HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 07-08-2025; 6-a - Approval of Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: July 8, 2025
Action Agenda
Item No. 6-a
SUBJECT: Approval of Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan
DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
1. Resolution of Adoption Sarah Pickhardt, Division Chief of
2. North Carolina Emergency Emergency Management, (919) 245-
Management Statement of 6135
Approval Hannah Tuckman, Emergency
3. PowerPoint Presentation Management Planner, (919) 245-
6138
UNDER SEPARATE COVER:
Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan
(775 Page Document Available
Electronically at
https://enohawhmp.com/assets1pdfs/Eno-
Haw%20Regional%2OHazard%2OMitigatio
n%20Plan%20Draft 050125.pdo
PURPOSE: To approve a resolution adopting the Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan as
approved by the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management (NCEM).
BACKGROUND: In October 2000, the "Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000" (DMA 2000) (Public Law
106- 390) was signed into law amending the "Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Act of 1988." DMA 2000 requires local governments to adopt a hazard mitigation plan in order to
be eligible for hazard mitigation funding. To remain eligible for funding, each local government
must update the hazard mitigation plan every five years.
In addition, North Carolina General Statute §166-A - 19.41 states as a condition of State public
assistance funds following a disaster that "the eligible entity shall have a hazard mitigation plan
approved pursuant to the Stafford Act."
In an effort to reduce costs associated with hazard mitigation planning, the State prioritizes
planning funding provided to counties to those who collaboratively create regional hazard
mitigation plans with neighboring jurisdictions that are face comparable or similar hazards. The
goal is to combine efforts and have counties create comprehensive, multi-
county/multijurisdictional plans while using fewer resources. No local control is lost by any
participating entity in the regional plan, and each participant retains the right to apply for State or
Federal funding. Furthermore, as an additional benefit, any combination of participants can
choose to share the cost of any required local match when applying for project funding.
2
In accordance with State and Federal regulations, the Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation
Planning Team, which consists of representatives from Orange County Planning and Inspections,
Orange County Emergency Services, and the other participating jurisdictions began meeting in
September 2024 to work with WSP, a consultant provided by the State, to create the 2025 update
to the Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. Collectively, the team evaluated past hazards
and incidents, the geographical profile, the population profile, recently updated Flood Insurance
Rate Maps (FIRMs), assessments from the Triangle Regional Resiliency Study, and other data to
compile a profile for the region. Additionally, mitigation goals, strategies, and actions were
developed for the region.
A draft of the Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan was submitted to the State Hazard
Mitigation Officer for review in April 2025, and NCEM approved the plan in May 2025. The Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is currently reviewing the plan and is expected to issue
an approval. Local government approval of the plan is occurring ahead of the expected FEMA
approval in order to ensure necessary deadlines are met. If FEMA's review results in any
significant revisions, the plan will be brought back to the BOCC for re-adoption at a later date.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There are no direct financial impacts associated with the adoption of the
Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The State has provided funding for contracting
services associated with compiling the plan. State and Federal law require a jurisdiction to have
an adopted and approved hazard mitigation plan in place to be eligible for hazard mitigation
assistance funds. Work at the local level was accomplished using existing County and local staff.
A fundamental premise of mitigation strategy is that current dollars invested in mitigation activities
will significantly reduce the demand for future dollars by reducing the amount needed for
emergency recovery, repair, and reconstruction following a disaster.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports:
• GOAL 1: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE ACTION
OBJECTIVE 1. Identify the priorities and resources necessary to implement the Climate
Action Plan.
OBJECTIVE 2. Invest in our infrastructure to reduce the environmental impact of the
County fleet/facilities and improve safety.
OBJECTIVE 3. Protect water supply/watersheds.
• GOAL 2: HEALTHY COMMUNITY
OBJECTIVE 7. Provide sustainable, equitable, and high-quality community safety and
emergency services to meet the community's evolving needs.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve and authorize the
Chair to sign the attached resolution adopting the Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan.
