Hurricane Evacution, Mitigation, And Recovery Plan Phase Two-1985

HURRICANE EVACUATION,
MITIGATION, AND RECOVERI
PLAN
Phase Two- Hurricane Hazard
!Mitigation and Post -Disaster
Reconstruction Plan
AUGUST 1985
Prepared by the New Hanover County Planning Department
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OVERTURNING DISPLACEMENT PRESSURE ON WALLS ROOF UPLIFT
Report No. 7

Technical Report No. 7
1986 Wilmington - New Hanover County Land -Use Plan Update
HURRICANE EVACUATION,
MITIGATION, AND RECOVERY PLAN
- PHASE TWO -
HURRICANE HAZARD MITIGATION AND POST -DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION PLAN
August, 1985
Prepared by the New Hanover County Planning Department
The preparation of this document was financed, in part, through
a Coastal Area Management Act grant provided by the North Carolina
Coastal Management Program, through Funds provided by the Coastal Zone
Management Act of 1972, as amended, which is administered by the Office of Ocean &
Coastal Res. Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I PURPOSE 1
II BACKGROUND 2
III INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS OF LAND -USE, STRUCTURES, AND 4
STRUCTURAL VALUES IN HAZARD AREAS
A. Previous Work
4
B. Inventory and Analysis
4
IV HAZARD MITIGATION POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION
6
A. Destructive Hurricane Forces
6
1. Background
6
2. Land -Use Plan Policies
6
3. Implementation of the Land -Use Plan Policies
9
a. Floodplain Management Regulations of New
9
Hanover County '
b. New Hanover County Building Code
10
c. New Hanover County Zoning Ordinance
11
d. New Hanover County Subdivision Regulations
11
e. New Hanover County Mobile Home and Travel
12
Trailer Park Ordinance
12
f. New Hanover County Erosion and Sedimenta-
12
tion Ordinance
g. New Hanover County Off -Road Vehicle
12
Ordinance
B. Methods of Dealing With Structures and Uses Which
12
Do Not Conform -With Hazard Mitigation Policies
C. Means of Encouraging Hotels, Restaurants, and
13
Similar Large Commercial Structures to Locate Outside
of Environmental Risk Areas
D. Means of Acquisition of Parcels Located in Hazard
14
Areas or Rendered Unbuiidable, for the Purpose of
Public Access
V -POST DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION PLAN
14
A. Responsibility for Reconstruction
14
B. Land -Use Planning
14
C. Public Utilities and Facilities
I5
REFERENCES
16

HURRICANE HAZARD MITIGATION STUDY -- PHASE TWO
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate New Hanover County's
activities related to planning for hurricanes, and to make specific
recommendations that may be either incorporated into theln.Wilmington-New Hanover
Land Use --Plan or implemented by other means. This study, prepared under Coastal.
Area Management Act (CAMA) contract, represents Phase 2 of hurricane hazard
planning work begun in fiscal year 1983/84 under CAMA contract. In addition to
providing some background, this presents information corresponding with the
following format required by N. C. Coastal Management regulations (T15: 078
.0203 (6)):
A. A composite hazard map and brief narrative description of hazardous
.areas including all area of Environmental Concern (AEC's), flood zones, and.
other hazard areas of importance.
This map and description have been prepared in the earlier study, "HURRICANE
EVACUATION PLAN -- Phase One -- An analysis of Evaculation Capability and
Vulnerability to Hurricanes in New Hanover County," June, 1984, by the
County Planning Department.
B. An inventory and analysis.of existing land -uses, structures, and.
.
their values -in each hazard area.
C. Suggested hazard mitigation policies dealing with:
(1) The effects of, destructive hurricanes forces,
(2) Structures and uses not conforming tQ hazard mitigation
Policies,
(3), Means of encouraging hotels, restaurants, and similar large
commercial structures to locate outside of erosion -prone areas, and
(4) Acquisition of parcels located in hazard areas or rendered
unbuildable for the purpose of public access.
D. A post -disaster reconstruction plan including:
(1) Reference to Emergency Management responsbilities for immediate
clean-up and removal activities,
(2) Local policies to direct reconstruction over a longer period of
time, and
(3) Possible establishment of a."recovery task force" to oversee
the reconstruction process and policy issues.
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(4) Guidelines for post disaster reconstruction including:
(a) the timing and use of damage assessments and temporary
development moratoria, and
(b) development standards to which repairs and reconstruction shall
conform. ;
(5) A schedule for staging repair and reconstruction:• according to
priorities assigned to essential services, minor and major repairs,
and new development,
(6) The determination of which agency shall implement the plan, and
(7) Policies for repair or replacement -of public utilities and
facilities including possible relocation.
11. BACKGROUND
HURRICANE HAZARD PLANNING
According to McElyea.et al (1982), hurricane hazard planning can be
disaggregated into four phases, as indicated in Figure .1 and as defined.below:
(1) Preparedness: These activities immediately precede a particular
hurricane. Preparation helps cope with immediate threats to life
and property and initiates disaster response activities. Preparation
involves evacuation, public awareness issuing warnings, and readying
equipment.
(2) Response: These activities immediately-fo Vlow a hurricane. They
include.seerch,and rescue operations, provision of temporary housing
and medical facilities, and assessment of damages.
(3) -Recovery: These activities involve the full range of rehabilitation
and reconstruction which seeks to return the community to "normal".
They include.developing financial assistance and economic recovery
plans for property damage, reassessment of land development policies,
and the repairs or relocation of public utilities and facilities.
(4) Mitigation: These:activities are performed in anticipation, of future
hurricanes and should reflect the lessons learned from previous
hurricanes. An example of a mitigation activity is the.adaption of
land -use regulations discouraging residential land -use in
flood -prone areas.
Two distinct government functions, emergency management and development
management operate throughout this four phase cycle. Emergency management deals
primarily with the preparedness and response cycles that immediately precede and
follow a specific disaster. Emergency management requires a high degree of short-
term tactical skills. Development management focuses more on long-term strategic
skills. A major key to effecting hurricane hazard planning is the integration of
these two functions in order that reconstruction of an area hit by a hurricane
will follow the long range policies established earlier by the community.
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Based on well -documented research (Hass et al-, 1972), the response and
recovery phases can be further broken down into four phases of reconstruction as
indicated in Figure 2. The actual time it takes to recover from a hurricane may.
be significantly different from that indicated in Figure 2. According to Mc
Elyea et al (1982), the key factors (in rough order of importance) are:
(1) the extent of damages, ti
(2) prehurricane trends of growth or decline,
(3).. level of organizations and leadership in decision- making,
(4) resources available for reconstruction.
• III. INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS OF LAND -USE. -STRUCTURES, AND STRUCTURAL VALUES
IN HAZARD AREAS
A. PREVIOUS WORK
The severity and magnitudes of risk in different.hazard areas has been
partially discussed in the study, "HURRICANE EVACUATION PLAN - Phase One - An
Analysis of Evacuation.Capability and Vulnerability to Hurricanes in New Hanover
County", In June 1984 by the New Hanover County Planning Department. This
earlier study discussed potential hurricane impacts, including wind damage,
flooding damage, wave actions, and erosion. This study also discussed the
history of hurricanes in New Hanover County. The study concluded with an
analysis of evacuation times in the different beach communities.
The different hazard areas examined by the Phase One study included Ocean
Erodible Areas of Environmental Concern (AEC's), inlet Hazard AEC's, Estuarine
Shoreline AECs, Wetland AEC's, and the V and A,zones of the Federal Flood
Insurance Program.
B. INVENTORY. AND ANALYSIS
This present study has inventoried structures and ,land -uses in the V.and A
zones. These zones were chosen as the basis for mapping because of their
Importance in the Insurance Program, their overlapping of the AEC categories, and
the more precise means (physical modeling) of delineating their boundaries.
The.V zone is defined as those areas likely to be both flooded by a 100 year
storm and exposed to scouring and erosive wave actions. The V zone generally
encompasses the Ocean Erodible and Inlet Hazard AEC's. The A zone is defined as
those areas likely to be flooded in a_100 year storm but not subject to scouring
and erosive wave action. The A zone generally encompass Coastal, Wetland and
Estuarine Shoreline AEC's.
