Document Pickenscountyga_doc_7a6b9c6b07

PICKENS COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN 2024 - 2029 Lux Mitigation and Planning Corp. 1266 East Church Street Jasper, Georgia 30143 [EMAIL REDACTED] [PHONE REDACTED] Pickens County Emergency Management Agency Director Robby Westbrook, Ph.D. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 1 Pickens County, Georgia Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2024 – 2029 Prepared for the Pickens County Board of Commissioners 1266 East Church Street Jasper, Georgia 30143 [PHONE REDACTED] www.pickensga.com This document was funded in part by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant awarded to Pickens County, Georgia, through the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) to fulfill the requirements of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000). Pickens County’s 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan was updated by the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee and was prepared by Lux Mitigation and Planning Corp. For additional information, please contact Pickens County Emergency Management Agency. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 2 Preface Mitigation Vision for the Future Emergency Managers succeed or fail based on 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. To reduce, minimize, or eliminate hazards in their communities, emergency management agencies adopt and implement mitigation practices. The Federal DMA 2000 sets 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 their 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, they can reduce the loss of life and property in their communities. The jurisdictions covered by this plan include the following: Pickens County City of Jasper City of Nelson Town of Talking Rock ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 7 Table of Contents Preface 2 Resolution – Pickens County 3 Resolution – City of Jasper 4 Resolution – City of Nelson 5 Resolution – Town of Talking Rock 6 CHAPTER ONE – INTRODUCTION 10 Summary Of Updates for Chapter One 10 Purpose 11 Goals 11 Scope 12 Funding 12 Consistency with Federal and State Mitigation Policies 13 Authority 14 Plan Review 15 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee 17 Public Participation 20 Multi-jurisdictional Considerations 21 Incorporation of Existing Plans, Studies, and Resources 22 CHAPTER TWO – PICKENS COUNTY PROFILE 24 Summary of Updates for Chapter Two 24 History 25 Past Hazards 26 Past Events 26 Demographics 28 Social Vulnerability Information 29 Economy 31 Utilities 31 Transportation 31 Government 32 Climate 33 NFIP Compliance 33 Municipal Information 34 CHAPTER THREE – HAZARD PROFILES 37 Summary of Updates for Chapter Three 37 Risk Assessment 39 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 8 CHAPTER THREE – HAZARD PROFILES (CONTINUED) Natural Hazards 42 Thunderstorm 42 Winter Storm 51 Flooding 57 Tornado 67 Drought 74 Wildfire 78 Earthquake 87 Tropical Cyclone 92 Landslide 99 Extreme Temperatures 102 Technological Hazards 106 Hazardous Materials Incident 106 Dam Failure 108 Transportation Incident 110 Terrorism 112 Critical Infrastructure Failure 114 Emerging Infectious Disease 116 CHAPTER FOUR – HAZARD MITIGATION STRATEGIES 120 Summary of Updates to Chapter Four 120 Goals and Objectives 121 Identification and Analysis of Mitigation Techniques 122 Mitigation Strategies 125 Natural Hazards 125 Technological Hazards 140 Completed Mitigation Strategies 143 Deleted Mitigation Strategies 143 CHAPTER FIVE – PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE 144 Summary of Updates to Chapter Five 144 Maintenance 145 Plan Distribution 147 Implementation 148 Evaluation 150 Peer Review 151 Plan Update 152 Conclusion 152 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 9 APPENDICIES Appendix A – Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee Sign-In Sheets 153 Appendix B – Natural Hazard Data Tables 161 Appendix C – Pickens County Worksheet 3As 172 Appendix D – Documentation of Peer Review 184 Appendix E – Pickens County HAZUS Report 188 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 10 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 2018. Chapter 1 Section Updates Introduction • Identification of Mitigation Goals Authority • Verbiage updated Funding • Verbiage updated Scope • Verbiage updated Purpose • Verbiage updated Consistency with Federal Guidelines • Verbiage updated Plan Review • Verbiage updated • Updated mitigation meeting dates for 2023 planning process Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee • Updated committee list with the 2023 planning participants • Updated to meet Federal guidelines Public Participation • Updated to match the 2023 planning process Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations • Updated with requirement descriptions Incorporation of Existing Plans, Studies, and Resources • Updated with new plan, study, and resource incorporations Chapter One – Introduction ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 11 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 the recovery and redevelopment process 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. Goals 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 DMA 2000. DMA 2000 provides federal assistance to state and local emergency management agencies and other disaster response organizations to reduce damage from disasters. The Act is administered by GEMA and 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. Pickens County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee adopted the following goals during plan development: 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 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 This plan complies with all requirements and scope of work as described in Pickens County’s Hazard Mitigation Grant application. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 12 Scope The scope of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update encompasses all areas of Pickens County, including 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 the 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 maintenance and implementation strategies for the Plan. 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 Funding Pickens County was awarded a Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant by FEMA through GEMA for the update of Pickens County’s 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan. FEMA contributed 90% toward the total cost of the Plan Update. The Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant required a 10% match by Pickens County. This match was fulfilled entirely (100%) by In-Kind contributions; time spent by county and municipal employees, local stakeholders, representatives from organizations, and citizen volunteers updating the Plan was provided instead of cash from the County’s budget. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 13 Consistency with Federal and State Mitigation Policies The Plan is intended to enhance and complement 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 greater public awareness about the need for individual preparedness and about the need to safer, more disaster resistant communities; • Develop strategies for long-term community sustainability during disasters; and, • Develop governmental and business continuity plans that will continue essential private sector and governmental activities during disasters. FEMA publishes several guidance documents for local governments on mitigating natural disasters. The updated Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 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. It is vital that the private sector is included in mitigation efforts that are consistent with state and federal recommendations, such as the following: • Develop mitigation incentives with insurance agencies and lending institutions; • Encourage the creation of a business continuity plan for the continuance of commerce during and following a disaster; and, • Partner with local businesses to educate customers about potential hazards in the community and possible mitigation ideas. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 14 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 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 may impact your community; • 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. Authority In the past, federal legislation has provided funding for disaster relief, recovery, and some hazard mitigation planning. The DMA 2000 is the latest legislation to improve the planning aspect of that process; it reinforces the importance of mitigation planning and emphasizes planning for disasters before they occur. The DMA 2000 establishes a pre-disaster hazard mitigation program and designates new requirements for the national post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Section 322 identifies the new requirements for planning activities and increases the amount of HMGP 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, 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 andEmergency 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--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 15 Plan Review Requirement §201.6(c)(1) The contractor, Lux Mitigation and Planning, had the primary responsibility for collecting updated information and presenting pertinent data to the Plan Update Committee. An online, Dropbox folder was created for Pickens County’s Plan Update. The approved 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan was uploaded to the Dropbox folder, and the link to the folder was emailed to all members of the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee. Each chapter of the 2018 Plan was reviewed. Hazard vulnerability and risk assessment data was updated, as was critical infrastructure information. Special attention and consideration were given to the review and edit of mitigation strategies listed in the 2018 Plan. The Plan Update Committee examined each strategy and determined whether the strategy had been completed, needed to be modified, was in progress, or no longer applied. The Committee was highly encouraged to create new mitigation strategies to meet the current needs of the county and municipalities. Mitigation strategies from other Georgia counties were reviewed to help with the creation of new strategies. When the Committee agreed a new mitigation action would be beneficial, it was tailored to Pickens County’s needs and was included in the 2023 Plan. The contractor sent the Committee, including sporadically attending participants, regular emails which contained a Dropbox link to the most updated version of the Plan and encouraged the Committee to thoroughly critique each version. Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee Meeting Dates Tuesday, August 22, 2023 Morning Session Kick-Off Meeting; Introduction to Hazard Mitigation Afternoon Session Hazard Identification and Prioritization; Community Risk Assessment Analysis Tuesday, September 12, 2023 Morning Session Essential and Critical Facilities Afternoon Session Review and Edit 2018 Mitigation Strategies Tuesday, October 24, 2023 Morning Session Discuss/Create New Mitigation Strategies for 2023 Plan Afternoon Session Discuss Draft of 2023 Plan; Discuss Available Hazard Mitigation Grants; Discuss Other Hazard Mitigation Plan Uses *The public was welcome and encouraged to attend all Hazard Mitigation Plan Update meetings. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 16 Significant Changes to the 2019 Plan Each section of Pickens County’s 2018 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. Significant additions/modifications to this Plan include the following: • Addition of Tropical Cyclone to Natural Hazards • Addition of Landslide to Natural Hazards • Addition of Extreme Temperatures to Natural Hazards • Addition of Critical Infrastructure Failure to Technological Hazards • Addition of Emergent Infectious Disease to Technological Hazards ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 17 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Participants Requirement §201.6(b)(2) The following 30 participants contributed to the update of Pickens County’s 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan: (in alphabetical order) Kirk Anderson Director Pickens County Public Works Trevor Beavers Fire Chief and Assistant Public Safety Director Bent Tree Community Bethany Brown Interim Director Pickens County Planning and Development Joseph Charon Public Safety/Emergency Management Manager Piedmont Mountainside Hospital Donald E. Craig Sheriff Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Mike Davis Assistant Chief City of Jasper Police Department Matt Dawkins Chief City of Jasper Police Department Phillip Dean Director of Utilities – Pickens County Board of Commissioners Deputy Director – Pickens County Emergency Management Agency Kelsey Essig Grants and Economic Development Specialist Pickens County Planning and Development Sloan Elrod Public Safety Director Pickens County Board of Commissioners Bryan Griffin Area Manager Georgia Power Company ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 18 Mark Harris Director Pickens County Emergency Management Agency Brandon Heath Lieutenant Uniform Patrol City of Jasper Police Department Sonia Jammes City Manager (Former) City of Jasper Richard Jordan Public Safety Director Big Canoe Property Owners Association Richie Kittrell President/Chief Operations Officer Helicopter Express, Inc. Dustin Long North Georgia Community Risk Reduction Educator Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s Office Lydell Mack Director of Operations Big Canoe Property Owners Association Miranda McDowell Finance Director – Pickens County Board of Commissioners City Finance Director – City of Nelson Cody McFarland Staff Engineer Amicalola Electric Membership Corporation Michelle Menard Operations Manager Good Samaritan Health & Wellness Center Ian Norton Assistant Chief City of Jasper Fire Department Graham Parker Communications Manager Pickens County Board of Commissioners ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 19 Tim Prather Chief Pickens County Fire Rescue John Sherrer Chief City of Jasper Fire Department Brian Shoun Senior Environmental Engineer Georgia Department of Natural Resources – Environmental Protection Division Heidi Smith Pickens County Director Georgia Department of Family and Children Services William Stone Church Administrator First Baptist Church of Jasper Steve Tipton Large Project Engineer ETC Communications Lonnie Waters GIS Pickens County Board of Commissioners The Plan Update Committee relied on their consultant to guide them through the update process. During meetings, the participants had productive discussions, expanded their professional networks, asked thoughtful questions, made important decisions, and provided critical input during key stages in the update process. Efforts were made to involve all county and municipal departments, as well as community organizations and local businesses, which may have a role in the implementation of mitigation actions and/or policies. These efforts included sending invitations via email to attend the Kick-off Meeting, sending reminder emails before each upcoming meeting, emailing pertinent information throughout the process, and requesting review and critique of each chapter in the updated Plan. The Town of Talking Rock was unable to provide representation at the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee meetings. As a result, the Town of Talking Rock deferred to the expertise of the Emergency Management Agency Director, Mark Harris, to provide representation regarding their mitigation efforts. All neighboring counties – Cherokee, Dawson, Gilmer, and Gordon – were asked to peer review the 2023 Mitigation Plan draft. The Plan was sent to each County EMA office. Additionally, the EMA Directors from surrounding counties were asked to attend Plan Update Committee meetings in hopes they would share mitigation ideas from their own counties. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 20 Public Participation Requirement §201.6(b)(1) State Requirement Element F2 Public awareness is a key component of any community’s overall mitigation strategy. As citizens become more involved in decisions that affect their safety, they may develop greater respect for the natural hazards present in their community, and thus, may take the steps necessary to reduce potential impacts of those hazards. The following local organizations and businesses participated in the update of Pickens County’s 2018 Mitigation Plan: Amicalola Electric Membership Corporation, Bent Tree Community, Big Canoe Property Owners Association, ETC Communications, First Baptist Church of Jasper, Georgia Power Company, Good Samaritan Health & Rehabilitation Center, Helicopter Express, Piedmont Mountainside Hospital The Plan Update Committee took it upon themselves to ensure the processes undertaken for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the 2023 Hazard Mitigation Plan adequately considered public needs and viewpoints. A list of public outreach initiatives can be found below: - Email reminders were sent to all Plan Update Committee members, as well as other stakeholders, prior to every meeting. Recipients were encouraged to share the meeting invitation with anyone they thought would be an asset to the Plan Update process or anyone who may want to learn more about what a Hazard Mitigation Plan is. - The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee specifically attempted to incorporate organizations and agencies that work with vulnerable populations throughout Pickens County. Many organizations were invited to attend and participate as part of the committee. Organizations that attended include Bent Tree Community (large senior population), Big Canoe POA (large senior population), and the Good Samaritan Health & Rehabilitation Center (large senior population). Each of these groups contributed significantly throughout the planning process. - The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee also directly invited members of vulnerable and underserved communities to attend and participate in the planning process by posting meeting information in many areas frequented by vulnerable and underserved populations such as the Bent Tree and Big Canoe communities as well as the local health department. Beyond the organizational representation, no members of the general public attended the meetings and no public feedback was provided. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 21 Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations FEMA does not require cities and Pickens to adopt a local Hazard Mitigation Plan. However, the Federal DMA 2000 requires that all municipalities, wishing to be eligible to receive Hazard Mitigation Grants through FEMA, must adopt a local multi-hazard mitigation plan and must update that plan every five years. Pickens County’s most recent Hazard Mitigation Plan was approved by FEMA in October 2018. The 2023 Mitigation Plan is the third five-year update. This FEMA-approved 2023 Hazard Mitigation Plan makes Pickens County, the City of Jasper, City of Nelson, and the Town of 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 working in the best interests of the County, as well as its municipalities. A few mitigation strategies in Pickens County’s 2023 Mitigation Plan apply to a specific municipality. Unless noted otherwise, mitigation strategies apply equally to all jurisdictions. 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 the Town of Talking Rock. Distribution of Buildings in Pickens County Source: 2024 Pickens County HAZUS Report ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 22 Incorporation of Existing Plans, Studies, and Resources Requirement §201.6(b)(3) State Requirement Element F3 Existing Plans 2018 Pickens County Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan 2019 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Plan Pickens County Local Emergency Operations Plan Georgia Forestry Commission’s Pickens Co. Community Wildfire Protection Plan Pickens County Joint Comprehensive Plan Studies 2024 Hazard Risk Analyses (HAZUS Report) 2017 United States Department of Agriculture Ag Census 2010 United States Census 2020 United States Census 2009 Pickens County Flood Insurance Study 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 Georgia Mitigation Information System Database Colorado State University (Hurricane mapping) 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 Southern Group of State Foresters Wildfire Risk Assessment ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 23 Application of Existing Plans and Studies Existing Planning Mechanism Reviewed? Yes/No Incorporation into 2022 Mitigation Plan 2018 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Yes Baseline for the 2022 Plan; updated mitigation strategies; updated hazards; updated Pickens County information 2019 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 2017 USDA Agriculture Census Yes Agricultural data regarding potential losses for drought and wildfire 2020 United States 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 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 Pickens County Flood Mitigation Assistance Plan No No such plan exists 2024 Pickens County HAZUS Report Yes Hazard Analysis ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 24 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 2018. Chapter 2 Section Updates Past Hazards • 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 • Identification of major hazard events in Pickens County for the last 50 years • Focus on Federal Declarations and events since the last Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Demographics • Updated data to the 2020 Census information Economy • Updated data and information Government • Updated verbiage Municipalities • Updated verbiage Transportation • Updated verbiage Climate • Updated verbiage Utilities • Updated verbiage NFIP Compliance • Updated verbiage Chapter TWO – County Profile ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 25 History Pickens County was officially created in 1853 from portions of Cherokee and Gilmer Counties. The land area of Pickens County changed throughout its earlier years. In 1858, 1863 and 1869, Pickens County grew through land additions from neighboring counties. At the same time, however, some portions of Pickens County were transferred to Dawson, Gordon, and Cherokee Counties. Pickens County is named for American Revolutionary War General Andrew Pickens. Pickens County is knows for its exceptionally pure marble and most of the early economy revolved around mining of marble. The first marble quarries and the first marble mill were established by Henry Fitzsimmons in the 1830s. Marble from Pickens County has been used in buildings across the United States including the Lincoln Memorial, the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art, the National Air and Space Museum, and the New York Stock Exchange Annex. Pickens County is also one of the few places in the world where pink marble is found. During the early 1900s, mica, copper, graphite, gold, iron, silver, slate, and talc were also mined in Pickens County. The expansion of railways into Pickens County in 1883 helped to modernize the mining industry and also led to an economic boom in the area. However, the this economic boom ended with the Great Depression. From the Great Depression until the completion of Georgia 515/Interstate 575, the economy and population of Pickens County declined. After the completion of Georgia 515/Interstate 575, there was a rapid expansion in the population and economy making Pickens County one of the fastest growing area in Georgia at the time. Today, Pickens County is considered the gateway to the North Georgia Mountains and is surrounded by nature and rich history. The area includes historical attractions and ecotourism attractions. Pickens County is also home to numerous wineries and breweries. Each year the industry of marble mining is celebrated through the Annual Georgia Marble Festival. