Hurricane Evacuation, Hazard Mitigation and Post-Disaster Reconstruction Plan-1984

TOWN . OF SURF CITY, NORTH CAROLINA

SURF CITY, NORTH CAROLINA
HURRICANE EVACUATION, HAZARD MITIGATION
AND
POST -DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION PLAN
prepared by
GEORGE EICHLER & ASSOCIATES, INC.
JUNE, 1984
The preparation of this report was financed in part through
a 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 and Coastal Resource Management, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
INTRODUCTION
II.
SURF CITY HURRICANE HAZARD
MITIGATION
PLAN
A.
EXISTING DEVELOPMENT
B.
HAZARD AREAS IN SURF CITY
C.
EXISTING DEVELOPMENT LOCATED IN
HAZARD AREAS
D.
ESTIMATED SEVERITY OF POSSIBLE
HAZARD AREA DAMAGES
E.
ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT IN
HAZARD AREAS
F.
EXISTING SURF CITY HAZARD AREA
MITIGATION POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
G.
RECOMMENDED HAZARD MITIGATION
POLICIES
III.
SURF
CITY POST DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION
PLAN
A.
INTRODUCTION
B.
ORGANIZATION OF LOCAL DAMAGE
ASSESSMENT TEAM
C.
DAMAGE ASSESMENT PROCEDURES AND
REQUIREMENTS
D.
ORGANIZATION OF RECOVERY OPERATIONS
E.
RECOMMENDED RECONSTRUCTION POLICIES
IV.
TOPSAIL ISLAND HURRICANE EVACUATION PLAN
A..
TOPSAIL BEACH EVACUATION PLAN
B.
SURF CITY EVACUATION PLAN
C.
TRAFFIC ASSESSMENT OF MAJOR
EVACUATION ROUTES
APPENDIX —
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FORMS
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I. INTRODUCTION
The North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission has adopted
rules for "Storm Hazard Planning" which require the
incorporation of such a planning program into the land use
plans that local coastal communities are required to prepare.
The Commission's rules are designed to implement a storm
hazard planning process that is outlined in Before the Storm:
Managing Development to Reduce Hurricane Damages. That pub-
lication was prepared for the Office of Coastal Management of
the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and
Community Development to be used as a guide for local
planning efforts.
In Before the Storm. Topsail Island was used as a case study
to illustrate how the storm hazard planning process should
work. Hazard area maps were prepared as part of that under-
taking. However, hazard information on Topsail Beach and
Surf City used in the case study has been significantly
revised during the past year. Additionally, Before the Storm
includes only a cursory examination of storm reconstuction
planning for both Topsail Beach and Surf City. Consequently,
the objective of this project is to build on the information
contained in Before the Storm and present storm hazard miti-
gation and post -disaster reconstruction plans which 1) meet
the specific needs of Surf City; and 2) conform with the
State rules for storm hazard planning.
The remainder of this report describes Surf City's storm
hazard planning program. Chapter II presents the Town's
Storm Hazard Mitigation Plan. Chapter III presents the
Town's Post Disaster Reconstruction Plan. Chapter IV pre-
sents recommendations related to Hurricane Evacuation opera-
tions effecting both Topsail Beach and Surf City.
1

II. SURF CITY HURRICANE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
A. EXISTING DEVELOPMENT
Surf City has developed as a vacation/second home community,
with permanent residents representing only about 9% of its
seasonal population. However, the Surf City Land Use Plan
(LUP) projects that this percentage will increase to over 22%
by the year 2000. .
Table 1 shows the permanent, average seasonal and peak sea—
sonal populations of the Town for the years 1980, 1990, and
2000 based on data included in the Surf City Land Use Plan.
TABLE 1
SURF CITY POPULATION
PEAK
AVERAGE
YEAR
SEASONAL
SEASONAL
PERMANENT
1980
6010
4310
390
1990
7340
5250
890
2000
8670
6180
1390
According to the data obtained from the LUP, about SOY. of the
land in the Town limits is subject to severe development
constraints. About 80 of the devlopable land in the Town
(470 of about. 600 acres) is currently vacant. Most of the
vacant, developable land lies in the southern portion of the
Town between Charlotte Avenue and the Topsail Beach town
limits. This area is characterized by limited commercial
uses, conventional homes and large expanses of maritime
forest. In the central portion of the town between Charlotte
Avenue and Mecklenburg Avenue, development consists of a
mixture of commercial uses, conventional residences and
mobile homes. Conventional residential development exists
between Mecklenburg Avenue and the Onslow County line to the
north.
Based on the 1980 data, the ratio of peak seasonal visitors
per dwelling unit is about 6 persons per unit. If the same
ratio is used to project future needs, another 400 housing
units would have to be constructed in the Town to accomodate
the year 2000 peak seasonal population. The construction of
a central sewer system would most likely result in higher
desnities and undoubtedly cause the year 2000 projections to
be significantly exceeded.
It is estimated that there are now about 1052 residential
units in the town that are either existing or under
2

construction. Almost one-third of these units are mobile
homes. Most recent development has consisted of the
construction of single units on individual lots.
There are 70 commercial structures in Surf City. These
structures are concentrated in the center of town generally
between High Point Avenue and New Bern Avenue.
Surf City does not currently have a central sewer system.
Individual septic systems are utilized throughout the Town.
However, the Town is actively exploring the feasibility of
installing a central sewer system. A central water supply
system,is supplied by two deep wells located on the mainland.
Because the water source is located on the mainland, the
Surf City Land Use Plan concluded that system contamination
from on -site disposal systems was not a problem. However,
contamination of small private well systems has been
experienced.
B. HAZARD AREAS IN SURF CITY
Areas of Environment Concern (AECs) located in Surf City
include: ocean erodible AECs; flood hazard AECs; and
estuarine shoreline AECs. Other hazard areas include the 100
year flood zone.
Ocean Erodible AECs
These are areas where a substantial possibility of excessive
erosion and significnt shoreline fluctuation exists. The
ocean erodible AEC is based on a setback from the first line
of stable natural vegetation plus an additional area where
erosion can be expected from storm surges and wave action.
When the case study in Before the Storm was developed, the
State rule was to multiply the annual erosion rate factor by
30 to determine the boundary of the ocean erodible AEC. This
rule has now been modified to use 60 rather than 30 as the
multiplier. The practical effects of this change in Surf
City was to increase the ocean erodible AEC from 210 feet to
270 on the northern most 480 feet of the Town and from 215
feet to 275 feet along the remaining 4.8 miles of Town ocean
frontage.
Estuarine Shoreline AECs
Estuarine shorelines are defined as non -ocean shorelines
which are especially vulnerable to erosion, flooding or other
adverse effects of wind and water and are intimately con-
nected to the estuary. In Surf City, the estuarine shoreline
encompasses the area landward from Banks Channel for a
distance of 75 feet from the mean high water level for about
5.7 miles.
3 c

Figure 1 dipicts the Surf City ocean erodible, and estuarine
shoreline AECs. Development is not prohibited in any of
these AECs. However, it must conform with uses and
construction standards delineated in the State Guidelines for
Areas of Environmental Concern.
Flood Hazard AECs
The flood hazard AEC corresponds to the National Flood Insur-
ance Program V-zones, which refer to flood prone areas that
are also susceptible to high velocity wave surges. New data
indicates that the size of the 'V' zones in Surf City
were overestimated in Before the Storm.
Surf City was converted to the Regular Phase of the National
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 1977 with the issuance of
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS). In the fall of 1983, new
detailed Flood Insurance Studies for the town were released
by FEMA. These maps have now been adopted by Surf City.
A comparison of the 1977 and 1983 maps reveals considerable
changes in the designation of flood hazard areas. The "V"
zones, or areas subject to high velocity water from wave
momentum during the 100-year flood, cover considerably less
land on the new maps. According to the new FIRM maps, the V
zones in Surf City generally run parallel to the Beach and
vary from 100 to 200 feet in width. About 15% of the land
area of the town is now located in the 'V' zone. In
comparison, the old rate maps indicated that about 50X of the
town was located in 'V' zones. Areas on the sound side of
the Island are no longer included as they previously were.
Other Flood Prone Areas
When Before the Storm was prepared, about 90X of the Town
of Surf City was estimated to be in the "A" zone below the
100 year flood elevations, with about 30X of this area also
being in the "V"-zone. The new FEMA flood insurance rate
maps indicate that about 70X of the Town remains below the
100 year flood elevations. A relatively extensive area in
the central portion of the island is now designated as a '8'
zone which is susceptible to flooding only from storms
between the 100 year and 500 year storms. The 'B' zone
varies in width from less than 100 feet to about 600 feet in
some central portions of the town where the zone is from 40
to 60% of the island's width. About 30X of the town lies in
the 18' zone. The 1983 study estimates that the 100-year
storm will cause beach erosion of 169 feet at the southwest
end of town and 189 feet at Batts Avenue.
Figure 2 depicts the areas within the Town of Surf City
that are susceptible to flooding of varying severity.
4

Ln
Legend
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ormarrtal Hazard
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Legend
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'A' ZONE: N... 6u01.o1 To 100 Y..F Food
Food Hazard
TOWN OF SURF CRY
Scale:
PlAH1 INE OEOROE EKNLER &

C. EXISTING DEVELOPMENT LOCATED IN HAZARD AREAS
In Before the Storm, the following system, shown in Table 1,
for classifying hazard areas was presented.
TABLE 1
DEFINITION OF HAZARD AREAS
Forces Present/Expected
Wave High
Area Erosion Action Flooding Winds Boundaries
1 x x x x Ocean erodible AECs,
inlet hazard AECs,
estuarine shoreline
AECs
2 x x x Flood insurance V-
zones
3 x x Flood insurance A -
zone s
4 x Rest of community
The number of structures within each hazard area based on
the above classifications was then determined as follows.
TABLE 2
STRUCTURES BY HAZARD AREA FROM BEFORE THE STORM
Hazard Area
Category
1
2
3
4
Total
Residential Units
282
217
437
59
995
Commercial Units
10
20
40
0
70
The above analysis is somewhat misleading in that all the
AECs included in Hazard Area Category 1 were also in the

Flood Insurance V zone (Category 2). Therefore, the 217
residential units does not indicate the total number of units
in the V zone, but instead refers to only those units located
in the V zone that were not also included in one of the other
AEC areas. In actuality, 499 residential units were located
in the V zone.
The AEC boundaries have been revised significantly since the
hazard maps used in Before the Storm were prepared. There -
have been four major changes.
o The ocean erodible AEC has been significantly
enlarged in accordance with new coastal Resource Com-
mission rules.
o The V zone has been significantly reduced to reflect
the new FEMA flood insurance rate maps.
o The flood insurance A zone has been significantly en-
larged to reflect the reduction of the V zone.
o About 30% of the Town is not,,, located outside of the
primary hazard areas and appears to be susceptible
only to damage resulting from high winds and from
flooding from storms greater than the 100 year storm.
Table 3 presents an update summary of the information shown
in Table 1. Figure 3 contains a composite map of the new
hazard areas.
TABLE 3
STRUCTURES BY HAZARD AREA
Hazard Area
Category
1
2
3
4
Total
Residential Units
372
0*
629
51 **
1052
Commercial Units
16
0*
39
15**
70
* There are actually 2 commercial stuctures and 49 residen-
tial units located in the V zone that are located in AECs
included in Hazard Area Category 1.
** It is.estimated that 198 other residential structures and
6 commercial structures are located above the 100.year
flood elevation. However, these structures are within the
ocean erodible area and are therefore included in Hazard
Area Category 1.
8

1 10
Legend
High 14.md AWN
El Flood P— At"
ElS—Ptbi. Pd—roy To Wind D—gs
Hazard Area Categories
TOWN OF SURF CITY
Scale: 1;
MASM. SrORM MAZARO . PLANNIN6 GEORGE MILER 6 ASSOCIATES. ATLANTA. GEORGIA

Surf City does not have a central sewer system. Individual
septic systems are located in floodprone areas. The water
system is also located in areas that will be inundated by a
major storm. However, the Town's wells are on the mainland
so the water source will not be contaminated.
There are no potentially hazardous material storage or
disposal sites located at Surf City.
D. ESTIMATED SEVERITY OF POSSIBLE HAZARD AREA DAMAGES
In 1982, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveyed existing
structures at Surf City in order to estimate the monetary
damages to each structure which could result from flooding
associated with different storm events. The damages associ—
ated with the 500 year storm were estimated to be $13.2
million for residential structures and $3.4 million for
commercial structures. The average damage to a residential
structure would have been about $13,000 and the average
damage to a commercial structure was estimated at $48,000.
Using these same assumptions, the 500 year storm occurring in
1984 would result in an estimated $17 million in damages.
The Corps study estimated that $5.5 million in residential
damages and $1.7 million in commercial damages would result
from the 100 year storm. Using the new data, the estimated
$1.7 million in commercial property damages would be reduced
to $1.3 million because 15 of the 70 commercial structures
are now estimated to be outside of the 100 year floodplain.
However, there are now 1001 residential structures (versus
the 936 in 1982) located within the 100 year floodplain
and/or in other AEC areas that are susceptible to hurricane
damage. If each of these structures receives the same
average amount of damages as was estimated in the Corps
study, the resulting damages from the 100 year storm would be
about $7.2 million.
E. ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT IN HAZARD AREAS
About 450 acres of developable land remains vacant in Surf
City. The prime developable land beteween the Topsail Beach
Town limits and the intersection of Shore Drive and Topsail
Drive is located in the maritime forest, outside of AEC areas
and at elevations above the 100 year flood elevation.
Between the Topsail Drive and Shore Drive intersection and
the northern town limits, almost all the developable land is
within the 100 year floodplain or in one or more of the AEC
areas.
Beachfront property located within the ocean erodible AEC is
becoming scarce. Only a relatively small percentage (e.g.
10

