Instructions for use 6 cemp distribution List 8

B. Geographic Information

1. Levy County is located on the Gulf Coast of Florida and is anywhere from 1 to 10 feet above sea level. It is bordered by Gilchrist County, Alachua County, Dixie County, Citrus County and Marion County. See LMS.

a. Area in square miles: 1,412
b. Topography: In Levy County like in every other coastal county of the State, a large portion of the population is concentrated along the coastal areas. These are areas most vulnerable to the effects of hurricane storm surge, wind and freshwater flooding. From west to east Levy County begins as marshy wetlands with swampy hammocks drained by the Suwannee, Waccasassa and Withlacoochee rivers.
c. Land use patterns are influenced by the waterways and road system. The primary land uses in these areas are a mixed zoning that includes residential, commercial, light industrial areas, coastal areas and forest areas which are subject to disaster caused by weather phenomenon or wildfire. Levy County has 704,000 land acres of which 684,000 (97.2%) are considered to be farmland. The general farmland use is: Crops 20%, Forest 67%, and Other 13%.
d. Water area in square miles: 294 (20%)
e. Drainage patterns: Levy County generally flows into the water features, including lakes, ponds and rivers. Three river basins drain Levy County into the Gulf of Mexico: The Suwannee River, Waccasassa River and Withlacoochee River
f. Environmentally sensitive areas: In Levy County all state and federal land and coastal areas are considered to be environmentally sensitive. The basis for categorizing other land as sensitive include the presence of significant water resources, habitats, marine resources, endangered species or previous designation as a state or federal conservation area.

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  Andrews Wildlife Management Area
  
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  Big Bend Sea Grass Aquatic Preserve
  
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  Cedar key national Wildlife Refuge
  
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  Cedar Key Scrub State Preserve
  
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  Cross Florida Greenway
  
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  Fanning Springs
  
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  Goethe State Forest
  
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  Gulf Hammock Wildlife Management Area
  
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  Henry Beck Springs
  
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  Lake Rousseau
  
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  Lake Rousseau State Recreation Area
  
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  Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
  
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  Manatee Springs State Park
  
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  Suwannee River
  
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  Waccasassa River
  
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  Waccasassa Bay State Preserve
  
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  Withlacoochee River
  
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  Various Springs in Levy County
  
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  Maps and data are available from the Suwannee River Water
  
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  Management District and the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council.
  

g. Flood Prone Areas in Levy County are identified as those areas within the 100-year floodplain and other areas subject to repetitive flooding along the rivers and lakes. In addition, flooding occasionally occurs in localized areas as a result of inadequate drainage. See the Levy County LMS for further information.

2. Some geographic areas of Levy County are more vulnerable to impact from specific hazards than others. The following describes these areas and the hazards to which they are vulnerable:
a. Major Development Adjacent to Waterways
All shorelines and areas adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico and in and around the Suwannee, Waccasassa and Withlacoochee rivers are highly developed and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of tropical cyclones, environmental and technological events including:

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  storm surge
  
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  wind damage from hurricane-force winds
  
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  winter storms
  
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  oil spills/hazardous materials
  
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  drought
  

b. Major roadways (I-75, US-19/98 (SR-500), US- 27, US-27A, US-41, SR-24, SR-121)

All major transportation systems in the County are used by passenger and commercial traffic. These roadways pass through the County’s most densely populated areas as well as environmentally sensitive lands. I-75, SR-24, SR-121, runs generally south and north through the county. Other major highways include US-19/98, US-27, and US-27A. In addition, the major roadways serve as primary hurricane evacuation routes through the county from coastal areas. See the Hurricane Evacuation Plan for further information. Hazards impacting these areas could include:

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  hazardous materials spills
  
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  mass casualty/fatality incidents
  
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  hurricane evacuation traffic congestion
  
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  host sheltering/mass care
  

C. Vulnerability Analysis (Demographics)

1. Levy County is experiencing a fairly average rate of growth.

a. Levy County’s population is 40,156 according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau. The largest concentration of population is along the US 27 (alternate) corridors. Other concentrations are located near the municipalities.
b. The County’s population by distribution is fairly even and the distribution by age group is shown in Table 3.

Table 3:

2011 Population Distribution by Age

Age Group	Population by % Percentage
0-5	5.6
6-17	15.1
18-64	59.3
65+	20.0
Total	100

c. The 2010 population density in Levy County is 36.5 persons per square mile.

d. The Special Needs population varies but is approximately 170 registered primarily located throughout the county due to the number of nursing homes, home health agencies and medical facilities. Special needs registration is coordinated through Levy County Emergency Management. Information is accumulated from the Public Health Department, Health and Medical Providers, