RAINS COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION ACTION PLAN V 9 14 12-3

The governments of Rains County and the Cities of Emory, East Tawakoni, and Point, do nothave the power to control the inevitable hazard events, but these governments do have thepower to

RAINS COUNTY LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN

V.08.03.2012Prepared by:

Rains County Hazard Mitigation Group

Under Authority of:

RAINS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT

AndCITY OF EMORY CITY COUNCILCITY OF EAST TAWAKONI CITY COUNCILCITY OF POINT CITY COUNCILPoint of Contact for this Plan:

East Texas Council of GovernmentsHomeland Security DepartmentBen Buchanan, Contract PlannerCell Phone: 830-606-4723e-mail: agswin08@hotmail.com

RESOLUTION # 3-2013 HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN ADOPTION RESOLUTION

Whereas Rains County, Texas has experienced repetitive disasters that have

damaged commercial, residential and public properties, displaced citizens andbusinesses, closed streets and bridges dividing the community both physically andemotionally, and presented general public health and safety concerns; and

Whereas the community has prepared a Hazard Mitigation Action Plan that

outlines the communities options to reduce overall damage and impact from hazards; and

Whereas the Hazard Mitigation Action plan has been reviewed by the community

residents, business owners, and federal, state and local agencies, and has been revised

to reflect their concerns;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that:

The hazard Mitigation Action Plan is hereby adopted as an official plan of the Rains

Preparation of this plan was the result of countless hours of work on the part of manyindividuals, both on and adjunct to the Rains County Hazard Mitigation Team We acknowledgethe significant contributions by the support team, most notably Harold Carr (Rains CountyEmergency Management Coordinator); The Rains County Hazard Mitigation Planning Team;and, The East Texas Council of Governments:

Without their help, this document could not have been completed

TABLE OF CONTENTS RAINS COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION ACTION PLAN

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 14

Introduction 10

Purpose and Authority 10

Community Profile 11

DOCUMENTATION OF THE PLANNING PROCESS 13

Team Tasks 13

County/City Staff Tasks 14

ETCOG Planner Tasks 15

County Mitigation Officer Tasks 15

Public Participation Activities 15

Review of Previous Plan 16

RISK ASSESSMENT 16

Identification of Hazards 16

Thunderstorm: Wind / Hail / Lightning 17

Winter Storm / Ice Storm 17

Tornado 18

Drought 18

Flooding 18

Wildfire 18

Profiling Hazards to be Mitigated 19

Thunderstorm: Wind / Hail / Lightning 22

Winter Storm / Ice Storm 27

Tornado 31

Drought 35

Flooding 37

Wildfire 40

Assessing Vulnerability 43

Rains County 44

Point 46

Emory 48

East Tawakoni 51

MITIGATION STRATEGY 52

Hazard Mitigation Goals 52

Benchmarks for Progress – Prior Mitigation Action Items .54

Mitigation Action Summary 88

PLAN MAINTENANCE 96

Formation of the Team 96

Implementation of Action Items 97

Plan Adoption 100

Work Schedule 100

Formal Review Process 100

Monitoring 101

Evaluation 102

Update and Revision 102

Incorporation Into Existing Planning Mechanisms 103

Continued Public Involvement 105

Appendix I: Historical Storm Data

Appendix 2: Meeting Records

of the forces of nature The occurrence of a natural hazard can result in damages and hardshipsthat impact the physical environment and the economy for several years following the event The governments of Rains County and the Cities of Emory, East Tawakoni, and Point, do nothave the power to control the inevitable hazard events, but these governments do have thepower to identify and implement mitigation measures to reduce damage and to protect thehealth, safety, and welfare of the jurisdiction's residents.

This Hazard Mitigation Action Plan is the result of extensive data collection, discussion, andstrategy development It reflects the work of many people Public meetings were held, andadditional input from the public, neighboring communities, agencies, businesses, academia,nonprofits, and any interested parties was collected via surveys posted on websites Everydocumented storm incident for more than 50 years was considered The Hazard MitigationPlanning Team, with members representing Rains County and the Cities of Emory, EastTawakoni, and Point then analyzed the risks faced by the participating jurisdictions, reviewedthe provisions of the previous plan, and developed a list of mitigation goals, objectives, andactions, which were presented to the governing bodies of each participating jurisdiction, forconsideration and future action

This document presents an overview of the natural hazards faced by Rains County and theparticipating cities; a summary of the risk assessment performed; a list of the participatingjurisdictions' goals and objectives, and a description of the mitigation actions that will be taken

by the participating jurisdictions to mitigate the anticipated damage from the following naturalhazards: Severe Thunder Storms, Winter Storms/Ice Storms, Tornados, Drought, Flooding,Wildfire The Plan also describes how it will be maintained and updated at regular intervals.Once an “Approved Pending Adoption” letter has been issued by FEMA, the plan will be

adopted by each participating jurisdiction, and supporting documentation such as a signed adoption resolution will be provided by EACH participating jurisdiction and will be attached to the final copy of the plan

This completed Plan and any updates will be found on the Rains County website:http://www.countyofRains.com/

Rains County cannot prevent all hazard events, but does have the power to identify andimplement mitigation measures to reduce damage and risk to human lives; to better protect thehealth, safety, and welfare of its residents; and to become a more readily sustainablecommunity.