20X) of the residential units projected to be added by the
year 2000 will likely occur in this area. Some development
will likely occur in the estuarine shoreline AEC. Because of
its narrowness it is not expected that much development will
occur in the flood hazard 'V' zone.
F. EXISTING SURF CITY HAZARD MITIGATION POLICIES AND
REGULATIONS
Surf City regulates development in hazard areas primarily
through its zoning ordinance and floodplain management
regulations. Development in AEC areas must conform with
State guidelines. The primary provisions of the Surf City
zoning and floodplain management regulations related to
hazard area development are summarized below.
Surf. City Zoning Ordinance
1. Single family residences, duplexes and multi -family
structures are allowed in the Town's residential dis-
tricts as permitted uses regardless of whether such dis-
tricts are located in hazard areas.
2. Mobile homes are permitted only in the three R5M dis-
tricts in which existing mobile homes are concentrated.
3. Non -conforming structures (i.e. those not meeting setback
and other requirements) must be rebuilt to conform with
the Town's elevation, lot size and height requirements,
and with the N.C. Building Code requirements if they are
substantially damaged (defined as sustained damages up
to 50X of the value of the structure).
4. Non -conforming uses are allowed to be rebuilt provided no
further non -conformity occurs (i.e. without increasing
space or further violating dimensional requirements). A
major exception to this is that mobile homes may not be
rebuilt outside the Town's mobile home zoning district
(R5M)
Surf City Floodplain Management Regulations
The Town's floodplain management regulations meet all
requirements for participation in the Regular Phase of the
federal flood insurance program. Specific requirments of the
regulations include:
1. All new residential construction, or substantial im-
provements (repairs or reconstruction worth 50 per-.
cent of market value) must be elevated to or above
the base flood level elevation (13 feet above MSL)
in both V and A zones.
2. Commercial buildings located in either the V or A
11

zone must be elevated to the base flood level or
floodproofed.
3. Open space or breakaway walls must be used below
base flood elevations in the V zones.
4. The design and installation of anchorings and
pilings must be certified by a registered engineer
or architect.
5. No alteration of dunes or use of fill for structural
support shall occur in the V zone.
Mobile Home Regulations
Mobile homes constitute about one-third of the housing stock
in Surf City. Because such structures are particularly vul-
nerable to damage from a major storm, Surf City has developed
a number of special provisions in the various town ordinances
and regulations that deal with the location and reconstruc-
tion of mobile homes. These include:
1. Restricting new mobile homes only to designated
districts (RSM zoning districts)
2. Prohibiting mobile homes to locate in the high
hazard flood area (V zone) except in an existing mo-
bile home park or subdivision.
3. All new mobile homes must be elevated above the 100
year floodplain elevation.
4. Mobile homes which are substantially damaged must 1)
be elevated above the 100 year floodplain elevation,
and 2) be located no closer than 15 feet to another
structure.
5. Mobile homes may not be rebuilt outside the Town's
mobile home zoning district (RSM district).
G. RECOMMENDED HAZARD MITIGATION POLICIES
The entire Town of Surf City is susceptible to significant
storm damage from a hurricane or a storm of similar magni-
tude. About 70% of the development in the Town is located in
AECs or in areas susceptible to flooding associated with the
100 year storm. The entire Town is susceptible to wind
damage. In general, the Town's existing mitigation policies
meet the requirements for hazard mitigation planning outlined
in Before the Storm. Specifically,
1. The Town's policies support and are consistent with
State policies and regulations for development in
Areas of Environmental Concern.
12

2. All new development must conform with the pro-
visions of the N.C. Building Code.
3. The Town's floodplain development policies conform
with all Federal and State requirements.
4. The Town does an adequate job of controlling mobile
home developments in order to minimize hazard
damages. While mobile homes are still permitted
and will be damaged by a major storm, they are at
least restricted to specific districts and must con-
form with elevation and other requirements. (The
question of whether mobile homes should be rebuilt
after a major storm is addressed in Chapter III).
The modification and strengthening of a number of Town
policies is recommended.
1. The primary growth area as stated in the LUP is the
area north of Shore Drive between Charlotte Avenue
and the Topsail Beach town limits. This also hap-
pens to be the sector of the town least susceptible
to storm damage. It is fronted by very high and.
stable dunes and the area itself is elevated above
the 100 year floodplain. The secondary town growth
area to the north of Mecklenburg Avenue is much more
susceptible to storm damage.
The Town should actively encourage development in
the southern sector of the town. Specifically, it
is the area where any future higher density develop-
ments should be concentrated. Additionally, if a
central sewer system is developed in the near
future, it should be designed to_serve this area
rather than another sector of the community where
development in hazard areas would be encouraged by
such a system.
2. The non -conforming use provision of the zoning or-
dinance that permits the rebuilding of a non-
conforming use at the same location regardless of
the level of damage it receives should be modified
so that rebuilding in the same location is not
permitted if the structure receives damage amount-
ing to more than 50% of its value and the continued
use at that location is considered detrimental to
future public safety and welfare. There is no
justification for repeating previous mistakes by
permitting such a stucture to be rebuilt in the same
location when similar damages can be expected.
13

III. SURF CITY POST -DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION PLAN
A. INTRODUCTION
A post -disaster reconstruction plan provides a program that
will permit a local government to deal with the aftermaths
of a storm in an organized and efficient manner. The Plan
provides the mechanisms, procedures, and policies that will
enable a local community to learn from its storm experiences
and to rebuild the community in a wise and practical manner.
A post -disaster reconstruction plan encompasses three dis-
tinct reconstruction periods:
o The emergency period encompasses the period immediately
after a storm. The emphasis is on restoring public
health and safety, assessing the nature and extent of
storm damage, and qualifying for and obtaining what-
ever federal and state assistance might be available.
o The restoration period covers the weeks and months fol-
lowing a storm disaster. The emphasis during.this
period is on restoring community facilities, utilities,
essential businesses, etc. so that the community can
once again function in a normal manner.
o The replacement reconstruction period is the period
during which the community is rebuilt.. The period
could last from months to years depending on the
nature and extent of the damages incurred.
It is important that local officials clearly understand the
joint federal -state -local procedures for• providing assist-
ance to rebuild after a. storm so that local damage assess-
ment -and reconstruction efforts are carried out in an
efficient manner that qualifies the community for the dif-
ferent types of assistance that are available. The require-
ments are generally delineated in the Disaster Relief Act of
1974 (P.L. 93-288) which authorizes a wide range of financial
and direct assistance to both local communities and indi-
viduals. The sequence of procedures to be followed after a
major storm is as follows.
1. Local damage assessment teams survey storm damage
within the community and report this damage to the
County Emergency Services Coordinator.
2. Damage information is compiled and summarized by the
County, and the nature and extent of damage is re-
ported to the North Carolina Division of Emergency.
Management (DEM)
3. DEM compiles local data and makes recommendations to
the Govenor concerning state actions.
14