The structures were inventoried by comparing structure.loca tions on aerial
photographs with preliminary 1984 Flood Insurance Rate Maps.(FIRMs) prepared for
the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The values of the structures -were then
categorized and summed by use,.based on County tax record information. Some
field checking was performed. Sources of possible significant error in the
results include the age (four years old) of the aerial photography, human error
in interpretation, and inaccurancies in tax record data.
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FIGURE 2
THE FOUR STAGES OF RECONSTRUCTION
ACTIVITY RESPONSE I I I I I I I I I I I RECOVERY
PHASE:
PERIODS: EMERGENCY' RESTORATION RECONSTRUCTION I RECONSTRUCTION 11
CAPITAL DAMAGED OR PATCHED REBUILT MAJOR CONSTRUCTION
STOCK: DESTROYED (REPLACEMENT)
(BETTERMENT DEVELOPMENT)
NORMAL CEASED OR RETURN. AND RETURN AT PREDISASTER IMPROVED AND
ACTIVITIES: CHANGED FUNCTION LEVELS OR GREATER DEVELOPED
MAXIMAL
COPING
ACTIVITYYX\
�
_ MINIMAL
.EVENT .5 1 2 3 4 5 10 0 30 40 50 100 200 300 400 500
TIME IN WEEKS FOLLOWING DISASTER
COMPLETION OF RESTORATION OF ATTAIN PREDISASTER COMPLETMON
SEARCH AND RESCUE MAJOR URBAN SERVICES LEVEL OF CAPITAL OF MAJOR
SAMPLE STOCK ANDACTIVmES CONSTRUCTION
INDICATORS: END OF EMERGENCY RETURN OF REFUGEES PROJECTS
SHELTER OR FEEDING
CLEARING RUBBLE RUBBLE CLEARED
FROM MAJOR
ARTIER ES
SOURCES: HAAS et al., 1977, AND McELYEA et al., 1982
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The results of this inventory are presented in Table 1. As evidenced by the
results, the major use in the A and V floodplain zones is single-family
residential, accounting for 54.5 million dollars of the nearly 70 million.dollar
total. Approximately 8.2 million dollars are accounted for by various business,
office and institutional, and industrial properties. Over 90% of all uses in the
floodplain are in the A zone. The V zone uses are single-family residential on
Figure Eight Island. It should be noted that these values may be significantly
overstated because if a parcel has two or more structures and at least one of
those structures is in the floodplain, it was assumed that all the structures
were in the floodplain.
IV. HAZARD MITIGATION POLICIES AND I PLEMENTATION
A. DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE FORCES
(1) Background
Hurricane forces, described in more detail in the earlier Phase One study
by the County Planning Department (1984) and by Mc Elyes et al (1982), includes
wind damage, flooding damage, wave actions, and erosion. Wind damage and
flooding will effect structures in both A and V zones, while wave action and
erosion affect structures in only the V zone.
(2) Land -Use Plan Policies
The following policies in the Wilmington --New Hanover Land -Use Plan 1981
Update either directly or indirectly deal with destructive hurricane forces:
1.2 (1) Publicly financed urban services shall be.concentrated within the
geographic limits of a defined Urban Services Area. The boundary
of the urban services area should only,be expanded when there is a
demonstrated public need. ' : ­
1.2 (2) Future urban development shall be encouraged to locate in
geographic.areas where urban services are already in place or,
secondarily, where urban services can be readily provided.
1.2 (3) Existing urban development not provided with urban service shall
receive priority in the development of new service and the
expansion of existing service.
1.2 (4) Areas outside the defined Urban Services Area should not contain
urban development.
1.2 (5) The timing and location of capital improvements expenditures and
construction within the Urban Services Area shall be targeted to
priority areas as determined by local government.
1.31 (4) Proposed residential development which would expose residents to
harmful effects of... -environmental hazards shall be prohibited.
1.31 (1) Industrial sites shall be located on .land which is environmentally
suitable...
1.36 (1) Unique natural areas shall be preserved to provide visual relief
and passive recreational opportunities for area residents.
