3.0       HAZARD VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT

Credible hazards are examined in this section.  Hazards, as well as facilities vulnerable to these hazards, are analyzed through creating and evaluating a series of Parish-level maps. These maps are created using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology.  Each of the data elements is treated as a layer on the map.  These maps and their associated data are compiled on a CD-ROM that can be read by a GIS data viewer that is also included on the CD-ROM.  The CD-ROM is another product of this planning process, which is included in this Plan as a deliverable to all recipients.

3.1       Critical Facilities Parish View  (Map 1)

Fire Departments, Police Departments, Hospitals, Schools, Day Care Facilities, and Nursing Homes are considered critical facilities by the emergency response planners of Ouachita Parish.  Map 1 shows the location of each.  The locations of these critical facilities are important when planning for disaster response.  The location of Hospitals, Fire and Police Departments are important for fire, rescue, and medical treatment services needed during and after a disaster.  Information on each facility such as the type of facility, name, address, phone number, capacity, number of employees and age range will be entered into the database on the CD-ROM. The user can select the facility on the map created by the GIS data viewer and the facility appear. The only critical facility with a known flooding hazard, is a nursing home named The Guest House in West Monroe.

3.2       Repetitive Loss Structures Shown on FEMA Flood Zones Parish View  (Map 2)

Repetitive Loss Areas were defined for the purpose of this plan according to political boundaries.  Repetitive losses in the Parish are described below, while those in the incorporated areas are described in their respective appendices.

Map 2 shows repetitive loss structures and the flood zone in which they are located. Known flood hazards are those structures appearing on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) repetitive loss list as structures that have sustained flood damage twice or more.  These structures are tracked by FEMA. Unfortunately, due to the rural locations of most of these structures, only 17 of the 115 repetitive loss structures could be geo-referenced and mapped.  Plans have been made to obtain valid physical addresses in the future as part of the Action Plan (Section 5.0).

Flood zones are determined through FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).  The flood zones presented in this map are actually digital Q3 data.  Digital Q3 flood data are developed by scanning the existing FIRM hardcopy, vectorizing a thematic overlay of flood risks.  Vector Q3 Flood Data files contain only certain features from the existing FIRM hardcopy.  There are three flood zones: 100 year, 500 year and > 500 year flood zones.  A structure in a 100 year flood zone has a 1% chance of flooding in any given year and a structure in a 500 year flood zone, a .05% chance.  This map shows that most of the repetitive loss structures lie within the 100 year flood zone and within the incorporated areas of Monroe and West Monroe.  As expected, most of the 100 year flood zones are adjacent to the Ouachita River and its tributaries.

3.3       Drainage Projects and Infrastructure Parish View  (Map3)

[To Be Provided in Next Annual Revision]

3.4       Technological Hazards Parish View  (Map 4)

Technological hazards present in the form of large quantities of flammable and toxic chemicals stored, emission of toxic chemicals to the environment and transportation of dangerous chemicals are displayed on Map No.4.  These facilities either store or emit large quantities of dangerous chemicals.  A more detailed description of Risk Management Program and Toxic Release Inventory facilities was previously given in Section 2.4.  There are 10 RMP facilities and 22 TRI facilities in Ouachita Parish.  There are also five railroads transversing Ouachita Parish, which can carry large quantities of toxic or flammable chemicals in tank cars.  Railroads on the map are given shaded borders that represent the potential evacuation zones in three distance intervals.  In the event of a chemical release from a tank car, these evacuation zones would be useful in deciding which residents need to be evacuated.  Interstate 20 and Highway 165 are also significant chemical transportation routes.  The same evacuation zones are illustrated for them in order to prepare for potential hazardous cargo spills.

3.5       Evacuation Routes and Emergency Shelters Parish View  (Map 5)

Emergency shelters are managed by the Northeast Louisiana Chapter of the Red Cross for those evacuated or displaced by a disaster.  In the database, information such as capacity and physical address is provided for each facility.  Evacuation routes are designated by the regional emergency planning officials as routes that should be used when fleeing a disaster.  These routes are usually roads in good condition that intersect with smaller roads and serve as an outlet to exit the Parish.

3.6       Flood Alert Network Shown with FEMA Flood Zones  (Map 6)

A network of 4 current and 21 additional flood gages are planned to be linked to establish the Ouachita Parish Flood Alert Network.  The 21 additional gages are being installed through a partnership with the US Geological Survey (USGS) on water bodies that are significant contributors to flooding in Ouachita Parish.  The gages collect surface water elevations and transmit the data via satellite to a receiving station where the information will eventually be displayed on a web-page for the public to access.  The costs of installation for these gages will be shared by the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness and the USGS. 

In the past, obtaining a gage reading meant driving to the site and reading the gage. This process was inefficient, because of the manpower it required to get timely readings to engineers and planning officials. With real-time data delivery, changes in surface water elevations are read as they occur and important decisions such as evacuations can be made more quickly by officials.  Once these gages are installed and operational, surface water elevations will be recorded over time to establish what specific elevations cause certain areas to flood.  This long-term data will be utilized by engineers and planners in planning flood control projects.  Additionally, the public will have access to this data via the Internet.