4. The Govenor may request a Presidential declaration
of "emergency" or "major disaster". A Presidential
declaration makes a variety of federal resources
available to local communities and individuals.
5. Federal relief assistance provided a community when
an "emergency" has been declared typically ends one
month after the initial Presidential declaration.
Where a "major disaster" has been declared, federal
assistance for "emergency" work typically ends six
months after the declaration and federal assistance
for "permanent" work ends after 18 months.
Federal disaster assistance programs previously provided aid
for communities to rebuild in the same way as existed before
the disaster occurred. This policy tended to foster reoccur-
ring mistakes. However, recent federal policy has started to
change the emphasis of disaster assistance programs.
Specifically,
o Executive Order 1198 (Floodplain Management) directs
all federal agencies to avoid either directly or in-
directly supporting future unwise development in flood -
plains (e.g. through sewer grants in locations that
foster floodplain development).
o Section 406 of the Disaster Relief Act can require com-
munities, as a prerequisite for federal disaster assis-
tance, to take specific actions to mitigate future
flood losses.
The remainder of this chapter presents recommendations
regarding 1) procedures that Surf City should follow in
carrying out its damage assessment program so as to meet all
federal and state reuirements, and 2) reconstruction policies
that the Town should adopt to insure that future development
that does occur in local hazard areas is constructed in a
manner consistent with sound land use planning, public safety
considerations, and existing and evolving federal and state
poi i cy.
B. ORGANIZATION OF LOCAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM
A local damage assessment team should include individuals who
are qualified to give reliable estimates of the original
value of structures, an estimated value of sustained damages
and a description of the repairs (and costs) that will be
needed to rebuild each structure. Following is a listing of
Surf City Town personnel available to assume these re-
sponsibilities:
15

Administrative
Town Manager/Town Clerk
Water Clerk
Tax Collector
Building Inspector
Police
1 Police Chief
3 Officers
5 Auxilliary Officers
Fire Department
1 Chief
30 Volunteer Firemen
Rescue Squad
1 Chief
30 Members
Town Officials
1 Mayor
5 Commisioners
Water Department/Streets
Superintendent of Water and Streets
Laborer
The Building Inspector should head the Damage Assessment
Team. The Superintendent of Water and Streets should also be
a member of the Team. Other members of the team should
consist of volunteers recruited from the community. Such
volunteers must be recruited, organized and trained prior to
a storm occurrence.
The suggested make up of the Surf City Damage Assessment Team
is as follows:
o Building Inspector (Team Chief)
o Superintendent of Water and Streets
o Local Property Appraiser (MAI) *
o Building Contractor * or Residential Realtor
o Architect *
* Community Volunteer
The Mayor should immediately undertake a recruitment effort
to secure the necessary volunteers and to establish a
training program to familiarize the members of the damage
assessment team with required damage classification
procedures and reporting requirements. In doing so, it must
be recognized that it might be very difficult to fill certain
positions, such as the building contractor position, because
the services of individuals with such skills will likely be
ina great demand after a storm disaster.
16

C. DAMAGE ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS
Damage assessment is defined as a rapid means of determining
a realistic estimate of the amount of damage caused by a
natural or man-made disaster. For a storm disaster, it is
expressed in terms of 1) number of structures damaged, 2)
magnitude of damage by structure type, 3) estimated total
dollar loss, and 4) estimated total dollar loss covered by
insurance.
After a major storm event, members of the Damage Assessment
Team should report to the Emergency Operations Center prior
to deployment. There are over 1,200 structures in the Town.
The extent of damage wi l l depend on the magnitude of the
storm and where landfall occurs on the North Carolina coast.
Because of the potentially large .job at hand, the l imi ted
personnel resources available to conduct the assessments, and
the limited time within which the initial assessment must be
made, the first phase of the assessment should consist of
only an external visual survey of damaged structures. A more
detailed second phase assessment can be made after the
initial damage reports are filed.
The inital damage assessment should make an estimate of the
extent of damage incurred by each structure and identify the
cause (wind, flooding, wave action, combination, etc) of the
damage to each structure.
Damaged structures should be classified in accordance with
the suggestd State guidelines as follows:
o Destroyed (repairs would cost more than 80 percent of
value).
o Major (repairs would cost more than 30 percent of the
value).
o Minor (repairs would cost less than 30 percent of the
value, but the structure is currently uninhabtable).
o Habitable (soma? minor damage, with repairs less than 15
percent of the value).
It will be necessary to thoroughly document each assessment.
In many cases, mail -boxes and other information typically
used to identify specific structures will not be found.
Consequently, the Damage Assessment Team must be provided
with tax maps, other maps and photographic equipment in order
to record and document its field observations. Enough infor-
mation to complete the Damage Assessment Worksheet must be
obtained on each damaged structure. (Samples of damage
assessment worksheets are contained in the appendix of this
report.) The emphasis should be placed on completing the
17

worksheets and on providing documentation on the tax maps.
To expedite the more detailed follow-up assessment, the Town
could consider using the Town of Long Leach's method of
"coding" structures as to damage. Each category of damage is
given a color code. During initial damage assessment, the
appropriate color would be sprayed or painted on a corner of
the structure.
The second.phase of the damage assessment operation will be
to estimate the value of the damages sustained. This
operation should be carried out in the Emergency Operations
Center under the direction and supervision of the Town
Manager. The Water Clerk and the Tax Assessor should be
assigned to assist the Town Manager in carrying out this
responsibility.
In order to estimate total damage values it will be neces-
sary to have the following information available for use at
the Emergency Operations Center:
o A set of property ta.x_maps identical to those utilized
by the damage assessment field team.
o Copies of all Town property tax records. This informa-
tion should indicate the estimated value of all com-
mercial and residential structures within the Town.
Because time will be of the essence, it is recommended
that the Town immediately commence a project to list
the property values of all existing structures on the
appropriate lots of the set of property tax maps that
will be kept at the Emergency Operations Center. While
a somewhat tedious job, the fact that there are only
about 1200 structures in the Town makes this task man-
ageable. The information will prove invaluable if a
storm disaster does occur. This.set of tax maps should
be updated annualy prior to the hurricane season.
Additionally, the Town should make a request to Pender County
for the County to undertake a telephone survey of Pender
County lending institutions to determine the average value of
flood insurance coverage that is carried by Pender County
participants in the program. This information should be kept
available in the Emergency Operations Center for estimating
the value of sustained damages covered by hazard insurance.
In order to produce the damage value information required,
the following methodology is recommended:
1. The number of businesses, and residential
structures that have been damaged within the town
should be summarized by damage classification cate-
gory.
2. The value of each damaged structure should be
18

obtained from the marked set of town tax maps and
multiplied by the following percentages for the
appropriate damage classification categories.
o Destroyed - 100Y.
o Maj or Damage - 50;:
o Minor Damage (uninhabitable) - 25%
o Habitable - 1 0%
3. The total value of damages for the Town should then
be summarized and reported, as required, to the
County Emergency Operations Center.
4. The estimated value loss covered by hazard insurance
should then be determined by 1) estimating full cov-
erage for all damaged structures for situations
where the average value of such coverage exceeds the
amount of damage to the structure, and 2) multiply-
ing the number of structures where damage exceeds
the average value of insurance coverage by the aver-
age value of such coverage.
The Damage Assessment Plan is intended to be the mechanism
for estimating overall property damage in the event of a
civil disaster. The procedure recommended above represents
an approach for making a relatively quick, realistic "order
of magnitude" damage estimate after a disaster.
D. ORGANIZATION OF RECOVERY OPERATIONS
Damage assessment operations are oriented to take place
during the emergency period. After the emergency operations
to restore public health and safety and the initial damage
assessments are completed, the State guidelines suggest that
a Recovery Task Force to guide restoration and reconstruction
activities be created. In Surf City, the Mayor and Council
should assume the responsibilities of such a Task Force, with
the Town Manager directing day-to-day operations based on
the policy guidance received from Mayor and Council. The
following must be accomplished.
1. Establishing reentry procedures.
2. Establishing an overall restoration schedule.
3. Setting restoration priorities.
4. Determining requirements for outside assistance and
requesting such assistance when beyond local caps
bilities.
5. Keeping the appropriate County and State officials
informed using Situation and Damage Reports.
19