PURPOSE FOR THE PLAN AND LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

The increasing public cost of disaster response requires emergency management professionals,elected officials, and the general public to seek ways to reduce the risk associated with allhazards affecting the jurisdictions where they live and work

The Hazard Mitigation Planning process resulted from a series of federal and state mandatesdesigned to significantly reduce the impact of various hazards at local levels Authority comesfrom the Robert T Stafford Disaster Relief and Assistance Act (Public Law 93-288), as amended

by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 The requirements and procedures for State, Tribal andLocal Mitigation Plans are found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at Title 44, Chapter

1, Part 201 (44 CFR Part 201) Additional guidance and updated regulations are provided by theFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Interim Final Rule dated October 31, 2007(http://www.fema.gov) Additionally, Texas Executive Order RP-12, signed by Governor RickPerry on April 3, 2002, established the Emergency Management Council, and designated theDivision of Emergency Management to administer and supervise the provisions of the Act,including distribution of HMGP funds This State directive was later modified by Texas ExecutiveOrder RP-32, issued on January 28, 2004 By these Executive Orders, the Governor hasdesignated the Mayor of each municipality and the County Judge of each county as EmergencyManagement Directors for their respective political subdivisions, and authorized each politicalsubdivision to establish inter-jurisdictional agencies by intergovernmental agreement as needed.This updated Rains County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan covers Rains County and the Cities ofEast Tawakoni, Emory and Point (the same participants as in the original plan) Once an

“Approved Pending Adoption” letter has been issued by FEMA, the plan will be adopted by eachparticipating jurisdiction, and supporting documentation such as a signed adoption resolution will be provided by EACH participating jurisdiction and will be attached to the final copy of the plan in place of the sample resolution placeholders Copies of the Plan will be available for public review and comment at the Rains County Office of Emergency Management, and on the Rains County website at www.countyofRains.com, as well as at the administration office of eachparticipating municipal jurisdiction, and on the East Texas Council of Governments

COMMUNITY PROFILE

Rains County is a county located in the U.S state of Texas As of the 2010 census, its

population was 10,914 Its seat is Emory There are two other small cities in the county; East Tawakoni and Point.

According to the U.S Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 259 square miles, of which

232 square miles is land and 27 square miles is water

• Hopkins County (north)

• Wood County (east)

• Van Zandt County (southwest)

• Hunt County (northwest)

As of the census of 2010, there were 10,914 people, and 4,079 households in the county The population density was 39 people per square mile.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,131, and the median income for a family was $40,995 About 17% of the population were below the poverty line

The terrain ranges from nearly level to hilly; the largest portion of the county is undulating to

rolling The local economy is based on agriculture and timber production The City of Emory is

the county seat and principal commercial center of Rains County The City of East Tawakoni and the City of Point are the only other incorporated cities in the county

DOCUMENTATION OF THE PLANNING PROCESS

This section describes the process used to develop the plan, how it was prepared, who was involved in the process, and how the public was involved.

In 2001, the Rains County Commissioners Court passed a resolution to participate in a hazard mitigationplanning project that the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) planned to lead, if HazardMitigation Planning Funds were granted In the spring of 2002, ETCOG was notified that these fundswould be awarded A newspaper article was published in the Tyler Morning Telegraph on March 15, 2002announcing that ETCOG was officially awarded a grant to develop a regional hazard mitigation actionplan

Initially, Rains County partnered with the East Texas Council of Governments, contractor Gary R Traylor

& Associates, and the Forest Resources Institute of Stephen F Austin State University, as supportingorganizations to assist with the development and facilitation of the planning process

The Original Rains County Hazard Mitigation Planning Team

Rains County Emergency Management Coordinator, Jon Wedeking, formed a planning team whichincluded the following representatives from each incorporated municipality:

ORIGINAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING TEAM

Jon Wedeking Rains County Emergency Management Coordinator;

Tammy Ross Rains County Emergency Services Area District Board Member;

Joe R Dougherty Rains County Judge

Evelyn Malone Rains County Commissioner

Connie Mills Administrative Assistant to County Judge & Commissioners Court

Russell Ross Fire Chief & Chief of Police, City of East Tawakoni

Dallas Patterson East Tawakoni Ladies Auxiliary Club

Bob Hunton City of Emory, Public Works Department

Drew Roberts City of Point, Public Works Director

Debbie McClain City of Point, City Secretary

Kurt Fischer Rains County Sheriff’s Deputy

Tony Garner Rains County Sheriff’s Deputy

Kimberly Watkins Volunteer for numerous charitable organizations

Jason Jones EMT & Volunteer Fireman Emory Fire Department

This Team met once a month for five months, and developed the initial plan over a six-month periodresulting in a TDEM/FEMA-approved plan

After Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, and Rita in September of the same year, the new Rains County Emergency Management Coordinator, Harold Carr, contacted ETCOG to discuss

provisions of both the County Emergency Management Plan and the County Hazard Mitigation Plan Thus, the revision planning process for the Hazard Mitigation Plan began

ETCOG Planner Richard Jurkowski met with Harold Carr late 2009, and they began a review of the Plan Several changes for the five-year revision were suggested, and a “cut and paste” copy of the plan was begun as a means of documenting possible changes for the revision April 9, 2010 Harold Carr – Richard Jurkowski meet to review existing plan and make notes for revision

June 1, 2010 Harold Carr – Richard Jurkowski meet to review existing plan and make notes for revision

July 11, 2011 Harold Carr – Richard Jurkowski meet to review existing plan and make notes for revision

Feb 1, 2012 Richard Jurkowski Consulting LLC, contracted by ETCOG to be hazard Mitigation Planner

Feb 17, 2012 Harold Carr – Richard Jurkowski meet to review existing plan with updated notes for revision It was decided that it was time to have a public meeting to form a new planning team Mr Carr would coordinate with the county Judge to set a meeting date and review a list

of possible members for the new planning team The status of the plan would also be

discussed during the public meeting

Feb 23, 2012 Public Meeting – plan discussed, public input solicited, new members appointed, team tasks assigned First planning session by Team followed

NEW HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING TEAM Last Name First Name

Jurisdiction Represented

Team Tasks:

a Developed consensus on potential hazards

b Gathered data to incorporate into the GIS

c Developed goals and strategies

d Made decisions regarding actions to implement the plan

e Reviewed, evaluated and analyzed each section of the existing plan and determined whether each section was to be revised as part of the update process

f Suggested revisions for final draft

County/City Staff Tasks:

a Gathered data to incorporate into the plan

b Provide details as requested by Planner

c Distributed a citizen survey

Richard Jurkowski Consulting (Planner) Tasks:

a Prepared data to be utilized in the plan

b Facilitate Team meetings

c Research and gather data to incorporate into the plan

d Write the new plan

e Re-Profiled hazards

f Prioritized hazards through the matrix process, based on the above information

g Revise plan according to team inputs

County Hazard Mitigation Officer Tasks:

a Coordinate closely with planner in completing a revision of this plan

b Coordinate all hazard mitigation related activities of Rains County and the Cities within