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 26 Past Hazards Pickens County, Georgia, has faced many natural hazards in its Pickens history. Severe thunderstorms have been the most prevalent of these hazards. In the last 50 years, Pickens County has been subjected to 135 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, although with much less frequency. In Pickens County, there have been 6 documented tornadoes in the last 50 years. Because of heavy rainfall, either within Pickens County or upstream, flooding has also occurred. In the National Climactic Data Center (NCDC) databases of the National Weather Service, there is documentation of 20 flooding events for Pickens County. Winter storms and heavy snowfall have affected Pickens County on 66 occasions over the last 50 years, according to the NCDC record. Because these natural events are barely an annual occurrence, the pre- planning and preparedness component of emergency management is not as robust as northern or western states that routinely see this type of weather. Pickens County has also been impacted by the following: drought, excessive heat, tropical cyclones, earthquakes, and wildfires. Pickens County has had 20 Presidential Disaster Declarations (FEMA-declared major disasters) – four of which have occurred since the adoption of the 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan (two for COVID-19 in 2020, one for Tropical Storm Zeta in 2021, and one for Severe Storms and Tornadoes in 2021). Notable Past Events • 2021, Severe Storms and Tornadoes (Federal Declaration) • 2021, Tropical Storm Zeta (Federal Declaration) • 2020, Covid-19 Pandemic (Federal Declaration x2) • 2017, Hurricane Irma (Federal Declaration x2) • 2017, Thunderstorm Wind • 2016, Severe Storms and Flooding (Federal Declaration) • 2015, Severe Winter Storm (Federal Declaration) • 2014, Severe Winter Storm (Federal Declaration) • 2014, Severe Winter Storm (Federal Declaration) • 2013, Flash Flood • 2012, Thunderstorm Wind • 2011, Severe Storms, Tornadoes (EF3), Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding (Federal Declaration) • 2011, Thunderstorm Wind • 2011, Thunderstorm Wind • 2011, Tornado (EF1) • 2009, Hail ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 27 • 2009, Tornado (EF1) • 2008, Hail • 2005, Winter Storm • 2004, Hurricane Ivan (Federal Declaration) • 2004, Flash Flood • 2002, Tornado (F2) • 2000, Severe Winter Storm (Federal Declaration) • 2000, Ice Storm • 1998, Severe Storms and Flooding (Federal Declaration) • 1995, Hurricane Opal (Federal Declaration) • 1994, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Severe Storms (Federal Declaration) • 1993, Severe Snowfall and Winter Storm (Federal Declaration) • 1985, Tornado (F2) • 1977, Drought (Federal Declaration) • 1974, Tornado (F4) (Federal Declaration) ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 28 Demographics Pickens County 2000 Census 2010 Census 2020 Census 2022 US Estimated Census Population 22,983 29,431 33,216 34,826 White 96.2% 95.7% 95.6% 95.6% African American 1.3% 1.1% 1.5% 1.5% Hispanic/Latino 2.0% 2.8% 3.7% 3.7% Asian 0.2% 0.4% 0.7% 0.7% American Indian 0.4% 0.3% 0.5% 0.5% Two or More Races 0.8% 1.2% 1.6% 1.6% Median Age 37.9 42.1 46.2 Median Household Income $41,387 $50,282 $71,637 $71,637 Persons in Poverty 9.2% 14.6% 12.6% 10.3% Homeowners 68.8% 80.7% 80.2% 80.2% Municipalities – Population 2000 Census 2010 Census 2020 Census 2022 US Estimated Census Jasper 2,079 3,684 4,084 4,235 Nelson 589 1,314 1,145 1,210 Talking Rock 50 64 91 105 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 29 Social Vulnerability Information Social vulnerability refers to a community’s capacity to prepare for and respond to the stress of hazardous events ranging from natural disasters, such as tornadoes or disease outbreaks, to human-caused threats, such as a toxic chemical spill. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) rates social vulnerability on 16 variables. These variables are: • Percentage below the poverty level • Unemployment rate • Per capita income • Percentage of population 25+ without a high school diploma • Percentage of population below 65 without insurance • Percentage of population under 18 years of age • Percentage of population age 65 and over • Percentage of the population age 5 or older with a disability • Percentage of households with a single parent • Percentage of population that is Hispanic or non-white race • Percentage of population over the age of 5 who speak English less than “well” • Number of large apartment buildings (10 or more housing units per building) • Percentage of mobile homes • Number of housing units with more than one person per room • Number of households with no vehicle available • Percentage of population living in group quarters These 16 variables are aggregated into four overall factors: Socioeconomic Status, Household Characteristics, Racial and Ethnic Minority Status, and Household Type/Transportation. Each census tract is then mapped based upon each of these four factors and the overall SVI based upon the full 16 variables. A score is assigned based upon these variables from 0 (no social vulnerability) to 1 (very high social vulnerability). Pickens County has an Overall SVI score of 0.1392, which indicates a low level of vulnerability. Pickens County also has low levels of vulnerability for Socioeconomic Status (0.0886), and Racial/Ethnic Minority Status (0.0949). Pickens County has a low to medium level of vulnerability for Household Characteristics (0.3354) and Housing Type & Transportation (0.3228) Pickens County does have particular areas that score higher on the SVI Index and higher on each of the four factors. Areas to the east of the City of Jasper scored higher on Socioeconomic Status and the western portion of Pickens County scored higher on Household Characteristics and Housing Type & Transportation than other areas. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 30 Overall Social Vulnerability Socioeconomic Status Household Characteristics Racial and Ethnic Minority Status Housing Type/Transportation ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 31 Economy Pickens County’s economy is primarily agricultural with some light industry. Pickens County’s cost of living is 1.6% below the national average. The unemployment rate in Pickens County is 3.0%, which is below the State average of 3.2% and the National average of 3.5%. Pickens County has a median household income of $71,637, which is well above the national average of $69,021. The list of the ten largest private employers is from the Georgia Department of Labor (2021) and is listed in alphabetical order – not in order of company size or impact on the community. The ten largest private employers in Pickens County are: Company Product/Service Big Canoe Amenities LLC Gated Community Bojangles Fast Food Imerys Mining Ingles Markets, Inc. Retail: Grocery Lexington Precision Corp Manufacturing: Rubber Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, Inc. Healthcare Royston, LLC Manufacturing: Sheet Metal The Home Depot Retail: Construction/Improvement The Kroger Company Retail: Grocery Walmart Retail: General Utilities Pickens County’s utility needs are met by a variety of public and private entities. Electrical power in Pickens County is provided by the Amicalola EMC, and Georgia Power. Water in Pickens County is provided by Pickens County and the City of Jasper. There are several propane suppliers in Pickens County including Folger Gas, LLC. Transportation Pickens County’s transportation system consists primarily of state highways and county-maintained roads. Interstate 575, as well as 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 the significant population growth in Pickens County over the last 25 years. Freight rail services owned and operated by Georgia Northeastern Railroad traverse Pickens County. Pickens County is serviced by the Pickens County Airport, which has a single 5,000-foot runway. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 32 Government The form of government specified in the County Charter is known as Commissioner form of government, which provides for an elected body of Commissioners, one from each of two geographic districts, who are elected in four-year terms and a Commission Chairperson who is elected from the county at-large. Although each County Commissioner is elected as a representative from their respective districts, they represent the interests of the entire county and all 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, Vehicle Maintenance, and Emergency Management Services. 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--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 33 Climate Pickens County, like much of Georgia, enjoys a temperate climate with 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 Pickens growing season in Georgia, perfect for ornamental and economic-boosting agricultural plants. AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN GEORGIA (FAHRENHEIT) Average Georgia Temperature Average Pickens County Temperature January 46 40 February 49 44 March 56 51 April 63 59 May 70 66 June 77 73 July 80 76 August 79 75 September 74 69 October 64 59 November 56 50 December 48 43 National Flood Insurance Program Compliance JURISDICTION PARTICIPATING? PARTICIPATION DATE EFFECTIVE MAP DATE PICKENS COUNTY YES 7/1/1987 9/29/2010 JASPER YES 9/29/2010 9/29/2010 NELSON YES 9/29/1986 9/29/2010 TALKING ROCK YES 8/4/2021 9/29/2010 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 34 Municipalities City of Jasper The City of Jasper is governed by a Mayor/City Council form of government. The mayor and all five city councilmembers are elected at-large by the citizens of Jasper. Jasper provides the following services to the citizens of Jasper: Law Enforcement, Fire Department, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Planning & Zoning, Water, and Wastewater. The City of Jasper was incorporated in 1857 and was named for Revolutionary War soldier Sergeant William Jasper. The City of Jasper is nicknamed “The First Mountain City.” Jasper offers a small-town atmosphere full of quaint shops, wineries, breweries, and annual festivals including the Georgia Marble Festival. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 35 City of Nelson The City of Nelson is governed by a Mayor/City Council form of government. The City Council consists of four representatives who are elected at large and serve four-year terms. The City of Nelson provides the following services to its citizens: Administrative and Sanitation. The City of Nelson was incorporated in 1891 and was its history is inseparable from the rich vein of marble which runs beneath the city. Nelson is named for early settler John Nelson who was a landowner, farmer, and gunsmith. The city underwent a period of growth and expansion after the North Georgia Railroad extended rail lines into the area in 1883. A year after the railroad expansion, Colonel Sam Tate founded Georgia Marble Company. As the marble industry in the area continued to expand, Tate formed the Structural Division of Georgia Marble and constructed a structural stone facility in Nelson. Structural marble from the Nelson plant has been used for the New York Stock Exchange Annex, The Swan Building in New York, the Chicago Water Tower, the Federal Reserve Bank, the National Aeronautical and Aerospace Museum, and the Lincoln Memorial. Today, the City of Nelson pays homage to its marble legacy with a museum located at City Hall. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 36 Town of Talking Rock The Town of Talking Rock is governed by a Mayor/City Council form of government. The city council is made up of four members. The Town of Talking Rock was one of the earliest settlements in Pickens County and was founded along the side of a creek bearing the same name. Today the Town of Talking Rock is a quiet, quaint town filled with antique shops and a craft beer brewery. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 37 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 2018. 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 Severe Thunderstorm • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Natural Hazard Winter Storm • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Natural Hazard Flooding • 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 and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Natural Hazard Drought • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Natural Hazard Wildfire • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Natural Hazard Earthquake • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Natural Hazard Tropical Cyclone • New Section – Not in 2018 Plan Natural Hazard Landslide • New Section – Not in 2018 Plan Natural Hazard Extreme Temperatures • New Section – Not in 2018 Plan Chapter THREE – County Profile ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 38 Technological Hazard Hazardous Materials • Updated hazard description • Updated and consolidated hazard profile data • Content revised Technological Hazard Dam Failure • Updated hazard description • Updated and consolidated hazard profile data • Content revised Technological Hazard Transportation Incident • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Technological Hazard Terrorism • Updated and consolidated hazard profile with new data • Content revised Technological Hazard Infrastructure Failure • New Section – Not in 2018 Plan Technological Hazard Emergent Infectious Diseases • New Section – Not in 2018 Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 39 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 all 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 ten natural hazards and six technological hazards for this Hazard Mitigation Plan. This is an increase of three natural hazards and two technological hazards from the previous iteration of the plan. Each hazard was identified using 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 the 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 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 importance regarding flooding and dam failure events. 7. Multi-Jurisdictional Concerns: Each jurisdiction was considered when determining the potential hazard impact. The National Risk Index was utilized as a database of risk potential for how natural hazards have impacted Pickens County in the past and for how they could impact Pickens County in the future. The National Risk Index is a dataset and online tool to help illustrate the United States communities most at risk for 18 natural hazards: Avalanche, Coastal Flooding, Cold Wave, Drought, Earthquake, Hail, Heat Wave, Hurricane, Ice Storm, Landslide, Lightning, Riverine Flooding, Strong Wind, Tornado, Tsunami, Volcanic Activity, Wildfire, and Winter Weather. The National Risk Index leverages available source data for Expected Annual Loss due to these 18 hazard types, Social Vulnerability, and Community Resilience to develop a baseline relative risk measurement for each United States county and Census tract. These measurements are calculated using average past conditions, but they cannot be used to predict future outcomes for a community. The National Risk Index is intended to fill gaps in available data and analyses to better inform federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial decision makers as they develop risk reduction strategies. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 40 Here is how Pickens County scored in each category overall: These scores indicate that Pickens County has very low overall risk and expected annual loss. It also indicates relatively moderate values of social vulnerability and community resilience. In addition to the overall scores, a matrix for each hazard is also produced by the National Risk Index. As the above graphic indicates, Tornadoes have the highest expected annual loss score of any potential hazard. As far as overall risk score, a landslide is considered to be a higher risk event than any other hazard identified. In addition to reviewing hazards holistically for Pickens County, the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update committee also reviewed how hazards would specifically impact vulnerable populations. This was accomplished by analyzing the National Risk Index information by census tract to identify potential trends related to risk and social vulnerability. The three census tracts with the highest risk scores – tracts ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 41 13227050500, 13227050300, and 13227050201 – all had relatively high levels of social vulnerability. These three tracts were located in central Pickens County and include the municipalities of Talking Rock (13227050300) and Jasper (13227050201). Vulnerability in these areas was mostly related to socioeconomic status and household characteristics. However, tracts 132270500 and 13227050201 also had higher levels of vulnerability related to housing type and transportation concerns. These three areas showed particularly high levels of risk related to ice storms, landslide events, lightning events, strong wind events, tornadoes, and winter weather. Additionally, census tract 13227050300 showed a particular susceptibility to wildfire events while both tract 13227050300 and tract 132050500 showed a particularly higher risk to riverine flooding events. When assessing potential strategies related to wildfire and riverine flooding, these areas should be of particular concern. At the first meeting of the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee, the attendees participated in a risk assessment of hazard for Pickens County. This risk assessment was based upon two primary factors: 1. How likely is a hazard to occur; 2. How prepared the committee meeting participants felt the community was for each hazard. This risk assessment relied on the committee meeting attendees to identify the hazards and then rank them by those two factors. As a result, the risk assessment could be skewed by the meeting participants, recency bias, and/or how the hazard would directly impact the organizations represented at this meeting. After additional discussion with the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update committee at future meetings, the hazards in this chapter were the agreed upon list. Several of the hazards identified by the committee members were consolidated into expanded hazard descriptions. Those incorporations are notated in the below hazard ranking. Hazard Likelihood Score Preparedness Score Impact Score Total Score Severe Thunderstorms 99 7 10 116 Severe Winter Weather 69 12 23 104 Utility Failure* 13 47 42 102 Communications Failure* 3 35 54 92 Wildfire 5 20 41 66 Tornado 28 0 24 52 Flooding 15 8 13 36 Hazardous Materials Incident 0 27 3 30 Pandemic/Epidemic 1 8 20 29 Terrorism 0 18 8 26 Tropical Cyclone 6 4 9 19 Water Contamination** 0 9 3 12 Dam Failure 0 9 1 10 Transportation Incident 2 7 0 9 Infrastructure Failure* 4 3 0 7 Extreme Temperatures 0 0 5 5 Agricultural/Animal Incident*** 1 4 0 5 Sinkholes 2 1 0 3 Earthquakes 2 1 0 3 Landslide 0 0 0 0 *Utility Failure, Communications Failure, and Infrastructure Failure have been combined into a single hazard titled Critical Infrastructure Failure **Water Contamination incorporated into Hazardous Materials Incident and Terrorism ***Agricultural/Animal Incident incorporated into Pandemic/Epidemic and Terrorism (Bioterrorism) ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 42 Natural Hazard: Severe Thunderstorm 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 can 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. 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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 43 Natural Hazard: Severe Thunderstorm 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. 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 one of 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 on several occasions, most recently in 2005. Thunderstorm winds of 75 mph have been reported on many occasions in Pickens County, with the most recent occurring in 2023. 