6. Keeping the public informed.
7. Assembling and maintaining records of actions taken
and expenditures and obligations incurred.
S. Proclaiming a local" state of emergency" if i�larran-
ted.
9. Commencing cleanup, debris removal and utility res-
toration activities undertaken by private utility
companies.
10. Undertaking repair and restoration of essential pub-
lic facilities and services in accordance with pri-
or i t i es developed through the situation evaluations.
11. Assisting private businesses and individual property
owners in obtaining information on the various types
of assistance that might be ava.i '.able to them, from
federal and state agencies..
In Before the Storm, a sequence and schedule for undertaking
local reconstruction and restoration activities is presented.
The schedule was deliberately left vague because specific
reconstruction needs will not be known until after a. storm
occurs and the magnitude of the damage can be asses=_.ed.
Table 4 depicts a sequence of activities and schedule to
guide reconstruction activities. The schedule should be
reconsidered by the Mayor and Council and revised as
necessary and appropriate after the damage assessment
activities are completed.
20

TABLE 4
SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES FOR ASSESSING DAMAGES
AND PERMITTING RECONSTRUCTION
ACTIVITY
1. Complete Initial Damage
Assessment
2. Complete Second Phase
Damage Assessment
?. Prepare Summary of Re-
construction Needs.
4. Decision with Regard to
Imposition of Temporary
Development Moratorium
5. Set Reconstruction
Priorities and Prepare
Master Reconstruction
Schedule.
6. Begin Repairs to Criti-
cal Utilities and Faci-
1 i t i es.
7. Permitting of Recon-
struction Activities
for all Damaged Struc-
tures receiving minor
damage that are not
included in Develop-
ment Moratorium Areas
8. Permitting of Recon-
struction Activities for
all Damaged Structures
receiving major damage
that are not included
in Development Moratorium
Areas
9. Initiate assessment of
existing mitigation poli-
cies
TIME FRAME
Immediately after storm oc-
currence.
Completed by second week
after the storm.
Completed one week after
damage assessment is com-
pleted.
One week after damage assess
ment is completed.
Completed one week after
summary of reconstruction
needs is completed.
As soon as possible after
disaster.
One week after damage assess
ment is completed.
Two weeks after damage
assessment is completed.
Two weeks after damage
assessment is completed.
21

10. Complete Re-evaluation Length of period for con -
of Hazard Areas and Miti- ducting re-evaluations and
gation Policies in Areas receiving input from State
Subject to Development should not exceed two
moratorium. months.
11. Revise Mitigation Poli- Two months after Temporary
cies and Development Development Moratorium is
Standards for Areas Sub- imposed.
jected to Development
Moratorium and Lift Devel-
opment Moratorium.
12. Permit New Development Upon suspension of any tem-
porary development mora-
torium.
22

E. RECOMMENDED RECONSTRUCTION POLICIES
The following policies have been designed to be 1) con-
sidered and adopted by the Surf City Town Council prior to a
storm, or 2) implemented, as appropriate, after a storm
occurs.
REENTRY
1. Reentry of Surf City town residents to Topsail Island
shall not be permitted until 1) the critical damage
assessment ha.s been completed, and 2) the Mayor proclaims
the Town safe to re-enter.
2. A list of Surf City (and Topsail Beach and West Onslow
Beach) property owners shall be maintained at the
N.G. 210 and N.C. 50-210 bridge entrances to Topsail
Island. Valid identification must be shown in order to
proceed onto the Island. Passes shall be issued and dis-
played at all times until the State of Emergency is of-
fically lifted (this policy needs to be coordinated with
the Town of Topsail Beach and with Onsl ow County) .
PERMITTING
1. Building permits to restore structure located outside of
designated AEC areas that were previously built in con-
formance with local codes, standards and the provisions
of the North Carolina Building Code shall be issued auto-
matically.
2. All structures suffering major damages as defined in the
Town's Damage Assessment Plan shall be repaired or re-
built to conform with the provisions of _the North Caro-
lina Building Code, the Surf City Zoning Ordinance
and the Surf City Floodplain Management Regulations.
3. All structures suffering minor damage as defined in the
Surf City Damage Assessment Plan shall be permitted
to be rebuilt to their original before the storm condi-
tion.
4. For all structures in designated AECs and for all mobile
home concentrations, a determination shall be made for
for each AEC as to whether the provisions of the N.C.
Building Code, the State Regulations for Areas of Envi-
ronmental Concern, and the Surf City Floodplain Manage-
ment Regulations and the Surf City mobile home control
regulations appeared adequate in minimizing storm
damages. For areas where the construction and use re-
quirements appear adequate permits shall be issued in
accordance with permitting policies 1, 2. and 3.
For AECs where the construction and use requirements
do not appear to have been adequate in mitigating
23

damages, a Temporary Development Moratorium for all
structures located within that specific AEC shall be im-
posed. If mobile home damage is extensive, a mora-
torium on the rebuilding of mobile homes should be im-
imposed in order for the Town to decide whether this
should remain a permitted oceanfront use.
5. Permits shall not be issued in areas subject to a Tem-
porary Development Moratorium until such a moratorium is
lifted by the Surf City Town Council.
UTILITY AND FACILITY RECONSTRUCTION
1. All damaged water systems components shall be repaired so
as to be elevated above the 100 year f1oodplain or shall
be floodproofed, with the methods employed and the con-
struction being certified by a registered professional
engineer.
^c. Overhead power lines and utility poles along Shore Drive
(prior to its intersection with Topsail Drive), Topsail
Drive (after its intersection with Shore Drive) and
N.C. Highway 210 present the greatest obstacle to the
safe evacuation of Surf City residents in the event of a
major storm disaster. The problem is especially signifi-
cant for the first 2.3 miles north of Topsail Beach be-
cause there is only one evacuation route. North of this
point some evacuation route options are available. Relo-
cating these lines underground would be very costly at
this time. However, if major damage occurs as a result
of a storm, the cost effectiveness would improve and pub-
lic safety considerations might override economic consid-
erations. Surf City should now request that Tones Onslow
initiate an assessment of the feasibility of relocating
overhead power lines underground if substantial damage to
the existing system is sustained during a major storm.
TEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT MORATORIUMS
Under certain circumstances, interim development moratoriums
can be used in order to give a local government time to
assess damages, to make sound decisions and to learn from
its storm experiences. Such a moratorium must be temporary
and it must be reasonably related to the public health,
safety and welfare.
There is no doubt that Surf City will suffer heavy and
serious damages should a major storm have its landfall in the
vicinity of Topsail Island. Consequently, the Town should be
prepared to issue Temporary Development Moratoriums as appro-
priate.
It is not possible to determine prior to a storm whether a
24