the county

c Maintain the Hazard Mitigation Annex of the Rains County Emergency management

Plan, and insure that it incorporates measures outlined in this plan

d Insure that the Plan will be referenced any time new rules and regulations for new

subdivisions are considered; when updating or adopting new zoning; whenever

reviewing floodplain regulations; when reviewing or updating Comprehensive Plans and

a Capital Improvements Program (CIP)

e Insure development, distribution and retention of mitigation reports, records and

associated correspondence, and manage implementation of appropriate mitigation measures

f Serve as point of contact and provide local assistance for federal, state, and regional

level mitigation program and planning activities

g Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for compiling information, determining

priority of efforts, preparing reports, and monitoring implementation and effectiveness of mitigation measures

h Provide assistance to the designated local Project Officers responsible for administering

mitigation program grants such as HMGP and PDM, and for reviewing PA projects for inclusion of appropriate mitigation measures

i. Conduct or assist in regular reviews and scheduled updates of the Rains County HazardMitigation Action Plan

j. Solicit participation by neighboring communities, agencies, businesses, academia, nonprofits and other interested parties in the development of this plan (Notification by

flyers and newspaper notices were available Telephone contact was made with Van Zandt County, Wood County, American Red Cross, Texas Department of State Health Services, Rains County Independent School District, the City of Emory, the City of East Tawakoni, and the City ofPoint.)

k Insure the review and incorporation, if appropriate, of existing plans, studies, reports,

and technical information

Public Participation Activities:

Flyers were posted to advertise the public meeting

Newspaper notices were published to solicit public participation throughout the process

REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF EACH SECTION OF PREVIOUS PLAN

Executive Summary

This section was not included in the original plan Subsequent plan development in other jurisdictions has shown this to be a valuable summary, and was added to this plan by the planner

Documentation of the Planning Process

This section was initially reviewed by the planner and the County Hazard Mitigation Officer It was decided that the format used in the original plan would be repeated in the revision During the public meeting process, this was discussed and all agreed that the section should be used

in the revision

Risk Assessment

This section was initially reviewed by the planner and the County Hazard Mitigation Officer Based on input from Texas Division of Emergency Management, and experience gained in revising Hazard Mitigation Plans for other jurisdictions, it was decided that the section would be expanded significantly from the original plan, adding significant focus on the separate

jurisdictions taking part in this plan The section of the original plan was quite generic and did not focus sufficiently on each participating jurisdiction During the public review of the initial draft

of the new Risk Assessment, all present agreed that it was a significant improvement

The risk assessment update has not altered or identified any previously unidentified hazardareas that have been determined to pose a threat since the previous version of the Plan The

information remains the same and no change is necessary The current risk assessment simplyre-states and clarifies the previous risk assessment.

The Hazard Mitigation Planning Team will reevaluate all hazards annually and will re-address hazards as needed

The following hazards were identified and selected for inclusion in this version of the Plan:

• THUNDERSTORM (Includes wind, hail & lightning)

The following definitions briefly describe these hazards

Thunderstorm: (Includes: Wind / Hail / Lightning)

A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply astorm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect onthe Earth's atmosphere known as thunder.] Thunderstorms are usually accompanied by strongwinds, heavy rain and sometimes snow, sleet, hail, or no precipitation at all Those that causehail to fall are called hailstorms Thunderstorms may line up in a series or rainband, known as asquall line Strong or severe thunderstorms may rotate, known as supercells While mostthunderstorms move with the mean wind flow through the layer of the troposphere that theyoccupy, vertical wind shear causes a deviation in their course at a right angle to the wind sheardirection

Thunderstorms result from the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air They can occurinside warm, moist air masses and at fronts As the warm, moist air moves upward, it cools,condenses, and forms cumulonimbus clouds that can reach heights of over 20 km As the risingair reaches its dew point, water droplets and ice form and begin falling the long distance throughthe clouds towards the Earth's surface As the droplets fall, they collide with other droplets andbecome larger The falling droplets create a downdraft of air that spreads out at the Earth'ssurface and causes strong winds associated commonly with thunderstorms

Ice Storm

A winter storm may include snow, sleet, freezing rain, or a mixture of these Sleet (raindropsthat freeze into ice pellets before reaching the ground) usually bounce when hitting a surfaceand do not stick to objects, but can accumulate like snow, causing significant road hazards.Freezing rain falls onto a cold surface, forming a glaze of ice An ice storm occurs when rainfreezes immediately upon impact Ice accumulations can cause a significant hazard, especially

to power lines and trees Communications and power can be disrupted for days, and evensmall accumulations of ice may cause extreme hazards to motorists and pedestrians

Rains County has a mild climate, and rarely receives snow; therefore, the only type of winterstorm to be considered for mitigation in this Plan will be the ice storm Rains County hasreceived significant damage due to ice storms, and is at risk for this hazard in the future Theburden of ice causes tree limbs to fall, and entire large trees to be uprooted, with consequent

damage to homes, outbuildings, vehicles and machinery Power outages are frequently causedwhen trees fall on transmission lines.

Tornado

A tornado is a violent windstorm with a twisting, funnel-shaped cloud extending to the ground.Tornadoes are most often generated by thunderstorm activity when cool, dry air intersects andoverrides a layer of warm, moist air, forcing the warm air to rise rapidly The damage caused by

a tornado is a result of high wind velocity and wind-blown debris Lightning and large hailfrequently accompany these windstorms According to the National Weather Service, tornadowind speeds range from 40 to more than 300 miles per hour The most violent tornadoes haverotating winds of 250 miles per hour or more and are capable of causing extreme destruction

Drought

Drought is a natural climatic condition caused by an extended period of limited rainfall beyondthat which occurs naturally in a broad geographic area High temperatures, high winds, and lowhumidity can worsen drought conditions, and can make areas more susceptible to wildfire.Human demands and actions can also hasten drought-related impacts

Rains County has experienced drought, most recently in 1996, 1998 and 2005, with thepredominant result being loss of agricultural production, and consequent economic loss

Flooding

A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land Flooding may result from thevolume of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake, which overflows or breakslevees, with the result that some of the water escapes its usual boundaries

While the size of a lake or other body of water will vary with seasonal changes in precipitationand snow melt, it is not a significant flood unless such escapes of water endanger land areasused by man like a village, city or other inhabited area

Floods can also occur in rivers, when flow exceeds the capacity of the river channel, particularly

at bends or meanders Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if they are placed

in natural flood plains of rivers

Wildfire

A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or awilderness area Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hillfire, peat fire, vegetation fire, and woods fire may be used to describe the same phenomenondepending on the type of vegetation being burned A wildfire differs from other fires by itsextensive size, the speed at which it can spread out from its original source, its potential tochange direction unexpectedly, and its ability to jump gaps such as roads, rivers and fire breaks

Monetary loss

Team Prioritization*

18 Ice Storm

$66,000,000

*Team prioritization was based on monetary loss, total number of events, recent event

occurrences, and threat to human life A great deal of stress was placed on recent occurrences.

How and Why Hazards Were Ranked

Hazard Type Sources used to Identify Rationale used for Ranking

Thunderstorm:

( Including: Wind /

Lightning / Hail)

Review of past storm events;

Team Input; National Climatic Data Center, Public Input

The county experiences approximately seventy thunderstorms per year

Economic loss per year is significant, and

thunderstorms pose an immediate threat to human life Potential hazard is extremely frequent

Ice Storm Review of past storm events;

Team Input; National Climatic Data Center, Public Input

The county experiences ice storms almost every year Not all are

documented by the National Climatic Data Center Economic loss is devastating, and threat to human life is immediate and frequent

Tornado Review of past storm events;

Team Input; National Climatic Data Center, Public Input

The county experiences a tornado only about once every three years Most often they are relatively small and insignificant damage is cause, however the threat for extreme damage and loss of life is always present, though un-predictable

Drought Review of past storm events;

Team Input, National Climatic

The county experiences drought every two to three

Data Center, Public Input years During this planning

period, the most significant drought ever recorded was experienced in 2010 The damage caused by drought

is economically devastating Threat to human life is also present

Flooding Review of past storm events;

Team Input; National Climatic Data Center, Public Input

The county only experiences a minor flood event once about every three years Past losses and loss of life were minimal

Wildfire Review of past storm events;

Team Input, National Climatic Data Center, Public Input

The county experiences brush fires of less than twenty acres each several times per month, but few reach the degree of

“wildfire” The year 2010, with the extreme drought, was an exception, and cannot be expected to be anew “norm”

The Rains County Hazard Mitigation Team researched information on many large and smallhazard events, from many different data sources Some of these sources include:

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), “Facts About Windstorms.” www.windhazards.org Bureau of Reclamation, U.S Department of the Interior www.usbr.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) www.fema.gov

The GeoCommunity™ www.geocomm.com

National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), U.S Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html

National Drought Mitigation Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln www.drought.unl.edu

National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), U.S Department of Commerce, National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration www.nssl.noaa.gov

National Weather Service (NWS), U.S Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration www.nws.noaa.gov

Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado at Boulder http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/ Storm Prediction Center (SPC), U.S Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service www.spc.noaa.gov

The Tornado Project, St Johnsbury, Vermont www.tornadoproject.com

United States Department of Energy (DOE) www.energy.gov

United States Geological Survey (USGS), U.S Department of the Interior www.usgs.gov

Hazard Exposure Profile

Requirement: The risk assessment shall include a description of the …location and

extent of all natural hazards that can affect the jurisdiction The plan shall include

information on previous occurrences of hazard events and on the probability of future

hazard events.

In this section, the Rains County’s Hazard Mitigation Team determined just how

bad each hazard could affect the County Any given hazard type can produce different

effects depending on its magnitude, duration, and intensity The plan utilizes past

occurrences to predict future probability

PROBABILITY of FUTURE OCCURRENCE:

• Highly Likely – Event probable in the next year

• Likely – Event possible in the next five years

• Unlikely – Event possible in the next ten years

EXTENT and IMPACT SCALE:

(Extent is classified with mapping vs qualitative terms.

Substantial

• Multiple deaths

• Complete shutdown of facilities for 30 days or more

• More than 50 percent of property destroyed or with major damage

Major

• Injuries and/or illnesses result in permanent disability

• Complete shutdown of critical facilities for at least 2 weeks

• More than 25 percent of property destroyed or with major damage

Minor

• Injuries and/or illnesses do not result in permanent disability

• Complete shutdown of critical facilities for more than 1 week

• More than 10 percent of property destroyed or with major damage

Limited

• Injuries and/or illnesses are treatable with first aid

• Minor quality of life lost

• Shutdown of critical facilities and services for 24 hours or less

• Less than 10 percent of property destroyed or with major damage

Some hazards such as floods, and wildfires were profiled by mapping the geographic

extent because the events occur in predictable areas of the community Other hazards,

such as tornados d o not occur in predictable areas, so it was profiled by simply

determining the maximum wind speed to-date As previously noted,

Numerous factors were examined:

• Probability - How likely is it that the hazard will impact the area

• History of Occurrence

• Magnitude or Extent - How severe the hazard will be–how much can it cost people and

community to respond and recover?

• Location - Where hazards will affect the County/City

• Duration

• Seasonal Pattern

• Warning Time

• Cascading Potential – Residual (or secondary) hazard events that occur as a

result of the primary/initial event

• Warning Time / System

Thunderstorm: (Includes: Wind / Hail / Lightning)

The Team analyzed storm history events as reported by the National Climatic Data Center and usedinformation from personal past experience to profile thunderstorm events and determined that thepotential severity of impact for thunderstorms is limited

Limited Characteristics:

• Injuries are treatable with first aid

• Minor quality of life lost

• Shutdown of affected critical facilities and services for 24 hours or less

• Less than 10% of property destroyed or with major damage

The following table identifies issues that the Team discussed (using the Hazard ProfileWorksheet as a guide) to profile how thunderstorm events could affect the County

Thunderstorm

Potential Severity of Impact Limited per event, but numerous events per year

result in an average of $100,000 per year losses throughout the county

Frequency of Occurrence Expect ten to twelve per year

Probability of Future Events Highly Likely

Seasonal Pattern All Year – possibly higher in spring

List of Sources • National Climatic Data Center

• Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment

• Team InputProbable Duration 30 min – 2 hours

Warning Time One to six hours

Existing Warning Systems Internet, Radio, T.V., Code Red (reverse 911)

