Virginia Hazard Mitigation Summit

1. Virginia Hazard Mitigation Summit Planning for Disaster Resilient Communities by Increasing Hazard Mitigation for Commercial Facilities Presented by: Bucky Taylor Donald Goodwin

2. Most Important Piece of Information • Know who your state and federal contacts are before the incident occurs. • Virginia Department of Emergency Management: Hazard Mitigation Office 1-804-987-6500 • Federal Emergency Management Agency: Patricia G. Arcuri, Acting Regional Director for Region III – 1 (215) 931-5608

3. WHY IS FRANKLIN HERE TODAY? 183 Businesses were directly affected by the flood waters. 44 Businesses were demolished. (P.S. - 100 Residential units were affected. 62 were demolished)

4. Verizon City Hall High Water Mark

5. Verizon Floyd’s Level (3’ Above 100 Yr. 100 Year Level

6. Old City Hall Main Street Businesses

7. Broad Street Residential & Commercial

8. Beale’s Court - Gone Belo Center Demolished Wastewater Treatment Plant Broad Street

9. GONE!!

12. City of Franklin, Virginia 2000 Floodway and Flood Plain

13. City of Franklin, Virginia 1980 Floodway and Flood Plain

14. Building Code Requirements Now In Effect In The SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Areas) • The use of flood resistant materials below the base flood level • Elevation Certificates required • Engineers certification of dry flood proofing design. • Automatic entry of floodwaters where areas below the base flood level are fully enclosed. • Elevating all building related systems to mitigate flood damage.

15. Impact on existing structures in the Special Flood Hazard Areas • Increased Hazard Mitigation in existing commercial structures located below the new base flood elevation (BFE) when the following occurs: • Substantial damage: Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before damaged condition would equal or exceed fifty (50) percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred. • Substantial improvement: Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds fifty (50) percent of the market value of the structure before the “start of construction” of the improvement.

16. What impact can be expected on new development following the adoption of the new FIRM maps? • Increased Hazard Mitigation in new commercial structures erected below the new base flood elevation (BFE) include the following: • Structural design to withstand hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressures and the effects of buoyancy • Using flood resistive construction materials • Elevating building related equipment • Installing backwater valves in sewer lines • Backflow Prevention of water supply • Some reluctance to build or further improve existing structures.

17. FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

18. Hazard Mitigation Grant Program • Approximately $325,000 was spent to mitigate future flood damage to commercial buildings in the downtown. • The City purchased 7 commercial properties located in the 100 yr. flood plain. • The buildings were demolished and removed from those properties thereby reducing any future claims that may otherwise have occurred.

19. ALL DEMOLISHED THROUGH THE HAZARDOUS MITIGATION BUY OUT!!

20. ALL DEMOLISHED THROUGH THE HAZARDOUS MITIGATION BUY OUT!!

21. Elevated Construction above the 100 yr. flood plain Properties purchased utilizing the HMGP Elevated Transformer Pad Retention Pond and drainage structure reclamation

22. Floyd’s Height New 100 Year Height Flood

23. Verizon Water level

24. Elevated first floor above flood level

25. Old Burgess & Co. Building New Plan for Park Harold S. Atkinson Memorial Park The design is almost complete and read y to bid.

26. Water Level This was the only area in the City that had no indoor plumbing. It was in a very low lying area and located next to a fuel and gas company which would have preferred that no residential houses be permitted nearby. The business owned two houses but demolished them when all the others were demolished.

27. Water Level

28. Chamber of Commerce Oldest Building in Downtown Chamber Walk Park

29. The Chamber Walk was created from a joint public and private partnership by purchasing the condemned property and building from it a garden walkway. A plaque commemorating this event reads: “On September 16, 1999 Hurricane Floyd’s floodwaters inundated this historic district and its 183 businesses. Many buildings , included this one that stood here, were totally destroyed and had to be condemned. Emerging from the devastation, this garden walkway is a reminder of Franklin’s darkest hours and the difficult but defining days that followed. The compassion, gifts, and hard work of hundreds of nameless volunteers comforted victims, saved businesses, rebuilt buildings and restored confidence. This garden constitutes a lasting reminder to the indomitable faith, courage, generosity, and hope that preserved our community then and sustains us all now and in the future. We shall be forever grateful to those who rose to this challenge and to those who contributed to this garden in their honor.”

30. Parking had always been an issue for downtown merchants so the demolition of an old building allowed the City to purchase the property with local charitable foundation funds and the City used local funds to perform the construction.

31. The FBI – Franklin Business Incubator. EDA and Local Funding Mitigated first floor area. City Purchased and Removed Hugh Grain Storage Bins. Future site for a small park, parking lot and farmer’s market. Train Depot to be renovated to its original state.

32. Old City Hall

34. One Year Anniversary Event Water Level International Paper Plant $54,000,000 damage

35. Requirement to Raise units.

36. Again….raised generator and fuel tank to operate the telephone system for our area..

37. Flood Gates can minimize damage. EMERGENCY SERVICES BUILDING Periodic installation training is a must.

38. Mitigation Flood Control Project PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 1ST AVENUE STREET RETENTION PROJECT Flood Line DEMOLISHED Old Ditch

39. Additional Mitigation Projects Increasing storm water retention that reduces the bottlenecking of storm water in the downtown flood hazard area

40. Bogart Street Retention Pond

41. JUST WHEN YOU KNEW IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN…. 4 YEARS LATER ISABEL KNOCKED HARD ON OUR DOOR !!

42. The Blackwater River again threatens the Downtown during Hurricane Isabel. International Paper side of the river.

43. NO LEVI, WALL, BERM ETC. WILL WORK IN OUR AREA DUE TO THE FLATNESS OF THE ELEVATIONS. SPRING RAINS CAN BRING MINIMAL VERY LOW LEVEL FLOODING TO PARTS OF OUR AREA. THE FIRST AREA AFFECTED IS USUALLY OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.

44. Additional Mitigation Tools GIS Data identifying Ground and 1st. Floor elevations of existing buildings in the Downtown Flood Hazard Area. 100 South Main Street Lowest Ground Elevation 19.6 ft. above mean sea level First floor level 19.7 ft. above mean sea level

45. New Police and Courts Facility

46. Wastewater Treatment Plant During Floyd Flood Level New Flood Plain Old Flood Plain

47. Only a couple of feet or so!!

48. New Stream Gauge Sought To Enhance Flood Predictions • Develop recommendations on actions aimed at improving stream gauging and flood forecasting and the understanding of the flood forecasts for the City of Franklin. • The City’s primary concern is getting the flood forecasts for the existing gage located in Burdette translated to the City in order to better predict those who will likely be impacted by flood waters. • Federal request has been made for the new gauge. Working closely with Congressman J. Randy Forbes to obtain this vital equipment. QUESTIONS??????