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 5 thunderstorm events were recorded between 1973 and 1993, likely a vast underestimation of actual events. 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. All information has been gathered on a countywide basis. All thunderstorm hazard data included for Pickens County is limited to countywide data and is not broken down by jurisdiction. During the last 50 years, 120 thunderstorm events were recorded in Pickens County, with 115 of those occurring in the last 30 years. This number includes 49 hail events and 4 lightning reports. According to these records, Pickens County has a 1.1% daily chance of a thunderstorm event based upon data from the last 30 years. Over the last 10 years, Pickens County has averaged 4.0 thunderstorm events per year (40 events). 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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 44 Natural Hazard: Severe Thunderstorm As indicated by the below graphics, Pickens County averages 20.4 flashes of cloud to ground lightning per square kilometer per year. That equals a 5.6% 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--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 45 Natural Hazard: Severe Thunderstorm 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 affected Pickens County. These winds can exceed 100 mph and cause damage comparable to weak tornadoes. Municipality # of Thunderstorms Annual Risk JASPER 34 100% NELSON 5 20% TALKING ROCK 7 28% This Table identifies the number of Thunderstorms for municipalities over the last 25 years 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 $2.9 million, or $59,460 annually. However, all estimated damages reported have occurred over the last 30 years. When extrapolated over 30 years, the annual average nearly doubles to $99,100. These numbers are thought to be a gross underestimation of actual past damages. According to the National Risk Index, Pickens County has an estimated annual loss of $874,722 for lightning, hail, and strong winds. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 46 Natural Hazard: Severe Thunderstorm Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 47 Natural Hazard: Severe Thunderstorm Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 48 Natural Hazard: Severe Thunderstorm Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 49 Natural Hazard: Severe Thunderstorm Land Use & Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Thunderstorms beyond continued population growth – particularly around the City of Jasper. 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. Climate Change Considerations How climate change impacts severe thunderstorms in Pickens County in the future has yet to be determined. It is possible that severe thunderstorms could increase, decrease, or remain the same in frequency and/or increase, decrease, or remain the same in severity. As a result, future probability cannot be determined with current available data. 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. Thunderstorm Events Since 2019 in Pickens County Location County/Zone St. Date Time Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 0 0 620.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 06/02/2019 15:39 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 06/20/2019 05:40 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 4.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 06/21/2019 23:55 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 30.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 06/22/2019 20:35 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/23/2019 15:48 Thunderstorm Wind 45 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 08/19/2019 13:36 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K KEASLEY PICKENS CO. GA 08/24/2019 14:35 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 3.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 01/11/2020 17:05 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 05/04/2020 23:38 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 6.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 06/14/2020 17:00 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2020 15:38 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2020 15:45 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 2.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2020 15:50 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 50 ROBER PICKENS CO. GA 08/03/2020 13:09 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 15.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 02/17/2022 20:58 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 06/17/2022 15:17 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 06/17/2022 15:28 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 08/20/2022 19:30 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALMADGE PICKENS CO. GA 03/03/2023 15:13 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 03/03/2023 15:26 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 03/03/2023 15:48 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 04/01/2023 06:25 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HOLCOMB PICKENS CO. GA 06/11/2023 19:58 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K CAGLE PICKENS CO. GA 06/25/2023 16:00 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/02/2023 17:24 Thunderstorm Wind 43 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:10 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 2.00K 0.00K SCARECORN PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:10 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 15.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:15 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:20 Thunderstorm Wind 65 kts. EG 0 0 500.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 51 Natural Hazard: Winter Storm 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 enough depths to pose some threat to motorists and pedestrians. A heavy accumulation of ice, which is often accompanied by high winds, can 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. Within Georgia, the impacts of winter storms are often contained within the northern part of the State. However, events like the 1993 “storm of the century” illustrated the vast impacts that one storm can have on the entire state. The winter storms with the greatest impacts on Georgia are the result of coastal storms coming up from the Gulf of Mexico, including the winter storms in 1973 and 1993. The 1973 storm produced snowfalls of up to 19 inches in parts of Central Georgia including the City of Thomaston in Upson County. Also, a major ice storm occurred in 2014, bringing up to 1 inch of ice to the eastern portion of the State near Augusta. 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. The elevation changes, steepness of major roads, and lack of easy accessibility to some areas make winter weather particularly problematic for Pickens County. They also can cause damage to private property, businesses, and trees throughout the county. 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. During the past twenty-seven years, documentation exists for 64 winter storm events in Pickens County. This equates to 2.4 winter storms per year in Pickens County. No consolidated data can be located prior to this timeframe. All winter storm data has been gathered on a countywide basis. For additional historical ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 52 Natural Hazard: Winter Storm data, please see Appendix D. All winter storm hazard data included for Pickens County is limited to countywide data and is not broken down by jurisdiction. Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan 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. During the 1993 snow event, parts of Pickens County reported over 15 inches of snow and all areas received at least 8 inches of snow. Ice event are another type of winter storm that has impacted Pickens County in the past. These types of winter storms can be particularly crippling due to the increased threat of tree falls related to the weight of accumulated ice and subsequent utility infrastructure failure. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 53 Natural Hazard: Winter Storm Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan During the 2014 Ice Storm event, parts of eastern Pickens County received up to 0.15 inch of ice. Additionally, the same areas had received 2-4 inches of snow a couple of days before, which exacerbated the impact of the freezing rain. Assets Exposed to the Hazard Since winter storms are indiscriminate regarding location, the Pickens County HMPC determined that all public and private property, including all critical infrastructure, are susceptible to impacts from winter storms with areas of higher elevation more likely to receive direct impacts. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 54 Natural Hazard: Winter Storm Estimated Potential Losses Over the last 50 years, over $1.1 million in damages have been reported in Pickens County from winter storm events. This equates to $22,720 annually in damages. However, all reported damages have been from the last 27 years. When extrapolated over 27 years, the annual damage amount nearly doubles to $42,074. However, this is likely a gross underestimation of the damages winter storms have caused in Pickens County in the past. Pickens County has an estimated annual loss of $299,589 related to severe winter weather according to the National Risk Index. Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan Land Use & Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Winter Storms beyond continued population growth – particularly around the City of Jasper. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 55 Natural Hazard: Winter Storm Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 56 Natural Hazard: Winter Storm Assets Exposed to the Hazard Since winter storms are indiscriminate regarding location, the Pickens County HMPC determined that all public and private property, including all critical infrastructure, are susceptible to impacts from winter 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 including all municipalities. Climate Change Considerations How climate change impacts winter storms in Pickens County in the future has yet to be determined. It is possible that winter storms could increase, decrease, or remain the same in frequency and/or increase, decrease, or remain the same in severity. As a result, future probability cannot be determined with current available data. 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. Winter Storm Events since 2019 in Pickens County Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/29/2019 06:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/08/2020 08:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/30/2020 18:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/01/2020 00:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/02/2022 23:00 EST- 5 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/16/2022 00:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/16/2022 00:00 EST- 5 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 57 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 enough 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 flooding has caused significant damage on many occasions over the last 25 years. One significant flooding event that affected Pickens County occurred in 2004. This event caused over $100,000 in reported damages according to the National Climactic Data Center. During this event, a flash flooding initial event was followed by persistent moderate to heavy rainfall and more general flooding in Pickens County. Most notably, Georgia Highway 136 had several areas wash out. Numerous other county roads were also washed out. Overall, 12 bridges and culvert sustained damage from the flood event. Overall, Pickens County has had over $225,000 in damages from flooding events in the last 25 years. Extrapolated over 25 years, the equates to $9,040 in annual damages. While data was collected for the entire 50-year timeframe, little information was available regarding flood events prior to 1996, possibly due to poor record keeping. All flood data was gathered on a countywide basis. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 58 Natural Hazard: Flooding Flood events within Pickens County are typically associated with areas of special flood hazard as identified on Flood Rate Insurance Maps (FIRMs) published by FEMA. 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 because of flood waters. Pickens County’s significant elevation changes also increases the impact of short duration, heavy rain events leading to flash flooding. Pickens County has one flood gage that provide recent historical data and potential flood levels. This gage is located on Talking Rock Creek near Patterson Road. At this location, flood stage is reached at 10 feet. At this level, minor flooding occurs in the woodlands upstream and from the gage. Erosion conditions will likely begin to develop as a result. At 14 feet, moderate flood stage is reached and extensive woodland flooding will occur just of the merger with Scarecorn Creek. At 16 feet, major flood stage is reached. At this level, floodwaters being to reach the foundation of homes on Rushing Waters Court upstream and Creekside Lane from the gage. This gage has a recorded high water level of 15.65 feet, which occurred in July of 2003. For the City of Jasper, several commercial structures along Zell Miller Mountain Parkway, Sammy McGhee Boulevard, and West Church Street would be impacted in a 100-year annual risk) flood event. Most structures in these areas would be inundated with less than 1 foot of water. Flooding in this area would mostly be the result of a tributary of Town Creek. In Nelson, only a few structures would be directly impacted by a 100-year annual risk) flood event. Impacts would mostly be along Canton Road, Blueridge Avenue, and Ray Mountain Road. Some residential structures on Canton Road and Blueridge Avenue would be inundated with up to 1 foot of water in a 100-year annual risk) flood event. For the Town of Talking Rock, Talking Rock Creek provides the greatest threat during a 100-year annual risk) flood event. Many commercial properties along Georgia 136 would be inundated with up to 2 feet of water during a 100-year annual risk) flood event. There are 15 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 3.3 years in Pickens County. This relates to a 30% chance of a flood event occurring in a given year. However, all identified flood events have occurred over the last 25 years. When extrapolated over 25 years, Pickens County has averaged a flood event every 1.7 years and has a 60% annual chance of a flood event of some magnitude occurring. 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. There are approximately 464 buildings identified in the flood plain. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 59 Natural Hazard: Flooding Municipality # of Flood Events Annual Risk JASPER 5 20% NELSON 3 12% TALKING ROCK 6 24% The above information is for the last 25 years Estimated Potential Losses The flooding events in Pickens County over the last 50 years have led to over $226,000 in damages. Extrapolated over 50 years, this results in an annual average of $4,520 per year. However, all reported damages have occurred in the last 25 years. As a result, the average over the last 25 years is $9,040 annually. These estimations are believed to be a gross underestimation of both prior and potential damages from flood events. Based upon the estimations from the 2023 Pickens County HAZUS Report, a flood equivalent to the 1% riverine flood levels could result in estimated losses of more than $33 million (464 buildings). However, it is possible that some areas may not experience total losses while others not designated in the 1% annual risk areas may be inundated with flood water. According to the National Risk Index, Pickens County has an estimated annual loss of $121,340 related to Riverine Flooding events. Land Use & Development Trends 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. Pickens 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 of 2018. Currently, the Pickens County municipalities of Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock also participate in NFIP through the application of appropriate NFIP-compliant ordinances and regulations. Administration of the Pickens County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance is the responsibility of the Pickens County Land Development Control Officer. The Pickens County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance is located in Part I, Chapter 38, Article V of the Pickens County Code of Ordinances. The Pickens County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance administrator duties include, but are not limited to: Review proposed development to assure that the permit requirements of this article have been satisfied. Review proposed development to assure that all necessary permits have been received from governmental agencies from which approval is required by federal or state law, including section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, 33 U.S.C. 1334. Require that copies of such permits be provided and maintained on file. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 60 Natural Hazard: Flooding Review all permit applications to determine whether proposed building sites will be reasonably safe from flooding. When base flood elevation data or floodway data have not been provided in accordance with section 38-506, then the county land development control officer shall obtain, review and reasonably utilize any base flood elevation and floodway data available from a federal, state or other sources in order to administer the provisions of division 4 of this article. Review and record the actual elevation in relation to mean sea level (or highest adjacent grade) of the lowest floor, including basement, of all new or substantially improved structures in accordance with subsection 38-522(2). Review and record the actual elevation, in relation to mean sea level to which any new or substantially improved structures have been floodproofed, in accordance with subsection 38- 522(2). When floodproofing is utilized for a structure, the county land development control officer shall obtain certification of design criteria from a registered professional engineer or architect in accordance with subsection 38-522(1)c. and subsection 38-532(2) or subsection 38-534(2). Make substantial damage determinations following a flood event or any other event that causes damage to structures in flood hazard areas. Notify adjacent communities and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources prior to any alteration or relocation of a watercourse and submit evidence of such notification to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). (10) For any altered or relocated watercourse, submit engineering data/analysis within six months to the FEMA to ensure accuracy of community flood maps through the letter of map revision process. Assure flood carrying capacity of any altered or relocated watercourse is maintained. (11) Where interpretation is needed as to the exact location of boundaries of the areas of special flood hazard (for example, where there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions) the county land development control officer shall make the necessary interpretation. Any person contesting the location of the boundary shall be given a reasonable opportunity to appeal the interpretation as provided in this article. (12) All records pertaining to the provisions of this article shall be maintained in the office of the county land development control officer and shall be open for public inspection. The building official is responsible for the administration of the flood prevention ordinance for the City of Jasper. In Nelson and Talking Rock, it is the responsibility of the Mayor or their designee. For the substantial damage portion of the flood prevention ordinance, the floodplain administrator will utilize tax assessor’s data to determine market value for all damaged structures. Substantial damage will be determined by assessing whether the repairs needed to bring a structure back to pre-damage conditions exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure. If so, then the structure will be determined to be of “substantial damage.” This determination will be communicated to the property owners and any appeals will be held in accordance with established appeals procedures for permit applications. Once appeals are resolved, permitting will commence and inspections will occur as normally scheduled. Any technical assistance needed will be requested from the State of Georgia and/or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There is one repetitive loss residential property identified in Pickens County. This property has a total repetitive loss of $37,701.76. The repetitive loss property is located in the City of Jasper. This property is not considered a severe repetitive loss structure. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 61 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 – particularly along Talking Rock Creek, Scarecorn Creek, and their tributaries and distributaries. All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, could potentially be impacted. Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 62 Natural Hazard: Flooding Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 63 Natural Hazard: Flooding Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 64 Natural Hazard: Flooding Climate Change Considerations Climate change could also play a role in the future of how flooding events impact Pickens County. According to the 2019-2024 Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan, increased heavy rainfall events would likely lead to a greater threat of future flood and flash flood events in Pickens County. As a result, the probability of future flooding events is likely to increase. Hazard Summary Flooding has the potential to inflict significant damage within Pickens County, particularly along Talking Rock Creek, Scarecorn Creek, and their tributaries and 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. Flood Events in Pickens County since 2018 Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/19/2019 14:40 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 02/06/2020 10:00 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 02/06/2020 10:30 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 02/06/2020 10:30 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 02/06/2020 11:00 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 65 Natural Hazard: Flooding Pickens County Nelson ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 66 Natural Hazard: Flooding Jasper Talking Rock Note: All “light blue” shaded areas indicate the extent of the 100-year (or 1% annual) flood risk All Flood Maps are from the Georgia DFIRM Flood Map Program ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 67 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. Source: International Code Council 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 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 68 Natural Hazard: Tornado 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 ranges 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. 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 7 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 7.1 years. On an annual basis, Pickens County has a 14% chance of being impacted from a tornado event. When only the last twenty-five years are considered, the likelihood of a tornado affecting Pickens County increases to 20% (5 tornadoes since 1998). Individual tornado events can cause extreme damage to an area. The strongest tornado on record in the last 50 years for Pickens County was a F4 that occurred in 1974. This tornado was on the ground for 7.6 miles and caused over $2.5 million in damages. There was 1 fatality and 17 injuries associated with this storm, which impacted the Yellow Creek area of southeast Pickens County. This tornado was one of the strongest tornadoes to impact the State of Georgia and was part of the April 1974 “Super Outbreak” event, which included nearly 150 tornadoes across the country in a two-day period. The tornado that produced the greatest amount of damage in Pickens County history was an EF3 that was part of the April 27-28, 2011 outbreak. This storm, which was a continuation of a tornado that originally touched down in Bartow County, caused over $8 million in damages. Overall, 26 homes and/or businesses were destroyed and another 15 suffered major damage. All tornado hazard data included for Pickens County is limited to countywide data and is not broken down by jurisdiction. 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 over $21.5 million, or $432,500 annually. However, singular events can cause a significant impact in the amount of losses. Documented damage estimates for tornado events in Pickens County have varied wildly depending on what was damaged. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 69 Natural Hazard: Tornado According to the National Risk Index, Pickens County has an estimated annual loss of $1,748,834 related to tornado events. Within the 2024 Pickens County 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 472 buildings and result in losses more than $16 million with the City of Jasper suffering the greatest economic impacts. Source: 2024 Pickens County HAZUS Report Land Use & Development Trends Pickens County main land use trend related to Tornadoes involves continued population growth – particularly around the City of Jasper. 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 included all municipalities. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 70 Natural Hazard: Tornado Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 71 Natural Hazard: Tornado Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 72 Natural Hazard: Tornado Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 73 Natural Hazard: Tornado Climate Change Considerations How climate change impacts tornadoes in Pickens County in the future has yet to be determined. It is possible that tornadoes could increase, decrease, or remain the same in frequency and/or increase, decrease, or remain the same in severity. As a result, future probability cannot be determined with current available data. Hazard Summary Pickens County remains at risk to potential damage from tornadoes, especially considering the average of one tornado every 50 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. Tornado Events in Pickens County since 2019 Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 0 0 0.00K 0.00K SCARECORN PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:13 EST-5 Tornado EF0 0 0 0.00K 0.00K DANIELS PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:23 EST-5 Tornado EF1 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 74 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 is undetermined, because 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. 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 13 drought events in the last 25 years, according to data from the National Climatic Data Center. This amounts to a 52% chance of a drought for a given year over the last 25 years. The economic impact of these droughts, including crop damage, is not available. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 75 Natural Hazard: Drought All drought hazard data included for Pickens County is limited to countywide data and is not broken down by jurisdiction. There have been two recent examples of “exceptional” drought events affecting Pickens County. These events occurred in 2016 and 2008. Both events reached the D4 (Exceptional Drought) designation, according to data from the United States Drought Monitor. Below are maps of these two events. Source: USDA Drought Monitor – University of Nebraska-Lincoln ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 76 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. Of particular concern to Pickens County is the impact drought can have on wildfire. Drought can exacerbate the impacts of a wildfire by increasing fire load and overall fire danger. 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 because 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. According to the National Risk Index, Pickens County has an estimated annual loss of $660 related to drought events. Additionally, according to the 2017 Agriculture Census data, Pickens County’s market value of products sold was $77,101,000. The vast majority of this is related to the poultry industry. Source: United States Drought Monitor (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 77 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 municipalities. Climate Change Considerations It is unclear how climate change could impact droughts in the future. According to the 2019-2024 Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan, droughts could become more frequent and more severe, although significant changes in the frequency and severity of droughts are not expected. Increased temperatures could lead to quicker evaporation rates for crops and wetland areas, which could have ecological and economic impacts for Pickens County. As a result, the probability will likely increase for the occurrence of drought in the future. 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--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 78 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Hazard Description A wildfire is an uncontained fire that spreads through the environment. Wildfires can 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. 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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 79 Natural Hazard: Wildfire 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, the significant elevation changes within the county, and the high percentage of inaccessible areas. The latter two make wildland firefighting operations significantly more difficult. 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. 98.9% of Pickens County’s population lives within the WUI. All wildfire hazard data included for Pickens County is limited to countywide data and is not broken down by jurisdiction. Wildfire statistics were not available for the 50-year timeframe at the time of this profile. Georgia Forestry Commission, Pickens County had 103 wildfires from 2012 to 2023 that consumed a total of 371.9 acres. This equates to an average of 8.58 wildfires per year and these fires consume an average of 30.99 acres per year. Pickens County has a 2.4% daily chance of a wildfire. Historically, debris burning has been the top reason for wildfires in Pickens County. 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. Jurisdiction Percentage of Population in WUI Pickens County 99.6% Jasper 99.9% Nelson 100% Talking Rock 100% Estimated Potential Losses Little information is available regarding damages, in terms of dollars, for wildfire losses in Pickens County. According to the 2017 Ag Census by the USDA, Pickens County has just over $77 million in annual agriculture sales. These areas would potentially be impacted by a wildfire event. According to the National Risk Index, Pickens County has an estimated annual loss of $2,262 related to wildfire events. 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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 80 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Georgia Wildfire Ignition Density Source: Southern Group of State Foresters Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal 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 municipalities. Climate Change Considerations It is not clear how climate change could potentially impact wildfire development in Pickens County. Increased temperatures and increased evaporation rates could lead to a larger fire load for wildland fires in Pickens County. However, increased heavy rainfall events could mitigate some of this threat. As a result, future probability cannot be determined with current available data. 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 99.6% 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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 81 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Pickens County WUI Risk Pickens County Burn Probability ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 82 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Pickens County Fire Intensity Scale Jasper WUI Risk ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 83 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Jasper Burn Probability Jasper Fire Intensity Scale ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 84 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Nelson WUI Risk Nelson Burn Probability ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 85 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Nelson Fire Intensity Scale Talking Rock WUI Risk ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 86 Natural Hazard: Wildfire Talking Rock Burn Probability Talking Rock Fire Intensity Scale All maps in this section are from the Southern Group of State Foresters Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 87 Natural Hazard: Earthquake 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 most of the 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. 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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 88 Natural Hazard: Earthquake 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: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan Hazard Profile Pickens County is one of the 37 Georgia counties with the highest earthquake risk, according to Georgia Emergency Management Agency. In reviewing data of the last 50 years, no earthquake has originated from within Pickens County. The closest earthquake by origin to Pickens County was a 2.0 that occurred in Gordon County near the Pickens County line in 1994. Overall, 196 earthquakes have originated within 75 kilometers of Jasper, GA in the last 50 years. The strongest earthquake to occur within the 75-kilometer radius was a 4.2 that occurred 11 km east-northeast of Lafayette, GA in 1984. Pickens County averages 3.92 earthquakes every year occurring within 75 kilometers of Jasper, GA. This equates to a 1.1% daily chance of an earthquake occurring within 75 kilometers of Jasper, GA. The most recent earthquake to occur within this area occurred on September 3, 2023 near Morganton, GA. The majority of the earthquakes that occur within 75 km of Jasper occur in Murray and Whitfield County areas. According to the National Risk Index, Pickens County has a 0.100% annual chance of an earthquake. 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. All earthquake hazard data included for Pickens County is limited to countywide data and is not broken down by jurisdiction. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 89 Natural Hazard: Earthquake 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 an earthquake due to the lower building codes with regards to earthquakes when compared to other parts of the country. This includes all municipalities. Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 90 Natural Hazard: Earthquake Estimated Potential Losses Little information is available regarding damages, in terms of dollars, for earthquake losses in Pickens County. According to the National Risk Index, Pickens County has an estimated annual loss of $330,791 related to earthquake events. Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to earthquakes. Source: 2019-2024 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 91 Natural Hazard: Earthquake 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 municipalities. Earthquakes near Pickens County have been more frequent in the Whitfield and Murray County areas, which would cause greater overall concern for impacts for the municipalities closer to the eastern reaches of Pickens County, such as Talking Rock. Climate Change Considerations Climate change is expected to have no impact on the future risk of earthquakes in 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 all municipalities. Secondary impacts, such as landslides during or after an earthquake, are also of a great concern and are detailed in a separate section of this plan. 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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 92 Natural Hazard: Tropical Cyclone Hazard Description The National Weather Service describes tropical cyclones systems in the Atlantic Basin, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, into four types based on strength. Tropical Disturbance: A discrete tropical weather system of apparently organized thunderstorms – generally 100 to 300 nautical miles in diameter – originating in the tropics or subtropics, and maintaining its identity for 24 hours or more. Tropical Depression: An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less. Tropical Storm: An organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph (34-63 knots). Hurricane: An intense tropical weather system with a well-defined circulation, producing maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or greater. Hurricane intensity is classified into five categories using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale. Winds in a hurricane range from 74-95 mph for a Category 1 hurricane to greater than 156 mph for a Category 5 hurricane. Tropical cyclones can cause catastrophic damage to coastlines and areas several hundred miles inland. Tropical cyclones can produce sustained high winds and spawn tornadoes and microbursts. Additionally, tropical cyclones can create storm surges along the coast and cause extensive damage from heavy rainfall. Floods and flying debris from the excessive winds are often the deadly and destructive results of these weather events. Slow moving tropical cyclones traveling into mountainous regions tend to produce especially heavy rain. Excessive rain can trigger landslides or mudslides. Flash flooding can also occur due to intense rainfall. Each of these hazards present unique characteristics and challenges; therefore, the following have been separated and analyzed as individual hazards: Tropical cyclones, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Flooding. This section will focus on the direct effects of tropical cyclones. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 93 Natural Hazard: Tropical Cyclone Hazard Profile Tropical cyclones have directly impacted Pickens County on an infrequent basis over the last 50 years. However, the possibility of a hurricane or tropical storm retaining their wind strength as far inland as Pickens County is possible. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, there has been 15 documented impacts from Topical Cyclones in Pickens County over the last 20 years. This equates to a 75% chance of a tropical cyclone impacting Pickens County in any given year. The more likely impacts of a tropical cyclone on Pickens County would be secondary impacts, such as flooding, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms. Three tropical cyclones – Tropical Storm Fred in 2021, Hurricane Cindy in 2005, and Hurricane Babe in 1977 – have had a track that directly dissected Pickens County in the last 50 years. All tropical cyclone hazard data included for Pickens County is limited to countywide data and is not broken down by jurisdiction. In 2017, Hurricane Irma dropped 2-2.75 inches of rain on Pickens County and wind gusts up to 48 mph (tropical storm-strength) were reported in the county. Source: NOAA Office for Coastal Management ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 94 Natural Hazard: Tropical Cyclone The impacts that would result from hurricane or tropical storm forces on the citizens, infrastructure, and critical facilities of Pickens County could be potentially catastrophic in nature. 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 direct and indirect impacts of a tropical cyclone. This includes all municipalities. Source: 2019-2024 Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 95 Natural Hazard: Tropical Cyclone ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 96 Natural Hazard: Tropical Cyclone Source: 2019-2024 Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan Estimated Potential Losses Little information is available regarding damages, in terms of dollars, is available for tropical cyclone losses in Pickens County. Most losses for these events have been labeled under other impacts, such as tornadoes and flooding. According to the National Risk Index, Pickens County has an estimated annual loss of $70,425 related to hurricane events. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 97 Natural Hazard: Tropical Cyclone According to the 2024 Pickens County HAZUS Report, a 1% annual risk tropical cyclone event would produce winds up to 64 mph in Pickens County, which would be a Tropical Storm. A storm of this magnitude would create more than $715,000 in damages, which equates to a 0.02% loss ratio. A storm of this magnitude would create nearly 1,381 tons of debris. Source: 2024 Pickens County HAZUS Report Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Tropical Cyclones. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, could potentially be threatened by tropical cyclones. As such, all tropical cyclone mitigation actions should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all municipalities. Climate Change Considerations Climate change could, potentially, have a significant impact on the expected impacts of tropical cyclones on Pickens County. Tropical cyclones could become more frequent and/or more severe as a result of climate change. Some studies, however, have projected fewer, but stronger, tropical cyclones in the future. With either an increase in severity or an increase in frequency, tropical cyclones could pose a greater risk to Pickens County in the future leading to increased probability of impacts. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 98 Natural Hazard: Tropical Cyclone Hazard Summary Even with the relative infrequency of tropical cyclone impacts in Pickens County in the recent past, the potential losses and impacts associated with the event would severely damage the infrastructure and economic viability of Pickens County and all municipalities. The mitigation measures identified in this plan for tropical cyclones should be pursued based on the high impact potential of this hazard and the ability for tropical cyclones to inflict widespread devastation anywhere in Pickens County. Pickens County has had five Federally Declared Disaster related to Tropical Cyclones, most recently in 2021 (Hurricane Zeta). ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 99 Natural Hazard: Landslide Hazard Description The term landslide covers a wide range of ground movement. Landslides vary in size and can travel at a rate of a few inches per month to many feet per second depending on slope, type of materials, and moisture content. Geology, topography, weather and other disasters, such as earthquakes or floods, contribute to landslides. Determining the probability of landslide events is difficult because so many factors can contribute to the cause of a ground failure. Because there is a history of landslides in unincorporated Pickens County in the past, it is safe to assume they will occur in the future. Landslides in Pickens County are normally associated with intense or prolonged rain. A combination of precipitation and slopes weakened by heavy rain creating saturated soils is one stimulus. Earthquakes of a magnitude of 4.0 or greater can also induce landslides on susceptible slopes. The primary types of landslides that occur in Pickens County are debris flows and earth flows. Debris flows are also called mudslides, mudflows, or debris avalanches. They are rivers of a combination of loose soil, rock, organic matter, water, and air that flow downhill. As they continue downhill they tend to grow in volume with the addition of water, soil, boulders and other materials. When the flow reaches flatter ground, it can spread over a large area. Earth flows usually occur in fine-grained materials or clay bearing rocks on moderate slopes. The slope’s material liquefies and forms a bowl shape depression at the source area. Hazard Profile Normally, landslides in Pickens County have resulted in traffic problems on both state highways and county roads and property damage. There have been ongoing traffic blockages in the unincorporated county due to landslides. Roads along steep slopes are very susceptible to landslides and a slide can happen during milder rainfall conditions then would be expected for a major event. It would also be a threat to public health due to problems of access to medical services. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 100 Natural Hazard: Landslide Source: 2014 State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy (most up-to-date version) Expanded development will increase the incidence of landslides, especially on steep slopes. Debris flow on natural slopes is a threat to timber harvest as well. Landslides because of flooding will extend the spread of debris, increase property damages due to weakened structures, and may seriously restrict provision of emergency services. According to the National Risk Index, there were 2 landslides in Pickens County from 2010-2021. There is no database of landslides from which to pull accurate frequency data. One landslide that impacted Pickens County occurred in 2019 when part of Jones Mountain Road was destroyed as a result of a landslide. The landslide caused disruptions for nearly 6 months while repairs were made, which included bringing in over 500 truckloads of dirt to stabilize the slope. However, minor landslides are an annual occurrence in Pickens County. Landslides of a more significant impact are low frequency, but high impact, events. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 101 Natural Hazard: Landslide 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 landslide due to the unpredictable nature of landslides and overall high elevation of Pickens County. This includes all cities and Pickens located within Pickens County. Estimated Potential Losses Little information is available regarding damages, in terms of dollars, is available for landslide losses in Pickens County. According to the National Risk Index, the expected annual loss for a Landslide event in Pickens County is $67,332. Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to Landslides beyond continued development and population growth, which increases the likelihood of residential and commercial damage as a result of a landslide. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, potentially could be threatened by landslides. Due to its location, Talking Rock is the municipality most at risk from impacts from a landslide. As such, all landslide mitigation actions should be pursued on a countywide basis and include all cities and Pickens located within Pickens County. Climate Change Considerations It is unclear what impact climate change could have on future landslides in Pickens County. Increased drought conditions or increased heavy rainfall events could have opposing impacts on landslide potential. Additional information is needed in regards to the impact climate change could have on this hazard. Hazard Summary Even with the infrequency of landslide 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 landslides to inflict widespread devastation anywhere in Pickens County. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 102 Natural Hazard: Extreme Temperatures Hazard Description Extreme temperatures – both hot and cold – can pose a significant threat to an underprepared population. This is particularly true in areas where a population has a large elderly population, a large population of small children, and a population with lower socioeconomic status. The term extreme heat can be subjective to a degree. FEMA, in their “Mitigation Ideas” publication defines extreme heat as “the condition where temperatures consistently stay ten degrees or more above a region’s average high temperature for an extended period.” The key to this definition is, extreme heat is relative to the average temperature, regardless of the time of year. For example, the National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) records heat events in Georgia with 60- and 70-degree temperatures in December and January, simply because they are significantly higher than the average temperature for that time of year. According to www.ready.gov/heat, FEMA also offers another definition of extreme heat: “In most of the United States, extreme heat is defined as a long period (2 to 3 days) of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees.” This definition can also lead to some subjectivity in the term “extreme.” For example, people that live in the southern parts of the country are more adapted to temperatures in the 90s and 100s than people that live in the more northern tiers. This is not to say those temperatures are not still dangerous. Notably, in recent years, more heat related deaths have occurred in the southern tier states than the northern tiers. The National Weather Service, however, focuses on “Excessive Heat,” defining it as heat indices of 105 degrees or more using a combination of temperature and humidity as a “real feel.” Just as extreme heat can be subjective, so can extreme cold. Just as the National Weather Service utilizes heat index to attempt to quantify extreme heat, wind chill is often utilized to quantify extreme cold. Prolonged and/or unprotected exposure to extreme cold can be detrimental to people and animals. Additionally, it can be detrimental to exposed infrastructure, as well. Hazard Profile According to the National Climactic Data Center, Pickens County have been exposed to extreme cold/wind chill and excessive heat events on 24 occasions since 1996. This means that Pickens County has averaged 1 extreme temperature event every 1.13 years since 1996. This included 13 extreme cold events and 11 excessive heat events. This averages out to an extreme cold event every 2.08 years (48% annual chance) and an excessive heat event every 2.46 years (41% annual chance). In August of 2007, Athens had 13 days that cleared 100 degrees and set nine maximum temperature records during the month. On August 22nd, temperatures reached 106 degrees, which was one degree below the record for the month of August. The temperature on August 9th and August 16th were recorded at 105 degrees. An all-time high minimum temperature was set on August 11th when temperatures only got down to 79 degrees. Due to the large elderly population (36.9% of total population above the age of 65) and large percentage of the population that is under the poverty line Pickens County’s population is particularly susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Pickens County has also been exposed to many extreme cold events. Due to its higher latitude and position within Georgia, Pickens County is more susceptible to the extreme cold temperatures that sometimes plague the mountainous regions of northeast Georgia. In 2022, an artic front sent temperatures into the ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 103 Natural Hazard: Extreme Temperatures Source: 2019-2024 Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan single digits across north Georgia, including Pickens County. This event was accompanied by high winds, which pushed wind chills below zero in the early morning hours. The wind chill in Jasper was -8 degrees on December 24, 2022. 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 direct and indirect impacts of an extreme temperature event. Estimated Potential Losses Little information is available regarding damages, in terms of dollars, is available for excessive temperature losses in Pickens County. Most losses for these events have been labeled under other impacts, such as drought and severe winter storms. Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to extreme temperatures beyond increased population growth. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 104 Natural Hazard: Extreme Temperatures Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All of Pickens County, could potentially be threatened by extreme temperatures. As such, all extreme temperature mitigation actions should be pursued on a countywide basis. However, areas of higher elevation would be more susceptible to extreme cold events. Source: 2019-2024 Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy and Enhanced Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 105 Natural Hazard: Extreme Temperatures Climate Change Considerations It is unclear how climate change will impact extreme temperature events in Pickens County. It is possible that extreme heat events could become more severe and longer in duration. However, it is also possible that extreme cold events will be less likely and less severe. Source: National Weather Service Hazard Summary Incidents of extreme temperatures – both hot and cold – pose a significant threat to the citizens of Pickens County. Pickens County’s geographical location in the north Georgia mountains increases the likelihood of extreme temperature events with extreme cold events generally considered to be more likely. However, the lack of direct preparation for extreme heat events could lead to greater direct impacts. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 106 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 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration was reviewed regarding hazardous materials spill history in Pickens County. Data is available from 1989 to 2022 and all available data was reviewed. There were 2 PHMSA reported hazardous materials spills or releases in Pickens County over a 33-year period. It is anticipated that many more hazardous materials incidents have occurred over the last 33 years but have not been reported. According to the NRC data, Pickens County averages a hazardous materials incident of a reportable amount every 16.5 years. This equates to a 6.7% chance of a hazardous materials spill of a reportable amount each year. According to the Georgia Department of Natura Resources Environmental Protection Division, there is one Hazardous Site Inventory location in Pickens County. This site is the Pickens County – Jones Mountain Road Westside Hazardous Site Inventory locations are areas where a known of suspected release of a regulated substance has occurred that was above a reportable quantity and which has you to properly show that state clean-up standards have been met. Source: Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 107 Technological Hazard: Hazardous Materials 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. Of concern to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Committee is the exposure of water sources to potential hazardous materials incidents. A hazardous materials incident at or near drinking water sources could have devastating effects on a large population in Pickens County. 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. Water contamination is of concern to the Pickens County HMPC. Public and private property located near fixed hazardous materials facilities are also a greater risk than the general population of Pickens County. Water contamination from a hazardous materials release is of particular concern to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee. Estimated Potential Losses Estimation of potential losses is difficult regarding 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 beyond continued population growth – particularly in and around the City of Jasper. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, are vulnerable to both fixed facility and transportation- related hazardous materials releases. However, areas along the Georgia Highway 515 corridor, including the municipalities of Jasper and Talking Rock, are of particular concern. 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 all municipalities. These materials are often transported via highways. Water contamination because of a hazardous materials spill is of significant concern to the Pickens County HMPC. 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--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 108 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 There are 18 category I and 27 category II dams located within Pickens County. 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 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. One of the category 1 dam in Pickens County are owned by Pickens County. Eight are owned by the Limestone SWCD. Any of the 18 Category I dams located in Pickens County could have direct, devastating impacts on the local population. The dams of greatest concern, from a impact, would be the Lake Petit Dam and Bent Tree Lake Dam. Lake Petit Dam is located in the Bag Canoe area of Pickens County. The 126-foot dam impounds 7,500 acre-feet of water. In addition to the homes directly in the dam’s shadow, a breach at this dam could also lead to a breach at another Category II dam – Sconti Lake Dam, which is a short distance away from Lake Petit and would be inundated with the water from a breach at Lake Petit Dam. Bent Tree Lake Dam is a 112-foot earthen dam that impounds over 6,400 acre-feet of water in Lake Tamarack. While this dam would have fewer direct impacts to homes, it would cause a significant egress/ingress issue for a large portion of the Bent Tree community. A breach at this dam could have devastating impacts and would have devastating impacts on the Pickens County economy. 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. All municipalities could be exposed to the hazards of other dams or face secondary hazards from the dams. Estimated Potential Losses Loss estimations are not applicable since it is not known which dam will fail and how significant of failure will occur. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 109 Technological Hazard: Dam Failure Land Use and Development Trends 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. Pickens 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. 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. Climate Change Considerations Climate change could, potentially, have an impact on the expected impacts of dam failure in Pickens County. However, this would only be the case if the dam failure is directly related to a flooding event, which is the case in less than 20% of all dam failures. Dam failures are generally related to construction and age issues. Source: National Inventory of Dams – US Army Corps of Engineers Hazard Summary Dam failure poses a threat to Pickens County and its citizens, infrastructure, and critical facilities. A dam failure could prove catastrophic for areas of the dam, particularly if the failure were to occur at any of the Category I dams located in Pickens County. As a result, mitigation efforts for dam failure should be focused in this potentially affected area. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 110 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 because 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 because 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 575 and Georgia Highways 5, 53, 108, 136, 372, and 515. Georgia Highway 5/515, in particular, is a major transportation route. In addition to highway traffic, many major airlines traveling from the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States travel over Pickens County on their way to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Additionally, Jasper is home to the Pickens County Airport. The airport has a single 5,000-foot asphalt runway. The airport averages approximately 30,000 operations annually. An airplane crash is of particular concern to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Committee. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 111 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. 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. The primary areas of growth have been in and around the City of Jasper. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations Pickens County as well as all municipalities could potentially be impacted by a transportation incident. However, areas along the Georgia Highway 5/515 corridor 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--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 112 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, agro-terrorism, armed attack, intentional hazardous materials release, water or food contamination, 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 potential targets. Terrorism includes a multitude of potential approaches, including agro-terrorism, which is terrorism targeted toward agriculture. Due to the high economic impact (over $77 million in annual agriculture- related sales) of agriculture in Pickens County, agro-terrorism could be of particular concern. Additionally, a terrorist contamination of the water sources is of concern. Within Pickens County, there are many areas that could be viewed as potential targets for terrorism due to their economic impact on the area. This includes tourist-friendly events throughout Pickens County, such as Jeep Fest, which is held annually on Labor Day Weekend. 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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 113 Technological Hazard: Terrorism 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 all municipalities. These impacts would be immediate and long-lasting and could be potentially economically crippling to Pickens County and surrounding communities. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 114 Technological Hazard: Critical Infrastructure Failure Hazard Description Infrastructures are particularly vulnerable to both natural and technological hazards. These include electrical utilities, water utilities, gas pipelines, fuel supplies, and other infrastructures that supply vital supplies and services to the community. While an infrastructure failure would most likely be a secondary hazard of one of the other hazards identified in this plan, an infrastructure failure could be a solo incident itself. A lack of connection with outside sources could lead to public panic, poor emergency response capabilities, and other domino hazards. These events pose a significant threat to many jurisdictions. Hazard Profile In case of any failure of a utility infrastructure, general difficulties would be exacerbated for both emergency responders and for the public. The reliance on wireless communications, particularly for the public safety sector, increases the vulnerability of Pickens County’s emergency response agencies to a communications failure. A failure in the communications sector could have significant impacts to Pickens County’s radio system, telephone systems, and internet infrastructure. Each of these would be devastating to both public safety and the general public. Additionally, a utility infrastructure failure is also of significant concern to the Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee. This includes water, power, and natural gas utility failures. This type of failure would have significant impacts to the citizens of Pickens County. In addition to traditional critical infrastructure, Pickens County, due to its location within the north Georgia mountains, is particularly concerned about a failure of critical infrastructure that would have direct impacts on logistics. The influx of goods into Pickens County is heavily dependent on major transportation routes, such as Interstate 575 and Georgia Highway 5/515. A failure of this critical infrastructure could have devastating impacts on the ability of Pickens County to acquire goods and services. Assets Exposed to Hazard All assets and critical facilities within Pickens County could potentially be impacted by an infrastructure failure. Estimated Potential Losses Estimated potential losses cannot be anticipated with this event due to the vast number of differing scenarios regarding utility failure. Land Use and Development Trends Pickens County currently has no land use trends related to infrastructure failures beyond continued population growth and an ever-increasing industrial footprint. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 115 Technological Hazard: Critical Infrastructure Failure Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All areas of Pickens County could potentially be impacted by an infrastructure failure. However, the more remote areas of Pickens County are particularly susceptible to the impacts of a critical infrastructure failure. Hazard Summary The Pickens County HMPC has determined that utility failures pose a high risk to their jurisdictions due to the unpredictable nature of the incident. As a result, the Pickens County HMPC has developed mitigation strategies and actions with infrastructure failures in mind. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 116 Technological Hazard: Emergent Infectious Diseases Hazard Description Microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, or prions, surround us within the environment. They can even be found within our own bodies. Most microorganisms are completely harmless, and many are actually beneficial. However, some of these organisms are pathogenic, meaning they cause or can cause disease. Infectious diseases are caused by these pathogenic organisms and are communicable – meaning they can be spread from person to person either directly or indirectly. Direct transmission of the disease occurs through actual physical contact with an infected person or their bodily fluids. Indirect transmission of a disease occurs when an infected person contaminates a surface by sneezing, coughing, etc., and a non-infected person comes into contact with that infected surface. Another means of indirect transmission includes vectors, such as mosquitos, flies, mites, ticks, fleas, rodents, or dogs, which may carry the pathogenic microorganism and transmit it to people via a bite. Infectious diseases can also impact animal populations, particularly livestock and other farm animals. Even though these diseases may not directly affect humans, the economic impact of these diseases can be just as harmful, if not more so, to the community. Infectious diseases can occur as primary events or they may occur as a cascading result of another disaster, such as a tornado, flood, or winter weather. Infectious diseases can vary greatly in severity and magnitude. According to the World Health Organization, infectious diseases account for three of the ten leading causes of death worldwide – HIV/AIDS, lower respiratory infections, and diarrheal disease. These three events, combined with tuberculosis and malaria, account for 20% of deaths globally. In Western countries, the impact of infectious diseases has diminished greatly over the last 75 years due to improved sanitation, personal hygiene, vaccinations, and the use of antibiotics. In the United States, only two infectious diseases – seasonal influenza and pneumonia – rank in the top ten leading causes of death. Annually, there are 1,500 deaths in the United States from seasonal influenza and another 52,000 from pneumonia. Children and older adults are the greatest at risk for both. Emergent infectious diseases are those that are appearing in a population for the first time. Re-emergent infectious diseases are those that may have previously existed in a population, but levels had dropped to the point where it was no longer considered a public health problem until levels once again began increasing. During the last 25 years, emergent and re-emergent infectious diseases have been on the rise. The below table outlines some of the contributing factors to this rise: Contributing Factors to Increasing Occurrence of Emergent Diseases Agent-Related Factors Evolution of pathogenic infectious agents Development of resistance to drugs Resistance of disease carriers to pesticides Host-Related Factors Human demographic changes (humans inhabiting new areas) Human behavior (sexual practices and drug use) Human susceptibility to infection Environment-Related Factors Economic development and land use patterns International travel and commerce Deterioration of surveillance systems ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 117 Technological Hazard: Emergent Infectious Diseases Due to a lack of ready-made vaccines for these diseases and a lack of immunity in the population, emergent and re-emergent infectious diseases are much more likely to escalate to pandemic levels rapidly. CDC-Identified Emergent and Re-Emergent Infectious Diseases Drug-resistant Infections Mad Cow/Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Diseases Campylobacteriosis Chagas Disease Cholera Cyclosporiasis Cysticercosis Dengue Fever Diphtheria Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Group B Streptococcal Infection Hantavirus Pulmonary Hepatitis C Hendra Virus Infection Histoplasmosis HIV/AIDS Influenza Lassa Fever Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever Leptospirosis Listeriosis Lyme Disease Malaria Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever Measles Meningitis Monkeypox MRSA Nipah Virus Infection Norovirus Infection Pertussis Plague Polio Rabies Rift Valley Fever Rotavirus Infection Salmonellosis SARS and COVID-19 Shigellosis Smallpox Sleeping Sickness (Trypanosomiasis) Tuberculosis Tularemia Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis) VISA/VRSA Staphylococcus Aureus West Nile Virus Infection Yellow Fever Hazard Profile Emergent Infectious diseases are of significant concern to the Pickens County HMPC, particularly those that would have an impact on the human population or animal population of Pickens County. Pickens County would likely see significant economic impacts from an outbreak involving animal populations, such as an Avian Flu, due to the large economic base agriculture provides (over $120 million in annual sales). The lack of current vaccines and preparatory activities for these diseases has created a situation where the potential impact to Pickens County of a pandemic or epidemic could be catastrophic. The most recent pandemic scare in the Central Georgia area was the 2009-2010 H1N1 Swine Flu. There were 1286 cases of H1N1 in Georgia in 2009-2010 and 33 deaths. Most registered cases occurred with people between the ages of 5 and 29. This equates to a mortality rate of just over 2.5% - which is lower than the 3% rate of the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu Pandemic. The 2019-2021 COVID-19 Pandemic, which was caused by SARS-CoV2, spready worldwide in a matter of weeks. As of February 21, 2023, there were over 674 million cases reported worldwide with nearly 7 million deaths. In Pickens County, as of October 20, 2023, there had been 6,277 confirmed cases and 153 deaths. The COVID-19 Pandemic was a Federally Declared Disaster. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 118 Technological Hazard: Emergent Infectious Diseases Source: Georgia Department of Public Health Over the last 25 years, emergent infectious disease outbreaks have occurred in other parts of the country. These include: • 1993 Outbreak (Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 403,000 people ill and 100 deaths) • 2010 Whooping Cough Outbreak (California – 9,500 people ill and 10 infant deaths) • 2015 H5N2 Avian Flu Outbreak (Midwest – over 25 million chickens and turkeys destroyed as a precautionary measure at 83 locations) ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 119 Technological Hazard: Emergent Infectious Diseases Assets Exposed to the Hazard Due to the unpredictable nature of emergent infectious diseases, all public and private structures are threatened by the hazard. This includes all critical facilities. Estimated Potential Losses Losses due to emergent infectious diseases are difficult to estimate due to the unpredictable nature of the hazard. The type of emergent infectious disease, location of the outbreak, and the impact of the outbreak would all affect the potential losses. Please see the critical facilities information for estimated potential losses for each critical facility. Laund Use and Development Trends Pickens County has no land use trends directly related to Emergent Infectious Diseases. Multi-Jurisdictional Considerations All of Pickens County, including all municipalities, are vulnerable to emergent infectious diseases. However, livestock and other farm animals are considered to be the greatest at risk, along with areas that have a large, concentrated human population, such as schools. Hazard Summary An emergent infectious disease would have devastating effects on Pickens County and all 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 emergent infectious diseases in mind. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 120 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 2018. Chapter 4 Section Updates Goals and Objectives Updated goals to match the needs of the Pickens County Identification and Analysis of Mitigation Techniques Content Revised Reviewed mitigation strategies identified in the 2018 plan and made updates Identified mitigation strategies that were completed Identified mitigation strategies to be removed Chapter Four-Hazard Mitigation Strategies ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 121 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. Pickens County 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 the Pickens County have changed in the last five years (since 2018) due to specific threat events. 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, Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock – has limited ability to fully implement the mitigation actions described in this plan. Pickens County and its municipalities lack the needed financial strength and staffing to implement all 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, the Pickens County and municipal 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 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. OBJECTIVE 1 Reduce damage to property and loss of life through the utilization of preventative activities OBJECTIVE 2 Minimize the damage to property and loss of life through property protection measures OBJECTIVE 3 Minimize the damage to property and loss of life through natural resource protection activities ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 122 OBJECTIVE 4 Reduce damage to property and loss of life through the utilization of structural mitigation projects OBJECTIVE 5 Increase the ability of Pickens County and its citizens to respond to natural and manmade hazards through emergency service measures OBJECTIVE 6 Increase public education and awareness of natural hazards OBJECTIVE 7 Minimize the impacts on local citizens, industry, and infrastructure of a dam breach OBJECTIVE 8 Implement additional protective measures and capabilities in response to manmade incidents OBJECTIVE 9 Increase public awareness of local manmade hazards and proper response to those hazards 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 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 and/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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 123 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. 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.a; 1.k; 3.d; 5.i; 5.j; 5.s; 5.hh; 5.nn; 6.c; 6.d 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.c; 1.j; 1.l; 1.o; 2.a; 2.e; 2.g; 3.a; 3.b; 3.c; 4.b; 4.c; 4.d; 5.b; 5.c; 5.d; 5.e; 5.f; 5.g; 5.h; 5.m; 5.o; 5.p; 5.u; 5.v; 5.w; 5.x; 5.y; 5.aa; 5.ee; 5.ff; 5.jj; 5.kk; 5.ll; 5.mm; 5.qq; 5.rr; 5.ss; 5.tt; 5.uu; 5.vv; 6.b; 6.f; 6.g; 6.h; 7.b; 7.c; 7.d; 7.e; 7.f; 8.a; 8.e; 9.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 have score high on a preliminary cost-benefit analysis 1.b; 1.d; 1.e; 1.f; 1.g; 1.h; 1.i; 1.m; 1.n; 2.b; 2.c; 2.d; 2.f; 4.a; 5.a; 5.k; 5.l; 5.n; 5.q; 5.r; 5.t; 5.z; 5.bb; 5.cc; 5.dd; 5.gg; 5.ii; 5.oo; 5.pp; 6.a; 6.e; 6.i; 6.j; 7.a; 8.b; 8.c; 8.d; 9.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. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee also attempted to identify potential funding sources outside of Pickens County budgets for the mitigation strategies that were identified. This is particularly helpful for future grant planning and for items with significant costs that are beyond the capabilities of Pickens County to procure without grant assistance. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 124 Grant Name Grant Description Strategies that could be potentially funded Hazard Mitigation Grant Program The purpose of the HMGP is to provide funds to State agencies and local governments in the aftermath of a disaster for projects that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to human life and property 1.e; 2.a; 2.b; 2.c; 2;d; 2.e; 2.f; 2.g; 4.a; 4.b; 5.c; 5.d; 5.g; 7.f Flood Mitigation Assistance Program The FMA program provides funding to assist States and communities in implementing measures to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured homes, and other structures insurable under the NFIP. 1.e; 1.l; 4.a Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program The BRIC program provides funds to states, territories, tribal governments, and communities for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation projects before a disaster event occurs to reduce the overall risks to populations and structures while also reducing the reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations. 2.b; 2.c; 2.d; 2.e; 2.f; 2.g; 4.c; 7.f Community Development Block Grant Provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs 1.e; 2.f; 4.c; 5.rr Assistance to Firefighters Grant This program provides funding to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations 4.d; 5.v; 5.y; 5.bb The following Mitigation Charts meet: Requirement §201.6(c)(3)(ii) Requirement §201.6(d)(3) ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 125 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # OBJECTIVE ONE: Reduce damage to property and loss of life through the utilization of preventative activities 1.a Consider adopting a fine structure for the enforcement of water conservation during times of drought Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 30 months NEW NEW 1.b Update maps with new FEMA floodplain maps Pickens County Planning and Development Local budgets Staff time 18 months None; Other projects have taken priority 1.b 1.c Participate in CRS Pickens County EMA and Planning and Development Local budgets Staff time 36 months Under research 1.c 1.d Update flood ordinance for new FIS and FIRM maps Pickens County EMA and Planning and Development Local budgets Staff time 24 months Under research 1.d 1.e Identify and mitigate repetitive loss properties through property acquisition Pickens County EMA and Planning and Development Public and private grants and/or local budgets $300,000 30 months One repetitive loss structure in Pickens County 1.e 1.f Maintain NFIP Compliance for Pickens County Pickens County EMA and Planning and Development Local budgets Staff time 12 months In place; Continue 1.f 1.g Maintain NFIP Compliance for the City of Jasper Pickens County EMA and City of Jasper City Council Local budgets Staff time 12 months In place; Continue 1.g 1.h Maintain NFIP Compliance for the City of Nelson Pickens County EMA and City of Nelson City Council Local budgets Staff time 12 months In place; Continue 1.g ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 126 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 1.i Maintain NFIP Compliance for the Town of Talking Rock Pickens County EMA and Town of Talking Rock Local budgets Staff time 12 months Obtained NFIP Compliance in 2021 1.i (mod) 1.j Evaluate road elevation and culvert sizing standards for construction upgrade on all county roads Pickens County Road Department Local budgets Staff time 48 months Ongoing; Started project in 2019 1.j 1.k Upgrade/update county ordinance regarding driveway pipes Pickens County Land & Water, Pickens County Road Department Local budgets Staff time 30 months Road Dept currently working on updating ordinance 1.l 1.l Perform study of known flood areas to identify the best mitigation actions to alleviate flooding in the area Pickens County Land & Water Public and private grants and/or local budgets $30,000 48 months Study completed in City of Nelson in 2020 1.k 1.m Encourage new developments to utilize defensible space practices for wildfire Pickens County Planning and Development Local budgets Staff time 24 months Decided against specific ordinance 5.c (mod) 1.n Update the Pickens County drought contingency plan and water use ordinance Pickens County EMA and Land & Water Local budgets Staff time 30 months In planning phase to complete update 5.e and 5.k (mod) 1.o Adopt defensible space ordinance for new built homes and businesses Pickens County Planning and Development and Jasper Planning and Development Local budgets Staff time 30 months Jasper working to add ordinance in 2024 5.i ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 127 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # OBJECTIVE TWO: Minimize the damage to property and loss of life through property protection measures 2.a Build a weather safe room at Road Department and all fire stations Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $450,000 60 months One built at 2 new fire stations; one built at Road Dept 2.c 2.b Purchase emergency generators for 3 sewer pump stations that include the hospital and jail City of Jasper Water Department and Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $1 million 60 months None; Other projects have taken priority 6.j 2.c Purchase a generator for all critical facilities in Pickens County and municipalities Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15 million 60+ months NEW NEW 2.d Purchase generator for Nelson City Hall Pickens County EMA and Nelson City Council Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 60 months None; Other projects have taken priority 7.b 2.e Provide lightning surge protection for Community Center Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15,000 60 months None; Other projects have taken priority 7.f ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 128 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 2.f 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 Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10 million 60 months Generator purchased for Admin building (2019) Road Dept fuel stations (2022); and grant applied for fire stations 7.g 2.g Install lightning and surge protection on existing critical facilities and other public buildings Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $500,000 60 months None; Other projects have taken priority 7.h OBJECTIVE THREE: Minimize the damage to property and loss of life through natural resource protection activities 3.a Keep storm water drains, culverts, and ditches clear of debris Pickens County Road Department Local budgets Staff time 60 months Constant project; In place 1.m 3.b Drinking Water Creek restoration Jasper Planning and Development Public and private grants and/or local budgets $3 million 60 months In grant process for this project 5.f 3.c Protect water quantity and quality through water conservation programs Pickens County Water Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $300,000 36 months Entered into contract with surrounding jurisdictions to purchase more water 5.g ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 129 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 3.d Survey water pump stations for removal of dead trees Pickens County Water Department Local budgets Staff time 24 months Part of day- to-day operations 7.a OBJECTIVE FOUR: Reduce damage to property and loss of life through the utilization of structural mitigation projects 4.a Elevate three roads at creek crossings – Old Mill White, Evans Road, and Hill Circle Talking Rock Town Council Public and private grants and/or local budgets $5 million 60+ months Jordan Road completed; Some work completed on Hill Circle 1.a (mod) 4.b Evaluate potential sites throughout Pickens County and municipalities of potential safe room locations Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $1.5 million 60 months None due to difficulty of grant process 2.d 4.c Create a looped water system Pickens County Water Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10 million 60 months 25% complete; estimated completed 2028 5.l 4.d Install additional fire hydrants Pickens County Water Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $1.5 million 60 months Install 20-30 per year as part of strategic plan 7.o 4.e Fix drainage issues on County Line Road utilizing elevation and culvert changes Pickens County Public Works and Road Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $2 million 24 months NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 130 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 4.f Perform updates on Henderson Mountain Road, including drainage, realignment, and elevation changes Pickens County Public Works and Road Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $59.8 million 36 months NEW NEW 4.g Perform updates on Old Highway 5 at Talking Rock Road, including drainage elevation changes and right of way acquisition and the addition of a detention pond Pickens County Public Works and Road Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $9.8 million 36 months NEW NEW 4.h Perform updates on Camp Road site including storm drainage, widening, and elevation changes and right of way acquisition Pickens County Public Works and Road Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $1.8 million 36 months NEW NEW 4.i Perform updates on Camp Road site including storm drainage, widening, and elevation changes and right of way acquisition Pickens County Public Works and Road Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $19 million 48 months NEW NEW 4.j Perform updates on Hickory Cove Road, including drainage, structural upgrades, and elevation changes Pickens County Public Works and Road Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $4.1 million 36 months NEW NEW OBJECTIVE FIVE: Increase the ability of Pickens County and the citizens to respond to natural and manmade hazards through emergency services measures 5.a Maintain “StormReady” status with the National Weather Service Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 24 months Recert review scheduled for 2024 2.b ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 131 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 5.b Perform a site vulnerability assessment at all assisted living facilities Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 36 months Facilities identified 2.a 5.c Purchase and distribute NOAA Weather radios to all city and town halls and other critical facilities in Pickens County, including schools Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $5,000 36 months Ongoing 3.c, 3.d, and 3.g (mod) 5.d Provide NOAA Weather radios to vulnerable populations identified in Pickens County Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15,000 48 months Identification of areas of need ongoing 3.e 5.e Purchase lightning detection system for Pickens County Recreation Pickens County Recreation Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20,000 48 months Purchased 1 in 2019, need additional for locations 3.f 5.f Evaluate outdoor warning siren systems for upgrades, including retrofits and non- traditional warning systems, such as lightning detection and wet bulb Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $150,000 48 months In talks with company wanting to install weather stations to work with system 3.h 5.g Purchase NOAA Weather radios to distribute to citizens of Pickens County and all municipalities Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $15,000 