Potential Affected Area Thunderstorms occur equally in all areas of Rains

County, the City of Emory, the City of East Tawakoni, and the City of Point

Cascading Potential • Property damage – Structural,

infrastructure, personal property, etc

• Power outages – affects the water and sewer system & critical facilities

• Debris & Tree/Limbs fall

TORRO HAIL SCALE

TORRO Hailstorm Intensity Scale

Intensity Category

Typical HailDiameter (mm)*

Probable KineticEnergy, J-

m2

Typical Damage Impacts

H1 Potentially

Damaging

5-15 >20 Slight general damage to

plants, cropsH2 Significant 10-20 >100 Significant damage to fruit,

crops, vegetationH3 Severe 20-30 >300 Severe damage to fruit and

crops, damage to glass and plastic structures, paint and wood scored

H4 Severe 25-40 >500 Widespread glass damage,

vehicle bodywork damageH5 Destructive 30-50 >800 Wholesale destruction of

glass, damage to tiled roofs, significant risk of injuriesH6 Destructive 40-60 Bodywork of grounded

aircraft dented, brick walls pitted

H7 Destructive 50-75 Severe roof damage, risk of

serious injuriesH8 Destructive 60-90 (Severest recorded in the

British Isles) Severe damage

to aircraft bodyworkH9 Super Hail 75-100 Extensive structural damage

Risk of severe or even fatal injuries to persons caught in the open

H10 Super Hail >100 Extensive structural damage

Risk of severe or even fatal injuries to persons caught in the open

The Beaufort wind scale is used to determine characteristics of wind storms in Rains County.Next page.

The Modern Beaufort Wind Scale

The planning area, Rains County, should expect to mitigate to 58 mph winds This wind speed is part of the definition of the subset of STS (severe thunderstorms)

characteristics At this speed, trees break, and infrastructure experiences structural damages.

Justification for the County’s Risk Assessment / Profile

Excluding duplicate reports, a total of 131 Thunderstorm events have been reported to theNational Climatic Data Center for the past sixty years This total includes 111 storm winds, 59

hail storms, and two reports of lightning strikes More thunderstorm events have been reported

in the last decade than any other decade This may be due to an increased ability to reportdata, and to greater public recognition of the need to report However, the dollar amount ofdamage is seldom reported, notwithstanding, $365,000 in losses is listed for the period Actuallosses probably amounts to twice or three times that amount

Magnitude / Wind Knots

Thunderstorm wind speeds were seldom reported in Rains County prior to 1995; since then, the

county’s significant thunderstorm wind events have reportedly produced the following previous occurrences:

Below 50 knots: 2 events52-54 knots: 20 events55-58 knots: 11 events60-64 knots: 11 events

65 knots: 2 events

70 knots: 2 events

72 knots: 1 events

80 knots: 1 events

Property Damage / Impact

Thunderstorm Wind events within Rains County have caused a total of $365,000 propertydamage This number is based on the best available data In some cases, property damagewas reported, but the magnitude of the event (by knots) was not reported In other cases, theopposite is true—the data often does not include damage figures

Winter Storm / Ice Storm

The Team analyzed storm history events as reported by the National Climatic Data Center and reliedheavily on information from personal past experience to profile ice storm events, and determined that,while the potential severity of impact for ice storms could be substantial for the timber industry and utilitiesinfrastructure, the overall impact to human life, animals, the environment, and the economy of the county

as a whole, is limited

Limited Characteristics:

• Injuries are treatable with first aid

• Minor quality of life lost

• Shutdown of affected critical facilities and services for 24 hours or less

• Less than 10% of property destroyed or with major damage

The following table identifies issues that the Team discussed to profile how ice storms couldaffect the county

ICE STORM

Potential Severity of Impact Limited - estimated annual losses to the county and its

residents would be approximately $100,000 to a milliondollars per year, including costs to utility companies for

repairing downed power lines

Frequency of Occurrence Expect at least one significant ice storm per year Some

yours may experience three or fourProbability of Future Events Highly Likely

Seasonal Pattern Winter

List of Sources • National Climatic Data Center

• Multi-Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment

• Team InputProbable Duration 3 to 5 days

Existing Warning Systems Internet, Radio, T.V., Code Red (reverse 911)

Potential Affected Area Ice Storms occur equally in all areas of Rains County, the

City of Emory, the City of East Tawakoni, and the City of Point

Cascading Potential • Structural damage

• Shut-down of infrastructure

• Power outages

• Fires caused by grills inside the house

• Debris in transportation paths

• Tree debris creates more fuel load / fire hazard

• Delayed emergency response time

• Frozen / burst pipes

EXTENT: The National Weather Service (NWS) glossary defines Ice Storms, Blizzards, and

Heavy Snow events as:

• Freezing Rain is “rain that falls as a liquid but freezes into glaze upon contact with the

ground.”

• “An ice storm is an occasion when damaging accumulations of ice are expected during

freezing rain situations Significant accumulations of ice pull down trees and utility lines resulting in loss of power and communication These accumulations of ice make walkingand driving extremely dangerous Significant ice accumulations are usually

accumulations of ¼" or greater.”

• “A blizzard means that the following conditions are expected to prevail for a period of 3

hours or longer:

• Sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 miles an hour or greater; and

• Considerable falling and/or blowing snow (i.e., reducing visibility frequently to less than

¼ mile).”

 “A heavy snow generally means

• snowfall accumulating to 4" or more in depth in 12 hours or less; or

• snowfall accumulating to 6" or more in depth in 24 hours or less

In forecasts, snowfall amounts are expressed as a range of values, e.g., "8 to 12 inches." However, in heavy snow situations where there is considerable uncertainty concerning the range of values, more appropriate phrases are used, such as " up to 12 inches " or

alternatively " 8 inches or more "

Minor variations of at least one of these occurrences happen at least once a year, but severe instances occur approximately once every five years Therefore, it is important to

identify and mitigate the negative effects that this type of hazard event may have on the

planning area The primary concerns with this hazard are unsafe road conditions, utility

disruptions that result from line breakages, and post-event damage to structures and

transportation systems that it creates

Table 5-1 SWW Awareness, Extent, and CI Warning Information

includes: Snow accumulations of 6 or more inches in 24 hours, sleet/ice pellet accumulations of one half of an inch or more, or significant public

impact.

