City of Elizabeth – Pre-Disaster Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Presentation – May 2020

This PowerPoint presentation is made available as a virtual public meeting due to Coronavirus or COVID-19. Please submit questions or comments directly to the City Engineer. His email address is provided at the end of this presentation.

Thank-you

May 2020

Public Meeting #1

City of ElizabethPre-Disaster Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Presentation

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Slide: http://pvc.dhingrapolymers.com/latest-update/basic-

protective-mea/229)

Safety Moment: COVID-19

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Introduction

The City of Elizabeth (City) has a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Pre-Disaster Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). The HMP must be updated every five years and public meetings/participation are part of the process.

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The HMP is administered by FEMA and is a planning tool that identifies the City’s risks and vulnerabilities associated with natural disasters. The process helps develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from future natural hazards. FEMA provides GIS HAZUS software and planning modules and goals.

“HAZUS is a nationally applicable standardized methodology that contains models for estimating potential losses from earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis. HAZUS uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to estimate physical, economic, and social impacts of disasters. It graphically illustrates the limits of identified high-risk locations due to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and tsunamis.”

How does FEMA define Hazard Mitigation?

Mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impacts of disasters. In order for mitigation to be effective, action should be taken now, that is before the next disaster to reduce human and financial consequences.

City’s Mitigation Goals:

Goal 1 Protect Life

Goal 2 Protect Property

Goal 3 Promote Sustainable Economy

Goal 4 Protect the Environment

Goal 5 Increase Public Preparedness

Why have a Mitigation Plan?

The City and the public will benefit from hazard mitigation planning. The HMP provides updated information on potential natural hazards, the most appropriate types of mitigation for each identified hazard and to be eligible for FEMA funding. The public will ultimately benefit from the City’s pro-active actions.

Updating the HMP will assist the City in identification and preparation for potential natural hazards - ultimately reducing the impacts of a disaster and possibly avoiding the natural hazard completely. This in turn will reduce or eliminate impacts to the public when natural hazards occur. Increase value for every dollar spent on hazard mitigation against future risk and damages.

Being prepared can reduce local government and public fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany natural disasters.

Also, communities, families, and individuals should be prepared and know what to do before, during and after a natural disaster, especially if they live in a more vulnerable area.

How does the Hazard Mitigation Plan work?

Integrating the HMP with Local Master Plan

-Land Use Planning for Future Sustainable Growth

-Transportation Planning

-Housing Policies (codes & compliance)

-Economic Developments (building in areas non-vulnerable to natural hazards)

The HMP will improve community resiliency and strives to protect:

-Public Facilities and Critical Infrastructures

-Natural Resources (e.g., coastline and Elizabeth River)

-Historic Properties and Cultural Resources

What natural hazards can occur in the City of Elizabeth?

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-Flooding

-Hurricanes/Nor Easters

(e.g., Superstorm Sandy resulted in

approximately $31 million of FEMA

assistance for NJ’s residential

losses)

-Severe Thunderstorm

-Extreme Cold and Heat

-Earthquakes

-Tornadoes

There had been 3 earthquakes(M1.5 or greater) in the last 12 months in or near NJ (Hillcrest NY, Brigantine NJ and Clifton NJ) and 10 earthquakes in the tri-state area over the last 4 years.

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Why is the City vulnerable

to future earthquakes?

Soil Classification System

for Earthquakes:The City is estimated to be

almost 50% located within

soft soil classification –

Class E (shown in red).

Class E soil has the highest

risk of liquefaction hazards in

New Jersey and subject to the

greatest damage from a

severe earthquake.

City of Elizabeth

Liquefaction occurs when loose silts and sands below the water table become suspended in the groundwater as the ground shakes during an earthquake.

The sediment grains are then no longer supporting the ground above, but the weight of that ground falls back upon a layer that has now basically become a liquid.

With continued ground shaking, pressure builds up and forces water to the surface through cracks and crevices in the ground. The water carries with it the suspended sediment and ejects it at the ground surface, and can lead to subsidence as this material settles.

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Historic Earthquakes

and Class-E Soils

Shown as two large purple dots in

the small inset - the 2 largest

earthquakes (5.0-5.9) were just

north and east of the coastline of

the City.

August 25, 2015 news publication

quoted from Rutgers experts stated:

“In fact, researchers say that New

Jersey is overdue for a

moderate earthquake of 5.0 or

greater.” “Long overdue, (but) for

how long, that’s the question”

Map Source (NJDEP Study)Stanford, S. D., 2002, Surficial geology of the Orange

quadrangle, Essex, Passaic, Hudson, and Bergen

Counties, New Jersey: N. J. Geological Survey Open-

File Map OFM 41, scale 1:24,000.