timporary development moratorium will be needed. Such a
measure should only be used if damage in a particular area is
very serious and if redevelopment of the area in the same
manner as previously existed would submit the residents of
the area to similar public health and safety problems. In
Surf City such a situaion is most likely to occur in one or
more of the AECs.
The Surf City policy regaring the proclamation of temporary
development moratoriums shall be to:
1. To determine for each AEC whether the provisions of
N.C. Building Code, the State Guidelines for Areas of
Environmental Concern and the Topsail Beach Flood -
plain Management Regulations appeared adequate in
minimizing storm damages. For AECs where the con-
struction and use requirements do not appear ade-
quate, a Temporary Development Moratorium for all
structures located within that specific AEC shall be
imposed.
2. To assess the overall damage to mobile homes within
one week of the storm occurrence and to determine
whether -a. temporary moratorium on the rebuilding of
mobile homes suffering major damage should be
imposed.
3. After imposing a Temporary Development Moratorium
for an AEC, the Town of Surf City shall request
that the Coastal Resources Commission conduct a.
special analysis for the Totx1n and all other similarly
situated communities in order to determine how local
regulations for those hazard areas, which are based
on'State and or Federal guidelines or requirements,
should be improved or modified. A response from the
State within a reasonable time period as determined
through negotions should be requested.
4. The Temporary Building Moratorium in all AECs shall
be lifted after local ordinances and regulations have
been revised after 'receiving recommendations from the
State or at the discret+on of the Mayor and Council
if a response is not made within a reasonable period
of time. In the latter case, reconstruction shall be
permitted in accordinance with existing regulations
and requirements.
5. If a temporary moratorium or the rebuilding of mobile
homes is imposed, the Town Council shall within one
month determine whether the Surf City Zoning Ordi-
nance should be revised so that mobile homes are no
longer a permitted use in any Town zoning district.
If such a policy decision is made, based on a review
of the magnitude of damages sustained, existing mo-
25

bile homes would be treated as non -conforming uses in
accordance with the revision of the Surf City
Zoning Ordinance recommended in this report.
WIND DAMAGE
It is assumed that many structures constructed to conform
with the provisions of the North Carolina Building Code will
not be able to withstand the accompanying winds if a major
hurricane hits the North Carolina coast. It is stated in
Before the Storm that "the State Building Code, as it now
stands, falls short in adequately protecting buildings
from the damaging forces of hurricanes and other coastal
storms. The Building Code Council, in seeking to maintain
uniformity of regulation across the state, has been resist-
ant in the past to allowing more stringent local standards.
Another problem small coastal communities are likely to face
is a lack of fiscal and staff resource•= to sponsor the engi-
neering and architectural studies that the Building Code
Council requires to justify any local variations to the
code."
While Surf City has no technical studies to indicate that the
provisions of the Code are inadequate as they effect the
Town, the Town should have some flexibility in imposing
stricter standards it if desires. This is a problem that the
Coastal Resources Commission must face it it expects local
communities to take the iniative in developing effective
strom mitigation programs. The Town policy should be to
request the Coastal Resources Commission to carefully assess
this pr•obelm which is common to all coastal communities.

IV. TOPSAIL ISLAND HURRICANE EVACUATION PLAN
Topsail Beach, Surf City, Pender County and Onslow County
must coordinate Topsail Island evacuation operations in the
event of major storm. Each of these local governments has
developed its own evacuation plan. In this report, the
primary concern is the evacuation of the southern end of the
Island which includes the Towns of Surf City and Topsail
Beach.
The Town of Topsail Beach has developed and adopted a
Hurricane Emergency Plan and the Town of Surf City has
developed and adopted a Hurricane Evacuation Plan.
These plans have been thoroughly assessed. Both plans are
very comprehensive and provide an excellent framework for
each Town to use in conducting its evacuation operations.
Following is a brief outline of the major provisions of each
plan regarding evacuation operation_.
A. TOPSAIL BEACH EVACUATION PLAN
The Topsail Beach Hurricane evacuation procedures are
are very thorough. The plan presents a program for
carrying out evacuation operations as part of a. five
phase effort: Condition 3 - Hurricane Watch (approxi-
mately 48 hours to forecasted landfall); Condition 2 -
Hurricane Warning (approximately 24 hours to forecasted
land -fall); Condition 1 - Evacuation Phase (12 hours or
less to expected landfall); Condition 0 - Landfall
Imminent; and Reentry. The Plan describes how specific
preparatory, shutdown, warning and evacuation operations
will be conducted by Town personnel during each phase of
the evacuation process.
At the southern end of the Town there are three north -
south routes - Carolina. Boulevard, Anderson Boulevard
(N.C. Highway 50), and Ocean Boulevard. The number of
north -south routes is reduced to two north of Hines
Street and to only one (Anderson Boulevard) from
Bridges Street to Surf City. Consequently, the success-
ful evacuation of Topsail Beach is dependent upon keeping
Anderson Boulevard clear and open until all evacuation
operations are complete. In Before the Storm the entire
length of Anderson Boulevard was shown as being within
the 100 year flood plain. However, the most recent FEMA
flood insurance rate maps indicate that portions of the
roadway are above the 100 year flood elevati.on. Regard-
less, Anderson Boulevard remains subject to flooding
that could isolate Topsail Beach from the mainland. Ad-
ditionally, the roadway is lined on both sides -"by utility
poles and electric overhead lines. The toppling of even
one of these poles could block the only evacuation route
available to town residents.
27

Therefore, the prime concern with the Topsail Beach Hur-
ricane Emergency Plan is that if localized flooding or
heavy winds occur prior to the setting of Condition 1,
the only evacuation route from the Town could be impas-
sable before evacuation operations are completed or be -
they even commence. Because of the potential dif-
ficulties in keeping this 4.5 mile length of roadway open
far evacuation operations, it is recommended that a two-
phase evacuation order be included in the Town's Hurri-
cane Emergency Plan.
A Phase 1 Evacuation Alert would be issued concurrently
with the issuance of the hurricane warning and the set-
ting of Condition 2 (24.hours prior to projected land-
fall). The Topsail Beach Chief of Police should request
that the Pender County Emergency Services Coordinator
open the designated shelter at the Topsail High School
at this time and Town residents and vis.itors should be
urged to evacuate at this. time. A Phase 2 Evacuation
Order (mandatory evacuation with door to door warnings
provided by the Topsail Beach Police and Fire Depart-
ments) would be issued as Condition 1 is set, as is cur-
rently provided for in the Town's Plan.
B. SURF CITY EVACUATION PLAN
The Surf City hurricane evacuation procedures are very
thorough. The Town's Evacuation Plan also includes a
five phase evacuation process: Condition = - Hurricane
Hurricane Watch; Condition 2 - Hurricane Warning;
Condition 1 - Evacuation_;_ Condition 0 - Landfal 1 ;
and Condition 5 - Reentry. The Plan is organized
according to department responsibilites. Specific re-
sponsibilities for each evacuation phase are listed for
the Rescue Squad, the Fire Department, the Police Depart-
ment, the Public Works Department, and other Town Offi-
cials.
Shore Drive (N.C. Highway 50) is the only north -south
evacuation route available from the Surf City/Topsail
Beach city limits northward to the intersection of
Shore Drive and Topsail Drive. Fortunately, Shore Drive
is elevated above the 100 year flood elevation over this
entire 2.3 mile stretch.
Both Topsail Drive and Shore Drive are available as
evacuation routes from their intersection northward to
Roland Avenue. Both routes are below the 100 year flood
elevation over this stretch. North of Roland Avenue,
Topsail Drive, Shore Drive and New River Drive are
available for use as evacuation routes. According to the
latest FEMA flood insurance rate maps, both New River
Drive and Topsail Drive are located below the 100 year
fioodplain elevation.
28