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TABLE
INVENTORY OF STRUCTURES BY LAND -USE IN V AND
A ZONES
USE
Number of Parcels with
TAX VALUE OF
Structures in Floodplairiry
STRUCTURES IN PARCELS
IN THE FLOODPLAIN
' Single -Family Residential
954
$54,534,340
Multi -Family Residential
14
892,920
Mobile Homes
11
99,490
Business
39
3,376,200
Office and institutional
17
2,315,950
Industrial
23
2,504,060
Transportation, Communication,
Utilities
1
.6,260
Recreation
3
124,190
Agricultural or Vacant
19
111,020
TOTAL
1098
$63,963,800

1.36 (3) Public access to the area's natural recreational amenities such as
the ocean and river and sound shall be insured.
1.36 (4) Provision of open space and recreation facilities in private
developments should be.encouraged.
2.2(1) Development activities in ocean erodible areas, high hazard
flood areas and inlet hazard areas shall be~carefully.
controlled. If development must occur in these areas, the
proper location and design of shoreline structures.and the
preservation of natural protective features shall be required.
2.20) Barrier islands which have the following five characteristics
shall be developed only for water dependent uses such as
pleasure boat docks and landings; they shall not be developed
for residential use:
(1) The land is a barrier island or part of a barrier island
with a density equal to or Tess than one residential unit
per five acres.
(2) The barrier island area has been assigned the most severe
rank with regard to vulnerability to hurricane forces.
This most severe rank is assigned to.areas that are Inlet
Hazard Areas of Environmental Concern, Ocean Erodible
Areas of Environmental Concern, or Estuarine Shoreline
Areas of Environmental Concern.
(3) The barrier island area is not connected to the mainland
by a permanent network of roads and bridges that would
allow safe and timely evacuation by land rather than by
boat.
(4) The barrier island area does not qualify for the National u
Flood Insurance Program as administered by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency.
(5) The barrier island area is classified as Conservation in
the County's Land Use Plan.
2.30) Development activities within the 100 year floodplain shall be
carefully controlled. If development must occur, low -intensive
uses such as open space, recreation and agricultural activities ,
shall be preferred.
3.40) Efforts to control off -road vehicle use in the ecologically
sensitive, biologically critical ocean beach and estuarine
shoreline areas shall continue to receive support from County
government.
.Policies 1.2(i) through 1.2(5)-can encourage development away from hurricane
hazard areas by means of the judicious location and timing of urban services,
such as sewer lines. These policies establish an Urban Service Area where growth
should be concentrated, based on such criteria as existing population centers.
Policies 1.3(4) to 1.36(4) indirectly promote safe development though the
promotion of open space and recreational facilities development and through
promotion of development away from environmentally unsuitable areas. In many
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cases, these areas, which are least suitable for.intensive development due to
such factors as Class IV soils (lowest potential for development in the County),
also correspond with hazard areas and are most suitable for use only for open
space recreation or other low intensity use.
Policies 2.2(1) and 2.3(1).deal directly with hurricane impacts. Their
strategy is, first, to limit development in hazard areas"and, second, to require
sound design and -preservation of natural protection features.
Another important feature of the Land -Use Plan is the classification of
marshes and the 100 year floodplain as Conservation. These areas tend to
"...have severe or hazardous limitations to development" (P.D . The Plan further
states that conservation areas should be preserved in their natural state, except
for water dependent uses, shared industrial access corridors along the Northeast
Cape Fear River, or exceptional developments preserving natural features and that
are sensitively designed.
(2) Implementation -of the Land -Use Plan Policies
A. Floodplain Management Regulations of New Hanover County
The Ftoodplain Regulations are more directly concerned with protection from
hurricane impacts than any other of the measures that implement the above
policies. These Regulations, administered by the County Building inspector and
Engineer, closely follow Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guideiihes
under the regular program
The Regulations include the following key provisions:
(1) It must be certified that residential on -site septic systems shall
be located and designed to minimize both impairment to them caused
by flooding and contamination of adjacen-h waters.
s
(2) Building permit applications shall contain:
a. the elevation of the lowest floor of.the structure
b. certification from a professional engineer or registered
architect that the structure meets regulation standards
(3) All new construction and improvements shall be adequately anchored and
contructed with materials resistant to flooding.