The number of extreme cold days in Rains County number from 18-24 per year Based on the Wind Chill Index on the next page and this map’s data, the planning area should mitigate to subzero temperatures lasting as long as ½ to an entire month.

RAINS COUNTY

The Rains County planning area needs to mitigate to subzero temperatures based on the number of cold days in the previous page’s illustration The planning area should mitigate to a range of Apparent cold temperatures: (32 degrees – Zero degrees).

Previous Occurrences:

The 1994 storm: An arctic cold front moved into Northern Texas during the afternoon of the 8th

of Februrary, causing temperatures to drop 60 degrees within 48 hours in many locations Four

inches of ice and sleet accumulated, making this the most significant ice storm across EastTexas in two years Numerous highways, businesses, and schools were closed Over 30,000homes suffered power outages, and damage from falling trees was widespread to homes andbusinesses Two indirect fatalities occurred as icy roads caused traffic accidents

Affected the following counties: Anderson, Angelina, Bell, Bosque, Bowie, Brown, Callahan,Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Coleman, Collin, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Delta, Denton,Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Grayson, Gregg, Hamilton, Harrison,Haskell, Rains, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar,Lampasas, Leon, Limestone, Marion, McCulloch, McLennan, Mills, Montague, Morris,

Nacogdoches, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Rusk, Sabine,

San Augustine, San Saba, Shackelford, Shelby, Smith, Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant, Taylor,Throckmorton, Titus, Trinity, Rains, Van Zandt, Wise, Wood, Young.

Total Damage: $50 Million (multi-county estimate by NWS) Damage to Rains County estimated

at $150,000

The first 1996 storm: Sleet caused traffic accidents in east Texas

Affected the following counties: Smith, Rains, Wood.

No dollar amount of damage was reported, although traffic accidents were caused

The second 1996 storm: Cold air settled over relatively warm ground resulting in the formation

of dense fog As temperatures dropped, the fog began to freeze upon contact to roads, bridges,

& overpasses Numerous automobile accidents were recorded

Affected the following counties: Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Panola, Rusk, Rains.

No dollar amount of damage was reported, although traffic accidents were caused

The 1997 storm: Abundant low-level moisture was pumped northward across the region fromlow pressure over the northwest Gulf of Mexico The moisture overran a freezing air massacross northeast Texas The result was 2 to 4 inches of freezing rain and sleet across the area.Numerous accidents were reported along with power outages Several highways were closed.Affected the following counties: Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison,

Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Smith, Titus, Rains, Wood.

No dollar amount of damage was reported, although traffic accidents were caused

The 1998 storm: A shallow arctic air mass spread across northeast and east Texas while low pressure formed in the Gulf of Mexico This allowed overrunning of warm moist air over the cold dome producing widespread freezing rain and sleet Overall ice accumulations were less than one inch The ice accumulated mainly across exposed surfaces such as trees and power lines

as well as bridges and overpasses A few automobile accidents and downed trees and power lines were the worst result of the storm

Affected the following counties: Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine,

Shelby, Smith, Titus, Rains, Wood.

No dollar amount of damage was reported, although traffic accidents were caused

The January, 2000, storm: A strong upper level trough moved out of the southern Great Basin and into the lower Mississippi Valley, sweeping arctic air southward to the Gulf Coast Moisture laden air from the Gulf overran the freezing surface temperatures, producing ice across the

northern half of northeast Texas Ice accumulations of 1” - 4” fell across most of the area, with ice and snow accumulations near 8 inches Thousands of homes were left without power due to ice covered tree limbs falling and snapping power lines Also, hundreds of chicken houses were destroyed and 7 million chicks were killed Barns, carports, and weak-structure homes collapsedfrom the weight of ice and snow Traffic accidents were numerous and I-30 west of Texarkana was closed when the freeway became impassable.

Affected the following counties: Bowie, Camp, Cass, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Morris,

Red River, Smith, Titus, Rains, Wood.

No dollar amount of damage was reported, although traffic accidents were caused, power linessnapped, hundreds of chicken houses were destroyed, and millions of chicks were killed

The December, 2000, storm: An arctic air mass spilled southward out of the central plains and into the lower Mississippi Valley This cold surface air mass was overrun by a warm and humid air mass, which combined with a strong upper level storm system across west Texas The result was a mixture of freezing rain, sleet and Ice accumulations of two to 6 inches were common across the northern third of northeast Texas with accumulations on one to two inches further south Over 235,000 people were without power from several hours to several weeks from snapped power lines Upwards of 29 transmission lines atop "H" shaped steel towers were snapped due to the weight of the ice Numerous traffic accidents were reported from ice

covered roads and bridges Northeast Texas was declared a disaster area

Affected the following counties: Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison,

Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Rains, Wood.

Total Damage: $123 Million (multi-county estimate by NWS) Estimated Rains County damages

$350,000

The 2006 storm: Freezing rain across region Ice accumulations < 1/4" most places Bridges & overpasses saw some ice accumulation which resulted in numerous traffic accidents Many elevated bridges & overpasses were closed

Affected the following counties: Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine,

Shelby, Smith, Titus, Rains, Wood.

No dollar amount of damage was reported, although traffic accidents were caused

The 2008 storm: Two inches of snow reported

Affected the following counties: Cherokee, Morris, Smith, Titus, Rains.

No damage was reported

The 2009 storm: Trace amounts of freezing rain across the county resulted in a few icy bridges

Affected only Rains County.