Because there is only one evacuation route available for
use of Town residents south of the intersection of Shore
Drive and Topsail Drive, it is recommended that residents
south of this area be evacuated prior to the setting of
Condition 1. While the high dunes along this stretch of
roadway should protect the roadway from flooding, the
concern is that high winds could result in damage that
blocks this single evacuation route.
C . TRAFFIC ASSESSMENT OF MAJOR EVACUATION ROUTE'S
As di=_cussedd in the previous section, there is a single
primary road (N.C. Highway 50fN.C. Highway 210), which
runs the entire length of Topsail I.1and. It is the only
through route on the southern"we_-tern end of the Island.
Other north -south routes are located in the middle sec-
tion of the Island. N.C. 50/210 is subject to flooding
at various location-_. along its entire 'length.
Topsail Island was utilized as a rase study in Before the
Storm. In this study it t.,,,as concluded that evacuation of
the Island was not currently a. problem a.nd that up to
18,000 vehicles could be evacuated during the 12 hour
evacuation period. As a component of the review of
existing evacuation plans, a special traffic engineering
analysis vias undertaken in order- to confirm the conclu-
sion reached in Before the Storm. The analysis is sum-
marized in the sections which follow.
N. C. Highway 50 from Topsail Beach to Surf City and its
juncture with N.C. 210 is 20 feet wide with 10 foot tra-
vel lanes in each direction. The roadway is currently
being widened to 24 feet. N.C. Highway 210 is a 20 foot
roadway from Onslow County to its intersection with N.C.
Highway 50.
There are two basic characteristics that differentiate
traffic operations on a two-lane roadway from multi -lane
facilities. First, distribution of traffic by direction
has practically no effect on operating conditions at any
given total volume level. Therefore, the capacity and
service volumes of two-lane highways are expressed in
total vehicles per hour, regardless of the distribution
of traffic by direction. Second, overtaking and passing
maneuvers must be made in the traffic lane normally oc-
cupied by opposing traffic. Inasmuch as the maintenance
of a desired speed requires passing maneuvers, the volume
of traffic plus the highway geometrics, which establish
available passing sight distance, have a much more signi-
ficant effect on operating speeds than is the case on
multi -lane roads.
29

conditions is 2,000 passenger vehicles per hour total,
regardless of directional distribution.
Traffic volume increases have a direct effect on operat-
ing speeds, independent of roadway alignment features.
Operating speeds for uninterrupted flow on all two-lane
roadways are 40 mph or above. The total volume for both
directions reaches 70 percent of capacity with continuous
passing sight distance, or 1,400 passenger cars per hour,
under ideal conditions. With operating speeds of 35 mph,
total traffic volumes for both directions may reach 85
percent of capacity with continuous passing sight dis-
tance, or 1,700 passenger cars per hour, under ideal con-
ditions. This represents the highest volume that can be
maintained for short periods of time without a high
probability of breakdown in flow.
The ability of the transportation network to adequately
handle evacuation needs is dependent upon the evacuation
time as established by Pender County, Surf City and Top-
sail Beech. A major element of the evacuation timing is
the clearance time, which is directly related to the ve-
hicular capacity of the transportation network. Clear-
ance time is defined as the amount of time necessary for
the relocation of all vulnerable evacuees to their re-
spective shelter destinations once the official evacua-
tion order is issued. The clearance time consists of
three main subcomponents: mobilization time, travel
time and queuing delay time.
Mobilization time is that period between the issuance of
the evacuation order and the departure time of the last
vehicle from the vulnerable area. It depends to a large
extent on the attitudes and response time of residents
Travel time is the period necessary for the vehicles to
travel the length of the evacuation route at an antici-
pated operating speed assuming no traffic delays (queu-
ing). Queuing delay time is defined as the time spent
by vehicles in traffic jams resulting when the capaci-
ties of the evacuation routes are exceeded by the num-
ber of vehicles using these routes.
The primary Topsail Beach evacuation route is Anderson
Boulevard (N.C. 50)-. The current widening of this road-
way will improve this route to consist of two twelve foot
travel lanes. Open areas unprotected from wind and sand
will remain. Based on information. contained in the Top-
sail Beach Land Use Plan, this route might have to be
used to evacuate up to 7720 peak seasonal vactioners by
the year 1990 and over 10,000 by the year 2000.
The primary Surf City evacuation routes are N.C. 50 from
the south and N.C. 210 from the north. Based on the Surf
City Land Use Plan, these routes might have to be used to
30

evacuate up to 7340 peak seasonal vacationers by the year
1990 and about 9000 by the year 2000. The potential
number of persons that might have to be evacuated from
the two communities during peak vacation seasons by the
year 1990 could therefore be over 15,000 (specific plan-
ning for year 2000 evacuation needs should be accom-
plished during the regular update of this plan).
An analysis of clearance time from Topsail Beach and Surf
City was undertaken utilizing the following assumptions:
o a peak number of 15,000 persons might have .to be
evacuated.
o approximately 1 5X of the beach population will
leave the area prior to the issuance of official
evacuation orders (this is probably a very conser-
vative estimate).
o the evacuation roadv!ays will only be able to
operate at 75 percent of capacity due to the relia-
tively narrow travel lanes, the limited lateral
clearance and the general storm conditions that
will be present.
o each vehicle will contain 2.5 persons on the aver-
age
o the departure speed will be 35 mph
o under the above assumptions, the normal unrestric-
ted travel folume of 1,700 vehicles per hour (vph)
would be reduced to 1,275 vph as the maximum road-
way capacity.
Based on the above assumptions, approximately 5,100 ve-
hicles could have to be evacuated from Topsail Beach and
Surf City during the evacuation period. Assuming N.G.
50/210 is operated as a one-way facility off the Island
during the evacuation period, it would require approxi-
mately 4 hours to evacuate the beach areas. This period
might be extended somewhat because the N.C. 50-210 bridge
over the Intracoastal Waterway is somewhat narrower than
the roadway approaching the beach and the reduced lateral
clearance could lower its capacity somewhat.
Even if two-way traffic were allowed on the N.G. 50/210
bridge during the evacuation period (which is highly un-
likely), the clearance time under this "worse case" con-
dition would only be extended to about 6.5 hours, which
is still well within the established 12 hour evacuation
time limit.
Of additional concern in assessing the evacuation routes
31