(4) Sanitary sewage and water supply systems shallbe designed to eliminate
infiltration either from or into -flood waters.
(5) New or improved residential construction shall have the.lowest floor
elevated to base flood elevation, as determined by the FIRM maps.
(6) New or improved commercial, industrial, or other non-residential
construction shall also be above base flood elevation or floodproofed
sufficient to withstand hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads.
(7) No mobile home shall be place in a floodway (watercourse channel
necessary to adequately discharge floodwater) or in V zones, except in
an existing mobile home park or subdivision.

(8) All mobile homes shall be anchored with three or more over -the -top ties
and eight or more frame ties.
(9) New or expanded mobile home parks and subdivisions shall provide lots
with pilings or compacted fill sufficient to place the mobile home at
or above the base flood level.
(10) No encroachments shall be made in floodways unless it can be certified
that there will be no increase in flood levels during occurrence of the
base flood discharge.
(11) in V zones, all buildings shall be securely anchored on pilings or
columns with the lowest supporting member no lower than base flood
elevation. All areas below shall remain open or with breakaway walls
(12) No fill shall be used for structural support in V zones and no
alteration of dunes.or dune vegetation shall be allowed.
(13) In A zones other than floodways, the lowest floor shall be elevated to
or above the crown of the nearest street or above the depth number
required on the FIRM map.
(14) All subdivisions`shall have utilities and facilities located, designed,
and constructed to prevent flood damage and shall have drainage
- adequate -to reduce flood exposure.
The Floodplain Regulations generally are considered to be adequate by the
County Building Inspector in terms of construction requirements. Flood Insurance
Rate Maps have been available for the County since 1978. A recent update of the
maps is presently undergoing the public hearing process. The new maps, based on
a different methodology and set of assumptions, will result in, one, a reduction
of V zone coverage with present V zones on the sounds and estuaries becoming A
zones and, two, a lowering of base flood elevations by several feet..
It should be noted that the U. S..Corps of Engineers is presently developing
a SLOSH (Sea, lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricane) model for eastern North
Carolina. The model should give a more accurate picture of potential impacts
from any given hurricane of a specific direction and force than the fioodplain
model. SLOSH, however, cannot presently be used to predict general impacts of a
• general 100 year storm.as can the floodplain model.
B. New Hanover County Building Code
The New Hanover County Building Inspector enforces and administers the North
Carolina State Building Code. This Building Code is generally considered to be
adequate. Because of the legal obstacles that would be encountered from the N.
C. Building Code Council in attempting to exceed the State Building Code, no
attempt has been made by New Hanover County to do so.
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C. New Hanover County Zoning Ordinance
1. Development is directly or indirectly restricted in hurricane hazard areas by
a number of key sections in this Aoning Ordinance:
M Performnce Residential: This provision allows for flexible lot
lines and setbacks in desgining a subdivision;; as opposed to
conventional subdivisions with mininum lot sizes and yards.
Performance subdivisions facilitate subdivision layout around
• hazard areas. In addition, maximum density is based on a net
-acreage calculated by subtracting from gross acreage all natural
lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, and Class IV soils, which often
correspond with hurricane hazard areas. Fairly stringent drainage
regulations are also required for performance subdivisions.
(2) Planned Development (PO) Disirict: This District, which allows for
integrated uses of commercial and residential development, requires
drainage control including stormwater retention. In addition,
bonus points for increasing density are offered for PD's that are
at least 3 mile inland of all coastland estuarine waters or for
which all structures are .located beyond the 100 year floodplain.
Density for PDs shall be based on a net average calculated by
subtracting from the gross acreage the.100 year floodplain areas,
lakes and ponds, and shorelines. 5012 of all floodplains must remain
permanent open space,
(3) High Density Development: This provision allows for higher density
development within the County's Urban Services Area. The density
calculations and open space requirement is identical to.that of the
Planned Development District.
(4) Conservation Overlay District (COD): This District overlaps the
entire unincorporated County and protects certain valuable natural
resources. A number of these resources are hazard areas -oriented, '
(e.g. swamp forest, natural ponds, marshes, primary nursery area,
barrier island -beach complex, and maritime shrub thickets). The
protection provided includes varying setbacks, drainage regulations
including stormwater retention, and preservation of 50-100'n of the
resource in its natural state.
