2014 Chippewa County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Prepared for: Chippewa County Office of Emergency Management With the Assistance of: Eastern U.P. Regional Planning & Development Commission April, 2014
Cover Photo: 1 ½ Mile Road, Sugar Island, Michigan This page is intentionally left blank.
Chippewa County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan April, 2014 Prepared for: Chippewa County Office of Emergency Management 4657 W. Industrial Drive Kincheloe, MI 49788 Tim McKee, Director Assisted by: Eastern U.P. Regional Planning & Development Commission P.O. Box 520 Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 www.eup-planning.org Adopted: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS EUP Planning Staff: Ellen Benoit, Assistant Director Nathan Coon, GIS Technician
Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction... 1 Purpose... 1 Plan Requirements... 2 Emergency Management Cycle... 3 Planning Approach... 5 Public Participation... 6 Background and Scope... 6 Multi-Jurisdictional Planning... 8 Relationship to Other Regional and Community Plans... 9 Hazard Assessment... 10 Plan Layout... 10 Chapter 2 - County Profile... 12 Description... 12 Geography... 13 Climate... 14 Surface Waters... 15 Watershed Basins... 15 Population and Demographics... 17 Equalization Report... 23 Land Use Patterns... 23 Transportation Network... 24 Utilities... 27 Emergency Management... 28 Local Units of Government Profiles... 32 Critical Facilities... 39 Chapter 3 - Natural Hazards Risk Assessment... 42 Federal Requirement... 42 Methodology... 42 Hazard Identification... 43 2013 Hazard Profile... 48 Severe Winter Weather... 51 Thunderstorm/High Wind/Hail/Lightning... 61 Wildfires... 67 Drought... 71 Public Health Emergencies... 78 Infrastructure Failure... 82 Flooding... 84
Civil Disturbances... 92 Transportation/Hazardous Materials Accident... 95 Structural Fires/Scrap Tire Fire... 98 Tornadoes... 101 Fixed Site Hazardous Materials Incident... 105 Pipeline... 107 Extreme Temperatures... 109 Subsidence/Ground Movement... 111 Chapter 4 Mitigation Strategy... 115 Foundation... 115 Sustainability... 115 Partnerships... 116 Goals... 116 Hazard Mitigation Actions Identification & Analysis.... 117 Prioritization Methodology... 123 2014 Mitigation Action Plan... 124 Chapter 5 Plan Implementation... 131 Plan Adoption... 131 Implementation... 131 Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee s Role 132 Incorporation into Existing Planning Mechanisms... 132 Plan Maintenance... 133 Public Involvement... 134 Appendix A - Chippewa County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee... 135 Appendix B - Planning Documentation... 137 Appendix C - Public Comments... 150 Appendix D - Maps...... 151 Appendix E - Community Profiles... 171 Appendix F - Sample Resolutions... 198 Appendix G - Action Plan Detail... 200
List of Figures Figure 1 Natural Disasters Trend... 1 Figure 2 Chippewa County Local Units of Government... 9 Figure 3 Snow Classifications... 52 Figure 4 Average Snowfall in Inches... 52 Figure 5 Palmer Drought Severity Index Michigan Region 2 1896-2010. 74 Figure 5 Paul Tregurtha aground in St. Mary s River 97 Figure 6 Enhanced Fujita Scale for Tornados 102 List of Tables Table 1 Population 1970-2010... 1 Table 2 Population by Age... 9 Table 3 Housing Characteristics... 18 Table 4 Seasonal Housing... 19 Table 5 Seasonal Population Estimate... 22 Table 6 Types of Industries... 22 Table 7 Equalization Report by Class... 23 Table 8 2005 Hazard Ranking... 45 Table 9 2010 Hazard Ranking... 46 Table 10 Presidential Disasters Affecting Chippewa County... 47 Table 11 Governor Disasters Affecting Chippewa County... 47 Table 12 Michigan Weather Related Deaths... 47 Table 13 Chippewa County Storm Events 1950-2010... 48 Table 14 Snowfall Threshhold... 53
List of Maps Map 1 Local Units of Government... 13 Map 2 Distance to Major Cities in Michigan... 13 Map 3 Shade Relief... 13 Map 4 Average Wind Speed... 14 Map 5 Average Precipitation... 14 Map 6 Lakes and Rivers... 15 Map 7 Watershed Basins and Wetlands... 16 Map 8 Population Density... 17 Map 9 2013 Forest Types... 24 Map 10 Transportation Network... 26 Map 11 Bridge Concern Area #1... 88 Map 12 Bridge Concern Area #2... 89 Map 13 Bridge Concern Area #3... 89 Map 14 Bridge Concern Area #4... 89 Map 15 Bridge Concern Area #5... 90 Map 16 Bridge Concern Area #6... 90 Map 17 Bridge Concern Area #7... 90 Map 18 Bridge Concern Area #8... 91 Map 19 Bridge Concern Area #9... 91 Map 20 Bridge Concern Area #10... 91