and the clearance time from the beach areas is the po-
trential for bottlenecks occuring at key intersections.
On Topsail Island, the intersection of N.C. 50 and
N.G. 21.0 will be required to handle the traffic from
both Topsail Beach and Surf City, as well as a.
portion of the traffic from West Onslow Beach. At this
time, it is impossible to evaluate the capacity of that
particular intersection due to the lack of traffic data.
A signalized intersection under normal operation will
accommodate approximately 1,500 vehicles per lane per
hour of green. During emergency operation, this inter-
section should be monitored/manned by local law enforce-
ment officials to ensure that the merging traffic from
the two routes is provided orderly right-of-way and flows
smoothly.
Another location that should.require extra attention dur-
ing evacuation is the intersection of N.C. 50 with Roland
Avenue one block east of its intersection with N.C. 210.
There will be heavy left turn movements at this intersec-
tion during evacuation operations. Manual traffic con-
trol at this intersection during the evacuation period
will also be required.
The primary conclusion resulting from this analysis is
that N.C. 50, N.C. 210 and the N.C. 50-210 bridge all
have adequate capacity to handle projected evacuation
traffic through the planning period. While West Onslow
Beach traffic flows were not considered in this analysis,
traffic from this part of Topsail Island could evacuate
the Island from the N.C. 210 bridge on the northern end
of the Island as well as by way of the N.C. 50-210
bridge. The excess capacity of both bridges supports
the conclusion contained within Before the Storm.
While the evacuation roadway capacity should be adequate
to handle evacuation needs for the foreseeable future,
specific actions have to be undertaken to insure that
this capacity is available when needed. The following
provisions and actions are recommended to be incorpor-
ated into the Topsail Beach and Surf City evacuation
plans in order to help insure that this capacity remains
available.
1. Evacuation operations for the entire Town of Top-
sail Beach and that portion of Surf City south of
the intersection of Shore Drive and Topsail Drive
should commence upon the setting of Condition 2.
This is recommended because there are no alterna-
tives to this narrow route and the extra evacua-
tion time allows the leeway to address unantici-
pated problems (i.e. road blockages) along the
route.
32

2. The Topsail Beach Evacuation Plan states that
Anderson Boulevard (N.C. 50) will be operated as a
two lane, one-way facility upon the setting of
Condition 1. The Surf City Evacuation Plan does
not include a simialr provision. It is recom-
mended that N.C. 50 be operated as a one-way
northbound facility upon the setting of Condition
1. Shore Drive north of its intersection with
Topsail Drive would continue to be utilized 'as a
two-way facility.
3. It is imperative that N.C. Highway 50 be kept
cleared during the evacuation period. Both
the Topsail Beach and Surf City Police Departments
should station vehicles at key locations along
the road in order to monitor conditions and to
coordinate and direct clearance operations to
remove accidents, fallen poles, etc. from the
roadway as necessary.
4. Surf City should assign members of its Police
Department to manually direct traffic at the
intersections of N.C. 50/Poland Avenue and N.C.
50/N.C. 210 during the evacuation period in
order to keep traffic flowing smoothly and to
facilitate needed turning movements. As an al-
ternative, the Pender County Sheriff's Depart-
ment or the North Carolina Highway Patrol could
be requested to assume this responsiblity.
5. A request should be made to the North Carolina
Highway Patrol to operate the N.C. 50/210
bridge as primarily a one-way facility during
the evacuation period. The only vehicles
allowed onto the Island during this period should
be official emergency vehicles.
The above recommendations are based on the assumptions that
the N.C.50/210 drawbridge will remain passable throughout the
evacuation period. This should be the case under for -
seeable circumstances. If the drawbridge is not passable,
all traffic from Topsail Island will have to be re-routed
northeast on N.C. 210 and cross the 210 bridge at the north-
ern end of the Island. The capacity of N.C. 210 and the
bridge are adequate for handling these flows. If such a
situation occurs, Dixon High School in Onslow County near the
intersection of N.G. 210 and U.S. 17 would become the
designated shelter for Surf City and Topsail Beach evacuees
rather than Topsail High School.
33

Check (.,/) Type i
Check Extent of Damage
For Use By Damage Assessment Officer
of Building
n
m
Unusable/Uninhabitable
Usable/
a
Q
5
Habitable
Property Address
Name of Owner
$
Destroyed or
Extensive Exterior
DamapIto
Mostly Exterior
Value of
a
Essentially
and Interior
Extedor and
Surface Damage,
Building
Estimated
% Insurance
Destroyed, Small
Damage, Portions i
Interior of Such
Broken Window
(Exclusive of
Dollar Lose
Coverage
Percentage of
of Roof or Walls
Magnitude to
Glass, etc.
Land, Contents)
Structure Remains .
Destroyed, or I
Render Building
Building Is Usable.
Intact, or Flood
Flood Water Line 8
Unusable, or Flood
Flood Water Line
Water Line 8 Feet
Feet Above Floor. I
Water Line 3 Feet
Above Floor.
Above Floor.
(x 0.70)
Above Floor.
(x 0.10).
(x 1.00)
(x 0.30)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. •
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Notes;
Incident
Area/Zone
Date of Insp.
1. Check If single family, enter number of families
•
If duplex,
Damage Assessment Worksheet
multi -family, or apartments,
2. Check and describe on reverse side of form.
(Percentage of Value Method)
Assessor
Sht. No.
3. Use reverse for notes, sketch maps, etc.
i
r—1
form EM-39 9-81

9/ 30/81
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET INSTRUCTIONS
(Percentage of Value Method)
This form is used by local/county government damage assessment teams.
following a disaster to assess losses to private property. Assessment is
based upon on -site inspections and classification of damages according to
"Extent of Damage" columns on the form. Estimated dollar losses are cal-
culated by the Damage Assessment Officer.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Damage Assessment Team -
a. Complete bottom of form indicating type of incident (flood, tornado,
ice storm, etc.), area or zone of assignment covered by this worksheet,
date of inspections, name of assessor, and sheet number (serially by
assessor, area/zone, or incident, depending upon local preference).
b. List damage property assessed by indicating address, name of owner (or
business name, building name, etc.), and type of building. In case of
multi -family housing, use figure to indicate number of families. For property
not covered by types listed, check "Other" and describe under "Remarks" below.
c. Indicate usability and extent of damage by checking the most appropriate
column.
d. Upon completion of the inspections, submit worksheets to the Damage
Assessment Officer.
Damage Assessment Officer -
a. Review worksheets for completeness and legibility while assessor is
present. Have any incomplete information added and any illegible entries
clarified before releasing assessor.
b. Enter property values from available listings, being sure to exclude
value of land and building contents.
c. Determine estimated dollar loss by multiplying value of building by
percentage multiplier indicated in Damage column checked.
d. Using best available information, enter % of property value covered by
insurance.
e. Consolidate damage figures and transmit to the State Emergency Operating •
Center (EOC) using Damage Assessment Report format used by the local Emergency
Management Coordinator.
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REMARKS:
A-2