Yes/No Incorporation Into Mitigation Plan 2013 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Yes Baseline for the 2017 Plan; updated mitigation strategies; updated hazards; updated Pickens County information 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Plan Yes Hazard descriptions; potential hazards; mapping mechanisms; potential mitigation strategies that could be adopted on a local level Pickens County Local Emergency Operations Plan (LEOP) Yes Identification of current resources; identification of current capabilities Georgia Forestry’s Pickens County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Yes Mitigation strategies for wildfire and drought; historical data 2012 USDA Agriculture Census Yes Agricultural data regarding potential losses for drought and wildfire 2010 United State Census Yes To update Pickens County’s profile information 2009 Pickens County Flood Insurance Study Yes Identify potential flood prone areas; prioritization of flood- related mitigation strategies 2008-2028 Pickens County Comprehensive Plan Yes To identify future development trends; identify mitigation strategies to curb trends in a direction that considers the hazards of the area 2017 Pickens County HAZUS Report Yes Hazard identification information; Hazard exposure information Pickens County Flood Mitigation Assistance Plan No No such plan exists ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 28 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Chapter Two - Pickens County Profile ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 29 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Summary of Updates for Chapter Two The following table provides a description of each section of this chapter, and a summary of the changes that have been made to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2013. Chapter 2 Section Updates Past Hazards • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan. This information involved a review of the hazards listed in the previous plan. • Information was updated for the last 50 years History • Expanded and updated from previous plan Past Events • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan. Some of these events were listed in the hazard profiles in the previous plan. Demographics • Updated data to the 2010 Census information Economy • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Government • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Municipalities • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Transportation • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Climate • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Utilities • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan NFIP Compliance • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan as a standalone section ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 30 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Past Hazards Pickens County has faced many hazards in its long history. Severe Thunderstorms have been, perhaps, the most prevalent of these hazards. In the last 50 years, Pickens County has been subjected to 89 documented Severe Thunderstorm events. These events include torrential rainfall, hail, thunderstorm-force winds, and lightning. Tornadoes, which can sometimes spawn from severe thunderstorms, have also occurred in Pickens County, although with much less frequency. There have been 6 documented tornadoes in the last fifty years in Pickens County. Because of heavy rainfall either within or upstream from Pickens County, flooding has occurred in the past as well. Documentation of 13 flooding events exist within the National Climactic Data Center of the National Weather Service for Pickens County. Winter storms and heavy snowfall have affected Pickens County infrequently in the last 50 years. These events are not a yearly occurrence and typically do not have the pre-planning in place when compared to Northern and Western states who see this type of weather phenomena regularly. The NCDC record 55 documented winter storm or heavy snow events for Pickens County with 13 of those having occurred in the last 5 years. Pickens County has been plagued by other less severe or less frequent hazards in the past. These hazards include, but are not limited to, the following: drought, excessive heat, tropical cyclones, earthquakes, and wildfires. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 31 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 History In 1853, Pickens County was created from parts of Cherokee and Gilmer Counties – becoming Georgia’s 100th county. There was something of a battle between the eastern and western sides of the new county over where to put the county seat. In a close election, the east won and Jasper was incorporated as a county seat in 1857, named for a Revolutionary War hero, Sergeant William Jasper. Though Pickens was a fledgling county at the outbreak of the Civil War and not part of the southern plantation economy, there were 241 slaves registered in the 1860 census [about 5% of the population]. The story of John Darnell may typify the ambivalence of the allegiances in Pickens County. He was among those who flew the Union flag above the Jasper Courthouse at the outbreak of the war, in open defiance of the Confederacy. In 1862, he was in the Pickens County Militia of the 107th Georgia Militia and later the 9th Georgia Cavalry, both C.S.A., but by 1864, he enlisted in the 5th Tennessee U.S. Mounted Infantry, fighting for the Union. In all, 1427 men from Pickens fought for the Confederacy and 253 fought in the Union Army. Though the actual fighting itself bypassed the county for the most part, the war and the chaos of the Reconstruction era brought hard times to Pickens County, as throughout the South. Then, in 1883, the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad reached Pickens County. Henry Fitzsimmons had mined his marble find for a time in the 1830’s. But with the coming of the railroad, Stephen Tate, one of Sam’s sons, was able to mine a significant amount of the local marble. When Stephen’s son, Colonel Sam Tate, inherited the mine in the early twentieth century, he consolidated the diverse local quarries into the “Georgia Marble Company”. Under Colonel Tate’s direction, the marble industry became the biggest employer in the county and brought a new prosperity to the area. In 1925, he built his own palatial pink marble home on the site of the original Harnage Inn, now known as the “Tate House” or the “Pink Palace”. Some 60% of the National Monuments in Washington were built with the beautiful marble mined here. While the fate of the Pickens County generally followed that of the Tate family and its mining operations, there were other currents flowing in the veins of these mountains. The local Irish settlers brought their time honored methods of distilling whiskey. At the end of the Civil War, the newly formed Internal Revenue Service was charged with collecting a tax on alcohol containing products. Thus began one of the more colorful sagas in the history of North Georgia – the war between the “Moonshiners” and the “Revenuers.” In the latter part of the nineteenth century, the distillers were farmers making whiskey for local consumption and some extra money. But as the country eased its way towards Prohibition, “White Lightning” became an increasingly valuable product, and making whiskey became a lucrative ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 32 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 underworld business. It was distilled in the remote mountain woods in crude stills, then “run” to market in Atlanta and other cities in cars with “souped up” engines for outrunning the ever vigilant government agents. The 1958 movie, “Thunder Road,” was only one of many fictionalized accounts of the illegal liquor trade in the southern mountains. The fast cars of the southern moonshiners became the “hot rods” in the dirt track races throughout the South – the roots of the now-popular NASCAR circuit. Many of the early NASCAR drivers got their start running whiskey from Pickens, Dawson, and Lumpkin Counties. Aside from the misadventures of the moonshiners and the activity in the marble quarries, life in Pickens County for its first century was little different from any other small isolated community in the southern mountains. People born here mostly stayed and raised their families, worked their farms. Automobiles replaced horse drawn wagons and the radios brought news from around the world. Young men marched off to fight in foreign wars. Small settlements came and went while the towns of Jasper, Talking Rock, Tate, Hinton, Blaine, Ludville, and Jerusalem grew at a snail’s pace. The meandering Georgia Highway 5 connected Pickens County to Atlanta to the south and the other mountain communities to the north. Back in the 1930’s, Colonel Tate had built a “summer colony” in the far northeastern corner of the county, the Tate Mountain Estates, a getaway community for the wealthy surrounding Lake Sequoyah with an impressive lodge – the Connahaynee Lodge. As things turned out, 1929 wasn’t a particularly good year to start a resort, so it never quite achieved the grandeur he envisioned. The Lodge, itself, burned in 1947. In the early 1970’s, construction began on two other large gated resort communities, also in the eastern mountainous region of the county. Bent Tree was started in 1971 on a 3500 acre tract that includes Oglethorpe Mountain – part of the huge original land holding for Tate Mountain Estates project. Big Canoe, begun in the next year, occupies 6200 acres overlapping Pickens and Dawson Counties on the former site of yet another of Colonel Tate’s undertakings – a school for mountain children, the Wilderness. The beauty of the North Georgia mountains, the resort homes, large lakes, community golf and tennis facilities, and other resort amenities have drawn large numbers of retirees and second home owners to the area. It’s always an open debate as to whether roads are built in response to growth, or actually cause the growth themselves. Both things are probably true. The Old Federal Road brought the white settlers into Pickens County, and carried the Cherokee out on their forced trip to Oklahoma. By 1865, the end of our first decade, the towns in Pickens County were well established along the Old Federal Post Road. The Carmel Mission was now Talking Rock, along the creek of the same name; the community of Jasper, now the county seat, had become a major town; and the Harnage Inn was now the town of Harnageville beside Long Swamp Creek. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 33 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 The Marietta and North Georgia Railroad opened Pickens County to a lucrative market for our indigenous marble. But by 1899, after the coming of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad, things had changed. Talking Rock literally moved east to meet the rail line, leaving Blaine to occupy its former site. Jasper did not move as the rail come straight through it. But Harnageville, now renamed Tate, had migrated west to the Tate railway station. And it was the construction of yet another road that blew the winds of change towards Pickens as it entered its second century. In the 1950’s, President Eisenhower introduced the Interstate Highway system that ultimately interlaced America with an unparalleled transportation grid. Construction on Interstate 575 began in 1979, and was completed in 1987. I-575 connects I-75 going north from Atlanta to Nelson on the Pickens County border where it meets GA-515, a four lane highway that runs north to Hiawassee. So now, downtown Metropolitan Atlanta is only an hour’s drive from the County Courthouse. In the recent infrared aerial photograph, Jasper is clearly visible as a long line which runs along GA 5, the road that roughly follows the path of the railroad. But it’s obvious, even from high in the sky, that Jasper is migrating west towards GA 515, a four lane highway meant to bypass it. While this brief history began with the coming of the white settlers into the Cherokee lands of North Georgia, the Cherokee had migrated into this area from the north around 1300 A.D. – relative newcomers themselves. One has to drive only forty miles to the southwest to see evidence of their predecessors, the Etowah Indian Mounds near Cartersville. The moundbuilders were from the last of the great prehistoric cultures, the Mississippians, that dated from around 700 A.D. It was the Creek, displaced south by the coming of the Cherokee, that may have been descended from this group directly. Before them, who knows? As any history, the history of Pickens County is the story of the migration of people looking for a better life – the moundbuilders from the Mississippi Valley, the Cherokee Indians from the Great Lakes, colonists fleeing an overcrowded Europe, settlers like Sam Tate with his wagon full of kids and a lucky lottery ticket, or now, modern Atlantans “sprawling” north. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 34 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Past Events • 2017, Hurricane Irma (Federal Declaration) • 2016, Severe Storms/Flooding (Federal Declaration) • 2015, Flood • 2015, Winter Storm (Federal Declaration) • 2014, Winter Storm (Federal Declaration) • 2014, Winter Storm (Federal Declaration) • 2013, Flash Flood • 2011, Thunderstorm Event • 2011, Tornado (EF3) (Federal Declaration) • 2011, Tornado (EF1) • 2009, Tornado (EF1) • 2005, Winter Storm • 2004, Flash Flood • 2004, Hurricane Ivan (Federal Declaration) • 2002, Tornado (F2) • 2000, Ice Storm (Federal Declaration) • 1998, Severe Storms/Flooding (Federal Declaration) • 1995, Hurricane Opal (Federal Declaration) • 1994, Tornado (F3) (Federal Declaration) • 1993, Blizzard (Federal Declaration) • 1987, Winter Storm • 1985, Tornado (F2) • 1977, Drought (Federal Declaration) • 1974, Tornado (F4) (Federal Declaration) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 35 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 36 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 37 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Demographics 2000 Census 2010 Census 2015 Census Estimates Population 22,983 29,431 29,740 White 96.2% 95.7% 95.3% African-American 1.3% 1.1% 1.4% Hispanic/Latino 2.0% 2.8% 3.1% Asian 0.2% 0.4% 0.7% American Indian 0.4% 0.3% 0.2% Two or More Races 0.8% 1.2% 1.2% Median Age 37.9 41.1 44.7 Median Household Income $41,387 $54,123 Person Below Poverty Line 6.2% 11.6% Homeowners 82.1% 78.1% 2000 Census 2010 Census 2015 Estimates Jasper 2,167 3,684 3,715 Nelson 626 1,314 1,407 Talking Rock 49 64 89 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 38 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Economy Pickens County’s economy is primarily agricultural with some light industry. Pickens County’s cost of living is 6% below the national average. The unemployment rate in Pickens County is 4.9%, which is nearly identical to the State average of 5.2% and the National average of 4.8%. Pickens County has a median household income of $54,123, which is above the national average of $51,914. Recent economic problems in Georgia and nationwide have affected these figures. The ten largest private employers in Pickens County are: Company Product/Service Amicalola Electric Membership Corp Electrical Services Bojangles Restaurant Ingles Markets, Inc. Grocery Lexington Precision Corporation Rubber and Metal Production Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, Inc. Healthcare Royston, LLC Metal Manufacturing The Home Depot Construction Retail The Kroger Company Grocery United Technology Group, LLC Technological Services Walmart Department Store Retail The above list is in alphabetical order, not in order of company size. This data is according to the Georgia Department of Labor, 2015. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 39 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Government The form of government specified in the County Charter is known as Commission- Administrator form of government, which provides for an elected body of Commissioners, one from each of three geographic districts, who are elected in staggered four-year terms and a County Administrator to oversee the day to day management of the County. Although each County Commissioner is elected as a representative from their respective districts, they represent the interests of the entire county and all of its citizens. The main duties of the Board of Commissioners is to pass local laws, known as ordinances, that regulate a variety of things that promote the health, safety and welfare of the citizens covered by them; to pass a balanced budget each year that funds its own operations as well as to allocate funds to the four Constitutional Officers, other elected officials, the courts and a variety of programs put in place by the State but funded locally; to ensure that necessary services are funded and provided; to set the millage rate for the County government and many other secondary duties. The Board of Commissioners sets the County millage rate each year to fund a portion of the County budget. They also receive the millage rate that is set by the Board of Education and an assessment by the State which is submitted to the Georgia Department of Revenue each year. The Board receives, deliberates and passes local ordinances each year and amends many others to reflect the changing times. Both require that a public hearing be held and these are normally held during the regular Commission meetings. They also pass several resolutions and proclamations throughout the year. Generally, with some exceptions, the Board can pass any local law and ordinance they feel is needed for the County so long as it does not violate the laws of the State or Federal government or the Constitutional rights of any individual. These are researched thoroughly by legal staff before ever being brought to a hearing. The Board of Commissioners provide many services that citizens expect through the revenues that are raised annually. These include Fire and Ambulance protection; E-911 dispatch services; Zoning and Planning; Inspections; Code Enforcement; Animal Control; Public Library; Parks and Recreation; Public Works; Waste Management Collection Centers; and agencies that service all of these such as Building Maintenance and Vehicle Maintenance. The budget also funds state mandated services such as Law Enforcement and Detention; Superior, Probate, Magistrate and Juvenile courts; Tax Assessment and Tax Collection services; Elections management; District Attorney (shared with other counties) and some smaller funding for local agencies under the State of Georgia. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 40 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Transportation Pickens County’s transportation system consists primarily of state highways and county maintained roads. Interstate 575 and State highways 5, 53, 108, 136, 372, and 515 are major transportation routes that carry the majority of passenger and commercial traffic in and out of Pickens County. Congestion in these transportation corridors create traffic problems, primarily because of population growth. Freight rail services owned and operated by CSX traverse Pickens County. Pickens County is serviced by the Pickens County Airport, which has a single 5,000 foot runway. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 41 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Climate Pickens County, like much of Georgia, enjoys a temperate climate. As a result, Pickens County has four well-defined seasons: warm to hot summers; brisk fall temperatures; relatively brief, cool winters; and a warm spring season. As a result, there exists a long growing season in Georgia, perfect for ornamental and economic-boosting agricultural plants. Pickens County’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean can affect the overall climate and create milder winters and warmer, wetter summers than other parts of the State of Georgia. AVERARE TEMPERATURES IN GEORGIA (FAHRENHEIT) Month Georgia Average Temperature Pickens County Average Temperature January 46 41 February 49 45 March 56 52 April 63 61 May 70 70 June 77 77 July 80 79 August 79 79 September 74 72 October 64 61 November 56 50 December 48 46 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 42 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Utilities Pickens County’s utility needs are met by a variety of public and private entities. Electrical power to Pickens County is provided by Amicalola EMC and Georgia Power. Propane and natural gas is the primary source of heating and cooking fuel for Pickens County’s residents. This fuel is delivered to residents and businesses by tank truck on an ongoing basis, especially during peak winter months. Many gas marketers do provide limited natural gas service in Pickens County. There are many propane distributors with large quantities of propane stored on site. NFIP Compliance JURISDICTION PARTICIPATING? PARTICIPATION DATE PICKENS COUNTY YES 7/1/1987 JASPER YES 9/29/2010 NELSON YES 9/29/1986 TALKING ROCK NO ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 43 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Chapter Three - hazard Profiles ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 44 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Summary of Updates for Chapter Three The following table provides a description of each section of this chapter, and a summary of the changes that have been made to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2013. Chapter 3 Section Updates Risk Assessment • Expanded the explanation of the Risk Assessment • Added an explanation of each part of the Hazard Information Natural Hazard Thunderstorms • New Section – Not in 2013 Plan (consolidated wind and hail from previous plan) • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Natural Hazard Winter Storms • Updated hazard description to match Georgia State Hazard Mitigation Plan information • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Natural Hazard Flooding • Updated hazard description to match Georgia State Hazard Mitigation Plan information • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Land Use and Development trends updated to include municipal NFIP information • Content revised Natural Hazard Tornado • Updated hazard description to match Georgia State Hazard Mitigation Plan information • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Natural Hazard Drought • Updated hazard description to match Georgia State Hazard Mitigation Plan information • Content revised ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 45 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard Wildfire • Updated hazard description to match information in the Georgia State Hazard Mitigation Plan • Updated and consolidated hazard profile data • Content revised Natural Hazard Earthquake • Updated hazard description • Updated and consolidated hazard profile data • Content revised Technological Hazard Hazardous Materials • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Technological Hazard Dam Failure • Updated hazard description • Updated and consolidated hazard profile data • Content revised Technological Hazard Transportation • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan Technological Hazard Terrorism • New Section – Not in 2013 Mitigation Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 46 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Risk Assessment Requirement §201.6(c)(2)(i and ii) Requirement §201.6(d)(3) The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee conducted a comprehensive Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) for Pickens County and its municipalities. This assessment developed the hazard basis for this plan. The assessment includes the following components for each hazard: 1. Hazard Identification: The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee identified seven natural hazards and four technological hazards for this Hazard Mitigation Plan. This is an increase of one technological hazard from the previous iteration of the plan. Each hazard was identified by the use of statistical data and records from a variety of sources. The list of hazards is based upon frequency, severity of impact, probability, potential losses, and vulnerability. 2. Hazard Description: Each hazard was described in detail. Many hazard descriptions came from the Georgia Hazard Mitigation Plan since many of the hazards that could impact the state could also potentially impact Pickens County. 3. Profile of Hazards: Each hazard was profiled as to how it could potentially impact Pickens County. 4. Assets Exposed to the Hazard: The plan considers critical facilities and infrastructure as part of the vulnerability assessment. This assessment determines the vulnerability of the municipalities and attempts to identify the populations most vulnerable to each hazard, although many have potential countywide impacts. 5. Estimated Potential Losses: Using critical facility and past history data, an estimation of potential losses due to a particular hazard event were determined. 6. Land Use and Development Trends: Land use trends were considered when determining the potential future impacts of each hazard. This is of particular importance in regards to flooding and dam failure events. 7. Multi-Jurisdictional Concerns: Each jurisdiction was considered when determining the potential hazard impact. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 47 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Thunderstorms Hazard Description This section provides general and historical information about thunderstorms, including high wind, lightning, and hail. Other elements of thunderstorms, such as tornadoes and flooding, are addressed in their own sections. Thunderstorms are formed when moist air near the earth’s surface is forced upward through some catalyst (convection or frontal system). As the moist air rises, the air condenses to form clouds. Because condensation is a warming process, the cloud continues to expand upward. When the initial updraft is halted by the upper troposphere, both the anvil shape and a downdraft form. This system of up-drafting and down-drafting air columns is termed a “cell.” As the process of updrafts and downdrafts feeds the cell, the interior particulates of the cloud collide and combine to form rain and hail, which falls when the formations are heavy enough to push through the updraft. The collision of water and ice particles within the cloud creates a large electrical field that must discharge to reduce charge separation. This discharge is the lightning that occurs from cloud to ground or cloud to cloud in the thunderstorm cell. In the final stage of development, the updraft weakens as the downdraft-driven precipitation continues until the cell dies. Each thunderstorm cell has the ability to extend several miles across its base and to reach 40,000 feet in altitude. Thunderstorm cells may compound and move abreast to form a squall line of cells, extending farther than any individual cell’s potential. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 48 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Thunderstorms (Hazard Description Continued) In terms of temporal characteristics, thunderstorms exhibit no true seasonality in that occurrences happen throughout the year. Convectively, driven systems dominate the summer while frontal driven systems dominate during the other seasons. The rate of onset is rapid in that a single cell endures only 20 minutes. However, various cells in different stages of development may form a thunderstorm that lasts up to a few hours as it moves across the surface. In terms of magnitude, the National Weather Service defines thunderstorms in terms of severity as a severe thunderstorm that produces winds greater than 57 mph and/or hail of at least 1 inch in diameter and/or a tornado. The National Weather Service chose these measures of severity as parameters more capable of producing considerable damage. Therefore, these are measures of magnitude that may project intensity. Lightning Lightning occurs when the difference between the positive and negative charges of the upper layers of the cloud and the earth’s surface becomes great enough to overcome the resistance of the insulating air. The current flows along the forced conductive path to the surface (in cloud to ground lightning) and reaches up to 100 million volts of electrical potential. In Georgia, lightning strikes peak in July, with June and August being second highest in occurrence. Hail Hail is a form of precipitation that forms during the updraft and downdraft-driven turbulence within the cloud. The hailstones are formed by layers of accumulated ice (with more layers creating larger hailstones) that can range from the size of a pea to the size of a grapefruit. Hailstones span a variety of shapes but usually take a spherical form. Hailstorms mostly endanger cars, but have been known to damage aircraft and structures. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 49 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Thunderstorms Hazard Profile Severe thunderstorms, including high winds, hail and lightning, are a serious threat to the residents and infrastructure of Pickens County. Severe thunderstorms are the most frequently occurring natural hazard in Pickens County. Many of these storms include high winds, lightning, and hail. Hail up to 2.75 inches was recorded in Pickens County in 2005. While there have been dozens of documented thunderstorm events affecting Pickens County over the last 50 years, it is likely that the official number is a low estimate due to poor record keeping in decades past. For example, only 4 thunderstorm events were recorded between 1964 and 1990, likely a vast underestimation of actual events. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 50 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Thunderstorms Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 51 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Thunderstorms (Hazard Profile Continued) Most of the available information relating to severe thunderstorm events in Pickens County fails to describe damage estimates in any detail. With each thunderstorm event, there are likely unreported costs related to infrastructure costs, public safety response costs, utility repair costs, and personal home and business repair costs. Thunderstorms have occurred during all parts of the day and night and in every month in Pickens County. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee utilized data from the National Climatic Data Center, the National Weather Service, numerous weather-related news articles, and the Pickens County LEOP in researching severe thunderstorms and their potential impacts on the county. During the last 50 years, 89 thunderstorm events were recorded in Pickens County, with 85 of those occurring in the last 25 years. This number includes 45 hail events and 4 lightning reports. According to these records, Pickens County has a 0.9% chance daily of a thunderstorm event based upon data from the last 25 years. Over the last 10 years, Pickens County has averaged 3.6 thunderstorm events per year (36 events). This includes 1.75 hail events per year and 0.25 lightning events per year over the last 16 years. Due to improved record keeping protocols, the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee believes the data from the last ten years provides a more accurate representation of the thunderstorm threat to the county. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee has also determined that the lightning threat is severely under-reported, as shown in the NCDC data numbers. For additional historical data, please see Appendix D. As indicated by the below graphics, Pickens County averages between 12 and 15 flashes of cloud to ground lightning per square mile per year. That equals a 3.3% to 4.2% chance of a cloud-to-ground lightning strike on any given day. This shows a much higher indication of lightning occurrences than has been reported to the National Weather Service and the National Climatic Data Center. It is the determination of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan update Committee that this data shows a more accurate representation of the scope of the threat that lightning poses to the citizens and infrastructure of Pickens County. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 52 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Thunderstorms Severe thunderstorm winds, which are defined as winds of at least 58 mph in conjunction with a convective event, have occurred with many thunderstorms that have effected Pickens County. These winds can exceed 100 mph and cause damage comparable to weak tornadoes. Below are two maps that identify the wind risk and the hazard wind score for the State of Georgia, including Pickens County. The Hazard Wind Score maps uses the following scale: ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 53 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Thunderstorms Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 54 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Thunderstorms Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 55 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Thunderstorms Assets Exposed to the Hazard In evaluating assets that are susceptible to severe thunderstorms, the Pickens County HMPC determined that all public and private property is at threat by severe thunderstorms, including all critical facilities. This is due to the lack of spatially prejudice of severe thunderstorm events. Estimated Potential Losses Estimates of damage for the past events of the last 50 years are over $2.26 million, or $45,200 annually. When only events of the last 10 years are considered, yearly estimations more than quadruple to $168,900 annually. Land Use & Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Thunderstorms. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations Thunderstorm events have occurred across all areas of Pickens County. Crop damage from thunderstorm events would likely have the greatest impact in the rural areas of Pickens County. However, property damage numbers would be highest in more heavily populated areas due to greater population density. Thunderstorms have the potential to impact all areas of Pickens County. Hazard Summary Thunderstorm events pose one of the greatest threats of property damage, injuries, and loss of life in Pickens County. Thunderstorm events are the most frequently occurring weather event that threatens Pickens County. As a result, the Pickens County HMPC recommends that the mitigation measures identified in this plan for thunderstorms should be aggressively pursued due to the frequency of this hazard and the ability for this hazard to affect any part of Pickens County. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 56 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Winter Storms Hazard Description Severe winter storms bring the threat of ice and snow. There are many types of frozen precipitation that could create a severe winter weather event. Freezing rain consists of super cooled falling liquid precipitation freezing on contact with the surface when temperatures are below freezing. This results in an ice glazing on exposed surfaces including buildings, roads, and power lines. Sleet is easily discernable from freezing rain in that the precipitation freezes before hitting the surface. Often this sleet bounces when hitting a surface and does not adhere to the surface. However, sleet can compound into sufficient depths to pose some threat to motorists and pedestrians. A heavy accumulation of ice, which is often accompanied by high winds, has the ability to devastate infrastructure and vegetation. Destructiveness in the southern states is often amplified due to the lack of preparedness and response measures. Also, the infrastructure was not designed to withstand certain severe weather conditions such as weight build-up from snow and ice. Often, sidewalks and streets become extremely dangerous to pedestrians and motorists. Primary industries such as farming and fishing suffer losses through winter seasons that produce extreme temperatures and precipitation. Severe winter weather exhibits seasonal qualities in that most occur within the months of January to March, with the highest probability of occurrence in February. The rate of onset and duration varies from storm to storm, depending on the weather system driving the storm. Severe winter weather rarely frequents the State of Georgia. However, the impacts of the storms substantiate severe winter weather’s inclusion in the risk assessment. Hazard Profile While winter storms are not as frequent of an occurrence in Pickens County as they are in areas in the Northern US, they still have the potential to wreak havoc on the community when they do occur. Winter storms in Pickens County typically cause drastic damage to infrastructure, such as roads, power lines, and bridges. They also can cause damage to private property, businesses, and trees throughout the county. Due to the county’s elevation changes, many highways have steep grades that can become dangerous during icy conditions. The large number of trees in Pickens County can also become a hazard when the tree limbs become weighed down with snow and ice and begin to break and fall to the ground, potentially damaging private property, public property, or injuring people and animals. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 57 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Winter Storms Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 58 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Winter Storms (Hazard Profile Continued) During the past twenty years, documentation exists for 55 winter storm events in Pickens County. No data can be located prior to this timeframe. On average, a winter storm has occurred in Pickens County on a nearly annual basis. A 100% chance exists of a winter storm occurring in any given year in Pickens County. Due to improved record keeping techniques, the HMPC believes that looking at the record for the last 20-year period provides a more accurate representation of the threat of winter storms for Pickens County. Since the last update to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan, there have been 15 winter storm events – an average of 3 per year. For additional historical data, please see Appendix D. Individual events of Winter Weather can be drastically different depending on many factors, including the duration of the event, the type of precipitation involved, and the depth of the precipitation. Winter Storm events can be a light dusting of snow, ¼ inch of ice, or over a foot of snow. Other factors, such as wind, can influence the strength of these events, as happened with wind-blown snow during the March 1993 Winter Storm event. During this event, 10-15 inches of snow was reported in multiple areas across Pickens County. Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) Assets Exposed to the Hazard Since winter storms are indiscriminate with regard to location, the Pickens County HMPC determined that all public and private property, including all critical infrastructure, are susceptible to impacts from winter storms. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 59 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Winter Storms Estimated Potential Losses Total estimated losses for winter storm events of the last 50 years indicate a total of over $1,136,000 in losses. Extrapolated over 50 years, this averages out to $22,720 per year. However, all of the documented winter storms with loss information have occurred over the last 20 years. As such, the average loss per year for the last 20 years is $56,800 per year. It is estimated that these numbers are a gross underestimation of the impact of past winter storms and caution is expressed when using these figures to make loss determinations for winter storms in Pickens County. Land Use & Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Winter Storms. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All portions of Pickens County could potentially be impacted by a winter storm, including freezing rain, sleet, and snow. Therefore, all mitigation actions identified regarding winter storms should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and town located within Pickens County. Hazard Summary Winter storms, which can include freezing rain, sleet, or snow, typically afford communities some advance warning, which is different from many other severe weather phenomena. The National Weather Service issues winter storm watches, advisories, and warnings as much as a day before the storm’s impacts begin. Unfortunately, communities in the Southern United States are not equipped to handle winter storms due to their relative infrequent nature. Oftentimes, communities can face severe impact from these storms. The Pickens County HMPC recognizes the potential threats winter storms could have on the community and have identified specific mitigation actions as a result. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 60 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Flooding Requirement §201.6(c)(2)(ii) Requirement §201.6(c)(3)(ii) Hazard Description Flooding is a temporary overflow of water on normally dry lands adjacent to the source of water, such as a river, stream, or lake. The causes of flooding include mass sources of precipitation, such as tropical cyclones, frontal systems, and isolated thunderstorms combined with other environmental variables, such as changes to the physical environment, topography, ground saturation, soil types, basin size, drainage patterns, and vegetative cover. Adverse impacts may include structural damages, temporary backwater effects in sewers and drainage systems, death of livestock, agricultural crop loss, loss of egress and access to critical facilities due to roads being washed-out or over-topped and unsanitary conditions by deposition of materials during recession of the floodwaters. Floods are loosely classified as either coastal or riverine. Coastal flooding occurs when normally dry, low-lying land is flooded by sea water. Coastal flooding is usually associated with tropical cyclones in Georgia. Riverine flooding occurs from inland water bodies such as streams and rivers. Riverine flooding is often classified based on rate of onset. The first is slow to build, peak, and recede, often allowing sufficient time for evacuations. The other type of riverine flood is referred to as a “flash” flood, which rapidly peaks and recedes, thus giving insufficient time for evacuations. Flash floods are typically considered the most dangerous of these types. On a broad scale, flooding can occur around any body of water or low-lying surface given enough precipitation or snowmelt. The spatial extent of the flooding event depends on the amount of water overflow, but can usually be mapped because of existing floodplains (areas already prone to flooding). Flooding in Georgia is highly dependent on precipitation amounts and is highly variable. Certain seasons are more prone to flooding to a greater likelihood of excessive precipitation. Typically, the wet seasons are during the winter, early spring, and midsummer. Late spring and fall are usually drier seasons. Hazard Profile The Pickens County HMPC researched flooding information for the last fifty years. The main sources of information used by the Pickens County HMPC came from the National Climatic Data Center, the Pickens County Emergency Operations Plan, and news media sources. It was determined that ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 61 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Flooding (Hazard Profile Continued) flooding has caused significant damage on a relatively small number of occasions over the last 20 years. One significant flooding event that affected Pickens County occurred in September of 2004. This flood, caused by a flash flood event, led to $100,000 in damages and caused damages to multiple bridges. While data was collected for the entire 50-year timeframe, little information was available regarding flood events over that period, possibly due to poor record keeping. Flood events within Pickens County are typically associated with areas of special flood hazard as identified on Flood Rate Insurance Maps (FIRMs) published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Relatively little information is available regarding flooding damage estimates. However, with each flooding event, it is likely that significant costs arose related to road repair, infrastructure repair, and public safety response operations. Most of the flood damage in Pickens County’s history appears to be related to roads and culverts washing out as a result of flood waters. There are 13 documented flood events over the last 50 years. Based on the 50-year record, it can be inferred that such an event is likely to occur every 3.8 years in Pickens County. This relates to a 26% chance of a flood event occurring in a given year. The historic crest for Talking Rock Creek is 15.65 – just below Major Flood Stage. This crest occurred in 2003. A recent crest in 2015 was just below moderate flood stage. At this level, water will begin to inundate homes in the Creekside Lane and Rushing Waters Court areas and will cause major erosion of the bank and roadway at Patterson Road. For additional historical data, please see Appendix D. Assets Exposed to the Hazard To evaluate the assets that would potentially be impacted by flooding, the Pickens County HMPC attempted to identify known structures within, or close to, the 100- year floodplain. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 62 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Flooding Estimated Potential Losses Based upon the 2017 Pickens County HAZUS report, a flood equivalent to the 1% riverine flood levels could result in losses in excess of $38 million. However, it is possible that some areas may not experience total losses while others may be inundated with flood waters who are not designated in the 1% riverine flood areas. Additionally, there are no critical facilities located in the 1% riverine flood areas. Land Use & Development Trends Pickens County continues to have population increases as Metro Atlanta expands into Pickens. This continued population growth within Pickens County has led to a 28% population increase between 2000 and 2010. Pickens County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and follows the program’s guidelines to ensure future development is carried out in the best interests of the public. The County (CID No. 130149) first entered the NFIP on July 1, 1987. According to the NFIP guidelines, the County has executed a Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. This ordinance attempts to minimize the loss of human life and health as well as minimize public and private property losses due to flooding. The ordinance requires any potential flood damage be evaluated at the time of initial construction and that certain uses be restricted or prohibited based on this evaluation. The ordinance also requires that potential homebuyers be notified that a property is located in a flood area. In addition, all construction must adhere to the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes and the International Building ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 63 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Flooding Codes. Currently, Two Pickens County municipalities – Jasper and Nelson - also participate in NFIP. Currently, Talking Rock does not participate in NFIP. However, this municipality is currently in the process of meeting NFIP standards and will be applying for NFIP participation. There are no repetitive loss property identified in Pickens County. Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 64 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Flooding Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations During a large-scale flood event, many portions of Pickens County would potentially be impacted by flooding. However, the area’s most prone to flooding have historically been those areas located within the 100-year floodplain. All of Pickens County and its municipalities could potentially be impacted. Hazard Summary Flooding has the potential to inflict significant damage within Pickens County, particularly along the Etowah River and its distributaries. Mitigation of flood damage requires the community to be aware of flood-prone areas, including roads, bridges, and critical facilities. The Pickens County HMPC identified flooding as a hazard requiring mitigation measures and identified specific goals, objectives, and action items they deemed necessary to lessen the impact of flooding for their communities. These maps were updated since the previous plan. Pickens County ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 65 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Flooding Jasper Nelson ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 66 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Flooding Talking Rock All Flood Maps are from the GEMA Georgia Mitigation Information System (GMIS) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 67 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Tornado Hazard Description A tornado is a violently rotating column of air (seen only when containing condensation, dust, or debris) that is in contact with the surface of the ground. Exceptionally large tornadoes may not exhibit the classic “funnel” shape, but may appear as a large, turbulent cloud near the ground or a large rain shaft. Destructive because of strong winds and windborne debris, tornadoes can topple buildings, roll mobile homes, uproot vegetation and launch objects hundreds of yards. Most significant tornadoes (excluding some weak tornadoes and waterspouts) stem from the right rear quadrant of large thunderstorm systems where the circulation develops between 15,000 and 30,000 feet. As circulation develops, a funnel cloud, a rotating air column aloft, or tornado descends to the surface. These tornadoes are typically stronger and longer-lived. The weaker, shorter-lived tornadoes can develop along the leading edge of a singular thunderstorm. Although tornadoes can occur in most locations, most of the tornado activity in the United States in the Midwest and Southeast. Tornadoes can occur anywhere within the State of Georgia. In terms of the continuum of area of impact for hazard events, tornadoes are fairly isolated. Typically ranging from a few hundred to one or two miles across, tornadoes affect far less area than larger meteorological events such as tropical cyclones, winter storms and severe weather events. An exact season does not exist for tornadoes. However, most occur between early spring to mid-summer (February-June). The rate of onset of tornado events is rapid. Typically, the appearance of the first signs of the tornado is the descending funnel cloud. This sign may be only minutes from the peak of the event, giving those in danger minimal sheltering time. However, meteorological warning systems attempt to afford those in danger more time to shelter. The frequency of specific tornado intensities is undetermined because no pattern seems to exist in occurrence. Finally, the duration of tornado events range from the few minutes of impact on a certain location to the actual tornado lasting up to a few hours. Tornadoes are measured after the occurrence using the subjective intensity measures. The Enhanced Fujita Scale describes the damage and then gives estimates of magnitude of peak 3-second gusts in miles per hour. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 68 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Tornado Hazard Profile All areas within Pickens County are vulnerable to the threat of a tornado. Due to the indiscriminate and unpredictable nature of tornadoes, there is no reliable method to determine where or when a tornado will strike. There have been 6 documented tornadoes in the last 50 years in Pickens County. It is likely that other tornadoes have occurred within this timeframe, but available records are limited in nature. Based on the 50-year information available for Pickens County, a tornado occurs every 8.3 years. On an annual basis, Pickens County has a 12% chance of being impacted from a tornado event. When only the last twenty years are considered, the likelihood of a tornado affecting Pickens County increases to 20% (4 tornadoes since 1997). By considering both percentages, the Pickens County HMPC considers tornadoes to be of a high concern. Individual tornado events can cause extreme damage to an area. This holds true for Pickens County, as well. The strongest documented tornado to impact Pickens County was an F4 in 1974. This storm led to one fatality and 17 injuries in Pickens County. The costliest storm in Pickens County history was an EF3 tornado in 2011caused $8 million in damages and was a part of the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak. For additional historical data, please see Appendix D. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 69 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Tornado Assets Exposed to the Hazard In evaluating assets that are susceptible to tornadoes, the Pickens County HMPC determined that all public and private property is threatened by tornadoes, including all critical facilities. This is due to the lack of spatial prejudice of tornadoes. Estimated Potential Losses Estimates of damage for the past events of the last 50 years are just over $21.5 million, or $432,500 annually. When only events of the last 20 years are considered, yearly estimations increase dramatically to $831,250 annually. Within the HAZUS report, a theoretical tornado path for an EF3 was identified that would inflict maximum damage. HAZUS estimated that this theoretical tornado would cause damage to approximately 639 buildings and result in losses in excess of $88 million with Jasper suffering the greatest economic impacts. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 70 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Tornado Land Use & Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Tornadoes. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 71 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Tornado Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All portions of Pickens County could potentially be impacted by a tornado due to the indiscriminate nature of tornadic events. Therefore, all mitigation actions identified regarding tornadoes should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and towns located within Pickens County. Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) Hazard Summary Pickens County remains at risk to potential damage from tornadoes, especially considering the average of one tornado every 8.3 years over the last 50 years. Should a tornado strike in densely populated areas of the county, significant damage or loss of life could occur. Due to the destructive power of tornadoes, it is essential that the mitigation measures identified in this plan regarding tornado activity receive full consideration. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 72 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Drought Hazard Description Drought is a normal, recurrent feature of climate consisting of a deficiency of precipitation over an extended period (usually a season or more). This deficiency results in a water shortage for some social or environmental sector. Drought should be judged relative to some long-term average condition of balance between precipitation and evapotranspiration in a particular area that is considered “normal.” Drought should not be viewed as only a natural hazard because the demand people place on water supply affects perceptions of drought conditions. From limited water supplies in urban areas to insufficient water for farmland, the impacts of drought are vast. Droughts occur in virtually every climatic zone and on every continent. Because the impacts of drought conditions are largely dependent on the human activity in the area, the spatial extent of droughts can span a few counties to an entire country. Temporal characteristics of droughts are drastically different from other hazards due to the possibility of extremely durations as well as a sluggish rate of onset. Drought conditions may endure for years or even decades. This factor implicates drought as having a high potential to cause devastation on a given area. The duration characteristic of droughts is so important that droughts are classified in terms of length of impact. Droughts lasting 1 to 3 months are considered short term, while droughts lasting 4 to 6 months are considered intermediate and droughts lasting longer than 6 months are long term. With the slow rate of onset, most populations have some inkling that drought conditions are increasingly present. However, barring drastic response measures, most only have to adapt to the changing environment. Seasonality has no general impact on droughts in terms of calendar seasons. However, “wet” and “dry” seasons obviously determine the severity of drought conditions. In other words, areas are less susceptible to drought conditions if the area is experiencing a wet season. The frequency of droughts in undetermined due to the fact that the hazard spans such a long period of time. However, climatologists track periods of high and low moisture content similarly to the tracking of cooling and warming periods. Hazard Profile The Pickens County HMPC reviewed data for the last 50 years regarding drought conditions. Historically, agricultural losses have accounted for the vast amount of losses related to drought conditions. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 73 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Drought (Hazard Profile Continued) Due to poor record keeping and the unpredictable nature of drought conditions, reliability of historical data for the last 50 years is low. Pickens County has been impacted by 9 drought events in the last 20 years, according to data from the National Climatic Data Center. These droughts totaled $921,890 in crop damages. This amounts to a 45% chance of a drought for a given year over the last 20 years and an average impact of $46,095 annually. There have been two recent examples of “exceptional” drought events affecting Pickens County. These events occurred in 2000 and 2007. The 2000 event had a documented crop loss of over $900,000. Both of these events reached the D4 (Exceptional Drought) designation, according to data from the United States Drought Monitor. Below are maps of these two events. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 74 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Drought Events of this extent can cause water shortages for residential and corporate needs, as well as affecting the ability for firefighting operations to be properly effective. Drought conditions of this extent can have devastating effects on the local agricultural industries, which has occurred in previous D4 level droughts. Assets Exposed to the Hazard While drought conditions do not typically pose a direct threat to structures, secondary hazards from drought such as increased wildfire threat, does pose a significant threat to all public and private property in Pickens County, including all critical facilities. Water resources could also become scarce during a drought, a condition that would potentially affect all Pickens County residences and critical facilities. Estimated Potential Losses No damage to structures or critical facilities is expected as a direct result of drought conditions. However, crop damage and subsequent losses can be expected to occur as a result of drought conditions. The degree of losses would depend on the duration of the drought, severity of the drought, temperatures during the drought, season in which the drought occurs, and the specific needs of the involved crops. Water system shortages and need for supply assistance for those systems could also lead to economic losses associated with the drought. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 75 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Drought According to the 2012 Agriculture Census data, Pickens County’s market value of products sold was $72,635,000. $997,000 of that total represented crop sales, accounting for 1.4% of the total. Livestock sales accounted for 98.6%, or $71,638,000, of the total value. Source: United States Drought Monitor (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) Source: National Integrated Drought Information System ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 76 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Drought Land Use & Development Trends As growth continues, drought can become a larger threat for Pickens County due to the increased reliance on water infrastructure and wells countywide. This increased pull on these resources in Pickens County could quicken or deepen the impacts of a drought for residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All portions of Pickens County could potentially be impacted by a drought, but agricultural areas of the county are potentially more at risk. Therefore, all mitigation actions identified regarding drought should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and towns located within Pickens County. Hazard Summary Drought conditions can cause significant economic stress on the agriculture and forestry interests of Pickens County. The potential negative secondary impacts of drought are numerous. They include increased wildfire threat, decreased water supplies for residential and industrial needs, stream-water quality, and water recreation facilities. The Pickens County HMPC recognizes the potential threats drought conditions could have on the community and have identified specific mitigation actions as a result. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 77 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Hazard Description A wildfire is an uncontained fire that spreads through the environment. Wildfires have the ability to consume large areas, including infrastructure, property, and resources. When massive fires, or conflagrations, develop near populated areas, evacuations could possibly ensue. Not only do the flames impact the environment, but the massive volumes of smoke spread by certain atmospheric conditions also impact the health of nearby populations. Wildfires result from the interaction of three crucial elements: fuel, ignition (heat), and oxygen. Natural and manmade forces cause the three crucial elements to coincide in a manner that produces wildfire events. Typically, fuel consists of natural vegetation. However, as the urban and suburban footprint expands, wildfires may utilize other means of fuel, such as buildings. In terms of ignition or source of heat, the primary source is lightning. However, humans are more responsible for wildfires than lightning. Manmade sources vary from the unintentional, such as fireworks, campfires or machinery, to intentional arson. With these two elements provided, the wildfires may spread as long as oxygen is present. Weather is the most variable factor affecting wildfire behavior. Strong winds propel wildfires quickly across most landscapes unless firebreaks are present. Shifting winds create erratic wildfires, which can complicate fire management efforts. Dry conditions provide faster-burning fuels, either making the area more vulnerable to wildfire or increasing the mobility of preexisting wildfires. Wildfires are notorious for spawning secondary hazards, such as flash flooding and landslides, long after the original fire is extinguished. Both flash flooding and landslides result from fire consuming the natural vegetation that provides precipitation interception and infiltration as well as slope stability. All of Georgia is prone to wildfire due to the presence of wildland fuels associated with wildfires. Land cover associated with wildland fuels includes coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forest; shrubland; grassland and herbaceous; transitional; and woody and emergency herbaceous wetlands. The spatial extent of wildfire events greatly depends on both the factors driving the fire as well as the efforts of fire management and containment operations. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 78 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Wildfire (Hazard Description Continued) In terms of seasonality, wildfires can occur during any season of the year. However, drier seasons, which vary within the State of Georgia, are more vulnerable to severe wildfires because of weather patterns and the abundant quick- burning fuels. In terms of rate of onset and duration, wildfires vary depending on the available fuels and weather patterns. Some wildfires can engulf an area in a matter of minutes from the first signs whereas others may be slower burning and moving. The frequency of wildfires is not typically measured because of the high probability of human ignition being statistically unpredictable. Magnitude and intensity are typically only measured by size of the wildfire and locations of burning. Three classes of fires include understory, crown, and ground fires. Naturally- induced wildfires burn at relatively low intensities, consuming grasses, woody shrubs, and dead trees. These understory fires often play an important role in plant reproduction and wildlife habitat renewal and self-extinguish due to low fuel loads or precipitation. Crown fires, which consist of fires consuming entire living trees, are low probability but high consequence events due to the creation of embers that can be spread by the wind. Crown fires typically match perceptions of wildfires. In areas with high concentrations of organic materials in the soil, ground fires may burn, sometimes persisting undetected for long periods until the surface is ignited. Hazard Profile Wildfires pose a serious threat to Pickens County. This is a result of the high amount of forestland and vegetation available to fuel potential wildfires. Also, there is an increasing amount of wildland-urban interface (WUI) in Pickens County, which is defined as areas where structures and other human development meets undeveloped wildland properties. 98% of Pickens County’s population lives within the WUI. Wildfire statistics were not available for the 50 year timeframe at the time of this profile. The Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for Pickens County is currently under review and update by the Georgia Forestry Commission. This plan, once completed, will include statistics and mitigation strategies that can be incorporated into the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update during annual reviews. On March 22, 2011, a large wildfire – named the “Sandy Bottoms Fire” – impacted Pickens County. This fire burned a total of 780 acres belonging to six different owners, utilized over 20 Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) personnel, 16 pieces of GFC apparatus, and took nearly 3 days to fully contain. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 79 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) Assets Exposed to the Hazard All public and private property located within the Wildland-Urban Interface, including critical infrastructures, are susceptible to impacts from wildfires. Due to the large area of wildland area in Pickens County and the large amount of WIU, all public and private property, including critical infrastructures, could be directly or indirectly impacted by the threat of wildfire. Estimated Potential Losses Little information is available regarding damages, in terms of dollars, for wildfire losses in Pickens County. For loss estimation of all critical facilities potentially affected by wildfires, please see the critical facilities information located in Appendix C. According to the 2012 Ag Census by the USDA, Pickens County has $997,000 in annual crop sales. These areas would potentially be impacted by a wildfire event. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 80 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Land Use & Development Trends With the continued increase in population, Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) is increasing in Pickens County. The WUI creates areas where fire can easily move from wildland areas into developed areas and threaten structures and human life. The expansion of the WUI in Pickens County complicated wildland fire management operations and planning initiatives. This development trend is expected to continue in the future. Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 81 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All portions of Pickens County, including all municipalities, could potentially be impacted by a wildfire due to the large amount of Wildland-Urban Interface, but the less developed areas of the county are more vulnerable. Therefore, all mitigation actions identified regarding wildfires should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and towns located within Pickens County. Hazard Summary Wildfire is a significant threat to Pickens County due to the increased amount of Wildland-Urban Interface. The increasing amount of area where structures and other human development meets undeveloped, wildland property is where 98% of Pickens County’s population lives. The mitigation measures identified in this plan should be aggressively pursued based on the high frequency of this hazard and the ability for wildfires to inflict devastation anywhere in Pickens County. Pickens County WUI Risk ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 82 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Jasper WUI Risk Nelson WUI Risk ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 83 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Talking Rock WUI Risk Pickens County Wildfire Ignition Density All maps in this section are from the Southern Group of State Foresters Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 84 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Earthquakes Hazard Description Earthquakes are generally defined as the sudden motion or trembling of the Earth’s surface caused by an abrupt release of slowly accumulated strain. This release typically manifests on the surface as ground shaking, surface faulting, tectonic uplifting and subsidence, or ground failures, and tsunamis. In the United States, earthquake activity east of the Rocky Mountains is relatively low compared to the Western states because it is away from active plate boundaries and the plate interior strain rates are known to be very low. The physical property of earthquakes that causes the majority of damage within the United States is ground shaking. The vibrations from the seismic waves that propagate outward from the epicenter may cause failure in structures not adequately designed to withstand earthquakes. Because the seismic waves have different frequencies of vibration, the waves disseminate differently through sub-surface materials. For example, high frequency compression and shear waves arrive first, whereas lower frequency Rayleigh and love waves arrive later. Not only are the speeds varied between seismic waves, but also the types of movement. The surface vibration may be horizontal, vertical, or a combination of the two, which causes a wider array or structures to collapse. Another manifestation of earthquakes is surface faulting. This phenomenon is defined as the offset or tearing of the earth’s surface by a differential movement across a fault. Structures built across active faults tend to sustain damage regularly. There are no active faults within or near Georgia. Distinct inactive faults are known within the state north or the Columbus to Macon to Augusta fall line and running generally northeast-southwest. The third earthquake phenomenon that causes damage is tectonic uplift and subsidence. Tectonic uplift can cause shallowing of the harbors and waterways while tectonic subsidence can cause permanent or intermittent inundation. Due to the association of tectonic uplift and subsidence with active faults, Georgia is not at risk to these phenomena. The fourth earthquake damage-causing phenomena are earthquake-induced ground failures, including liquefaction and landslides. During an earthquake, the areas that are rich in sand and silt have groundwater within 30 feet of the surface temporarily behave as viscous fluids during strong ground shaking. Structures built on these materials can settle, topple, or collapse as the ground “liquefies” beneath it. Landslides can also form when earthquake shaking or seismic activity dislodges rock and debris on steep slopes, triggering rock falls, avalanches, and slides. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 85 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Earthquakes (Hazard Description Continued) Also, unstable or nearly unstable slopes consisting of clay soils may lose shear strength when disturbed by ground shaking and fail, resulting in a landslide. Georgia is at very low risk of seismic induced liquefaction or landslides. The last of the earthquake-induced phenomena are tsunamis, which are large, gravity-driven waves triggered by the sudden displacement of a large volume of water. The waves produced travel in all directions from the origin at speeds of up to 600 miles per hour. In deep water, tsunamis normally have small wave heights. However, as the waves reach shallower water near land, the wave speed diminishes and the amplitude drastically increases. Upon impact with a shoreline, the waves can inundate land rapidly, engulfing everything in its path. Successive wave crests follow, typically arriving minutes to hours later, frequently with later arrivals being more dominant. Frequently, the first tsunami waves are downward, causing dramatic exposure of the beach. Because of this, people are often killed trying to collect newly exposed seashells when the positive waves then arrive. Although large tsunamis are rare in the eastern coast of the US, the possibility of such events occurring anywhere along the Atlantic and Gulf coast exists. Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 86 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Earthquakes Hazard Profile Pickens County is one of the 37 Georgia counties with the highest earthquake risk, according to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Georgia Tech School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. In reviewing data of the last 50 years, no earthquakes have originated from within Pickens County. However, earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.0 or greater have occurred as close as Varnell, GA. The closest earthquake in the last 50 years occurred less than 5 miles South-Southeast of Dalton, GA in 2001 and measured 1.8 on the Richter Scale. 347 earthquakes have originated within 75 miles of Jasper, GA in the last 50 years. Historically, the 1886 Charleston, SC earthquake, estimated to be between 6.6 and 7.3 on the modern Richter Scale, likely caused impacts to Pickens County. Although no historical records exist exhibiting any damages, Pickens County was estimated to be in a level VI area of the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale for this event. This would indicate strong shaking felt by everyone inside and outside at the time of the event and characterized by broken windows, movement of heavy furniture, and slight to moderate damage for poorly built buildings. Even with this low number of occurrences, it was determined that if earthquakes occur within or close to the jurisdiction of Pickens County, significant damage could occur. Therefore, the Pickens County HMPC has determined the threat of earthquakes to be higher than the statistics would indicate. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 87 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Earthquakes Assets Exposed to the Hazard The Pickens County HMPC determined that all critical facilities and all public and private property within Pickens County are susceptible to the impacts of a earthquake due to the lower building codes with regards to earthquakes when compared to other parts of the country. This includes all cities and towns located within Pickens County. Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 88 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Hazard: Earthquakes Estimated Potential Losses Little information is available regarding damages, in terms of dollars, for earthquake losses in Pickens County. For lost estimation of all critical facilities potentially affected by earthquakes, please refer to the Critical Facilities information in Appendix C. Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Earthquakes. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, potentially could be threatened by earthquakes. As such, all earthquake mitigation actions should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and towns located within Pickens County. Hazard Summary Even with the infrequency of earthquake impacts in Pickens County, the potential losses and impacts associated with the event would severely damage the infrastructure and economic viability of the County and its municipalities. The mitigation measures identified in this plan should be pursued based on the high impact potential of this hazard and the ability for earthquakes to inflict widespread devastation anywhere in Pickens County. Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 89 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Hazardous Materials Hazard Description Hazardous materials, or hazmat, refers to any materials that may pose a real hazard to human health and/or the environment because of its quantity, concentration, and/or physical or chemical characteristics. Hazardous materials include explosives, flammables, combustibles, oxidizers, toxic materials, radioactive substances, and corrosives. Specific federal and state regulations exist regarding the transport and storage of hazardous materials. A hazardous materials spill or release occurs when a hazardous material gets into the environment in an uncontrolled fashion. Response to a hazmat spill or release depends greatly on the type of material involved and the subsequent physical and chemical characteristics. Major sources of hazardous materials spills include transportation accidents on roadways and railways, pipeline breaches, and spills into rivers and creeks. Jurisdictions with facilities that produce, process, or store hazardous materials are at risk, as are facilities that treat or dispose of hazardous materials. Hazard Profile Data from the United States Coast Guard National Response Center was reviewed regarding hazardous materials spill history in Pickens County. Data is available from 1990 to 2015 and all available data was reviewed. There were no NRC reported hazardous materials spills or releases in Pickens County over a 25 year period. It is anticipated that many more hazardous materials incidents have occurred over the last 25 years, but have not been reported. The greatest threat for a hazardous materials spill comes from the transportation of materials through Pickens County. This is particularly true for the Interstate 575 corridor that runs North and South through the center of the county. Hazardous materials releases can also be the result of railway or fixed facility incidents. Fixed facilities continue to be an increasing concern due to Pickens County’s growing industrial footprint. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 90 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Hazardous Materials Assets Exposed to Hazard The environment is particularly vulnerable to the threat posed by hazardous materials. Waterways are at a high risk for contamination from hazardous materials. Over the past two decades, many waterways in Pickens County have been impacted by hazardous materials spills. Public and private property located near fixed hazardous materials facilities are also a greater risk than the general population of Pickens County. Estimated Potential Losses Estimation of potential losses is difficult with regard to hazardous materials due to the vast array of potential types of hazardous materials that could be involved in the incident and unknown costs regarding environmental damages. No recorded information was found regarding the losses associated with hazardous materials incidents in Pickens County. However, a hazardous materials release, whether in transport or at a fixed facility, would incur significant costs regarding emergency response, potential road closures, evacuations, watershed protection measures, expended man-hours, and cleanup materials, equipment, and personnel. Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Hazardous Materials. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, are vulnerable to both fixed facility and transportation-related hazardous materials releases. Hazard Summary Hazardous materials incidents pose a significant threat to the citizens, infrastructure, and critical facilities of Pickens County. Unknown quantities of hazardous materials are transported daily through Pickens County and its municipalities. These materials are transported via highways, with Interstate 85 being of greatest concern. As a result of the threat posed by hazardous materials, the Pickens County HMPC has identified mitigation actions directly related to this threat. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 91 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Dam Failure Hazard Description Georgia law defines a dam as any artificial barrier, which impounds or diverts water, is 25 feet or more in height from the natural bed of a stream, or has an impounding capacity at maximum water storage evaluation of 100 acre-feet or more. Dams are generally constructed to provide a ready supply of water for drinking, irrigation, recreation, and other purposes. Dams can be constructed from earth, rock, masonry, concrete or any combination of these materials. Dam failure is a term used to describe a significant breach of a dam and the subsequent loss of contained water. Dam failure can cause significant damages to structures, roads, utilities, and crops. Dam failure can also put human and animal lives at risk. National statistics indicate that one-third of all dam failures in the United States are caused by overtopping due to inadequate spillway design, debris blocking spillways, or settlement of the dam crest. Another third of all US dam failures are the result of foundation defects, including settlement and slope instability. Hazard Profile Pickens County has 19 category I and 29 category II dams. Category I dams are those that would pose a possible threat to human life if a failure were to occur. All category I dams must be inspected annually according to Georgia’s Safe Dams Act. The threat of a dam failure in Pickens County could potentially lead to flooding. This flooding would have many of the same hazards as a flood event, but with the onset of such an event being much quicker than in a typical flood event. Assets Exposed to Hazard To evaluate the assets that would potentially be impacted by a dam failure, the Pickens County HMPC attempted to identify known structures within, or close to, the 100-year floodplain, particularly those from a category I dam. Pickens County’s municipalities, could be exposed to the hazards of other dams or face secondary hazards from the category I dams. Estimated Potential Losses For loss estimations, please refer to the critical facilities information in Appendix C. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 92 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Dam Failure Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 93 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Dam Failure Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County continues to have population increases as Metro Atlanta expands into Pickens. This continued population growth within Pickens County has led to a 28% population increase between 2000 and 2010. Pickens County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and follows the program’s guidelines to ensure future development is carried out in the best interests of the public. The County (CID No. 130149) first entered the NFIP on July 1, 1987. According to the NFIP guidelines, the County has executed a Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. This ordinance attempts to minimize the loss of human life and health as well as minimize public and private property losses due to flooding. The ordinance requires any potential flood damage be evaluated at the time of initial construction and that certain uses be restricted or prohibited based on this evaluation. The ordinance also requires that potential homebuyers be notified that a property is located in a flood area. In addition, all construction must adhere to the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes and the International Building Codes. Currently, All Pickens County municipalities – Talking Rock, Jasper, and Nelson - also participate in NFIP. There are no repetitive loss property identified in Pickens County. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations During a dam failure event, many portions of Pickens County would potentially be impacted by flooding. However, the area’s most prone to flooding have historically been those areas located within the 100-year floodplain and from dams. This is particularly true for areas of one of Pickens County’s category I dams. Hazard Summary Dam failure poses a threat to Pickens County and its citizens, infrastructure, and critical facilities. A dam failure at any of the category I dams could prove catastrophic for areas of the dam. As a result, mitigation efforts for dam failure should be focused in this potentially affected area. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 94 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Transportation Incident Hazard Description There are many secondary hazards that could be associated with transportation incidents. Injuries or deaths can occur as a result of the impact of a transportation accident, by a hazardous materials release as a result of a transportation incident, or by other related transportations hazards. Transportation can occur via roadways, highways, interstates, railways, air or navigable waterways. Each transportation type poses their own unique hazard issues and consequences. Roadway hazards are most likely to be caused by a motor vehicle accident involving one or more cars, trucks, vans, or transport vehicles. These incidents can have injuries as a result of the impact of the MVA or a hazardous materials release into the local environment, including waterways. Railway incidents pose many of the same dangers as motor vehicle accidents. However, the threat of a hazardous materials release is greatly increased when railway transportation incidents are considered. Air accidents can include commercial airplanes, private airplanes, hot air balloons, helicopters, or other forms of air travel. Each of these incidents can cause a significant threat to human life as well as posing a hazardous material threat due to the cargo being transported or the fuel being used. Navigable waterway incidents can create formidable incidents for response organizations. Because of the waterway, technical expertise is needed to carry out rescue operations, especially in swift-moving waterways. Also, any incident in a waterway is likely to have environmental impacts. Hazard Profile Transportation incidents are of a significant concern in Pickens County. Passing through Pickens County are Interstate 575and Georgia Highways 5, 53, 108, 136, 372, and 515. The Pickens County Airport is located near Jasper in Pickens County and has a single 5000 foot runway. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 95 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Transportation Incident Assets Exposed to Hazard All assets and critical facilities located along or near any transportation route could potentially be impacted by a transportation incident. Areas within Pickens County that are not located along or near a transportation route could still face residual impacts. Some of Pickens County’s schools are located within very close proximity to railways, therefore increasing their potential risk to impact. Estimated Potential Losses Estimated potential losses cannot be anticipated with this event due to the vast number of differing scenarios regarding transportation incidents. Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Transportation Incidents beyond an increase in overall population which, in turn, increases the likelihood and potential impact of a transportation incident. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 96 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Transportation Incident Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations Pickens County as well as all municipalities could potentially be impacted by a transportation incident. However, areas along Interstate 575 and State Highway 515 are the greatest at risk. This includes the municipalities of Jasper and Talking Rock. Hazard Summary The Pickens County HMPC has determined that transportation incidents pose a high risk to their jurisdictions due to the unpredictable nature and likelihood of the incident. As a result, the Pickens County HMPC has developed mitigation strategies and actions with transportation incidents in mind. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 97 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Terrorism Hazard Description The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism as violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law, appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping, and is calculated to influence or affect the conduct of a government by intimidation or retaliate against government conduct. Terrorism is usually referenced as being premeditated and politically motivated. Terrorist acts are, by their very nature, designed and carried out with the intention of inflicting mass casualties and extensive property damage. When an act of terrorism is carried out in a jurisdiction, it will likely be necessary to implement multiple aspects of the emergency management system and summon additional resources from local, state, and federal partners. Terrorism is generally divided into two types: domestic terrorism and international terrorism. Domestic terrorism is defined as terroristic acts focused on facilities and populations without foreign direction. International terrorism involves activities that are foreign-based and/or sponsored by organizations outside of the United States. Terrorists often use threats to create fear among the public, to convince citizens that government is powerless to prevent terrorism and to get immediate publicity for their causes. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), including incendiary, explosive, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents, have the capability to cause death or serious bodily injury to a significant number of people, thus posing the threat of a catastrophic incident. Terrorism can also include arson, agri- terrorism, armed attack, intentional hazardous materials release, and attacks on infrastructure and electronic information systems. Hazard Profile Terrorism targets have historically been facilities that make a large economic or social impact on the targeted government or jurisdiction. In Pickens County, all critical facilities could be seen as potential targets. Terrorism includes a multitude of potential approaches, including agri-terrorism, which is terrorism targeted toward agriculture. Due to the high economic impact of agriculture in Pickens County, agri-terrorism could be of particular concern. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 98 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Technological Hazard: Terrorism While active shooter situations are not always classified as terrorism, for this plan, the Pickens County HMPC has chosen to classify them as such. Active shooter situations can occur in any location, including businesses, schools, government buildings, and public spaces. Schools are seen as particularly vulnerable to these types of situations due to the high publicity of recent active shooter events. While active shooter events and other acts of terrorism occur worldwide, they have low probability for Pickens County but would have devastating impacts if they were to occur. To help mitigate some of these impacts, Pickens County has exercised an active shooter response in the past to better prepare for any such event. Assets Exposed to the Hazard Due to the unpredictable nature of terrorism, all public and private structures are threatened by the terrorism hazard. This includes all critical facilities. Estimated Potential Losses Losses due to terrorism are difficult to estimate due to the unpredictable nature of terrorism. The type of terrorist act carried out, location of the act, and the impact of the act would all affect the potential losses. Please see the critical facilities information for estimated potential losses for each critical facility. Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Terrorism. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, are vulnerable to potential acts of terrorism. However, critical facilities and their surrounding areas are considered to be at the greatest risk. Hazard Summary Terrorism, while a low-probability hazard, would have devastating effects on Pickens County and its municipalities. These impacts would be immediate and long-lasting and could be potentially economically crippling. Because of these considerations, the Pickens County HMPC has developed mitigation actions with terrorism in mind. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 99 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Chapter Four - hazard mitigation strategies ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 100 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Summary of Updates to Chapter Four The following table provides a description of each section of this chapter, and a summary of the changes that have been made to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2013. Chapter 4 Section Updates Goals and Objectives • Updated goals to match the needs of Pickens County and its municipalities Identification and Analysis of Mitigation Techniques • The beginning of this section includes new information regarding rating the mitigation strategies based upon the EMAP Standard Hazard Mitigation Section • The Mitigation Strategies have been updated, reorganized by objective, and new strategies have been added • A chart of completed Mitigation Strategies has been added Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations • Revised • Multi-Jurisdictional considerations listed for each identified hazard ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 101 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Goals and Objectives Requirement §201.6(c)(3) Requirement §201.6(c)(3)(i) It is important that State and local government, public-private partnerships, and the average citizen can see the results of these mitigation efforts, therefore, the goals and strategies need to be achievable. The mitigation goals and objectives form the basis for the development of specific mitigation actions. County and municipal officials should consider the listed goals before making community policies, public investment programs, economic development programs, or community development decisions for their communities. The goals of Pickens County have changed in the last five years (since 2012) due to specific threat events, such as the snow and ice storms of 2014. The 2014 Ice Storms, in particular, led to changes at the State and local levels regarding the importance of winter weather preparedness, both for the general public and the response ability of local jurisdictions, including Pickens County. Because of the recentness of the impacts of these hazards and the devastation that occurred, these types of events have taken a greater priority, particularly in the increased priority of mitigation strategies directly related to these events and the development of new mitigation strategies related to these hazards. Each jurisdiction covered by the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation plan update – Pickens County and all municipalities – has limited ability to fully implement the mitigation actions described in this plan. These jurisdictions are severely hampered by their small population and tax base when attempting to raise sufficient revenue to pursue many of these actions. All jurisdictions lack the needed financial strength and staffing to implement all of the actions described in this plan. Many of the actions will be pursued through grant programs and by partnering with public and private organizations who can supplement the needed resources to accomplish the goals outlined in this plan. For actions where grant funding or partnerships are not available, Pickens County or municipality revenue streams may be supplemented through Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds, which are voted on by the electorate. GOAL 1 Maximize the use of all resources by promoting intergovernmental coordination and partnerships in the public and private sectors GOAL 2 Harden communities against the impacts of disasters through the development of new mitigation strategies and strict enforcement of current regulations that have proven effective ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 102 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 GOAL 3 Reduce and, where possible, eliminate repetitive damage, loss of life and property from disasters GOAL 4 Bring greater awareness throughout the community about potential hazards and the need for community preparedness These objectives state a more specific outcome that Pickens County strives to accomplish over the next five years. Action steps are the specific steps necessary to achieve these objectives. Objectives are not listed in order of importance. OBJECTIVE1 Reduce damage to property and loss of life from flooding OBJECTIVE 2 Minimize the damage to property and loss of life resulting from high wind events OBJECTIVE 3 Provide advanced severe weather warning OBJECTIVE 4 Provide educational awareness to citizens regarding the dangers of natural hazards OBJECTIVE 5 Implement initiatives for water conservation and wildfire protection OBJECTIVE 6 Increase the ability of Pickens County, its municipalities, and its citizens to respond to natural and manmade hazards OBJECTIVE 7 Maintain continuity of critical operations during and after hazard events OBJECTIVE 8 Minimize damage to property and loss of life resulting from winter storm events OBJECTIVE 9 Minimize the impacts on local citizens, industry, and infrastructure of a dam breach OBJECTIVE 10 Implement additional protective measures and capabilities in response to manmade incidents OBJECTIVE 11 Increase public awareness of local manmade hazards and proper response to those hazards ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 103 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Identification and Analysis of Mitigation Techniques Requirement §201.6(c)(3)(iv) Requirement §201.6(c)(3)(iii) In updating Pickens County’s mitigation strategy, a wide range of activities were considered in order to help achieve the mitigation goals and objectives. This includes the following activities as by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP): 1) The use of applicable building construction standards; 2) Hazard avoidance through appropriate land-use practices; 3) Relocation, retrofitting, or removal of structures at risk; 4) Removal or elimination of the hazard; 5) Reduction or limitation of the amount or size of the hazard; 6) Segregation of the hazard from that which is to be protected; 7) Modification of the basic characteristics of the hazard; 8) Control of the rate of release of the hazard; 9) Provision of protective systems or equipment for both cyber or physical risks; 10) Establishment of hazard warning and communication procedures; and 11) Redundancy or duplication of essential personnel, critical systems, equipment, and information materials. Part of the prioritization includes a general assessment according to the STAPLEE criteria, which stands for Social, Technical, Administrative, Political, Legal, Economic and Environmental. This process led to three designated priorities: High, Medium, and Low. Most items that require grant funding must undergo a full Benefit Cost Analysis to determine the action’s actual cost effectiveness prior to funding. This process will be completed as part of the grant opportunity application process. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 104 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Strategy Priority Priority Description Strategies within this priority LOW Low priority strategies are those strategies that will have less direct impact on mitigating Pickens County’s hazards, are in the early stages of strategy development, or score poorly on a preliminary cost-benefit analysis 1.e; 4.a; 6.k; 7.a; 7.n; 9.c; MEDIUM Medium priority strategies are those strategies that will have a direct impact on mitigation Pickens County’s hazards, but will not have as large of an anticipated impact as High Priority strategies or may be focused on hazards that are not as potentially impactful or prevalent for Pickens County. These strategies may be in the earlier stages of development or score mediocre on a preliminary cost-benefit analysis 1.a; 1.c; 1.j; 1.k; 1.l; 1.m; 1.n; 2.a; 3.g; 3.h; 3.i; 4.c; 4.d; 4.e; 4.f; 5.b; 5.c; 5.d; 5.g; 5.h; 5.i; 5.j; 5.k; 5.l; 6.a; 6.b; 6.g; 6.h; 6.i; 6.m; 6.n; 6.o; 6.p; 6.r; 6.s; 6.u; 6.v; 6.aa; 7.b; 7.e; 7.f; 7.h; 7.i; 7.k; 7.l; 7.m; 7.o; 7.p; 9.a; 9.c; 9.d; 10.c; 10.d; 11.a HIGH High priority strategies are those strategies that would have a direct, large impact on mitigation Pickens County’s hazards. These strategies are oftentimes well-established needs of Pickens County and/or its municipalities and have score high on a preliminary cost- benefit analysis 1.b; 1.d; 1.f; 1.g; 1.h; 1.i; 2.b; 2.c; 2.d; 3.a; 3.b; 3.c; 3.d; 3.e; 3.f; 4.b; 5.a; 5.e; 5.f; 6.c; 6.d; 6.e; 6.f; 6.j; 6.l; 6.q; 6.t; 6.w; 6.x; 6.y; 6.z; 7.c; 7.d; 7.g; 7.j; 8.a; 8.b; 9.b; 10.a; 10.b; The lead agency listed in the Mitigation Strategy charts will be responsible for the jurisdictional administration and implementation of the mitigation strategy prioritization. Prioritization was determined based on many factors. These include the likelihood of the event, the potential impact of the event, the current readiness posture of Pickens County for the event, the all-hazard impact of the mitigation strategy, and a cost-benefit analysis for the mitigation action. For example, mitigation actions that address high-likelihood, high-impact events with a low cost would rate higher than low-likelihood, high-impact events with a high cost. All mitigation strategies considered by the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee can be classified under one of the following six broad categories of mitigation techniques: ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 105 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Prevention Requirement §201.6(c)(3)(ii) Preventative activities are intended to keep hazard problems from getting worse and are typically administered through government programs or regulatory actions that influence the way land is developed and buildings are built. They are particularly effective in reducing a community’s future vulnerability, especially in areas where development has not occurred or capital improvements have not been substantial. Examples of preventative activities in this updated plan are listed in the following table: . Natural Hazards Mitigation Strategies Drought 5.g; 5.k Earthquake 6.i; 6.m; 7.c; 7.m; 7.n Flood 1.b; 1.c; 1.d; 1.f; 1.g; 1.h; 1.i; 1.l; 1.n; 6.i; 7.l; 7.m Thunderstorms 1.l; 2.b; 6.i; 6.m; 7.l; 7.m Tornadoes 2.b; 6.i; 6.m; 7.l; 7.m Wildfire 5.c; 5.g; 5.i; 5.j; 6.i; 7.l; 7.m Winter Storms 2.b; 6.i; 6.m; 7.l; 7.m Technological Hazards Mitigation Strategies Dam Failure 9.d Hazardous Materials Terrorism Transportation ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 106 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Property Protection Property protection measures involve the modification of existing buildings and structures to help them better withstand the forces of a hazard, or involve the removal of the structures from hazardous locations. Examples of property protection in this updated plan are listed in the following table: Natural Hazards Mitigation Strategies Drought 2.a Earthquake 2.a Flood 1.e; 2.a Thunderstorms 2.a; 2.c; 2.d Tornadoes 2.a; 2.c; 2.d Wildfire 2.a Winter Storms 2.a Technological Hazards Mitigation Strategies Dam Failure Hazardous Materials Terrorism 10.a; 10.b Transportation ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 107 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Natural Resource Protection Natural resource protection activities reduce the impact of natural hazards by preserving or restoring natural areas (ex: floodplains, wetlands, steep slopes, sand dunes) and their protective functions. Parks, recreation, or conservation agencies and organizations often implement these protective measures. Examples of natural resource protection in this updated plan are listed in the following table: Natural Hazards Mitigation Strategies Drought 5.f Earthquake 7.a Flood 1.k; 1.m; 7.a Thunderstorms 1.k; 1.m; 7.a Tornadoes 7.a Wildfire 7.a Winter Storms 7.a Technological Hazards Mitigation Strategies Dam Failure Hazardous Materials Terrorism Transportation ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 108 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Structural Projects Structural mitigation projects are intended to lessen the impact of a hazard by modifying the environmental natural progression of the hazard event through construction. They are usually designed by engineers and managed or maintained by public works staff. Examples of structural projects in this updated plan are listed in the following table: Natural Hazards Mitigation Strategies Drought 5.l Earthquake 6.j Flood 1.a; 1.j; 6.j Thunderstorms 1.a; 1.j; 6.j Tornadoes 6.j Wildfire 5.l Winter Storms 6.j Technological Hazards Mitigation Strategies Dam Failure 9.c; 9.e Hazardous Materials Terrorism Transportation ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 109 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Emergency Services Although not typically considered a “mitigation” technique, emergency service measures do minimize the impact of a hazard event on people and property. These commonly are actions taken immediately prior to, during, or in response to a hazard event. Examples of emergency services in this updated plan are listed in the following table: Natural Hazards Mitigation Strategies Drought 3.h; 5.a; 5.e; 6.c; 6.d; 6.p; 6.x; 6.aa; 7.i; 7.j; 7.p Earthquake 6.a; 6.b; 6.c; 6.d; 6.e; 6.f; 6.g; 6.h; 6.k; 6.l; 6.n; 6.o; 6.p; 6.q; 6.s; 6.t; 6.u; 6.v; 6.w; 6.x; 6.y; 6.z; 6.aa; 7.b; 7.c; 7.d; 7.g; 7.i; 7.j; 7.k; 7.o; 7.p Flood 6.a; 6.b; 6.c; 6.d; 6.e; 6.f; 6.g; 6.k; 6.l; 6.n; 6.p; 6.r; 6.s; 6.t; 6.v; 6.w; 6.x; 6.y; 6.z; 6.aa; 7.b; 7.c; 7.d; 7.i; 7.j; 7.k; 7.p Thunderstorms 3.a; 3.b; 3.c; 3.d; 3.e; 3.f; 3.g; 3.h; 6.b; 6.c; 6.d; 6.e; 6.f; 6.g; 6.h; 6.k; 6.l; 6.n; 6.p; 6.r; 6.s; 6.t; 6.u; 6.v; 6.w; 6.x; 6.y; 6.z; 6.aa; 7.b; 7.c; 7.d; 7.e; 7.f; 7.g. 7;h. 7;i. 7;j; 7.k; 7.p Tornadoes 3.a; 3.b; 3.c; 3.d; 3.e; 3.f; 3.g; 3.h; 6.a; 6.b; 6.c; 6.d; 6.e; 6.f; 6.g; 6.h; 6.k; 6.l; 6.n; 6.p; 6.s; 6.t; 6.u; 6.v; 6.w; 6.x; 6.y; 6.z; 6.aa; 7.b; 7.c; 7.d; 7.e; 7.f; 7.g; 7.h; 7.i; 7.j; 7.k; 7.p Wildfire 5.a; 6.b; 6.c; 6.d; 6.e; 6.f; 6.n; 6.o; 6.p; 6.q; 6.t; 6.u; 6.v; 6.w; 6.x; 6.y; 6.z; 6.aa; 7.c; 7.g; 7.i; 7.j; 7.k; 7.o; 7.p Winter Storms 3.b; 3.c; 3.d; 3.e; 3.g; 6.b; 6.c; 6.d; 6.e; 6.f; 6.g; 6.h; 6.k; 6.l; 6.n; 6.p; 6.q; 6.t; 6.u; 6.v; 6.w; 6.x; 6.y; 6.z; 6.aa; 7.b; 7.c; 7.d; 7.g; 7.i; 7.j; 7.k; 7.p; 8.a; 8.b Technological Hazards Mitigation Strategies Dam Failure 9.a; 9.b Hazardous Materials 10.c; 11.a Terrorism 9.a; 9.b; 10.c; 10.d; 11.a Transportation 10.c; 11.a ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 110 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Public Education and Awareness Public education and awareness activities are used to advise residents, elected officials, business owners, potential property buyers, and visitors about hazards, hazardous areas, and mitigation techniques that they can use to protect themselves and their property. Examples of public education and awareness strategies in this updated plan are listed in the following table: Natural Hazards Mitigation Strategies Drought 4.a; 4.b; 4.c; 4.d; 4.e; 4.f; 5.d Earthquake 4.a; 4.b; 4.c; 4.d; 4.e; 4.f Flood 4.a; 4.b; 4.c; 4.d; 4.e; 4.f; 5.d Thunderstorms 3.i; 4.a; 4.b; 4.c; 4.d; 4.e; 4.f Tornadoes 3.i; 4.a; 4.b; 4.c; 4.d; 4.e; 4.f Wildfire 4.a; 4.b; 4.c; 4.d; 4.e; 4.f; 5.b; 5.h Winter Storms 3.i; 4.a; 4.b; 4.c; 4.d; 4.e; 4.f Technological Hazards Mitigation Strategies Dam Failure Hazardous Materials Terrorism Transportation Overall Mitigation Technique Percentage Prevention 21% Property Protection 6% Natural Resource Protection 4% Structural Projects 6% Emergency Services 53% Public Education and Awareness 10% The following Mitigation Charts meet: Requirement §201.6(c)(3)(ii) Requirement §201.6(d)(3) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 111 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number OBJECTIVE ONE: Reduce damage to property and loss of life from flooding 1.a Elevate four roads at creek crossings Town of Talking Rock Pickens County and Town of Talking Rock X X Public and Private grants and/or local budgets $ 5,000,000 60 months Identified Jordan Rd, Old Mill White, Evans Rd, and Hill Circle Med 2013 Plan Flooding Action 1 1.b Update maps with new FEMA Floodplain mappings Pickens County Planning and Development Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and Private grants and/or Local Budgets $5,000 18 months NEW High 2013 Plan Flooding Action 2 (Modified) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 112 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 1.c Participate in the Community Rating System (CRS) Pickens County Planning and Development and Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time 48 months Research underway Med 2013 Plan Flood - NFIP Action 4 1.d Update flood ordinance for new FIS and FIRM maps Pickens County Planning and Development and Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X Local Budgets Staff Time 18 months Research underway High 2013 Plan Flood – NFIP Action 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 113 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 1.e Identify and Mitigate Repetitive Loss Properties Pickens County Planning and Development and Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time, at this time Continuous Some property identified Low 2013 Plan Flood – NFIP Action 3 1.f Maintain NFIP Compliance Pickens County Planning and Development and Pickens County EMA Pickens County X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time Ongoing Ongoing High 2013 Plan Flood – NFIP Action 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 114 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 1.g Maintain NFIP Compliance City of Jasper and Pickens County EMA City of Jasper X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time Ongoing Ongoing High 2013 Plan Flood – NFIP Action 5 1.h Maintain NFIP Compliance City of Nelson and Pickens County EMA City of Nelson X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time Ongoing Ongoing High 2013 Plan Flood – NFIP Action 5 1.i Obtain NFIP Compliance Town of Talking Rock and Pickens County EMA Town of Talking Rock X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time Ongoing Ongoing High 2013 Plan Flood – NFIP Action 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 115 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 1.j Evaluate road elevation and culvert sizing standards for construction upgrade on all county roads Pickens County Road Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time 30 months NEW Med NEW NEW 1.k Perform study of known flood areas to identify best mitigation actions to alleviate flooding in area Pickens County Land & Water Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $30,000 60 months NEW Med NEW NEW 1.l Upgrade/update county ordinance regarding driveway pipes Pickens County Land & Water Pickens County X X local budgets Staff time 18 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 116 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 1. m Keep storm water drains, culverts, and ditches clean of debris Pickens County Road Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15,000 36 months NEW Med NEW NEW 1.n Update flood plain mapping Pickens County Land and Water Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $5,000 18 months NEW Med NEW NEW OBJECTIVE TWO: Minimize the damage to property and loss of life resulting from high wind events ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 117 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 2.a Perform a site vulnerability assessment at all assisted living facilities Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Local Budgets Staff Time 36 months Facilities Identified Med 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 4 2.b Maintain “Storm Ready” Status with the National Weather Service Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time 36 months Storm Ready Status Achieved, Recert every 3 years High NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 118 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 2.c Build weather safe room at