(https://www.app.com/story/money/business/2015/08/2

7/earthquake-shakes-jersey-shore/32325053/)

City of

Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Pictures of

infrastructures

after

earthquake

liquefaction

source: https://www.ocf.ber

keley.edu/~zellw...

Buildings can

collapse

Roads

can crack

open

Water and

sewer

lines can

fail

Tornadoes: Though uncommon, the latest tornadoes were recorded on August 7, 2019 in Springfield-NJ, Millville-NJ, and Hightstown-NJ with winds of ~70 mph (EF0) or greater. Also, on July 1, 2013 there was another EF0 tornado in Summit. The last 4 tornadoes in Union County had an estimated damage of over $7 million dollars total.

As climate change continues, increase of natural disasters are occurring. Just in 2019, there were 8 tornadoes in NJ, 5 with 65-85 mph winds (EF0) and 3 with 86 mph-110 mph winds (EF1). Prior to 2019, there were only 13 total tornadoes going back to 2001.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Jersey_tornadoes)

City’s Hazard Vulnerability Ranking

Ranking Overview of Vulnerability

HighHigh vulnerability to Flooding, Coastal Storm,

Nor’easter, Hurricane, Coastal Erosion,

Thunderstorm, Severe Winter Storm, Extreme Heat

and Earthquake

MediumMedium vulnerability to Drought, Extreme Cold,

Hailstorm, and Mosquito-Borne Illness

LowLow vulnerability to Avalanche, Expansive Soil,

Ice-Jam, Land Subsidence, Tornado, Tsunami, and

Wildfire

Why Prepare?

Why should the City and residents be

concerned and pro-active?- According to an October 31, 2012 news article,

“Elizabeth, N.J., was among the communities ravaged

by the Superstorm. More than 10,000 people live in

each square mile of the city, most in shared housing,

and all were affected.”(https://resources.foursquare.org/foursquare_responds_to_superstorm_sandy/)

- The City of Elizabeth is very vulnerable to

coastal flooding and sea level rise. Floods

that were once considered rare are more

common with rising tides and storm surges.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/10/hurricane-sandy/3/

Natural disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Each disaster has lasting effects, both to people and property.

If a natural disaster occurs in our community, local government and disaster-relief organizations will try to help, but we need to be ready as well. Local responders may not be able to reach everyone immediately or they may need to focus their efforts somewhere else, first.

You should know how to respond to severe weather or any disaster that could occur in your area - hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, extreme cold/heat, flooding, or just severe thunderstorms that can cause long-term power outages.

Everyone should also be ready to be self-sufficient for at least three days. This may mean providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water, and sanitation.

How does FEMA assist?

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance include:

-Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)-Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM)-Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)

What do these FEMA programs provide?

FEMA Can Assist With:- Property Acquisition- Structure Demolition/Relocation- Structure Elevation/Reconstruction- Dry Flood Proofing on Historical and

Non-residential Structures- Localized and Non-localized Flood

Risk Reduction Projects- Emergency Generators

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Includes:- Public Education and Outreach

- Planning and Studies

- Policy/Zoning Developments

- Flooding Mitigation Projects

- Structural Mitigation Projects

- Stormwater and Wastewater

Projects

- Staff Training

Now that you have seen the Presentation:- What do you consider to be the greatest

natural hazard(s) in Elizabeth?- What programs or improvements do you think

can make the City more resilient?- Are you aware of areas that are prone to

flooding or just drain too slow after a storm?- Any questions about emergency shelters or

responses by the city after a natural disaster?

Why not let the City know what you think?

Questions/Comments?All Questions and Comments can be emailed directly to the City Engineer - Daniel Loomis: dloomis@elizabethnj.org

City’s Hazard Mitigation Website:https://www.elizabethnj.org/444/Hazard-Mitigation

At the City’s website, you can access the Draft Updated Plan and the Current Plan before submitting questions or comments:

Current Plan:https://www.elizabethnj.org/DocumentCenter/View/202/Hazard-Mitigation-Plan-with-Appendices-PDF

Draft Updated Plan:https://www.elizabethnj.org/DocumentCenter/View/1359/Elizabeth-HMP-Final-Draft-Updates---Feb2020

Thank you!

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Kevin E. Koch PE, LSRP Daniel J. Loomis PESenior Vice President Engineer of Elizabeth City kevin.koch@mottmac.com dloomis@elizabethnj.org