3
RES-2025-035 ATTACHMENT 1
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION
ADOPTING ENO-HAW REGIONAL
HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
WHEREAS, the residents and property within Orange County are subject to the
effects of natural hazards that pose threats to lives and cause damage to property, and with
the knowledge and experience that certain areas of the region are particularly vulnerable to
drought, excessive heat, hurricane and coastal hazards, thunderstorm, tornado, winter
weather, flooding, wildfire, hazardous substances, cyber threat, terrorism, and
infrastructure failure; and
WHEREAS, Orange County desires to seek ways to mitigate the impact of
identified hazard risks; and
WHEREAS,the Legislature of the State of North Carolina has in Article 5, Section
160D-501 of Chapter 160D of the North Carolina General Statutes, delegated to local
governmental units the responsibility to adopt regulations designed to promote the public
health, safety, and general welfare of its residents; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of North Carolina has enacted General
Statute Section 166A-19.41 (State emergency assistance funds) which provides that for a
state of emergency declared pursuant to G.S. 166A-19.20(a) after the deadline established
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency pursuant to the Disaster Mitigation Act of
2002, P.L. 106-390, the eligible entity shall have a hazard mitigation plan approved
pursuant to the Stafford Act; and
WHEREAS, Section 322 of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 states that
local governments must develop an All-Hazards Mitigation Plan in order to be eligible to
receive future Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Funds and other disaster-related
assistance funding and that said Plan must be updated and adopted within a five year cycle;
and
WHEREAS,Orange County has performed a comprehensive review and evaluation
of each section of the previously approved Hazard Mitigation Plan and has updated the
said plan as required under regulations at 44 CFR Part 201 and according to guidance
issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the North Carolina Division of
Emergency Management; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Board of Commissioners of Orange County to
fulfill this obligation in order that the County will be eligible for federal and state assistance
in the event that a state of disaster is declared for a hazard event affecting the County;
NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Board of County Commissioners of
Orange County hereby:
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1. Adopts the Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan.
2. Vests Orange County Emergency Management with the responsibility, authority,
and the means to:
(a) Inform all concerned parties of this action.
(b) Cooperate with Federal, State and local agencies and private firms which
undertake to study,survey,map and identify floodplain areas,and cooperate
with neighboring communities with respect to management of adjoining
floodplain areas in order to prevent exacerbation of existing hazard impacts.
3. Appoints Orange County Emergency Management to assure that the Hazard
Mitigation Plan is reviewed annually and every five years as specified in the Plan to assure
that the Plan is in compliance with all State and Federal regulations and that any needed
revisions or amendments to the Plan are developed and presented to the Orange County
Board of Commissioners for consideration.
4. Agrees to take such other official action as may be reasonably necessary to carry
out the objectives of the Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Adopted this the 8th day of July, 2025.
Jamezetta Bedford, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
2
5
I]{ Outlook
Eno-Haw HMP Approved by NCEM, Ready for Adoption
From Moore, Abigail <abigail.moore@wsp.com>
Date Tue 5/6/2025 2:59 PM
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1 attachment(22 KB)
Resolution Template-Adoption of Hazard Mitigation Plan.docx;
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Good afternoon, all,
Good news! NCEM has reviewed and approved the Eno-Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan and forwarded the plan to FEMA for final
review.At this point, all communities are encouraged to move forward with adoption of the plan.
Attached is a sample adoption resolution from NCEM that you can update/revise as needed.And here is a link to the latest version of the
plan.
Once you've completed adoption, please forward me a copy of your signed and dated adoption resolution and I'll pass them along to NCEM
and add them to the plan.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you for all your participation and hard work to get us to this point!
Abby Moore,AICP, CFM
Hazard Mitigation &Resilience Planner
She/Her
T+1 919-767-1112
WSP
4021 Stirrup Creek Drive, Suite 100
Durham, NC 27703
wsp.00M
7
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-LAEmHhHzdJzBITWfa4Hgs7pbKl
ENO- HAW REGIONAL
HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
2025 UPDATE
°aNTr
9
I� •
ORANGE ;=
CbUNTY � Hazard Identification
This plan identifies disaster risks to our
- ` community using historical and census data.
Mitigation Strategies
AThis plan outlines ways our community can
lessen the impacts of disasters before they
happen.
Regional . Mitigation
Federally Required
This plan is required for our jurisdiction to be
eligible to receive FEMA grants and
discounted flood insurance premium rates.
1
THE
PR . _ _ 1:C7rganize Phase 2: Risk Phase 4:Adoption
Resources Assessment Mitigation & Implementation
Strategy
Step1 Organize to Prepare the Plan
Step ZInvolve the Public
Step 3Coordinate
Step 4Assess the Hazard
Step 5Assess the Problem
Step CSet Goals
7
Review Possible
Step 8
Draft an •
Step9
Adopt the Plan
Step 1DImplement, Revise - Plan
11
REGIONAL COLLABORATION
CE ■ cauKry
� ssoi
COUNTY
ORANGE
4 2�
COUNTY N
NORTH CAROLINA SON CO
1980 -
CITY OF
DURHAMTOWN OF LdRR&OGO•NC
-HAW RIVER... ` -�� o X$o�Q
!. O¢TH,CAROf.I.9A
fr
c ,`.
art nnE
� TA
d
TOWN Of
HILLSBOROUCH
12
r / Z/
SUMMARY OF HAZARD RISKS
HIGH RISK MODERATE RISK LOW RISK
Dam Failure
Excessive Heat Tornadoes &Thunderstorms
Flooding Wildfire
Drought Cyber Threat Earthquake
Hurricanes &Tropical Storms Civil Unrest Landslide
Critical Infrastructure Failure
Hazardous Materials Incident
Infectious Disease
Severe Winter Storm Terrorism/Mass Casualty
Radiological Emergency
Priority Risk Index is determined by probability of the event occurring,
severity and spatial extent of impact, warning time, and duration.