D. New Hanover County Subdivision Regulations
The Subdivision Regulations presently require several sets of hurricane
• hazard information for developments. Subdivision plats require that 100 year
floodplains, AECs, topography, marshes, watercourses, and other drainage features
be shown. In addition, a drainage plan must be provided, although there are no
criteria determining what a drainage plan must accomplish unless specified by the
Zoning Ordinance. Finally, developers of subdivisions located on barrier islands
must submit a map and description of the hurricane evacuation potential for the
subdivision. This description must include descriptions of estimated road
capabilities; bridges and low elevation points of subdivision roads; projected
size and distribution'. of the subdivision populations; and estimates of
mobilization, travel, and queuing delay times for safe evacuation.
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New Hanover County -.Mobile Hone and Travel Trailer Park Ordinance
No direct controls are mentioned in this Ordinance concerning hurricane
hazard prevention for mobile home parks because of the previous controls defined
by the Floodplain Ordinance. Anchoring, however, is required for all mobile home
stands in accordance with the N. C. Uniform Standards Code for.Mobile Homes,
which should help prevent wind damage to mobile homes in;;the entire County.
Travel Trailer Parks do *not require any controls because of the mobility of the
trailers.
F. New Hanover County Erosion.and Sedimentation Ordinance
This Ordinance, although primarily concerned with erosion control, does
include some indirect protection against hurricane hazards. The primary one is
conern for maintenance of water course channels through reduction of
sedimentation and by stating that an acceptable management measure of controlling
stormwater runoff is promoting infiltration.
G. New Hanover County Off -Road Vehicle Ordinance
This Ordinance indirectly protects against hurricane hazards by
restricting vehicles from being .operated on dune areas in certain parts
of the unincorporated.County, including all of Masonboro Island and
certain areas south of Snow's Cut. Vehicles, however, can be operated.
anywhere for emergency purposes or for public agency use. Inaddition,
vehicles can be operated in certain areas south of Snow's Cut provided.they
are used only for transporation and not for racing, hire, or commercial use.
A. METHODS OF DEALING WITH STRUCTURES AND USES WHICH DO NOT CONFOR41 WITH HAZARD
MITIGATION POLICIES
The New Hanover County Zoning Ordinance contains; several provisions dealing
with non -conforming uses.
(1) Non -conforming structures or uses generally may not be increased with
regard to area occupied or with respect to dimensional restrictions
such as yard or lot requirements. Key exceptions to this provision,
however, are that a non -conforming single-family residential structure
may be replaced by a larger one, and a mobile home may be replaced by a
larger mobile home or by a single-family structure. New.contruction,
however, must meet Building Code requirements and zoning dimensional
requirements.
(2) If a non -conforming structure is totally or partially destroyed, it may
be replaced provided notice of intent is provided within six months and
.a building permit is obtained within twelve months. Reconstruction
must meet Building Code requirements.
(3) If a non -conforming use is discontinued for more than 180,days, the
property may thereafter be used only for conforming purposes.
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B. FANS OF ENCOURAGING HOTELS, RESTAURANTS,AND SIMILAR LARGE DIAL
STRUCTURES TO LOCATE OUTSIDE OF EROSION -PRONE AREAS.
The location of large commercial structures in erosion -prone areas is
generally discouraged in the unincorporated County. Figure Eight and Masonboro
islands are zoned single-family residential. In addition, Masonboro Island along
with Zeke's Island receive protection in their natural state as part of the
National Estuarine Sanctuary Program.` The other barrier island areas south of
Snow's Cut under County jurisdiction are either State or Federally controlled as
recreational and cultural/educational areas.
Large commercial structures are further discouraged from locating along
other shorelines in the County by earlier discussed means. The Conservation
Overlay District, for instance, requires more strict setbacks and drainage
requirements for commercial structures than for residential structures.