60 months NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 132 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 5.h Update the Community Wildfire Protection Plan every 2 years Georgia Forestry Commission State budgets Staff time 24 months Ongoing 5.a 5.i Develop and adopt requirements for Firewise program, including response equipment Pickens County Fire Department and Jasper Fire Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10,000 30 months Jasper looking into adopting ordinance for Firewise in 2024 5.h 5.j Create an Emergency Shelter Plan for the Town of Talking Rock Pickens County EMA and Talking Rock Town Council Local budgets Staff time 48 months Discussions regarding shelters and cots started in 2022 6.a 5.k Review the Debris Removal Plan every five years and update contracts accordingly Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 36 months In planning phase 6.b 5.l Maintain and review LEOP Annually Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 12 months Plan review ongoing currently for GEMA submission 6.d 5.m Maintain Amateur Radio assistance and capabilities Pickens County EMA and ARES Local budgets Staff time 18 months Exercises conducted with EMA, ARES, and Hospital 6.e ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 133 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 5.n Assist Pickens County Schools and local churches with the development of Emergency Operations Plans EMA, Pickens County Fire Department, Pickens County Schools Local budgets Staff time 24 months Plans for schools state mandated; Fire Dept worked with some churches in 2023 6.f (mod) 5.o Re-establish CERT Team Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 18 months Program started pre- 2021; needs re-booting 6.g (mod) 5.p Purchase equipment necessary to sustain CERT Team Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $25,000 48 months Enough for 30-40 trained currently 6.h 5.q Create an ordinance to have address numbers on signs near the roadway and on the house to help with location Pickens County public safety agencies, Pickens County and Jasper Planning and Development Local budgets Staff time 30 months City of Jasper has ordinance in place 6.i 5.r Continue to further enhance the EOC capabilities by adding new stations and computers Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $100,000 48 months NEW NEW 5.s Set up alternate ARES location at shelter locations Pickens County EMA and ARES Local budgets $7,500 24 months In place; Setup is practices 6.k 5.t Have a refresher training for Damage Assessment Team annually Pickens County EMA Local and state budgets Staff time 12 months Scheduled for 2024 6.l ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 134 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 5.u Make ordinance to have all improve properties uniform in lot identification Pickens County 911 and Planning and Development Local budgets Staff time 24 months In starting phase as of fall 2023 6.m 5.v Build a burn tower and fire department training facility Pickens County Fire Department and Jasper Fire Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets Staff time 60 months Jasper has identified property; estimated complete in 2025 6.o 5.w Purchase a Mobile Command Vehicle and Disaster Response Trailer Pickens County EMA, Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Public and private grants and/or local budgets $1 million 60 months Pickens SO has MCV; ARC Disaster trailer at Airport 6.p 5.x Purchase additional UTV with stretcher and stokes basket Public safety agencies Public and private grants and/or local budgets $75,000 36 months Jasper PD/FD have one in 2023; in budget for 2024; 2 purchased in 2017-2019 6.q 5.y Outfit and provide training for technical rope rescue team and Heavy rescue squad Pickens County EMA, Pickens County Fire Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 48 months Some personnel trained; some equipment 6.s 5.z Review and revise, as needed, the Bent Tree Emergency Evacuation Plan Pickens County EMA and Bent Tree Community Local and private budgets Staff time 30 months NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 135 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 5.aa Purchase UTVs for damage assessment in rough terrain Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 30 months NEW NEW 5.bb Purchase additional rescue truck and brush truck Pickens County Fire Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $500,000 60 months Purchased 3 new first response vehicles in last 5 yrs 6.t 5.cc Upgrade 911 system and equipment to eliminate dead zone issues Pickens County 911 Public and private grants and/ or local budgets. $3 million 60 months Pursuing 800 MHz system in future 6.u and 7.c (mod) 5.dd Purchase chipper for debris management Pickens County Road Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $50,000 30 months None; other projects have taken priority 6.y 5.ee Purchase animal response vehicle, trailer and equip with shelter need items Pickens County EMA and Animal Control Public and private grants and/or local budgets $150,000 60 months None; other projects have taken priority 6.z (mod) 5.ff Build a new EMA/EOC Facility Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $6 million 60 months None due to budgetary constraints 6.aa 5.gg Build a public safety complex with training facilities for all departments (EMA, 911, Fire, etc.) Pickens County Public Safety agencies Public and private grants and/or local budgets $20 million 60+ months NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 136 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 5.hh Create a list of citizens who are on oxygen Pickens County 911 Local budgets Staff time 48 months None; Other projects have taken priority 7.d 5.ii perform assessment of critical facilities to address building and site vulnerabilities to hazards Pickens County EMA and critical facility operators Local budgets Staff time 60 months In planning stages 7.i 5.jj Obtain mobile repeater Pickens County 911 Public and private loans and/or local budgets $25,000 60 months Sheriff’s Dept. has purchased one 7.j 5.kk Purchase a mobile emergency antenna and tower Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $25,000 60 months None; Other projects have taken priority 7.k 5.ll Upgrade GIS database with potential loss data, including HAZUS Pickens County Planning and Development, EMA, and 911 Local budgets $10,000 30 months 99% done; will review as needed 7.l 5.m m Create printed GIS hazard maps Pickens County Planning and Development Local budgets Staff time 18 months Waiting on completion of 5.ll 7.m 5.nn Perform earthquake loss estimation study Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 60 months None; other projects have taken priority 7.n 5.oo Install interoperable communications equipment Pickens County 911 Public and private grants and/or local budgets $75,000 48 months Radio purchased to communicate with Cherokee; in discussions for 800Mhz 7.p ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 137 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 5.pp Inventory and add to existing winter weather equipment , including large brine system plant, large Quonset hut building to storm/maintain supplies Pickens County Road Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $500,000 60 months Brine system and hurt built in 2019; Inventory complete; expansion needed 8.a 5.qq Purchase a salt and brine truck and additional equipment Pickens County Road Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $100,000 36 months Trailer purchased in 2023 8.b 5.rr Purchase any identified resourced needed to open warming and cooling centers/shelters and identify locations Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $100,000 30 months NEW NEW 5.ss Identify locations for Red Cross Shelters that are not schools Pickens County EMA and American Red Cross Local and private budgets Staff time 18 months NEW NEW 5.tt Identify churches, organization buildings, etc. that are likely to open as Good Samaritan Shelters Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 24 months NEW NEW 5.uu Restart CERT Program and hold at least 1 training annually Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 12 months NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 138 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 5.vv Perform an assessment to determine where the medically fragile citizens are in the county and where the citizens are that may need additional medical help during and post-disaster Pickens County EMA, Health Department, Pickens County Fire Public and private grants and/or local budgets $10,000 60 months NEW NEW OBJECTIVE SIX: Increase public education and awareness of natural disasters 6.a Encourage opt-in for mass notification system via county and municipal websites, water bills, and hospital bills Pickens County EMA, local water providers, and Piedmont Mountainside Local and private budgets Staff time 24 months Will be added to water bills in 2024 3.i (mod) 6.b Obtain trailer for natural hazards education Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $175,000 48 months Fire safety trailer purchased 2018 4.a 6.c Set up booth at Home Depot to provide public education and awareness Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 12 months Done last weekend in October annually 4.b 6.d Establish Mitigation Public Awareness Council Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 30 months In research planning phase 4.c 6.e Create a public awareness campaign on hazard preparedness Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 12 months In place for Fire Safety month and Weather Awareness month 4.f ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 139 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Flood Winter Weather Thunderstorm Tornado Tropical Cyclone Drought/Ex Temp Equake/Landslide Wildfire Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 6.f Continue to educate the public about the Firewise Program Pickens County Fire Department, Pickens County EMA, and Georgia Forestry Commission Local and State budgets Staff time 18 months Lots of education provided in mountain areas 5.a (mod) 6.g Educate the public about water conservation and boil water advisories Pickens County Water Department and EMA Local budgets Staff time 18 months Flyers added to water bills and info on social media during drought 5.d 6.h Encourage citizens to volunteer in disaster assistance capacities before a disaster Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 24 months NEW NEW 6.i Encourage citizens to sign up for Code Red Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 12 months NEW NEW 6.j Educate the public on what to do when you receive a warning versus a watch and how to properly act when certain warnings are issues Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 12 months NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 140 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Dam Failure Hazardous Materials / Rad Terrorism Transportation Infrastructure Failure Emer. Disease Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # OBJECTIVE SEVEN: Minimize the impact of a dam breach on local citizens, industry, and infrastructure 7.a Continue monitoring of Bent Tree Dam Pickens County EMA, Georgia Safe Dams, and Bent Tree Community Local, state, and private budgets Staff time 12 months Done 9.a 7.b Purchase flooding software and dam breach software Pickens County EMA Public and private grants and/or local budgets $25,000 60 months Contractor hired to do this in Big Canoe 9.b 7.c Evaluate existing Category I and II dams for repairs, retrofits, and upgrades to ensure safety of residents and businesses Georgia Safe Dams and Pickens County EMA Local and state budgets Staff time 18 months Part of evaluations 9.c (mod) 7.d Perform a dam failure inundation study Georgia Safe Dams Program and dam owners State and private budgets $40,000 30 months Done for Big Canoe; TTX also completed 9.d 7.e Institute a county dam inspection and maintenance program Pickens County Road Department, EMA, and Dam owners Public and private grants and/or Local and private budgets Staff time 48 months Big Canoe outsourced projects; looking into grants 9.e ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 141 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Dam Failure Hazardous Materials / Rad Terrorism Transportation Infrastructure Failure Emer. Disease Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 7.f Pursue grant opportunities for repairs, retrofits, and upgrade improvements on category I and II dams in Pickens County Georgia Safe Dams, EMA, and Dam Owners Public and private grants and/or local budgets Dependent on dam 60 months NEW NEW OBJECTIVE EIGHT: Implement additional protective measures and capabilities in response to manmade incidents 8.a Build another communications tower Pickens County 911 Public and private grants and/or local budgets $1.5 million 60 months NEW NEW 8.b Create safety vestibules at both Pickens County Elementary schools Pickens County Schools Public and private grants and/or local budgets $750,000 48 months Research ongoing 10.a 8.c Create a safety vestibule at Pickens County Middle School Pickens County Schools Public and private grants and/or local budgets $750,000 48 months Research ongoing 10.b 8.d Develop and equip a squad truck for HazMat Response Pickens County Fire Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $1.2 million 60 months Personnel trained; need vehicle and equipment 10.c ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 142 Strategy # Mitigation Action Lead and Supporting Agency, Department, Organization Dam Failure Hazardous Materials / Rad Terrorism Transportation Infrastructure Failure Emer. Disease Funding Source Estimated Cost Completion Timeframe Progress/ Status Previous Strategy # 8.e Install a security alarm system at all pump stations Pickens County Water Department Public and private grants and/or local budgets $150,000 60 months None due to poor Cost Benefit Analysis 10.d OBJECTIVE NINE: Increase public awareness of local manmade hazards and proper response to those hazards 9.a Create a Pickens County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 30 months Under research to keep EOP updated 11.a 9.b Develop a manmade hazards public awareness campaign Pickens County EMA Local budgets Staff time 18 months NEW NEW ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 143 Completed Mitigation Strategies Previous Strategy # Strategy Description Status 1.i Obtain NFIP Compliance (Town of Talking Rock) COMPLETE; Obtained compliance in 2021; modified to “maintain” 4.e Add hazard safety information to county website COMPLETE; Completed in 2023 6.c Purchase one additional work station, new computers, new projector, new computer programming, and furniture for EOC COMPLETE; Additional upgrades to be completed Deleted Mitigation Strategies Previous Strategy # Strategy Description 1.n Update floodplain mapping 5.j Update the Community Wildfire Protection Plan every 5 years ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 144 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 2018. Chapter 5 Section Updates Maintenance • Content Revised Plan Distribution • Content Revised Implementation • Content Revised Evaluation • Content Revised Peer Review • Content Revised Plan Update • Content Revised Conclusion • Content Revised Chapter Five - Maintenance and Implementation ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 145 Maintenance Requirement §201.6(c)(4)(iii) 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 2018 Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan was followed, to the best abilities of Pickens County and its municipalities. 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, Mark Harris, 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 Pickens 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 the Pickens County Board of Commissioners 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--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 146 Maintenance Log Revision Date Revised Section Reason for Revision Revised By 2023 Five Year Hazard Mitigation Plan Update FEMA Requirement Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee with assistance from Lux Mitigation and Planning ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 147 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 Emergency Management Agency Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Pickens County Public Works and Road Department Pickens County Planning and Development Pickens County Emergency Services City of Jasper City of Nelson Town of Talking Rock A printed copy of the approved Plan will be available for viewing at Pickens County Emergency Management Agency. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 148 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 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 to assess whether identified mitigation strategies are being implemented in a timely fashion. Pickens County 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 within Pickens County and 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 in the future. Incorporation of these strategies will occur, as necessary, throughout this planning cycle covered by this Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. 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 2018 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 and the municipalities of Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock 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. Once this plan is approved, it will be used by the consultants and planning committees responsible for the update process for the County and City Comprehensive Plans, Short-Term Work Programs, and all other plans that could incorporate the requirements of this plan. To facilitate the inclusion of this Plan, the Pickens County Board of Commissioners and the Municipalities of Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock will provide a copy to the persons and/or committees responsible for writing and updating plans. Many of these strategies will be applied using previously identified policies and ordinances, including the NFIP compliance ordinances and water-use 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. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 149 Regulatory Tools/Plans Regulatory Type: Ordinance, Resolution, Codes, Plans, Etc. Local Authority State Prohibited Higher Authority Building Codes Pickens County Code; Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock codes and ordinances Yes No No Capital Improvements Plan Yes No No Comprehensive Plan Pickens County Joint Comprehensive Plan (including the cities of Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock) Yes No No Economic Development Plan Pickens County Joint Comprehensive Plan (including the cities of Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock) 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 Yes No No Historic Preservation Yes No No National Flood Insurance Program Participation Yes No Yes Continuity of Government/ Operations Plan No No No Post-Disaster Ordinance Yes No No Zoning Ordinances Pickens County Code; Jasper, Nelson, and Talking Rock codes and ordinances Yes No No 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--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 150 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 consider 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--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 151 Peer Review State Requirement Element F1 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. The Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update was peer reviewed by: Daniel Westbrook Date Director Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency Courtney Taylor Date Director Gordon County Emergency Management Agency Lucas Ray Date Deputy Director Dawson County Emergency Management Agency Daniel Kauffman Date Director Gilmer County Emergency Management Agency ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 152 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 third quarter of 2027; therefore, the approval and adoption of the next plan update must be completed before that time. In the first quarter of 2027, Pickens County plans to begin the Hazard Mitigation Plan Update process for the fourth time. This planning process will include 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 first quarter of 2028 to meet all identified planning deadlines. Conclusion As a result of the hazard mitigation planning process Pickens County, as well as additional participating organizations have gained significant 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 of each hazard. 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. Preventative Measures and Emergency Services comprised the greatest number (72%) of the mitigation strategies identified by Pickens County. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 153 Appendix A – Pickens County Sign In Sheets ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 154 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 155 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 156 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 157 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 158 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 159 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 160 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 161 Appendix B – Natural Hazard Data Tables Severe Thunderstorms Location County/Zone St. Date Time Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 0 0 2.973M 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 03/24/1975 07:05 Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 04/08/1980 19:30 Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 05/03/1984 13:35 Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 09/13/1990 07:38 Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS CO. PICKENS CO. GA 04/29/1991 10:10 Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 05/14/1994 22:34 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 06/25/1994 18:50 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 06/25/1994 19:50 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 06/25/1994 21:21 Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.50K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 03/17/1995 16:15 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Tate PICKENS CO. GA 05/27/1995 16:16 Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 06/02/1995 20:51 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K Tate PICKENS CO. GA 06/30/1995 17:05 Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 20.00K 0.00K Jasper PICKENS CO. GA 07/03/1995 20:36 Thunderstorm Wind 0 kts. 0 0 1.