No damage was reported

Property Damage Impact

Property damage in dollar amounts is listed for only two of the ten events, although all of theevents obviously caused damage The reported damages total $173 Million for all of theaffected counties combined Figures of $500,000 for Rains County alone is a planningestimate

Tornado

The Team analyzed historic storm events and used information from the American Society ofCivil Engineers to profile tornados, and determined that the potential severity of impact could besubstantial

Substantial Characteristics:

• Multiple Deaths

• Complete shutdown of affected facilities for 30 days or more

• More than 50% of affected property destroyed or with major damage

The following table identifies issues that the Team discussed (using the Hazard ProfileWorksheet as a guide) to profile how tornados could affect the County

TORNADO

Potential Severity of Impact Substantial – Most tornados reported in Rains

County are in the EF0-EF1 categories Damage to those buildings directly affected by the storms usuallyaverages approximately $10,000 per structure, most often limited to roof damage or damage to mobile homes Past experience is that three to five structures may be damaged per event

Frequency of Occurrence Approximately one every five years

Probability of Future Events Likely

Seasonal Pattern All year, but primarily in spring and fall

List of Sources National Climatic Data Center

Team InputProbable Duration 5-30 minutes

Warning Time Minimal – Usually less than fifteen minutes

Existing Warning Systems Emory, Point and East Tawakoni all have early storm

warning notification sirens;

All use internet, radio, NOAA radio, T.V

All of Rains County, including the cities, currently uses Code Red for reverse 911 notification

Potential Affected Area The entire county and all cities are at risk of tornado

No tornados have previously struck inside the city limits of Emory, East Tawakoni or Point

Cascading Potential Damage to structures

Power outage Loss of water and wastewater facilitiesMedical capabilities decreased

FireDebris causes emergency response delaysDeath potential – human and animalTraffic lights out

Impacts to the economyJustification for this Risk Assessment Profile:

Extent: Rains County is in Wind Zone IV (250 mph) according to the Design Wind Speed map that

was created by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and is also estimated to have 6-10 tornados per 1,000 square miles Based on these two factors, Rains County is at “high

risk.” This means that the county could experience an EF4 tornado, which could createdevastating damage The National Climatic Data Center does not have record of an EF4

tornado event in Rains County The planning area should mitigate to 250 mph wind loads

and invest in the safe room rebate program under HMGP

Frequency: During the last sixty years, 13 tornados were reported in Rains County

Property Damage: A total of $778,000 in property damage has been reported as a result of these tornados

Deaths and Injuries: No deaths have been reported

Magnitude shown refers to the Fujita tornado measurement scale, as reproduced on the next

page (Source: The Tornado Project Online: http://www.tornadoproject.com/)

Most prior tornado events analyzed in the planning process were measured on the old Fujita Tornado Scale, which is shown below for reference Current analysis and planning, however, uses the new Enhanced Fujita Scale, which is shown following the Fujita Scale

Fujita Tornado Measurement Scale

destroyed

F2 Significant tornado 113-157mph

Considerable damage Roofs torn off frame houses;mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over;large trees snapped or uprooted; light object

missiles generated

F5 Incredible tornado 261-318mph

Strong frame houses lifted off foundations andcarried considerable distances to disintegrate;automobile sized missiles fly through the air inexcess of 100 meters; trees debarked; steelreinforced concrete structures badly damaged

F6 Inconceivable

tornado

319-379mph

These winds are very unlikely The small area ofdamage they might produce would probably not berecognizable along with the mess produced by F4and F5 wind that would surround the F6 winds.Missiles, such as cars and refrigerators would doserious secondary damage that could not be directlyidentified as F6 damage If this level is everachieved, evidence for it might only be found insome manner of ground swirl pattern, for it maynever be identifiable through engineering studies

Enhanced Fujita Tornado Measurement Scale

Confirmed tornadoes with no reporteddamage (i.e those that remain in openfields) are always rated EF0

EF1 86–110 138–178 31.6%

Moderate damage

Roofs severely stripped; mobile homesoverturned or badly damaged; loss ofexterior doors; windows and other glassbroken

Roofs torn off well-constructed houses;

foundations of frame homes shifted;

mobile homes completely destroyed; largetrees snapped or uprooted; light-objectmissiles generated; cars lifted off ground

EF3 136–165 219–266 3.4%

Severe damage

Entire stories of well-constructed housesdestroyed; severe damage to largebuildings such as shopping malls; trainsoverturned; trees debarked; heavy carslifted off the ground and thrown; structureswith weak foundations blown away somedistance

EF4 166–200 267–322 0.7%

Devastating damage

Well-constructed houses and whole framehouses completely leveled; cars thrownand small missiles generated

EF5 >200 >322 Less than 0.1%

Total destruction

Strong frame houses leveled offfoundations and swept away; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in excess

of 100 m (109 yd); steel reinforcedconcrete structure badly damaged; high-rise buildings have significant structuraldeformation; incredible phenomena willoccur

So far there have been two EF5tornadoes recorded since the EnhancedFujita Scale was introduced on February

1, 2007 The most recent one occurred inParkersburg, Iowa on May 25, 2008 and

leveled half the city See Greensburg, Kansas tornado, Late-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence

Drought

Rains County is generally blessed with abundant rainfall, averaging more than 43.5 inches a

year However, droughts have occurred and have had an impact on the area The drought of

2011 is often referred to as the “100-year drought” or the worst drought in recorded history Drought generally damages the economy rather than posing a health hazard to

humans or causing the shutdown of critical facilities The Team determined that drought wouldhave a limited effect on the economy, rather than direct property damage and hazard to humanlife

Limited Characteristics:

• Injuries are treatable with first aid

• Minor quality of life lost

• Shutdown of affected critical facilities and services for 24 hours or less

• Less than 10% of property destroyed or with major damage

The following table identifies issues that the Team discussed (using the Hazard Profile Worksheet as aguide) to profile how drought could affect the county.

DROUGHT

Potential Severity of Impact Limited – A significant drought occurs only every five

to ten years, and losses are usually agricultural in nature Such losses, during those significant droughts can be expected to be between $500,000 and $2,000,000 The drought of 2011 was much worse, but drought of that magnitude is extremely rare and experienced only about once every 100 years

Frequency of Occurrence Once every three to five years

Probability of Future Events Likely

Seasonal Pattern All year, but most likely in summer

List of Sources Team Input, National Climatic Data Center (NCDC,

National Drought Mitigation Center, National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service

Probable Duration Variable based on several factors, listed above –

expect one to three monthsWarning Time More than 12 hours- several possible weeks

Existing Warning Systems Radio, T.V., Internet, Code Red

Potential Affected Area All of Rains County, including the cities of Emory,

East Tawakoni and Point are at risk The threat to humans is greatest inside the cities only because the population density is higher there The greatest risk

is probably in the outlying county, especially agricultural interests

Cascading Potential • Property damage to crops, animals

• Environmental damage

• Impacts to the economy Justification for the County’s Risk Assessment Profile

History: Rains County has suffered four serious droughts in the recent past, in 1996, 1998,

2005 and 2011 The devastation in the area was related to crop damage, as listed in the table

below The impact of drought is mostly to the economy, resulting from loss of resources and production Both the Palmer Drought Index and the Keetch-Byram Drought Index were used to help understand and plan for drought events:

• For PDSI, the planning area’s participants should mitigate to -1.99 to 1.99.

