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Comprehensive Plan Coastal Management Element Two (2) regional airports, located in the City of Vero Beach and the City of Sebastian, respectively, are located in the Coastal Zone. There are no existing or proposed rail yards, rail terminals, or deepwater port facilities within Indian River County. V NATURAL DISASTER PLANNING Of all the potential threats to the population and economy of Indian River County, the impact of a hurricane is the most ominous and significant. Two factors, continued expansion of the population and development in the Coastal Zone, coupled with a lack of experience of the inhabitants of this region in coping with a major hurricane, necessitates greater planning and awareness. Until an area experiences a major hurricane, the use of theory, probability and behavioral studies must be substituted for actual data analysis. The hurricane evacuation analysis section is based on the TCRPC Hurricane Evacuation Study. Additionally, a post -storm evaluation of the evacuation procedure utilized for Hurricane Erin (1995) was made by the County Department of Emergency Services (EMS). This report indicated that the County was prepared for the storm and successfully conducted an orderly evacuation of the Coastal High Hazard Area. However, the report revealed several areas of emergency preparedness, especially shelter capacity, need to be improved. Moreover, Hurricane Erin was classified only as a minimal (Category 1) hurricane. Coastal High Hazard Area When determining the appropriate land use designations for land within the Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA), the county must consider the following facts: > The appropriateness of land use designations, including land use designations' impact on hurricane evacuation, was considered prior to plan adoption in 1990; > In 2006, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 1359, which changed the State's definition of the CHHA. The CHHA is now defined as the area below the elevation of the Category 1 storm surge as established by a "Sea, lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes " (SLOSH) computerized storm surge model. Otherwise, actual conditions and circumstances affecting the land have not changed; > Undeveloped estuarine wetlands adjacent to the Indian River Lagoon have a future land use designation of C-2 (Conservation, up to 1 unit per 40 acres) Appendix A