C. MEANS OF ACQUISITIONS OF PARCELS LOCATED IN HAZARD AREAS OR RENDERED
UNBUILDABLE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC ACCESS
Land acquisition -gives more control to the County over development than any
other technique. Acquisition, however, often may involve large costs and the
removal of high -value properties from the tax base. The cost, however, is
somewhat offset by removing the need for municipal and emergency services for
that area and, if the acquired area is used for public access, the Increase in
value of nearby inland properties.
Land can be acquired either by fee -simple purchase of all property rights or
by the purchase of easements. A positive easement would be to purchase partial
interest to allow use of the land for an access trail. An example of a negative
easement would be the restriction of development for purpose of preserving scenic
vistas.
Interest In property can be obtained through purchase by negotiation or
condemnation, land exchange, or donation. It should be noted that property
owners receive significant tax benefits through donations of land. State and
Federal funds may also.be available for acquisition. The State Division of
Coastal Management, for instance, administers a beach access fund. Federal funds
can be made.availabie from urban renewal funds and floodplain management funds.
The County presently has the earlier described policy 1.36(3) requiring that
public access be insured. In addition, the County -is nearing the.final stages of
preparing a _County Water Access Plan that will provide an inventory of potential
.access sites to the County's ocean and estuarine waters, and list recommendations
for acquisitions. The County already has four beach access areas. In addition,
the County.donated approximately 15 acres of property on Masonboro Island to the
State to help place the Island into the National Estuarine Sanctuary Program.
The County, however, presently has no policies governing acquisition of parcels
immediately after a hurricane has rendered them unsuitable for building and when
the owner may be more amenable to selling.
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IV. POST -DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION PLAN
This post -disaster reconstruction plan presents proposed policies and
procedures that may be implemented after a hurricane strikes. The proposed
policies will.be considered for incorporation into the Wilmington -New Hanover
Land -Use Plan Update. The emphasis of these policies is to allow the County to
reconstruct at a controlled pace that will result in more hurricane -resistant
buildings and in fewer, vulnerable developments.
It should be noted that responsibility for immediate cleanup and removal of
debris in order -to eliminate immediate health and safety hazards rests with NC
DOT for roads and right-of-way. The County Administration, with the Director of
Engineering and Facilities taking the lead role, is responsbile for overall
-coordination for cleanup and disposal with State and Federal offices. Debris
clean-up and disposal is a more immediate function than that of directing
reconstruction, which is the primary focus of this plan.
A. RESPONSIBLITY FOR RECONSTRUCTION
The responsibility for directing reconstruction should rest with the County
Commissioners for several reasons. One, the Commissioners already have the
authority and responsibility for directing growth. Their powers include
emergency powers and the capability to enact ordinances and adopt the Land -Use
Plan. Two, the Board of Commissioners is a permanent body that would be
effective in making.a smooth transition between the four earlier described phases
(Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Mitigation) of the hurricane hazard planning
cycle. The Commissioners' heavy involvement in the recovery phase would be
particularly important in mitigation efforts.
The following policy, therefore, is recommended for adoption into the
Land -Use Plan:
Policy: The County Board of Commissioners, after a hurricane strikes,
shall be established as the recovery task force to oversee the
implementation of this plan, to resolve policy issues as
necessary, and to consider purchase of parcels located in hazard
areas where structures have been destroyed.
B. LAID -USE PLANNING
Based upon the previous discussions, of the County's Land -Use Plan and
implementing ordinance generally are effective in minimizing development in
hurricane hazard areas., The floodplain is classified as Conservation and
appropriate policies for growth and development have been previously adopted.
One present conflict, however, appears between existing Policy 2.3(1) and
the implementing ordinances. This policy states:
"Development activities within the 100 year floodplain shall
be carefully controlled. If development must occur,
low intensive uses such as open space, recreation, and
agricultural activities shall be preferred."
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The zoning and other ordinances, however, presently allow residential
development within the floodplain. Although -certain sections in the
Conservation Overlay District and the floodplain open space provisions for
High Density Development discourage development within the floodplain, other
sections such as Performance residential allow clustering of the permitted
number of units -for a parcel within the area of the parcel encompassed by
the floodplain. This situation may become exacerbated with the construction
of the County sewer -system. The sewer system will allow4floodplain parcels
to be developed which previously could not have been developed due to septic.
system unsuitability.