Road Department and all fire stations Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $300,000 36 months NEW High NEW NEW 2.d Evaluate potential sites throughout Pickens County and municipalities for Potential safe rooms Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and Private grants and/or local budgets $350,000 60 months NEW High NEW NEW OBJECTIVE THREE: Provide advanced severe weather warning ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 119 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 3.a Increase enrollment in Emergency Mass Notification by 5% in 5 years Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X Local Budgets Staff time 60 months Increase by over 3% in last 5 years High NEW Multi- Hazard Action 1 (Modified) 3.b Perform annual check on distributed NOAA Weather Radios to ensure proper programming Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X local budgets Staff Time 12 months Ongoing High NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 120 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 3.c Provide NOAA Weather Radios to Pickens County Schools Pickens County EMA and Pickens County Schools Pickens County and all municipalities X X X Public and Private grants and/or Local budgets $2,000 18 months NEW High NEW NEW 3.d Provide NOAA Weather Radios to all City/Town Halls and other government buildings Pickens County EMA, Pickens County government and municipal governments Pickens County and all municipalities X X X Public and Private grants and/or Local budgets $2,000 18 months NEW High NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 121 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 3.e Provide NOAA Weather Radios to vulnerable populations (low-income housing, housing authorities, assisted living facilities) Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15,000 24 months NEW High NEW NEW 3.f Purchase lightning detection system for Pickens County Recreation Pickens County Recreation Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $12,000 12 months NEW High NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 122 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 3.g Purchase and distribute NOAA Weather Radios at County and municipal critical facilities Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $5,000 24 months NEW Med NEW NEW 3.h Evaluate outdoor warning systems for upgrades, including retrofits and non-traditional warning systems, such as lightning detection and Wet Bulb Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 48 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 123 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 3.i Encourage opt- in for mass notification system via county and municipal websites and water bills Pickens County EMA with local water providers Pickens County EMA and all municipalities X X X Local budgets Staff time 12 months NEW Med NEW NEW OBJECTIVE FOUR: Provide educational awareness to citizens regarding the dangers of natural hazards 4.a Obtain Trailer for hazard education Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20,000 30 months Options Research ed Low 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 124 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 4.b Set up booth in Home Depot to provide public education and awareness Banks County EMA Banks County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $2,500 12 months Ongoing; assisted by Big Canoe, Bent Tree, and City of Jasper High NEW NEW 4.c Establish Mitigation Public Awareness Council Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $2,000 48 months Potential participa nts researche d Med 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 125 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 4.d Provide links for FEMA and Firewise on the Pickens County website Pickens County government Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Local Budgets Staff Time 12 months Ongoing Med 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 7 4.e Add Hazard safety information to county website Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Local budgets Staff time 6 months NEW Med NEW NEW 4.f Create a public awareness campaign of hazard and preparedness Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10,000 12 months NEW Med NEW NEW OBJECTIVE FIVE: Implement initiatives for water conservation and wildfire protection ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 126 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 5.a Update Community Wildfire Protection Plan every 2 years Georgia Forestry Commission Pickens County and all municipalities X X Local and State budgets Staff Time 24 months Ongoing High 2013 Plan Wildfire Action 1 5.b Educate about “Firewise” Program Pickens County Fire Department and Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $3,000 12 months Ongoing Med 2013 Plan Wildfire Action 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 127 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 5.c Create a defensible space ordinance for new developments Pickens County Planning and Development Pickens County and all municipalities X Local budgets Staff Time 24 months Ordinanc e under research Med 2013 Plan Wildfire Action 3 5.d Educate public about water conservation and boil water advisories Pickens County Water Department and EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X Local budgets Staff Time 18 months Ongoing Med 2013 Plan Drought Action 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 128 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 5.e Update Drought Contingency Plan Annually Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X Local budgets Staff Time 12 months NEW High NEW Drought Action 2 (Modified) 5.f Drinking Water Creek restoration City of Jasper City of Jasper X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $ 2,000,000 36 months Flood Grant in process to do this High 2013 Plan Drought Action 3 5.g Protect water quantity and quality through water conservation programs Pickens County Water Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $30,000 48 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 129 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 5.h Develop and adopt requirements for Firewise program, including response equipment Pickens County Fire Department Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $7,500 24 months NEW Med NEW NEW 5.i Adopt defensible space ordinance for new built homes and businesses Pickens County Land & Water Pickens County and all municipalities X Local budgets Staff time 12 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 130 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 5.j Update the Community Wildfire Protection Plan every five years Georgia Forestry Commission Pickens County and all municipalities X Local and state budgets Staff time 12 months NEW Med NEW NEW 5.k Update Drought Contingency Plan and Water Use Ordinance Pickens County Land & water and Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X Local budgets Staff time 18 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 131 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 5.l Create a looped water system Pickens County Water Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $ 5,000,000 60 months NEW Med NEW NEW OBJECTIVE SIX: Increase the ability of Pickens County, its municipalities, and its citizens to respond to natural hazards 6.a Create an Emergency Shelter Plan for the Town of Talking Rock Pickens County EMA and Town of Talking Rock Town of Talking Rock X X X Local budgets Staff time 30 months Ongoing Med 2013 Plan Tornado Action 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 132 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.b Review the Debris Removal Plan every five years and update contracts accordingly Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Local budgets Staff Time 60 months Debris Removal Plan Complete Med NEW NEW 6.c Purchase one additional work station, new computers, new projector, new computer programming, and furniture for EOC Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20,000 60 months NEW High NEW Multi- Hazard Action 10 (Modified) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 133 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.d Maintain and review LEOP annually Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff Time 12 months Ongoing High 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 11 6.e Maintain Amateur Radio Assistance and capabilities Pickens County EMA and ARES Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10,000 12 months Ongoing High 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 12 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 134 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.f Provide Schools with Emergency Response plan training Pickens County EMA and Pickens County Schools Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Local and State Budgets Staff Time 18 months Emer. Prep. Plans recently updated High 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 15 6.g Create a CERT Team Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $5,000 24 months Ongoing Med 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 16 (Modified) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 135 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.h Purchase equipment necessary to train and equip CERT Team Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $5,000 18 months Equipme nt under research Med 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 16 (Modified) 6.i Create an ordinance to have address numbers on signs near the roadway to help identification Pickens County Public Safety agencies Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Local budgets Staff time 36 months Ordinanc e under research Med 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 17 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 136 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.j Purchase emergency generators for 3 sewer pump stations that include the hospital and jail Pickens County Water Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $ 1,000,000 48 months Areas identified High 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 18 6.k Set up alternate ARES location at a shelter location Pickens County EMA and ARES Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $7,500 48 months NEW Low NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 137 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.l Have a refresher course for Damage Assessment Team annually Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X Local budgets Staff Time 12 months NEW High NEW NEW 6. m Make ordinance to have all improved properties uniform in lot identification (Bent Tree) Pickens County 911 and Pickens County Planning and Development Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X Local budgets Staff time 48 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 138 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.n Create an emergency evacuation plan for Bent Tree community Pickens County EMA Pickens County X X X X X X Local budgets Staff Time 24 months Ongoing Med NEW NEW 6.o Build a burn tower and fire department training facility Pickens County Fire Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 48 months NEW Med NEW NEW 6.p Purchase a Mobile Command Vehicle and Disaster Response Trailer Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $500,000 48 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 139 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.q Purchase a UTV with Stretcher and Stokes Basket Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20,000 36 months NEW High NEW NEW 6.r Create and outfit a Swift Water Rescue Team Pickens County EMA Pickens County X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $25,000 60 months NEW Med NEW NEW 6.s Outfit and provide training for a technical rope rescue team and Heavy rescue squad Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20,000 60 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 140 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.t Purchase a rescue truck and brush truck Pickens County Fire Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $100,000 36 months NEW High NEW NEW 6.u Upgrade 911 system to assist with eliminating dead zone issues Pickens County 911 Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $75,000 60 months NEW Med NEW NEW 6.v Purchase and emergency cache of radios Pickens County 911 Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $30,000 48 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 141 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.w Purchase two portable LED Electronic Message signs Pickens County Road Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20,000 36 months NEW High NEW NEW 6.x Purchase trailers for supply deployment Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15,000 24 months NEW High NEW NEW 6.y Purchase chipper for debris management Pickens County Road Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15,000 36 months NEW High NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 142 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 6.z Purchase animal response trailer for pet shelter needs Pickens County EMA and Pickens County Animal Control Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20,000 42 months NEW High NEW NEW 6.a a Build and equip new EMA/EOC facility Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $ 2,000,000 60 months NEW Med NEW NEW OBJECTIVE SEVEN: Maintain continuity of critical operations during and after hazard events ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 143 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 7.a Survey water pump stations for removal of dead trees Pickens County Water Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Local budgets Staff time 24 months None due to lack of resources Low 2013 Plan Severe Weather Action 2 7.b Provide generator for City of Nelson City Hall City of Nelson City of Nelson X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 36 months Options research underway Med 2013 Plan Winter storms Action 1 7.c Upgrade 911 equipment to cover dead zones Pickens County 911 Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 30 months Dead zones identified High 2013 Plan Multi- Hazard Action 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 144 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 7.d Create a list of citizens who are on Oxygen Pickens County 911 Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X Local budgets Staff time 30 months Ongoing High NEW NEW 7.e Provide lightning surge protection at pump stations Pickens County Water Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20,000 36 months Site identified ; Grant applied for Med NEW NEW 7.f Provide lightning surge protection for Community Center Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $8,000 36 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 145 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 7.g Establish backup emergency power to all critical facilities, including the Road Department building and pumps, the school system shop and animal shelter Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10 million 60 months NEW High NEW NEW 7.h Install lightning and surge protection on existing critical facilities and other public buildings Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 36 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 146 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 7.i Perform assessment of critical facilities to address building and site vulnerabilities to hazards Pickens County EMA and critical facility operators Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15,000 36 months NEW Med NEW NEW 7.j Obtain a mobile repeater Pickens County 911 Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15,000 30 months NEW High NEW NEW 7.k Purchase a mobile emergency antenna and tower Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20,000 36 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 147 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 7.l Update GIS Database with potential loss data, including HAZUS Pickens County Land & Water Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10,000 48 months NEW Med NEW NEW 7. m Create printed GIS Hazard Maps Pickens County Land & Water Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X Local budgets Staff time 18 months NEW Med NEW NEW 7.n Perform Earthquake loss estimation study Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10,000 60 months NEW Low NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 148 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 7.o Install additional fire hydrants Pickens County Water Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 36 months NEW Med NEW NEW 7.p Install interoperable communications equipment Pickens County 911 Pickens County and all municipalities X X X X X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 36 months NEW Med NEW NEW OBJECTIVE EIGHT: Minimize damage to property and loss of life resulting from winter storm events ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 149 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Drought Wildfire Earthquake Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number 8.a Inventory and add to existing winter weather equipment, including a brine system plant, large Quonset hut building to store/maintain supplies Pickens County Road Department Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $100,000 36 months NEW High NEW NEW 8.b Purchase a salt/brine truck Pickens County Road Department Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $45,000 18 months NEW High NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 150 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 # Mitigation Action Lead Agency or Department Jurisdiction Hazardous Materials Terrorism Dam Failure Transportation Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Priority Source Previous Strategy Number OBJECTIVE NINE: Minimize the impacts on local citizens, industry, and infrastructure of a dam breach 9.a Continue monitoring of Bent Tree Dam Pickens County EMA and Georgia Safe Dams Program Pickens County X X Local and State Budgets Staff Time 12 months Ongoing High NEW NEW 9.b Purchase flooding software and dam breach software Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X Public and private grants and/or local Budget $10,000 18 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 151 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 9.c Evaluate existing dams for repairs, retrofits, and upgrades to ensure safety of residents and businesses Georgia Safe Dams Program Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time to start 24 months NEW Med NEW NEW 9.d Perform a Dam Failure flood inundation study Georgia Safe Dams Program Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $40,000 42 months NEW Med NEW NEW 9.e Institute a county dam inspection and maintenance program Pickens County Road Department Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10,000 60 months NEW Low NEW NEW OBJECTIVE TEN: Implement additional protective measures and capabilities in response to manmade incidents ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 152 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 10. a Create Safety vestibules at both Pickens County elementary schools Pickens County Schools Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Unknown 30 months NEW High NEW NEW 10. b Create a Safety Vestibule at Pickens County Middle School entrance Pickens County Schools Pickens County and all municipalities X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Unknown 30 months NEW High NEW NEW 10. c Develop and equip a squad truck for HazMat Response Pickens County Fire Department Pickens County and all municipalities X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Unknown 36 months NEW Med NEW NEW 10. d Install a security alarm system at all pump statins Pickens County Water Department Pickens County X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Unknown 36 months NEW Med NEW NEW OBJECTIVE ELEVEN: Increase public awareness of local manmade hazards and proper response to those hazards ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 153 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 11. a Create a Pickens County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Pickens County EMA Pickens County and all municipalities X X X Public and private grants and/or local budgets Unknown 24 months NEW Med NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 154 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Completed Strategies Previous Strategy # Strategy Description Status Tornado Action 2 Debris Removal Plan COMPLETE Drought Action 2 Drought Contingency Plan COMPLETE Multi- Hazard Action 1 Increase enrollment in Emergency Mass Notification System by 3% in 5 years COMPLETE Multi- Hazard Action 3 Attain “Storm Ready” designation COMPLETE Multi- Hazard Action 7 Links from Pickens County website to FEMA and Firewise COMPLETE Multi- Hazard Action 8 Disaster Debris Management Plan COMPLETE Multi- Hazard Action 14 Special Needs Citizens COMPLETE ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 155 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations Thunderstorms Thunderstorm events have occurred across all areas of Pickens County. Crop damage from thunderstorm events would likely have the greatest impact in the rural areas of Pickens County. However, property damage numbers would be highest in more heavily populated areas due to greater population density. Thunderstorms have the potential to impact all areas of Pickens County. Winter Storms All portions of Pickens County could potentially be impacted by a winter storm, including freezing rain, sleet, and snow. Therefore, all mitigation actions identified regarding winter storms should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and town located within Pickens County. Flooding During a large-scale flood event, many portions of Pickens County would potentially be impacted by flooding. However, the areas most prone to flooding have historically been those areas located within the 100-year floodplain. All of Pickens County and its municipalities could potentially be impacted. Tornado All portions of Pickens County could potentially be impacted by a tornado due to the indiscriminate nature of tornadic events. Therefore, all mitigation actions identified regarding tornadoes should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and town located within Pickens County. Drought All portions of Pickens County could potentially be impacted by a drought, but agricultural areas of the county are potentially more at risk. Therefore, all mitigation actions identified regarding drought should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and town located within Pickens County. Wildfire All portions of Pickens County, including all municipalities, could potentially be impacted by a wildfire due to the large amount of Wildland-Urban Interface, but the less developed areas of the county are more vulnerable. Therefore, all mitigation actions identified regarding wildfires should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and towns located within Pickens County. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 156 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Earthquakes All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, potentially could be threatened by earthquakes. As such, all earthquake mitigation actions should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and towns located within Pickens County. Hazardous Materials Incidents All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, are vulnerable to both fixed facility and transportation-related hazardous materials releases. Dam Failure During a dam failure event, many portions of Pickens County would potentially be impacted by flooding. However, the areas most prone to flooding have historically been those areas located within the 100-year floodplain and from dams. Transportation Incidents Pickens County as well as all municipalities could potentially be impacted by a transportation incident. Terrorism All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, are vulnerable to potential acts of terrorism. However, critical facilities and their surrounding areas are considered to be at the greatest risk. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 157 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Chapter Five - Maintenance and implementation ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 158 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Summary of Updates for Chapter Five The following table provides a description of each section of this chapter, and a summary of the changes that have been made to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2013. Chapter 5 Section Updates Maintenance • Content Revised Plan Distribution • New Section – Not in 2013 Plan Implementation • Content expanded and revised from 2013 Plan Evaluation • Content Revised from Monitoring, Evaluating, and Updating the Mitigation Plan Section Peer Review • New Section – Not in 2013 Plan Plan Update • Content Revised Conclusion • Content Revised ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 159 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Maintenance Requirement §201.6(c)(4)(iii) In order to adhere to best practices, state and federal guidelines, and lessons learned, the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee has developed a method to ensure the regular review and update of the Plan occurs. Plan maintenance protocols identified during the 2013 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan was followed, to the best abilities of Pickens County. This most importantly included an increased attempt for public participation and inclusion in the planning process. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee will reconvene annually in February to monitor and evaluate the progress of the mitigation strategies in the Plan. Pickens County’s Emergency Management Director, John Nicholson, will be responsible for implementing this meeting. The Committee will discuss the following questions annually: - Do the goals address current and expected hazards and conditions? - Are the goals and objectives still relevant to the County? - Has the nature or magnitude of risks changed? - Does the risk assessment portion of the Plan need to be updated or modified? - Are the goals and objectives meeting changes in state and federal policy? - Are the current resources appropriate for implementing the Plan? - Are there local implementation problems, such as technical, political, legal, or coordination issues with other agencies? - Did the jurisdictions, agencies, and other partners participate in the plan implementation process as proposed? The responsible parties for various mitigation strategies will provide a report during this annual meeting regarding the following: - How well did the implementation processes work? - Were any difficulties encountered during implementation? - How successful was the coordination of efforts? - Are there any suggestions for revision of any strategies? Pickens County’s Emergency Management Director will send the minutes from this annual meeting to Pickens County Commissioners and City and Town Councils for review. If there are any updates or modifications to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan, the Emergency Management Director will forward the changes to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Officer. All annual reviews of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan will be open to the public. These meetings will be advertised both in the local newspapers, but also on signage in the publicly-used facility hosting the meeting. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 160 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Maintenance Log Revision Date Revised Section Reason for Revision Revised By ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 161 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Plan Distribution This Plan will be distributed, but not limited, to the following departments and organizations within Pickens County: Pickens County Board of Commissioners Pickens County Fire Department Pickens County Emergency Management Agency Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Pickens County Road Department Pickens County Planning and Development Pickens County Board of Education City of Jasper City of Nelson Town of Talking Rock A printed copy of the approved Plan will be available for viewing at the Pickens County Emergency Management Agency located at 1266 East Church Street, Jasper, GA 30143. A printed copy of the approved Plan will also be available for viewing at the Pickens County Public Library located at 100 Library Lane in Jasper. The existence and location of these copies will be publicized in the County’s local newspaper, the Pickens County Progress. All comments, questions, concerns, and opinions about the Plan will be directed to Director John Nicholson of the Pickens County Emergency Management Agency for follow-up. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 162 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Implementation Requirement §201.6(c)(4)(ii) Each jurisdiction participating in the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan is responsible for implementing specific mitigation actions as prescribed in this plan. In the Mitigation Strategies section, every proposed strategy is assigned to a specific local department or agency in order to assign responsibility and accountability and increase the likelihood of subsequent implementation. In addition to the designation of a local lead department or agency, some strategies have secondary or assisting department or agencies listed as well. This allows for a sharing of responsibility and coordination of effort for some of the identified strategies that cross lines of departmental responsibility. The completion date has been assigned in order to assess whether identified mitigation strategies are being implemented in a timely fashion. Pickens County and its municipalities will seek outside funding sources to implement mitigation projects in both the pre-disaster and post-disaster environments. When applicable, potential funding sources have been identified and targeted for the proposed actions listed in the mitigation strategies. It will be the responsibility of each participating jurisdiction to determine additional implementation procedures beyond those listed within the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan. This plan, as a joint effort between Pickens County and all municipalities therein, will serve as a comprehensive mitigation plan. The mitigation strategies, hazard identification, and other information identified in this plan will be integrated into all comprehensive Pickens County plans, as well as all municipality plans in the future. Incorporation of these strategies will occur, as necessary, throughout this planning cycle covered by this Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. In particular, aspects of this plan will be integrated into the Pickens County Comprehensive Plan during the next planning cycle. Identified hazards and mitigation strategies of the 2013 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation plan were integrated into the Local Emergency Operations Plan, multiple County and City SOPs and SOGs, and future planning and zoning plans. Pickens County will integrate mitigation strategies identified in this plan into the Pickens County Comprehensive Plan, Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Continuity of Operations Plan and other future plans. Strategies identified in the previous plan were applied to grant applications, building and zoning requirements, and development planning considerations for Pickens County and all municipalities therein. Many of these strategies will be applied using previously identified policies and ordinances, including the NFIP compliance ordinances and water-use ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 163 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ordinances, which have now been applied countywide. All jurisdictions have the authority to adopt locally-binding ordinances and policies to enhance the mitigation strategies in their jurisdiction. The Legal and Regulatory Capability survey documents authorities available to the jurisdiction and/or enabling legislation at the state level affecting planning and land management tools that support local hazard mitigation planning efforts. The identified planning and land management tools are typically used by states and local jurisdictions to implement hazard mitigation activities. Regulatory Tools/Plans Regulatory Type: Ordinance, Resolution, Codes, Plans, Etc. Local Authority State Prohibited Higher Authority Building Codes County/Municipal Code Yes No No Capital Improvements Plan 2008-2028 Pickens County Comprehensive Plan Yes No No Comprehensive Plan 2008-2028 Pickens County Comprehensive Plan Yes No No Economic Development Plan 2008-2028 Pickens County Comprehensive Plan Yes No Yes Emergency Management Accreditation Program No No Yes Emergency Response Plan Pickens County Local Emergency Operations Plan (LEOP) Yes No Yes Flood Management Plan Pickens County Code Chapter 38, Article V (Flood Damage Prevention) Yes No No Historic Preservation Yes No No National Flood Insurance Program Participation Pickens County Code Chapter 38, Article V, Division 2, Section 38-506 Yes No Yes ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 164 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Continuity of Government/ Operations Plan No No No Post-Disaster Ordinance Pickens County Code Chapter 22, Article III Yes No No Zoning Ordinances County and Municipal Codes Yes No No The City of Jasper offers many administrative and technical services to the community. City departments include: Administrative, Public Works, Water and Sewer, Garbage, Licensing and Permits, Police Department, and Fire Department. The City of Nelson only has a few administrative and technical services to the community. City departments include: Administrative and City Clerk. The Town of Talking Rock offers some administrative and technical services to the community. City departments include: Administrative, Police Department, Fire Department, City Clerk, and Waste & Water. Opportunities to integrate the requirements of this Plan into other local planning mechanisms shall continue to be identified. Although it is recognized that there are many possible benefits to integrating components of this Plan into other local planning mechanisms, the development and maintenance of this stand-alone Hazard Mitigation Plan is deemed by the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee to be the most effective and appropriate method to implement local hazard mitigation actions at this time. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 165 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Evaluation Requirement §201.6(c)(4)(i) Periodic revisions and updates of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan may be required to ensure that the goals of this plan are kept current with federal, state, and local regulations. These revisions should also take into account any potential changes in the hazard vulnerability and mitigation priorities of Pickens County. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee will meet annually to review the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan. During this annual review, mitigation strategies will be reviewed to evaluate the progress that has occurred for each identified mitigation strategy. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee will also meet following any disaster event to review the identified mitigation strategies for that hazard and determine if timelines should be adjusted or additional mitigation strategies should be identified and added to the plan. These steps will ensure that the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan is continuously updated to allow for changes in hazard vulnerabilities and identified mitigation strategies. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee will complete all evaluations of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 166 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Peer Review State Requirement Element F1 In order to maintain standards of quality, improve performance, and provide credibility to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, representatives of local emergency management agencies bordering Pickens County conducted a peer review of the Plan. The peer review of this Plan constitutes a form of self- regulation, accountability, and new insights offered by qualified professionals in neighboring communities, which face many of the same natural and man-made hazards. Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update was peer reviewed by: Renee Cornelison Date Director Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency Chief Lanier Swafford Date Director Dawson County Emergency Management Agency Chief Tony Pritchett Date Director Gilmer County Emergency Management Agency Courtney Taylor Date Director Gordon County Emergency Management Agency ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 167 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Plan Update Requirement §201.6(c)(4)(i) The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires that the Hazard Mitigation Plan be updated at least once every five years. The Pickens County Emergency Management Agency is the department responsible with ensuring this requirement is met. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee will be involved in this future process and will aid the Pickens County Emergency Management Agency in ensuring that all jurisdictions provide input into the planning process. The public will be invited to participate in the planning process through public hearings to be held whenever major updates to this plan are needed and during annual review meetings. This plan will expire in the fourth quarter of 2022; therefore, the approval and adoption of the next plan update must be completed before that time. In the fourth quarter of 2021, Pickens County plans to begin the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update process for the fourth time. This planning process will include bi- meetings to accomplish the identified goals of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. This process will be headed up by the Pickens County Emergency Management Agency. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee will follow a similar process as was undertaken during this planning cycle to complete all FEMA and GEMA requirements for the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. This process will be completed by the third quarter of 2022 to meet all identified planning deadlines. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 168 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Conclusion As a result of the hazard mitigation planning process, Pickens County, and the Cities of Jasper and Nelson and the Town of Talking Rock, as well as additional participating organizations have obtained a great deal of information and knowledge regarding Pickens County’s disaster history, natural and technological hazards, vulnerabilities, and potential strategies to lessen the impacts of the identified hazards. One consistent theme identified by the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee was the inability to consistently identify geographic locations that were more vulnerable to most hazards due to the widespread potential effects and random impact areas each hazard could have. This was exceedingly true for most natural hazards. Recognizing this challenge, the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee determined it was best to identify many mitigation goals, objectives, and strategies that were both general and specific in nature. These strategies allow the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee to adopt strategies that will have the greatest positive effect on the greatest amount of the population. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee adopted strategies in all six of the major mitigation categories: Prevention, Property Protection, Natural Resource Protection, Structural Projects, Emergency Services, and Public Education and Awareness. Prevention and Emergency Services comprised the greatest number (over 70%) of the mitigation strategies identified by Pickens County. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 169 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Appendix A - Pickens County Dams Information Pickens County Category I Dams Name Latitude Longitude Height (feet) Storage (acres) Bent Tree Lake Dam 34.488500 -84.374140 112.00 6356.00 Grandview Lake Dam 34.500556 -84.398930 93.00 2572.00 Long Swamp Creek WS #14 34.424330 -84.297330 85.00 4200.00 Long Swamp Creek WS #8 34.441040 -84.330510 60.00 349.00 Long Swamp Creek WS #9 34.454060 -84.354230 46.00 617.00 Petit Lake Dam 34.462500 -84.290278 126.00 7500.00 Salacoa Highlands Lake Dam 34.414444 -84.534722 37.30 233.00 Sequoyah Lake Dam 34.451028 -84.285361 45.00 260.00 Sharp Mountain Creek WS #1 34.544167 -84.371389 64.00 2115.00 Sharp Mountain Creek WS #12 34.440060 -84.460950 58.00 1500.00 Sharp Mountain Creek WS #13 34.439260 -84.442100 67.00 2678.00 Sharp Mountain Creek WS #14 34.411910 -84.430270 68.00 584.00 Sharp Mountain Creek WS #2 34.395630 -84.438520 44.00 555.00 Sharp Mountain Creek WS #22 34.431944 -84.465556 53.00 1055.00 Talking Rock Creek WS #13 34.513180 -84.480420 91.00 3531.00 Upper Twin Mountain Lake Dam 34.498850 -84.464110 36.00 332.00 Young Kim Lake Dam 34.403130 -84.329110 29.00 83.00 Pickens County Category II Dams Name Latitude Longitude Height (feet) Storage (acres) Bill Teague Lake Dam 34.413333 -84.438889 52.00 100.00 Buhl Lake Dam 34.415000 -84.520278 54.00 66.00 City of Jasper Raw Water Reservoir 34.466611 -84.415811 25.00 45.00 Disharoon Lake Dam 34.455833 -84.292000 39.00 75.00 Dogwood Park Lake Dam 34.415833 -84.418333 36.00 44.00 Dubose Lake Dam 34.458778 -84.346500 33.00 66.00 E. A. Jones Lake Dam 34.488556 -84.464361 31.00 29.00 Ellison-Stifel Lake Dam 34.530833 -84.410556 37.00 20.00 Green Lake Dam 34.454722 -84.368056 29.00 36.00 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 170 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Hickory Cove Lake Dam 34.468889 -84.368889 27.00 20.00 Jones Lake Dam 34.516389 -84.472500 48.00 394.00 Ledbetter Lake Dam 34.446389 -84.313611 52.00 264.00 Long Swamp Creek WS #18 34.396667 -84.302778 37.00 402.00 Lower Bozwell Lake Dam 34.392500 -84.451389 25.00 68.00 Lower Twin Mountain Lake Dam 34.503611 -84.470000 51.00 755.00 Perrow Lake Dam 34.456667 -84.418333 37.00 161.00 Sallacoa Creek WS # 48 34.474722 -84.642778 67.00 1350.00 Sconti Lake Dam 34.451028 -84.285361 45.00 260.00 Sharp Mountain Creek WS #27 34.408120 -84.505890 39.00 526.00 Sharp Mountain Creek WS #28 34.394444 -84.499444 34.00 968.00 Sharp Mountain Creek WS #31 34.398889 -84.488056 38.00 300.00 Talking Rock Creek WS #2 34.451111 -84.551389 58.00 1861.00 Talking Rock Creek WS #3 34.475000 -84.547500 47.00 495.00 Talking Rock Creek WS #4 34.484167 -84.544167 52.00 350.00 Talking Rock Creek WS # 1 34.453611 -84.597778 47.00 1306.00 Teaberry Ridge Lake Dam 34.516111 -84.463611 26.00 17.00 Tillman Lake Dam 34.515556 -84.644167 31.00 25.00 Waterford Dam No. 1 34.457250 -84.268722 32.00 247.00 Wigington Lake Dam 34.500556 -84.436944 54.00 30.00 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 171 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Appendix B – Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee Sign In Sheets ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 172 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 173 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 174 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 175 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 176 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 177 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 178 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 179 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 180 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 181 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 182 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 183 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 184 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Appendix C – Pickens County Critical Facilities Information Facility Jurisdiction Facility Typology Big Canoe Fire Department - Station 1 Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Tate Fire Department and EMS Station 2 Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Talking Rock Community Volunteer Fire Department Talking Rock town Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Bethany Salem Fire Department Station Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Big Canoe Fire Department 5 Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Bent Tree Fire Department Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Big Canoe Fire Department 3 Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Big Canoe Fire Department 4 Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Grandview Volunteer Fire Department Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Hinton Community Volunteer Fire Department Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Jasper Fire Department Jasper city Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Jasper Police Department Jasper city Law Enforcement, Police Pickens County Sheriff's Office Pickens County Law Enforcement, Sheriff Pickens County Courthouse Jasper city Law Enforcement, Court House Jasper City Hall Jasper city Government, Private Talking Rock Town Hall Talking Rock town Government, Private City of Jasper - Water Sewage Plant Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Pickens County Library Jasper city Education, Library Pickens County Airport Jasper city NGO, Transportation Pickens County Administrative Building Pickens County Medical, Hospital Chattahoochee Technical College Jasper city Education, VoTech Pickens High School Pickens County Education, K - 12 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 185 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Pickens County Community Center Pickens County Law Enforcement, State Patrol Pickens County Fire Department Station 8-1 Henderson Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Pickens County Fire Department Station 9 Yellow Creek Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Pickens County Fire Department Station 5-2 & EMS Station 4 - Cove Rd Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Pickens County Fire Department Station 11 and EMS Station 1 Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters Pickens County Fire Department Monument Road Pickens County Emergency Services, Fire Fighters McClain Mountain booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Highway 136W booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Jerusalem booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Yellow Creek booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Foothills booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Waterford booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Black Knob booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Jordon's Crossing booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Highway 53W booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Henderson Mountain booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Sequoyah Mountain booster pump Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Highway 53 W Tank Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Henderson Mountain tank Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Highway 53 W Blue tank Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Sequoyah Mountain tank Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Hill City tank Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 186 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Harmony Elementary School Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Hill City Elementary School Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Piedmont Mountainside Medical Center Jasper city Emergency Services, EMS Nelson City Hall and Police Department Nelson city Emergency Services, EMS Hinton - County EMS Station 3 Pickens County Emergency Services, EMS Pickens County Sheriff’s Office - CID Division Pickens County Emergency Services, EMS Big Canoe Main Gate Building Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Big Canoe North Gate Building Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Big Canoe Grounds Maintenance Building (small) Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Big Canoe Grounds Maintenance Building (large) Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Big Canoe Lodge Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Big Canoe Clubhouse Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Big Canoe Facilities Maintenance Equipment Storage Pickens County Government, Water/Sewer Jasper Water Treat Plant Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer City of Jasper Maintenance Building Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Water Tank - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Well - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Jasper Elementary School Pickens County Education, K - 12 Water Tank - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Well - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Water Tank - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Water Tank - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Pump Station - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Water Tank - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 187 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Water Tank - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Water Tank - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Clear Well - Jasper Jasper city Government, Water/Sewer Tate Elementary School Pickens County Education, K - 12 Pickens Middle School Pickens County Education, K - 12 Jasper Middle School Pickens County Education, K - 12 Jones Mountain Road - Landfill Pickens County NGO, Water/Sewer Camp Road Convenience Center Jasper city Education, Clinics For Additional Pickens County Critical Facilities Information, please see the Georgia Emergency Management Agency GMIS Database ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 188 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Appendix D – Natural Hazard Data Tables Thunderstorms Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 0 0 2.335M 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 03/24/1975 07:05 CST Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 04/08/1980 19:30 CST Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 05/03/1984 13:35 CST Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 09/13/1990 07:38 CST Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 04/29/1991 10:10 CST Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 05/14/1994 22:34 EST Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 06/25/1994 18:50 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 06/25/1994 19:50 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 06/25/1994 21:21 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.50K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 03/17/1995 16:15 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Tate PICKENS CO. GA 05/27/1995 16:16 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 06/02/1995 20:51 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 189 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Tate PICKENS CO. GA 06/30/1995 17:05 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 20.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 07/03/1995 20:36 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 1.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 03/16/1996 16:35 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 03/19/1996 02:15 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/27/1996 20:45 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 1.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/04/1997 18:52 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 7.50K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/17/1998 00:10 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/17/1998 00:45 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/07/1998 18:50 EST Hail 1.50 in. 0 0 1.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 06/10/1998 15:15 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 1.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/19/1998 10:05 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/08/1998 13:55 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 04/20/1999 03:05 EST Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/22/1999 14:00 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/03/1999 16:18 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 0.50K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 190 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/03/1999 16:33 EST Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/03/1999 16:57 EST Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/24/1999 19:57 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 5.00K 0.00K LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 03/11/2000 00:25 EST Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/25/2000 16:00 EST Hail 1.25 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/25/2000 17:00 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 2.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 05/24/2001 17:41 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/06/2001 12:00 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 0.50K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 06/26/2001 18:13 EST Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/03/2001 15:50 EST Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 2.00K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 07/03/2002 14:10 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/03/2002 14:30 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/30/2003 14:48 EST Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/06/2003 11:05 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 05/17/2003 18:30 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 191 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 07/13/2003 18:40 EST Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 07/16/2003 16:20 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 07/22/2003 12:55 EST Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 20.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/14/2004 00:28 EST Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 0.50K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 07/14/2004 17:03 EST Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K COUNTYWIDE PICKENS CO. GA 11/24/2004 10:00 EST Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 1.50K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 12/09/2004 22:55 EST Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 12/09/2004 23:05 EST Thunderstorm Wind 39 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 02/21/2005 17:20 EST Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 03/27/2005 16:15 EST Hail 2.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 04/30/2005 05:30 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.15K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 05/20/2005 00:55 EST Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 12/28/2005 19:35 EST Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 192 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/03/2006 05:30 EST Thunderstorm Wind 35 kts. EG 0 0 0.50K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 04/08/2006 02:52 EST Thunderstorm Wind 39 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 04/19/2006 10:15 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 04/20/2006 15:08 EST Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/20/2006 19:13 EST Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/12/2006 15:51 EST Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/23/2006 16:15 EST Thunderstorm Wind 35 kts. EG 0 0 0.25K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 08/15/2006 13:18 EST Lightning 0 0 500.