• KBDI levels of mitigation should meet 700 across the County.

The Palmer Drought Indices

The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) (known operationally as the Palmer Drought Index

(PDI)) attempts to measure the duration and intensity of the long-term drought-inducing

circulation patterns Long-term drought is cumulative, so the intensity of drought during the

current month is dependent on the current weather patterns plus the cumulative patterns of previous months Since weather patterns can change almost literally overnight from a long-term drought pattern to a long-term wet pattern, the PDSI (PDI) can respond fairly rapidly

The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), is used by local officials and planners when

measuring and forecasting drought events The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), outlines

mathematical models for predicting the likelihood of wildfire based on soil moisture and otherconditions related to drought

KBDI is a soil/duff drought index that ranges from 0 (no drought) to 800 (extreme drought) and

is based on the soil capacity in 8 inches (200 mm) of water The depth of soil required to hold 8inches of moisture varies A prolonged drought (high KBDI) influences fire intensity largelybecause fuels have a lower moisture content

The KBDI is a measure of meteorological drought; it reflects water gain or loss within the soil It

does not measure fuel moisture levels in the 1 to 10 hour fuel classes, which must be measured

by other means for an accurate assessment of fuel moisture, regardless of the drought indexreadings

Flood

There are two types of potential Flooding that pose a hazard to Rains County: flash flood andmajor flood The Rains County Hazard Mitigation Team determined that flash flood and majorflood will be combined into a single hazard of “Flooding” Of the 22 total flood events recorded

by the National Weather Service in Rains County since 1950, only one has been listed as a

“major flood,” involving a large land area (Rains and five other counties)

Rains County flood events typically occur due to a high quantity of rain in a short amount of time.Damage caused by floods is a result of several issues As new developments are constructed, theamount of land available to absorb water is decreased; therefore, an increased quantity of water is forced

to other low-lying areas continually expanding the area that will flood In most cases, as a part of newdevelopment, forest space and other plant coverage is decreased, so the amount of run-off and erosionpotential will increase Inadequate drainage system capacity is not necessarily the root of the problem,but can add to the magnitude of the event, if the system was constructed to meet only the minimumrequirements for current conditions that existed at the time of construction, without regard for futuregrowth

The Team analyzed storm history events as reported by the National Climatic Data Center and usedinformation from personal past experience to profile Flood, and determined that the potential severity ofimpact for Flood in Rains County is generally limited

Limited Characteristics:

• Injuries are treatable with first aid

• Minor quality of life lost

• Shutdown of affected critical facilities and services for 24 hours or less

• Less than 10% of property destroyed or with major damage

The following table identifies issues that the Team discussed (using the Hazard Profile Worksheet as aguide) to profile how Flooding could affect the county

FLOOD

Potential Severity of Impact Limited ($51,000 reported losses in nine years)

Frequency of Occurrence Expect some Flooding every year

Probability of Future Events Highly likely

Seasonal Pattern All year, but especially in spring and fall

List of Sources • National Climatic Data Center

• Multi-Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment

• Team InputProbable Duration 3-7 days

Warning Time Minimal: 3-6 hours

Existing Warning Systems Internet, radio, T.V., Code Red

Potential Affected Area Historically, flooded areas in Rains county included:

• Near Emory Farm-to-Market Road 275 north

of Emory was flooded

• Heavy rains flooded county roads on the east side of Lake Tawakoni

• Flooding was reported six miles east of Lake Tawakoni

• Water was reported over Farm Market 3274 and Farm Market 2795

• All along the south county line (Sabine River Basin) This is the most frequently flooded area

Flooding has not occurred within the city limits of Emory, East Tawakoni, or Point

Cascading Potential Loss of electricity

Structure and infrastructure damage Debris in transportation paths

Emergency response delaysDisruption of traffic due to flooded roads Impacts to the economy

Justification for the County’s Risk Assessment Profile

Frequency of Flood Events

A total of 19 Flooding events have been reported to the National Climatic Data Center for thelast sixty years The primary area of Rains County that is affected by Flooding is along the

southern county line, as depicted on the following maps from the Map Service Center at FEMA:

Rains County HMAP: Multi-Jurisdictional FEMA-FIRMs Risk MAP6 Legend

Impact

No deaths or injuries have been reported in Rains Countydue to Flooding Over thirty thousand dollars in propertydamages have been reported for the reporting period

Floodplain Maps and Management Program: NFIP Rains County has new DFIRM and FIRM maps of the county dated April 17, 2012, and the County Judge has appointed a Flood Plain Manager The County has a very active flood plain management program in place The GIS technician at the Rains County Tax Appraisal Office overlaid the digital map information

of the County property map on the Flood Plain Manager’s computer, resulting in much more accurate flood plain mapping information than previously available The Flood Plain Manager now maintains several paper copies in his office, as well

as a digital overlay on his computer’s mapping program that are all available to the public.

The previous 1977 maps were four panels 11.5” X 18” covering the entire County and difficult to use,

providing little information of value The new paper maps are 25 panels 18” X 36” for the County, a considerable improvement The locally produced digital overlay allows the Flood Plain Manager to determine extremely accurately flood plain boundaries on an individual property, even small properties.

Legend is for Mapping, beginning on Page 45

Flood Extent Mapping

Rains County 50 year, 1-Hour Rainfall Extent

Extent-wise, Rains County and the participating jurisdictions in this HMAP can expect a range of 3.3 to 3.4 inches of rain during a 1-Hour, 50 year event, or the 0.5% chance.

Rains County 100 Year, 1-Hour Rainfall Extent

RAINS COUNTY