This problem, however, is mitigated by several factors besides the
existence of the Conservation Overlay District. One, the County has fairly
strict building standards in the Floodplain Ordinance that would reduce
flooding damage. Two, the unincorporated County has no V zone erosion areas
that either are not already deveeoped or that are restricted from
development by such factors as inclusion within the Estuarine Sanctuary
Program. Three, the County does not face a significant hurricane evacuation .
problem compared with other Coastal communities as evidenced_ by the earlier
Phase One Hurricane Evacuation Study. -
Another problem.may arise in the case of a major hurricane causing
extensive damage. If buildings are damaged beyond repair, landowners will
often attempt to upgrade their parcels' zoning in order to more intensely
.develop their property. The pressures and general highlevel of government
activity following a hurricane may prevent a complete and comprehensive
evaluation of upgrade rezoning requests. Therefore, the following proposed
policy is suggested for inclusion in the land -Use Plan:
Policy: In the event of a hurricane, the Board of Commissioners may
declare a moratorium on the acceptance of any request for
re -zoning other than for zoning to a less intense use, unless
that zoning request is initiated by the County. The
moratorium shall last up to 180 days,ldepending upon the
severity of .the hurricane damage.
C. PUBLIC.UTILITIES.AND FACILITIES
Hurricane damages may require the replacement or relocation of work,
water and sewer facilities, and other utilities. The location of these
capital facilites have a strong influence on the direction and intensity of
growth. The previously discussed policies.concerning the _Urban Services
Area establish priorities for replacing and locating utilities away from
hazard areas and providing services to existing development first. It
should be noted that it is generally politically infeasible,to deny the
restoration of service and utilites to developed areas.
New development in hurricane hazard areas is fairly well controlled by
the Land -Use Plan and implementing ordinances, as previously discussed. In
addition, the County's Sewer Plan is phased to concentrate on providing
sewer services to existing developed areas before expanding to serve new
ones.
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The following policies, however, are suggested for inclusion in the
Land -Use Plan to clarify and strengthen present policies governing provision
of services.
Policy: In the event of extensive hurricane damage to public utilities
that requires replacement or relocation.of,'"utilities, efforts
.shall be made to locate the utility away from hurricane hazard
areas or to strengthen its construction.
Policy: In the case of widespread hurricane damage to the public
utilities system, priority shall be given to those repairs
• that will restore service to as many persons as soon as
possible.
Policy: In the event of a hurricane, the Board of Commissioners may
declare a moratorium on the permitting of any new tie-ins to
the County sewer or water system for a period of up to 180
days, depending on the severity of the hurricane damage.
Policy: In the event of a hurricane, the Board of Commissioners may
request that a new assessment of hazard areas be performed,
depending an the extent of fiooding.and the changes to
shorelines and inlets caused by the hurricane.
D. RECONSTRUCTION STANDARDS
New Hanover County, as discussed earlier, has a fairly stringent
Floodplain Ordinance and Building Code. in addition, it appears that _the
.State.Building:Code will be revised to reflect the requirements of the
Floodplain Ordinance and to mandate the adoption of wind resistance
construction methods. As.previousiy discussed, it should be noted that the
New Hanover County Zoning Ordinance prohibits the expansion of
non -conforming uses.
In order to facilitate the recovery process, however, the following
policy is proposed for adoption:
Policy: In the event of a hurricane, the Board of Commissioners may
declare a moratorium on the permitting of any new construction
or any construction7would increase the intensity of the
land -use existing before the hurricane. The moratorium may
last up to a period of 180 days, depending upon the severity
of hurricane damages.
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REFERENCES
Haas, J.E., R. Kates, and M. Bowden, eds. 1977. Reconstruction Following
Disaster", Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
New Hanover CountyPianning Dept., 1984. "Hurricane Evacuation Plan Phase
One An Analysis of Evacuation Capability and Vulnerability to
Hurricanes in New Hanover County," Wilmington, N.C.
McElyea, W.D., D.J. Brower, and D.R. Godschaik, 1982. "Before the Storm",
NC DNRGCD, Raleigh, N.C.