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 03/16/1996 16:35 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 03/19/1996 02:15 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/27/1996 20:45 Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 1.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/04/1997 18:52 Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 7.50K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/17/1998 00:10 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/17/1998 00:45 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/07/1998 18:50 Hail 1.50 in. 0 0 1.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 06/10/1998 15:15 Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 1.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/19/1998 10:05 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/08/1998 13:55 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 04/20/1999 03:05 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/22/1999 14:00 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/03/1999 16:18 Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 0.50K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/03/1999 16:33 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/03/1999 16:57 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/24/1999 19:57 Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 5.00K 0.00K LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 03/11/2000 00:25 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/25/2000 16:00 Hail 1.25 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/25/2000 17:00 Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 2.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 162 TATE PICKENS CO. GA 05/24/2001 17:41 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/06/2001 12:00 Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 0.50K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 06/26/2001 18:13 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/03/2001 15:50 Thunderstorm Wind 0 0 2.00K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 07/03/2002 14:10 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/03/2002 14:30 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/30/2003 14:48 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 05/06/2003 11:05 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 05/17/2003 18:30 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 07/13/2003 18:40 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 07/16/2003 16:20 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 07/22/2003 12:55 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 20.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/14/2004 00:28 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 0.50K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 07/14/2004 17:03 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K COUNTYWIDE PICKENS CO. GA 11/24/2004 10:00 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 1.50K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 12/09/2004 22:55 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 12/09/2004 23:05 Thunderstorm Wind 39 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 02/21/2005 17:20 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 03/27/2005 16:15 Hail 2.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 04/30/2005 05:30 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.15K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 05/20/2005 00:55 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 12/28/2005 19:35 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/03/2006 05:30 Thunderstorm Wind 35 kts. EG 0 0 0.50K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 04/08/2006 02:52 Thunderstorm Wind 39 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 04/19/2006 10:15 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 04/20/2006 15:08 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/20/2006 19:13 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/12/2006 15:51 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/23/2006 16:15 Thunderstorm Wind 35 kts. EG 0 0 0.25K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 08/15/2006 13:18 Lightning 0 0 500.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/11/2007 15:05 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 08/24/2007 17:05 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2008 16:00 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 25.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 08/02/2008 16:20 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 300.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 09/08/2008 17:15 Thunderstorm Wind 39 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 09/08/2008 17:56 Lightning 0 0 200.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 02/11/2009 17:16 Thunderstorm Wind 37 kts. EG 0 0 0.50K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 04/10/2009 16:50 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 50.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 163 HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 06/15/2010 17:33 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 1.50K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2010 13:45 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/26/2010 14:14 Lightning 0 0 150.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 08/26/2010 14:23 Thunderstorm Wind 56 kts. EG 0 0 25.00K 0.00K TALMADGE PICKENS CO. GA 09/11/2010 18:15 Thunderstorm Wind 39 kts. EG 0 0 2.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 11/30/2010 12:19 Thunderstorm Wind 37 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 03/23/2011 22:12 Thunderstorm Wind 65 kts. EG 0 0 300.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 04/04/2011 20:33 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 20.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 04/15/2011 16:23 Hail 1.25 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 04/25/2011 14:19 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 04/27/2011 20:39 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 128.00K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 05/26/2011 16:43 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 06/05/2011 17:27 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 3.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/06/2011 16:28 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 06/18/2011 16:10 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 300.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 08/07/2011 17:00 Thunderstorm Wind 54 kts. EG 0 0 15.00K 0.00K TALMADGE PICKENS CO. GA 08/08/2011 17:45 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 05/06/2012 17:45 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 05/06/2012 18:10 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 05/19/2012 15:40 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 05/19/2012 15:55 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 07/05/2012 19:25 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 50.00K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 05/19/2013 11:07 Lightning 0 0 60.00K 0.00K CAGLE PICKENS CO. GA 06/21/2014 14:48 Thunderstorm Wind 55 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 08/20/2014 18:14 Thunderstorm Wind 55 kts. EG 0 0 8.00K 0.00K NELSON PICKENS CO. GA 06/24/2015 17:48 Thunderstorm Wind 45 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 06/26/2015 16:19 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 8.00K 0.00K CARNS MILL PICKENS CO. GA 07/14/2015 18:40 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K CAGLE PICKENS CO. GA 04/22/2016 19:05 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K CARNS MILL PICKENS CO. GA 06/01/2016 17:10 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 6.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 07/16/2016 16:15 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 8.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 02/25/2017 05:36 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 03/01/2017 17:29 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 03/21/2017 18:57 Thunderstorm Wind 55 kts. EG 0 0 50.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 164 HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 04/03/2017 10:32 Thunderstorm Wind 55 kts. EG 0 0 20.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 09/05/2017 16:45 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 06/01/2018 14:20 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 4.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 06/17/2018 13:40 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/28/2018 10:12 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 2.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 07/21/2018 04:30 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 07/21/2018 04:35 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 08/09/2018 15:15 Thunderstorm Wind 45 kts. EG 0 0 2.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 06/02/2019 15:39 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 06/20/2019 05:40 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 4.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 06/21/2019 23:55 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 30.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 06/22/2019 20:35 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 06/23/2019 15:48 Thunderstorm Wind 45 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 08/19/2019 13:36 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K KEASLEY PICKENS CO. GA 08/24/2019 14:35 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 3.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 01/11/2020 17:05 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 5.00K 0.00K LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 05/04/2020 23:38 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 6.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 06/14/2020 17:00 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2020 15:38 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2020 15:45 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 2.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/09/2020 15:50 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ROBER PICKENS CO. GA 08/03/2020 13:09 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. EG 0 0 15.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 02/17/2022 20:58 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALKING ROCK PICKENS CO. GA 06/17/2022 15:17 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO AR PICKENS CO. GA 06/17/2022 15:28 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 08/20/2022 19:30 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TALMADGE PICKENS CO. GA 03/03/2023 15:13 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 03/03/2023 15:26 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 03/03/2023 15:48 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K TATE PICKENS CO. GA 04/01/2023 06:25 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K HOLCOMB PICKENS CO. GA 06/11/2023 19:58 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K CAGLE PICKENS CO. GA 06/25/2023 16:00 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/02/2023 17:24 Thunderstorm Wind 43 kts. EG 0 0 1.00K 0.00K HINTON PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:10 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 2.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 165 SCARECORN PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:10 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 15.00K 0.00K JERUSALEM PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:15 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 10.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:20 Thunderstorm Wind 65 kts. EG 0 0 500.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 166 Flooding 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 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 JASPER PICKENS CO. GA 07/19/2019 14:40 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K LUDVILLE PICKENS CO. GA 02/06/2020 10:00 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K MARBLEHILL PICKENS CO. GA 02/06/2020 10:30 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K BLAINE PICKENS CO. GA 02/06/2020 10:30 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K RUDEN PICKENS CO. GA 02/06/2020 11:00 EST-5 Flash Flood 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 167 Winter Weather Location County/Zone St. Date Time Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD Totals: 0 0 1.136M 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/06/1996 15:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/11/1996 16:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/02/1996 10:00 Winter Storm 0 0 10.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/20/1996 16:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/08/1997 19:00 Ice Storm 0 0 1.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/04/1998 01:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/23/1998 09:00 Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/02/1999 12:00 Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/06/1999 09:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/23/1999 11:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/22/2000 13:00 Ice Storm 0 0 980.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/28/2000 19:00 Ice Storm 0 0 32.79K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/19/2000 08:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/03/2000 05:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/17/2000 07:30 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/19/2000 00:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/01/2001 07:58 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/09/2001 07:30 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/20/2001 12:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/02/2002 06:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/16/2003 12:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/23/2003 00:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/06/2003 15:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/25/2004 05:00 Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/26/2004 00:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/19/2004 17:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/28/2005 20:00 Winter Storm 0 0 100.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/02/2005 10:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 04/02/2005 10:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/15/2005 00:00 Ice Storm 0 0 2.50K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/06/2006 04:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/12/2006 00:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/01/2007 04:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/29/2010 21:00 Ice Storm 0 0 10.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 168 PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/12/2010 14:30 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/02/2010 05:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/12/2010 12:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/25/2010 11:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/09/2011 20:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/09/2011 21:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/29/2011 06:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/25/2013 07:00 Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/02/2013 10:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/06/2013 03:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/28/2014 10:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/11/2014 07:00 Heavy Snow 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/01/2014 00:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/16/2015 12:00 Ice Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/20/2015 18:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/24/2015 01:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/24/2015 01:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/25/2015 13:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/20/2016 05:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/22/2016 00:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/08/2016 20:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 03/03/2016 13:30 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/06/2017 17:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/08/2017 10:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/16/2018 15:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/29/2019 06:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 02/08/2020 08:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/30/2020 18:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 12/01/2020 00:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/02/2022 23:00 Winter Weather 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/16/2022 00:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 01/16/2022 00:00 Winter Storm 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 169 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 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 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 PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 05/01/2017 00:00 EST-5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 09/24/2019 00:00 EST-5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 170 PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 10/01/2019 00:00 EST-5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/01/2019 00:00 EST-5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 10/24/2023 00:00 EST-5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K PICKENS (ZONE) PICKENS (ZONE) GA 11/01/2023 00:00 EST-5 Drought 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 171 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 SCARECORN PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:13 EST-5 Tornado EF0 0 0 0.00K 0.00K DANIELS PICKENS CO. GA 07/20/2023 16:23 EST-5 Tornado EF1 0 0 0.00K 0.00K ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 172 Appendix C – Worksheet 3As ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 173 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 174 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 175 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 176 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 177 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 178 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 179 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 180 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 181 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 182 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 183 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 184 Appendix D – Documentation of Peer Review Cherokee County ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 185 Dawson County ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 186 Gilmer County ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 187 Gordon County ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 188 Appendix E – Pickens County HAZUS Report ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 189 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 190 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 191 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 192 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 193 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 194 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 195 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 196 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 197 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 198 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 199 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 200 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 201 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 202 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 203 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 204 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 205 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 206 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 207 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 208 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 209 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 210 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 211 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 212 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 213 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 214 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 215 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 216 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 217 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 218 ---PAGE BREAK--- Pickens County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 Page I 219