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/11/2007 15:05 EST- 5 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 08/24/2007 17:05 EST- 5 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2008 16:00 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 25.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 08/02/2008 16:20 EST- 5 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 300.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 09/08/2008 17:15 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 39 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 193 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 09/08/2008 17:56 EST- 5 Lightning 0 0 200.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 02/11/2009 17:16 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 37 kts. EG 0 0 0.50K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 04/10/2009 16:50 EST- 5 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 50.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/15/2010 17:33 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 1.50K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2010 13:45 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/26/2010 14:14 EST- 5 Lightning 0 0 150.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 08/26/2010 14:23 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 56 kts. EG 0 0 25.00K 0.00K TALMADGE PICKENS CO. GA 09/11/2010 18:15 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 39 kts. EG 0 0 2.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 11/30/2010 12:19 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 37 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 03/23/2011 22:12 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 65 kts. EG 0 0 300.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 04/04/2011 20:33 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 20.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 04/15/2011 16:23 EST- 5 Hail 1.25 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 194 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/25/2011 14:19 EST- 5 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 04/27/2011 20:39 EST- 5 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 128.00K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 05/26/2011 16:43 EST- 5 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 06/05/2011 17:27 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 3.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/06/2011 16:28 EST- 5 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 06/18/2011 16:10 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 300.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 08/07/2011 17:00 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 54 kts. EG 0 0 15.00K 0.00K TALMADGE PICKENS CO. GA 08/08/2011 17:45 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 05/06/2012 17:45 EST- 5 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 05/06/2012 18:10 EST- 5 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 05/19/2012 15:40 EST- 5 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 05/19/2012 15:55 EST- 5 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 195 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 07/05/2012 19:25 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 50.00K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 05/19/2013 11:07 EST- 5 Lightning 0 0 60.00K 0.00K CAGLE PICKENS CO. GA 06/21/2014 14:48 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 55 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 08/20/2014 18:14 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 55 kts. EG 0 0 8.00K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 06/24/2015 17:48 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 45 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 06/26/2015 16:19 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 8.00K 0.00K CARNS MILL PICKENS CO. GA 07/14/2015 18:40 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K CAGLE PICKENS CO. GA 04/22/2016 19:05 EST- 5 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K CARNS MILL PICKENS CO. GA 06/01/2016 17:10 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 6.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 07/16/2016 16:15 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 8.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 02/25/2017 05:36 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 03/01/2017 17:29 EST- 5 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 196 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 03/21/2017 18:57 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 55 kts. EG 0 0 50.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 04/03/2017 10:32 EST- 5 Thunderstorm Wind 55 kts. EG 0 0 20.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 197 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Winter Storms Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 0 0 1.136M 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/06/1996 15:00 EST Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/11/1996 16:00 EST Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/02/1996 10:00 EST Winter Storm 0 0 10.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/20/1996 16:00 EST Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/08/1997 19:00 EST Ice Storm 0 0 1.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/04/1998 01:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/23/1998 09:00 EST Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/02/1999 12:00 EST Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/06/1999 09:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/23/1999 11:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/22/2000 13:00 EST Ice Storm 0 0 980.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/28/2000 19:00 EST Ice Storm 0 0 32.79K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/19/2000 08:00 EST Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 198 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/03/2000 05:00 EST Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/17/2000 07:30 EST Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/19/2000 00:00 EST Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/01/2001 07:58 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/09/2001 07:30 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/20/2001 12:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/02/2002 06:00 EST Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/16/2003 12:00 EST Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/23/2003 00:00 EST Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/06/2003 15:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/25/2004 05:00 EST Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/26/2004 00:00 EST Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/19/2004 17:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/28/2005 20:00 EST Winter Storm 0 0 100.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/02/2005 10:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 199 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 04/02/2005 10:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/15/2005 00:00 EST Ice Storm 0 0 2.50K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/06/2006 04:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/12/2006 00:00 EST Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/01/2007 04:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/29/2010 21:00 EST- 5 Ice Storm 0 0 10.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/12/2010 14:30 EST- 5 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/02/2010 05:00 EST- 5 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/12/2010 12:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/25/2010 11:00 EST- 5 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/09/2011 20:00 EST- 5 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/09/2011 21:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/29/2011 06:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/25/2013 07:00 EST- 5 Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/02/2013 10:00 EST- 5 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 200 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/06/2013 03:00 EST- 5 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/28/2014 10:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/11/2014 07:00 EST- 5 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/01/2014 00:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/16/2015 12:00 EST- 5 Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/20/2015 18:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/24/2015 01:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/24/2015 01:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/25/2015 13:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/20/2016 05:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/22/2016 00:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/08/2016 20:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/03/2016 13:30 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/06/2017 17:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 201 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Tornadoes Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 1 27 21.625M 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 04/03/1974 18:30 CST Tornado F4 1 17 2.500M 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 04/05/1985 18:35 CST Tornado F2 0 0 2.500M 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 11/11/2002 01:54 EST Tornado F2 0 10 5.600M 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/10/2009 17:04 EST- 5 Tornado EF1 0 0 25.00K 0.00K TALMADGE PICKENS CO. GA 04/27/2011 20:43 EST- 5 Tornado EF3 0 0 8.000M 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 09/05/2011 14:47 EST- 5 Tornado EF1 0 0 3.000M 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 202 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Drought Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 0 0 0.00K 921.89K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 09/01/1997 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 05/01/1999 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 08/01/1999 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/01/2000 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 05/01/2000 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 06/01/2000 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 921.89K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 07/01/2000 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 10/01/2000 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 10/01/2001 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/01/2001 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/01/2001 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 04/01/2002 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 08/01/2002 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 203 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/01/2003 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/01/2004 00:00 EST Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 05/01/2007 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 09/01/2007 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 10/01/2007 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/01/2007 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/01/2007 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 09/01/2011 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 06/01/2016 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 07/01/2016 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 08/01/2016 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 09/01/2016 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 10/01/2016 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/01/2016 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/01/2016 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 204 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/01/2017 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/01/2017 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/01/2017 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 04/01/2017 00:00 EST- 5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 205 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Flood Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 0 0 226.00K 0.00K WHITESTONE PICKENS CO. GA 01/26/1996 22:00 EST Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 04/17/1998 02:00 EST Flash Flood 0 0 5.00K 0.00K COUNTYWIDE PICKENS CO. GA 12/24/2002 07:12 EST Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 05/06/2003 13:00 EST Flash Flood 0 0 5.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 07/10/2003 14:15 EST Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K WEST PORTION PICKENS CO. GA 07/16/2003 17:35 EST Flash Flood 0 0 25.00K 0.00K COUNTYWIDE PICKENS CO. GA 09/16/2004 19:30 EST Flash Flood 0 0 100.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 07/11/2005 00:00 EST Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 01/06/2009 19:00 EST- 5 Flood 0 0 5.00K 0.00K CAGLE PICKENS CO. GA 09/21/2009 09:23 EST- 5 Flood 0 0 5.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 08/01/2013 01:15 EST- 5 Flash Flood 0 0 10.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 08/01/2013 04:00 EST- 5 Flash Flood 0 0 50.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 08/07/2013 05:55 EST- 5 Flash Flood 0 0 15.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 206 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 SCARECORN PICKENS CO. GA 08/07/2013 10:50 EST- 5 Flash Flood 0 0 3.00K 0.00K WHITESTONE PICKENS CO. GA 12/24/2015 05:32 EST- 5 Flash Flood 0 0 3.00K 0.00K Talking Rock Creek near Hinton, GA ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 207 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Appendix E – Pickens County Worksheet 3As ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 208 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 209 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 210 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 211 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 212 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 213 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 214 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 215 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 216 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 217 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 218 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 219 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Appendix F – Documentation of Peer Review ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 220 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 221 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Appendix G – Documentation of Nelson’s Adoption Resolution ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 222 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Appendix H – Pickens County HAZUS Report ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 223 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 223 Introduction 225 Risk Assessment Process Overview 225 County Inventory Changes 226 General Building Stock Updates 226 Essential Facility Updates 228 Assumptions and Exceptions 230 Hurricane Risk Assessment 231 Hazard Definition 231 Probabilistic Hurricane Scenario 234 Wind Damage Assessment 234 Wind-Related Building 234 Essential Facility Losses 236 Shelter Requirements 237 Debris Generated from Hurricane Wind 237 Flood Risk Assessment 239 Hazard Definition 239 Riverine 1% Flood Scenario 240 Riverine 1% Flood Building Damages 241 Riverine 1% Flood Essential Facility Losses 243 Riverine 1% Flood Shelter Requirements 244 Riverine 1% Flood Debris 245 Tornado Risk Assessment 247 Hazard Definition 247 Hypothetical Tornado 248 EF3 Tornado Building Damages 251 EF3 Tornado Essential Facility Damage 252 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 224 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Exceptions Report 254 Statewide Inventory Changes 254 County Inventory Changes 254 General Building Stock Updates 254 User Defined 256 List of Tables Table 1: GBS Building Exposure Updates by Occupancy Class* 226 Table 2: Updated Essential Facilities 228 Table 3: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale 231 Table 4: Tropical Systems affecting Pickens County 232 Table 5: Hurricane Wind Building Damage 235 Table 6: Wind-Damaged Essential Facility 237 Table 7: Displaced Households and People 237 Table 8: Wind-Related Debris Weight (Tons) 237 Table 9: Pickens County Riverine 1% Building Losses 241 Table 10: Enhanced Fujita Tornado Rating 247 Table 11: Tornado Path Widths and Damage Curves 248 Table 12: EF3 Tornado Zones and Damage Curves 249 Table 13: Estimated Building Losses by Occupancy Type 252 Table 14: Estimated Essential Facilities Damaged 252 Table 15: Essential Facility Updates 254 Table 16: Building Inventory Default Adjustment Rates 255 Table 17: User Defined Facility Exposure 256 List of Figures Figure 1: Pickens County Overview 228 Figure 2: Continental United States Hurricane Strikes: 1950 to 2011 233 Figure 3: Wind Speeds by Storm Category 234 Figure 4: Hurricane Wind Building Loss Ratios 236 Figure 5: Wind-Related Debris Weight (Tons) 238 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 225 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Figure 6: Riverine 1% Flood Inundation 240 Figure 7: Pickens County Potential Loss Ratios of Total Building Exposure to Losses Sustained to Buildings from the 1% Riverine Flood by 2010 Census Block 242 Figure 8: Pickens County Damaged Buildings in Riverine Floodplain Flood) 243 Figure 9: Riverine 1% Estimated Flood Shelter Requirements 244 Figure 10: Riverine 1% Flood Debris Weight (Tons) 246 Figure 11: EF Scale Tornado Zones 249 Figure 12: Hypothetical EF3 Tornado Path in Pickens County 250 Figure 13: Modeled EF3 Tornado Damage Buffers in Pickens County 251 Figure 14: Modeled Essential Facility Damage in Pickens County 253 Introduction The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA2K) requires state, local, and tribal governments to develop and maintain a mitigation plan to be eligible for certain federal disaster assistance and hazard mitigation funding programs. Mitigation seeks to reduce a hazard’s impacts, which may include loss of life, property damage, disruption to local and regional economies, and the expenditure of public and private funds for recovery. Sound mitigation must be based on a sound risk assessment that quantifies the potential losses of a disaster by assessing the vulnerability of buildings, infrastructure, and people. In recognition of the importance of planning in mitigation activities, FEMA developed Hazus-MH, a powerful disaster risk assessment tool based on geographic information systems (GIS). This tool enables communities of all sizes to predict estimated losses from floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other related phenomena and to measure the impact of various mitigation practices that might help reduce those losses. In 2017, the Georgia Department of Emergency Management partnered with The Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia to develop a detailed risk assessment focused on defining hurricane, riverine flood, and tornado risks in Pickens County, Georgia. This assessment identifies the characteristics and potential consequences of the disaster, how much of the community could be affected by the disaster, and the impact on community assets. Risk Assessment Process Overview Hazus-MH Version 2.2 SP1 was used to perform the analyses for Pickens County. The Hazus-MH application includes default data for every county in the US. This Hazus-MH data was derived from a variety of national sources and in some cases the data are also ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 226 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 several years old. Whenever possible, using local provided data is preferred. Pickens County provided building inventory information from the county’s property tax assessment system. This section describes the changes made to the default Hazus-MH inventory and the modeling parameters used for each scenario. County Inventory Changes The default Hazus-MH site-specific point inventory was updated using data compiled from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA). The default Hazus-MH aggregate inventory (General Building Stock) was also updated prior to running the scenarios. Reported losses reflect the updated data sets. General Building Stock Updates The GBS records for Pickens County were replaced with data derived from parcel and property assessment data obtained from Pickens County. The county provided property assessment data was current as of February 2015 and the parcel data current as of February 2015. Records without improvements were deleted. The parcel boundaries were converted to parcel points located in the centroids of each parcel boundary; then, each parcel point was linked to an assessor record based upon matching parcel numbers. The parcel assessor match-rate for Pickens County is 99.9%. The generated building inventory represents the approximate locations (within a parcel) of structures. The building inventory was aggregated by census block. Both the tract and block tables were updated. Table 1 shows the results of the changes to the GBS tables by occupancy class. Table 1: GBS Building Exposure Updates by Occupancy Class* General Occupancy Default Hazus-MH Count Updated Count Default Hazus-MH Exposure Updated Exposure Agricultural 57 7 $13,653,000 $3,415,000 Commercial 657 802 $367,414,000 $618,774,000 General Building Stock (GBS) is an inventory category that consists of aggregated data (grouped by census geography — tract or block). Hazus-MH generates a combination of site-specific and aggregated loss estimates based on the given analysis and user input ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 227 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Education 11 23 $17,243,000 $75,417,000 Government 25 48 $13,465,000 $36,508,000 Industrial 236 414 $113,463,000 $308,469,000 Religious 48 93 $31,075,000 $71,719,000 Residential 12,983 14,057 $2,987,544,000 $2,149,991,000 Total 14,017 15,444 $3,543,857,000 $3,264,293,000 *The exposure values represent the total number and replacement cost for all Pickens County Buildings For Pickens County, the updated GBS was used to calculate hurricane wind losses. The flood losses and tornado losses were calculated from building inventory modeled in Hazus-MH as User-Defined Facility (UDF)1, or site-specific points. Figure 1 shows the distribution of buildings as points based on the county provided data. 1 The UDF inventory category in Hazus-MH allows the user to enter site-specific data in place of GBS data. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 228 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Figure 1: Pickens County Overview Essential Facility Updates The default Hazus-MH essential facility data was updated to reflect improved information available in the Georgia Mitigation Information System (GMIS) as of April 12th, 2017. For these risk analyses, only GMIS data for buildings that Hazus-MH classified as Essential Facilities was integrated into Hazus-MH because the application provides specialized reports for these five facilities. Essential Facility inventory was updated for the analysis conducted for this report. The following table summarizes the counts and exposures, where available, by Essential Facility classification of the updated data. Table 2: Updated Essential Facilities Classification Updated Count Updated Exposure Essential facilities include: • Care facilities • EOCs • Fire stations • Police stations • Schools ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 229 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Jasper EOC 1 $880,000 Care 1 $23,095,000 Fire 1 $158,000 Police 2 $801,000 School 3 $21,033,000 Total 8 $45,967,000 Nelson EOC 0 $0 Care 0 $0 Fire 0 $0 Police 1 $333,000 School 0 $0 Total 1 $333,000 Talking Rock EOC 0 $0 Care 0 $0 Fire 1 $126,000 Police 0 $0 School 0 $0 Total 1 $126,000 Unincorporated Areas of Pickens County EOC 0 $0 Care 0 $0 Fire 14 $2,202,000 Police 1 $5,521,000 School 5 $41,491,000 Total 20 $49,214,000 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 230 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Assumptions and Exceptions Hazus-MH loss estimates may be impacted by certain assumptions and process variances made in this risk assessment. • The Pickens County analysis used Hazus-MH Version 2.2 SP1, which was released by FEMA in May 2015. • County provided parcel and property assessment data may not fully reflect all buildings in the county. For example, some counties do not report not-for-profit buildings such as government buildings, schools and churches in their property assessment data. This data was used to update the General Building Stock as well as the User Defined Facilities applied in this risk assessment. • Georgia statute requires that the Assessor’s Office assign a code to all of the buildings on a parcel based on the buildings primary use. If there is a residential or a commercial structure on a parcel and there are also agricultural buildings on the same parcel Hazus-MH looks at the residential and commercial “primary” structures first and then combines the value of all secondary structures on that parcel with the value of the primary structure. The values and building counts are still accurate but secondary structures are accounted for under the same classification as the primary structure. Because of this workflow, the only time that a parcel would show a value for an agricultural building is when there are no residential or commercial structures on the parcel thus making the agricultural building the primary structure. This is the reason that agricultural building counts and total values seem low or are nonexistent. • GBS updates from assessor data will skew loss calculations. The following attributes were defaulted or calculated: Foundation Type was set from Occupancy Class First Floor Height was set from Foundation Type Content Cost was calculated from Replacement Cost • It is assumed that the buildings are located at the centroid of the parcel. • The essential facilities extracted from the GMIS were only used in the portion of the analysis designated as essential facility damage. They were not used in the update of the General Building Stock or the User Defined Facility inventory. The hazard models included in this risk assessment included: • Hurricane assessment which was comprised of a wind only damage assessment. • Flood assessment based on the 1% annual chance event that includes riverine assessments. • Tornado assessment based on GIS modeling. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 231 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Hurricane Risk Assessment Hazard Definition The National Hurricane Center describes a hurricane as a tropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained wind is, at minimum, 74 miles per hour (mph)2. The term hurricane is used for Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclones east of the International Dateline to the Greenwich Meridian. The term typhoon is used for Pacific tropical cyclones north of the Equator west of the International Dateline. Hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean form between June and November with the peak of hurricane season occurring in the middle of September. Hurricane intensities are measured using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (Table This scale is a 1 to 5 categorization based on the hurricane's intensity at the indicated time. Hurricanes bring a complex set of impacts. The winds from a hurricane produce a rise in the water level at landfall called storm surge. Storm surges produce coastal flooding effects that can be as damaging as the hurricane’s winds. Hurricanes bring very intense inland riverine flooding. Hurricanes can also produce tornadoes that can add to the wind damages inland. In this risk assessment, only hurricane winds, and coastal storm surge are considered. Table 3: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale Category Wind Speed (mph) Damage 1 74 - 95 Very dangerous winds will produce some damage 2 96 - 110 Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage 3 111 - 130 Devastating damage will occur 4 131 -155 Catastrophic damage will occur 5 > 155 Catastrophic damage will occur The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center created the HURDAT database, which contains all of the tracks of tropical systems since the mid-1800s. This database was used to document the number of tropical systems that have affected Pickens County by creating a 20-mile buffer around the county to include storms that didn’t make direct landfall in Pickens County but impacted the county. Since 1902, Pickens County has had 17 tropical systems within 20 miles of its county borders (Table 2 National Hurricane Center (2011). "Glossary of NHC Terms." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2012-23-02. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 232 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Table 4: Tropical Systems affecting Pickens County3 YEAR MONTH DAY NAME LAT LONG WIND(Knots) PRESSURE CAT 1902 October 11 NOTNAMED 33.700 -84.800 35 0 E 1915 September 5 NOTNAMED 33.500 -85.000 35 0 TS 1928 August 15 NOTNAMED 33.400 -85.400 35 0 TS YEAR MONTH DAY NAME LAT LONG WIND(Knots) PRESSURE CAT 1928 August 15 NOTNAMED 34.400 -84.800 30 0 TD 1939 August 18 NOTNAMED 34.400 -85.300 20 0 TD 1939 August 18 NOTNAMED 34.700 -84.600 25 0 TD 1940 August 13 NOTNAMED 34.000 -84.500 35 0 TS 1940 August 13 NOTNAMED 34.600 -84.900 35 0 TS 1975 September 23 ELOISE 33.000 -85.700 55 982 TS 1977 September 7 BABE 34.300 -85.800 25 0 TD 1977 September 8 BABE 34.500 -84.800 25 1010 TD 1997 July 23 DANNY 34.100 -85.200 20 1012 TD 1997 July 23 DANNY 34.200 -84.500 20 1012 TD 2004 September 8 FRANCES 33.400 -84.700 25 998 TD 2004 September 8 FRANCES 34.300 -84.300 25 1000 TD 2005 July 7 CINDY 33.200 -86.200 20 1008 TD 2005 July 7 CINDY 34.600 -84.100 20 1009 E 3 Atlantic Oceanic and Meteorological Laboratory (2012). “Data Center.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/data_sub/re_anal.html. Retrieved 7-20-2015. Category Definitions: TS – Tropical storm TD – Tropical depression H1 – Category 1 (same format for H2, H3, and H4) E – Extra-tropical cyclone ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 233 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Figure 2: Continental United States Hurricane Strikes: 1950 to 20114 4 Source: NOAA National Climatic Data Center ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 234 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Probabilistic Hurricane Scenario The following probabilistic wind damage risk assessment modeled a Tropical Storm with maximum winds of 66 mph. Wind Damage Assessment Separate analyses were performed to determine wind and hurricane storm surge related flood losses. This section describes the wind-based losses to Pickens County. Wind losses were determined from probabilistic models run for the Tropical Storm which equates to the 1% chance storm event. Figure 3 shows wind speeds for the modeled Tropical Storm. Figure 3: Wind Speeds by Storm Category Wind-Related Building Damages ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 235 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Buildings in Pickens County are vulnerable to storm events, and the cost to rebuild may have significant consequences to the community. The following table shows a summary of the results of wind-related building damage in Pickens County for the Tropical Storm (100 Year Event). The loss ratio expresses building losses as a percentage of total building replacement cost in the county. Figure 4 illustrates the building loss ratios of the modeled Tropical Storm. Table 5: Hurricane Wind Building Damage Classification Number of Buildings Damaged Total Building Damage Total Economic Loss5 Loss Ratio Tropical Storm 8 $601,770 $602,040 0.02% Note that wind damaged buildings are not reported by jurisdiction. This is due to the fact that census tract boundaries – upon which hurricane building losses are based – do not closely coincide with jurisdiction boundaries. 5 Includes property damage (infrastructure, contents, and inventory) as well as business interruption losses. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 236 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Figure 4: Hurricane Wind Building Loss Ratios Essential Facility Losses Essential facilities are also vulnerable to storm events, and the potential loss of functionality may have significant consequences to the community. Hazus-MH identified the essential facilities that may be moderately or severely damaged by winds. The results are compiled in Table 6. There are 30 essential facilities in Pickens County. Classification Number EOCs 1 Fire Stations 16 Care Facilities 1 Police Stations 4 Schools 8 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 237 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Table 6: Wind-Damaged Essential Facility Losses Classification Facilities At Least Moderately Damaged > 50% Facilities Completely Damaged > 50% Facilities with Expected Loss of Use 1 day) Tropical Storm 0 0 30 Shelter Requirements Hazus-MH estimates the number of households evacuated from buildings with severe damage from high velocity winds as well as the number of people who will require short- term sheltering. Since the 1% chance storm event for Pickens County is a Tropical Storm, the resulting damage is not enough to displace Households or require temporary shelters as shown in the results listed in Table 7. Table 7: Displaced Households and People Classification # of Displaced Households # of People Needing Short- Term Shelter Tropical Storm 0 0 Debris Generated from Hurricane Wind Hazus-MH estimates the amount of debris that will be generated by high velocity hurricane winds and quantifies it into three broad categories to determine the material handling equipment needed: • Reinforced Concrete and Steel Debris • Brick and Wood and Other Building Debris • Tree Debris Different material handling equipment is required for each category of debris. The estimates of debris for this scenario are listed in Table 8. The amount of hurricane wind related tree debris that is estimated to require pick up at the public’s expense is listed in the eligible tree debris column. Table 8: Wind-Related Debris Weight (Tons) Classification Brick, Wood, and Other Reinforced Concrete and Steel Eligible Tree Debris Other Tree Debris Total ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 238 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Tropical Storm 19 0 84 1,269 1,372 Figure 5 shows the distribution of all wind related debris resulting from a Tropical Storm. Each dot represents 10 tons of debris within the census tract in which it is located. The dots are randomly distributed within each census tract and therefore do not represent the specific location of debris sites. Figure 5: Wind-Related Debris Weight (Tons) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 239 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Flood Risk Assessment Hazard Definition Flooding is a significant natural hazard throughout the United States. The type, magnitude, and severity of flooding are functions of the amount and distribution of precipitation over a given area, the rate at which precipitation infiltrates the ground, the geometry and hydrology of the catchment, and flow dynamics and conditions in and along the river channel. Floods can be classified as one of three types: upstream floods, floods, or coastal floods. Upstream floods, also called flash floods, occur in the upper parts of drainage basins and are generally characterized by periods of intense rainfall over a short duration. These floods arise with very little warning and often result in locally intense damage, and sometimes loss of life, due to the high energy of the flowing water. Flood waters can snap trees, topple buildings, and easily move large boulders or other structures. Six inches of rushing water can upend a person; another 18 inches might carry off a car. Generally, upstream floods cause damage over relatively localized areas, but they can be quite severe in the local areas in which they occur. Urban flooding is a type of upstream flood. Urban flooding involves the overflow of storm drain systems and can be the result of inadequate drainage combined with heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt. Upstream or flash floods can occur at any time of the year in Georgia, but they are most common in the spring and summer months. floods, also called riverine floods, refer to floods on large rivers at locations with large upstream catchments. floods are typically associated with precipitation events that are of relatively long duration and occur over large areas. Flooding on small tributary streams may be limited, but the contribution of increased runoff may result in a large flood The lag time between precipitation and time of the flood peak is much longer for floods than for upstream floods, generally providing ample warning for people to move to safe locations and, to some extent, secure some property against damage. Coastal floods occurring on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts may be related to hurricanes or other combined offshore, nearshore, and shoreline processes. The effects of these complex interrelationships vary significantly across coastal settings, leading to challenges in the determination of the base (1-percent-annual- chance) flood for hazard mapping purposes. Land area covered by floodwaters of the base flood is identified as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). The Pickens County flood risk assessment analyzed at risk structures in the SFHA. The SFHA is the area where the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) floodplain management regulations must be enforced and the area where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies. The owner of a structure in a high-risk area must carry flood insurance, if the owner carries a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender or servicer. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 240 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 The following probabilistic risk assessment involves an analysis of a 1% annual chance riverine flood event. Riverine 1% Flood Scenario Riverine losses were determined from the 1% flood boundaries downloaded from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center in May 2017. The flood boundaries were overlaid with the USGS 10 meter DEM using the Hazus-MH Enhanced Quick Look tool to generate riverine depth grids. The riverine flood depth grid was then imported into Hazus-MH to calculate the riverine flood loss estimates. Figure 6 illustrates the riverine inundation boundary associated with the 1% annual chance. Figure 6: Riverine 1% Flood Inundation ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 241 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Riverine 1% Flood Building Damages Buildings in Pickens County are vulnerable to flooding from events equivalent to the 1% riverine flood. The economic and social impacts from a flood of this magnitude can be significant. Table 9 provides a summary of the potential flood-related building damage in Pickens County by jurisdiction that might be experienced from the 1% flood. Figure 7 maps the potential loss ratios of total building exposure to losses sustained to buildings from the 1% flood by 2010 census block and Figure 8 illustrates the relationship of building locations to the 1% flood inundation boundary. Table 9: Pickens County Riverine 1% Building Losses Occupancy Total Buildings in the Jurisdictio n Total Buildings Damaged in the Jurisdictio n Total Building Exposure in the Jurisdiction Total Losses to Buildings in the Jurisdiction Loss Ratio of Exposed Buildings to Damaged Buildings in the Jurisdictio n Jasper Industrial 164 8 $132,805,151 $1,107,779 0.83% Residential 1,188 7 $289,894,841 $329,523 0.11% Commercial 377 10 $352,708,247 $1,147,528 0.33% Nelson Residential 235 3 $29,497,678 $144,685 0.49% Talking Rock Residential 36 4 $4,521,931 $109,284 2.42% Commercial 10 3 $2,640,861 $55,199 2.09% Unincorporated Residential 12,598 255 $1,826,089,53 6 $12,719,43 3 0.70% Governmen t 35 4 $20,522,807 $100,216 0.49% Industrial 241 54 $160,322,975 $14,294,47 1 8.92% Agricultural 5 5 $2,553,353 $958,243 37.53% Commercial 408 39 $259,353,690 $5,913,099 2.28% Education 11 1 $49,652,198 $1,163,757 2.34% ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 242 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 County Total 15,308 393 $3,130,563,26 8 $38,043,21 7 Figure 7: Pickens County Potential Loss Ratios of Total Building Exposure to Losses Sustained to Buildings from the 1% Riverine Flood by 2010 Census Block ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 243 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Figure 8: Pickens County Damaged Buildings in Riverine Floodplain Flood) Riverine 1% Flood Essential Facility Losses An essential facility may encounter many of the same impacts as other buildings within the flood boundary. These impacts can include structural failure, extensive water damage to the facility and loss of facility functionality (e.g. a damaged police station will no longer be able to serve the community). The analysis identified no essential facilities that were subject to damage in the Pickens County riverine 1% probability floodplain. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 244 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Riverine 1% Flood Shelter Requirements Hazus-MH estimates that the number of households that are expected to be displaced from their homes due to riverine flooding and the associated potential evacuation. The model estimates 499 households might be displaced due to the flood. Displacement includes households evacuated within or very near to the inundated area. Displaced households represent 1,498 individuals, of which 429 may require short term publicly provided shelter. The results are mapped in Figure 9. Figure 9: Riverine 1% Estimated Flood Shelter Requirements ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 245 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Riverine 1% Flood Debris Hazus-MH estimates the amount of debris that will be generated by the flood. The model breaks debris into three general categories: • Finishes (dry wall, insulation, etc.) • Structural (wood, brick, etc.) • Foundations (concrete slab, concrete block, rebar, etc.) Different types of material handling equipment will be required for each category. Debris definitions applied in Hazus-MH are unique to the Hazus-MH model and so do not necessarily conform to other definitions that may be employed in other models or guidelines. The analysis estimates that an approximate total of 12,297 tons of debris might be generated: 1) Finishes - 2,547 tons; 2) Structural – 4,757 tons; and 3) Foundations - 4,993 tons. The results are mapped in Figure 10. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 246 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Figure 10: Riverine 1% Flood Debris Weight (Tons) ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 247 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Tornado Risk Assessment Hazard Definition Tornadoes pose a great risk to the state of Georgia and its citizens. Tornadoes can occur at any time during the day or night. They can also happen during any month of the year. The unpredictability of tornadoes makes them one of Georgia’s most dangerous hazards. Their extreme winds are violently destructive when they touch down in the region’s developed and populated areas. Current estimates place the maximum velocity at about 300 miles per hour, but higher and lower values can occur. A wind velocity of 200 miles per hour will result in a wind pressure of 102.4 pounds per square foot of surface area— a load that exceeds the tolerance limits of most buildings. Considering these factors, it is easy to understand why tornadoes can be so devastating for the communities they hit. Tornadoes are defined as violently-rotating columns of air extending from thunderstorms and cyclonic events. Funnel clouds are rotating columns of air not in contact with the ground; however, the violently-rotating column of air can reach the ground very quickly and become a tornado. If the funnel cloud picks up and blows debris, it has reached the ground and is a tornado. Tornadoes are classified according to the Fujita tornado intensity scale. Originally introduced in 1971, the scale was modified in 2006 to better define the damage and estimated wind scale. The Enhanced Fujita Scale ranges from low intensity EF0 with effective wind speeds of 65 to 85 miles per hour, to EF5 tornadoes with effective wind speeds of over 200 miles per hour. The Enhanced Fujita intensity scale is included in Table 10. Table 10: Enhanced Fujita Tornado Rating Fujita Number Estimated Wind Speed Path Width Path Length Description of Destruction EF0 Gale 65-85 mph 6-17 yards 0.3-0.9 miles Light damage, some damage to chimneys, branches broken, sign boards damaged, shallow-rooted trees blown over. EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph 18-55 yards 1.0-3.1 miles Moderate damage, roof surfaces peeled off, mobile homes pushed off foundations, attached garages damaged. EF2 Significant 111-135 mph 56-175 yards 3.2-9.9 miles Considerable damage, entire roofs torn from frame houses, mobile homes demolished, boxcars pushed over, large trees snapped or uprooted. EF3 Severe 136-165 mph 176-566 yards 10-31 miles Severe damage, walls torn from well-constructed houses, trains overturned, most trees in forests uprooted, heavy cars thrown about. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 248 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Fujita Number Estimated Wind Speed Path Width Path Length Description of Destruction EF4 Devastating 166-200 mph 0.3-0.9 miles 32-99 miles Complete damage, well-constructed houses leveled, structures with weak foundations blown off for some distance, large missiles generated. EF5 Incredible > 200 mph 1.0-3.1 miles 100-315 miles Foundations swept clean, automobiles become missiles and thrown for 100 yards or more, steel-reinforced concrete structures badly damaged. Source: http://www.srh.noaa.gov Hypothetical Tornado Scenario For this report, an EF3 tornado was modeled to illustrate the potential impacts of tornadoes of this magnitude in the county. The analysis used a hypothetical path based upon an EF3 tornado event running along the predominant direction of historical tornados (southeast to northwest). The tornado path was placed to travel through Talking Rock. The selected widths were modeled after a re-creation of the Fujita-Scale guidelines based on conceptual wind speeds, path widths, and path There is no guarantee that every tornado will fit exactly into one of these categories. Table 11 depicts tornado path widths and expected damage. Table 11: Tornado Path Widths and Damage Curves Fujita Scale Path Width (feet) Maximum Expected Damage EF-5 2,400 100% EF-4 1,800 100% EF-3 1,200 80% EF-2 600 50% EF-1 300 10% EF-0 300 0% Within any given tornado path there are degrees of damage. The most intense damage occurs within the center of the damage path, with decreasing amounts of damage away from the center. After the hypothetical path is digitized on a map, the process is modeled in GIS by adding buffers (damage zones) around the tornado path. Figure 11 describes the zone analysis. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 249 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Figure 11: EF Scale Tornado Zones An EF3 tornado has four damage zones, depicted in Table 12. Major damage is estimated within 150 feet of the tornado path. The outer buffer is 900 feet from the tornado path, within which buildings will not experience any damage. The selected hypothetical tornado path is depicted in Figure 12 and the damage curve buffer zones are shown in Figure 13. Table 12: EF3 Tornado Zones and Damage Curves Zone Buffer (feet) Damage Curve 1 0-150 80% 2 150-300 50% 3 300-600 10% 4 600-900 0% ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 250 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Figure 12: Hypothetical EF3 Tornado Path in Pickens County ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 251 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Figure 13: Modeled EF3 Tornado Damage Buffers in Pickens County EF3 Tornado Building Damages The analysis estimated that approximately 639 buildings could be damaged, with estimated building losses of $88 million. The building losses are an estimate of building replacement costs multiplied by the percentages of damage. The overlay was performed against parcels provided by Pickens County that were joined with Assessor records showing estimated property replacement costs. The Assessor records often do not distinguish parcels by occupancy class if the parcels are not taxable and thus the number of buildings and replacement costs may be underestimated. The results of the analysis are depicted in Table 13. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 252 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Table 13: Estimated Building Losses by Occupancy Type Occupancy Buildings Damaged Building Losses Residential 415 $20,630,152 Commercial 184 $55,355,081 Industrial 21 $1,560,761 Government 6 $3,636,716 Religious 6 $861,204 Education 7 $6,336,479 Total 639 $88,380,393 EF3 Tornado Essential Facility Damage There were four essential facilities located in the tornado path – three schools and one police station. Table 14 outlines the specific facilities and the amount of damage under the scenario. Table 14: Estimated Essential Facilities Damaged Facility Amount of Damage Jasper Police Department Major Damage Jasper Elementary School Major Damage Jasper Middle School Minor Damage Chattahoochee Technical College Minor Damage According to the Georgia Department of Education, Jasper Elementary School’s enrollment was approximately 500 students and Jasper Middle School’s enrollment was approximately 550 students as of March, 2017. Depending on the time of day, a tornado strike as depicted in this scenario could result in significant injury and loss of life. In addition, arrangements would have to be made for the continued education of the students in another location. This particular scenario would have a major impact on the campus of Chattahoochee Technical College. Depending on the time of day, the tornado depicted in this scenario could result in significant injury and loss of life. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 253 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 The tornado path in this scenario hit a police department. This could potentially cause serious problems with rescue and recovery efforts in the wake of the tornado. The location of the damaged Essential Facilities is mapped in Figure 14. Figure 14: Modeled Essential Facility Damage in Pickens County ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 254 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 Exceptions Report Hazus Version 2.2 SP1 was used to perform the loss estimates for Pickens County, Georgia. Changes made to the default Hazus-MH inventory and the modeling parameters used to setup the hazard scenarios are described within this document. Reported losses reflect the updated data sets. Steps, algorithms and assumptions used during the data update process are documented in the project workflow named PDM_GA_Workflow.doc. Statewide Inventory Changes The default Hazus-MH Essential Facility inventory was updated for the entire state prior to running the hazard scenarios for Pickens County. Updates to the Essential Facility information were provided by Pickens County in April 2017. These updates were applied by The Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. Table 15 summarizes the difference between the original Hazus- MH default data and the updated data for Pickens County. Table 15: Essential Facility Updates Site Class Feature Class Default Replacement Cost Default Count Updated Replacement Cost Updated Count EF Care $23,095,000 1 $23,095,000 1 EF EOC $880,000 1 $880,000 1 EF Fire $3,309,000 18 $2,486,000 16 EF Police $5,832,000 2 $6,655,000 4 EF School $62,524,000 8 $62,524,000 8 County Inventory Changes The GBS records for Pickens County were replaced with data derived from parcel and property assessment data obtained from Pickens County. The county provided property assessment data was current as of February 2015 and the parcel data current as of February 2015. General Building Stock Updates ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 255 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 The parcel boundaries and assessor records were obtained from Pickens County. Records without improvements were deleted. The parcel boundaries were converted to parcel points located in the centroids of each parcel boundary. Each parcel point was linked to an assessor record based upon matching parcel numbers. The generated Building Inventory represents the approximate locations (within a parcel) of building exposure. The Building Inventory was aggregated by Census Block and imported into Hazus-MH using the Hazus-MH Comprehensive Data Management System (CDMS). Both the 2010 Census Tract and Census Block tables were updated. The match between parcel records and assessor records was based upon a common Parcel ID. For this type of project, unless the hit rate is better than 85%, the records are not used to update the default aggregate inventory in Hazus-MH. The Parcel-Assessor hit rate for Pickens County was 99.9%. Adjustments were made to records when primary fields did not have a value. In these cases, default values were applied to the fields. Table 16 outlines the adjustments made to Pickens County records. Table 16: Building Inventory Default Adjustment Rates Type of Adjustment Building Count Percentage Area Unknown 486 3% Construction Unknown 602 4% Condition Unknown 266 2% Foundation Unknown 609 4% Year Built Unknown 191 1% Total Buildings 15,452 3% Approximately 3% of the CAMA values were either missing ( or did not match CAMA domains or were unusable (‘Unknown’, ‘Other’, ‘Pending’). These were replaced with ‘best available’ values. Missing YearBuilt values were populated from average values per Census Block. Missing Condition, Construction and Foundation values were populated with the highest-frequency CAMA values per Occupancy Class. Missing Area values were populated with the average CAMA values per Occupancy Class. The resulting Building Inventory was used to populate the Hazus-MH General Building Stock and User Defined Facility tables. The updated General Building Stock was used to calculate flood and tornado losses. Changes to the building counts and exposure that were modeled in Pickens County are sorted by General Occupancy in Table 1 at the beginning of this report. If replacements cost or building value were not present for a given record in the Assessor data, replacement costs were calculated from the Building Area (sqft) multiplied by the Hazus-MH RS Means ($/sqft) values for each Occupancy Class. Differences between the default and updated data are due to various factors. The Assessor records often do not distinguish parcels by occupancy class when the parcels are ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 256 of 256 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017-2022 not taxable; therefore, the total number of buildings and the building replacement costs for government, religious/non-profit, and education may be underestimated. User Defined Facilities Building Inventory was used to create Hazus-MH User Defined Facility (UDF) inventory for flood modeling. Hazus-MH flood loss estimates are based upon the UDF point data. Buildings within the flood boundary were imported into Hazus-MH as User Defined Facilities and modeled as points. Table 17: User Defined Facility Exposure Class Hazus-MH Feature Counts Exposure BI Building Exposure 15,444 $3,264,340,158 Riverine UDF Structures Inside 1% Annual Chance Riverine Flood Area 437 $ 155,062,661 Assumptions • Flood analysis was performed on Building Inventory. Building Inventory within the flood boundary was imported as User Defined Facilities. The point locations are parcel centroid accuracy. • The analysis is restricted to the county boundary. Events that occur near the county boundary do not contain loss estimates from adjacent counties. • The following attributes were defaulted or calculated: First Floor Height was set from Foundation Type Content Cost was calculated from Building Cost