13
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES it
Goal 1: Change, enhance, or adopt plans, ordinances, policies, regulations, and other local tools
and mechanisms to better facilitate risk reduction activities and improve overall resiliency.
Objective 1-1: Strive to ensure that development occurs in such a way as to protect wetlands, floodplains,
erosion control measures, and other natural features that serve to reduce hazard risk.
Objective 1-2: Pursue policies that incorporate hazard mitigation into new development
and post-disaster redevelopment.
Goal 2: Protect the public health, safety and welfare by increasing training, education, and
public awareness of hazards and by encouraging collective and individual responsibility for
mitigating hazard risks.
Objective 2-1: Implement a public awareness campaign to educate citizens of possible hazards and
mitigation options.
Objective 2-2: Pursue strategies and technologies to improve warning and notification of hazard events and
ensure that emergency services are adequate to protect public health and safety.
14
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (CONT.
Goal 3: Improve technical, administrative, financial, and political capability to implement
effective mitigation projects and respond to hazards.
Objective 3-1: Improve operations for hazards and emergencies that cause disruptions to traffic,
release times, power outages, sheltering, and communications.
Objective 3-2: Improve regular regional communication and foster the creation of more multijurisdictional
regional planning efforts related to risk reduction and resiliency.
Goal 4: Implement structure and infrastructure projects to improve public safety, reduce risk to
vulnerable populations, and protect buildings, transportation, and other critical and essential
functions of the Eno-Haw Region.
Objective 4-1: Strive to keep infrastructure extensions out of known hazardous areas in order to actively
discourage development in high risk areas.
Objective 4-2: Retrofit or otherwise protect existing property, critical facilities, and infrastructure against
damages.
15
SELECTED ACTIONS
o Prevention
• Incorporatinq Hazard Mitiqation Plan priorities into the 2050 Land Use Plan
• Continuing to implement the 2030 Comprehensive Plan
• Continuing Me ClimUl`e ACA101"1 r1U1
• Continuing to update and implement recommendations in local/regional plans
to improve the resiliency of water resources
• Home Weatherization for low-to-medium income residents
• Tree Giveaway program
• Community Wildfire Protection Plans
Natural Resource Protection
• Ensure future development occurs in a manner that protects floodplains,
streams, and wetlands to reduce flood hazard susceptibility.
• Continue to enforce existing regulations pertaining to storm water management
and erosion control standards contained within the Orange County UDO
The full plan, to include all of Orange County's planned actions is available at www.EnoHawHMP.com
16
SELECTED ACTIONS (CONT.
Property Protection
• Continuing to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program
- Continuing to enforce North Carolina State Building Code
• Expand situational awareness tools including installing additional stream gauges
• Continue to acquire and/or elevate flood prone properties
Structural Projects
• Explore possibility of retrofitting critical facilities to harden against winds/lightning
and improve/retrofit with generators
• Conduct cost/benefit reviews during planning and design phases of new facilities
to determine feasibility of equipping facility with back-up generators, lightening
protection, and high wind protection
• Implement drainage improvement projects to reduce flood risk
The full plan, to include all of Orange County's planned actions is available at www.EnoHawHMP.com
17
SELECTED ACTIONS (CONT.
Emergency Services
• Continuing to provide warming/cooling centers during extreme temperatures
• Develop a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan with integration of all three
municipal Emergency Operations Plans
• Continue to improve situational awareness during hazard events
• Develop a Countywide Tactical Interoperable Communications Plan
Public Education and Awareness
• Provide education and outreach in multiple languages before, during, and after
disasters
• Engage in regional events, activities, and training opportunities to improve
planning efforts with other local jurisdictions
• Develop and begin implementing an Orange County Heat Action Plan
• Conduct heat mapping to understand which parts of Orange County are most
vulnerable to excessive heat
• Provide utility bill assistance to income eligible residents
The full plan, to include all of Orange County's planned actions is available at www.EnoHawHMP.com
18
i
ORANGE COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN
The Eno-Haw Hazard Mitigation supports several priorities of the County's Strategic Plan.
Objective 1: Identify the priorities and resources necessary to implement the
Priority One: Environmental Climate Action Plan
Objective 2: Invest in our infrastructure to reduce the environmental impact of
Protection and Climate Action the County fleet/facilities and improve safety
Objective 3: Protect water supply/watersheds
Priority Two: Healthy Community Objective 7: Provide sustainable, equitable, and high-quality community safety
and emergency services to meet the community's evolving needs
QUESTIONS ?
Hannah Tuckman
Emergency Management Planner
htuckman@orangecountync.gov
Sarah Pickhardt
Division Chief of Emergency Management
spickhardt@orangecountync.gov
p" -NTy
�r
• • • • • • • GtORANGE
READY
SERVICES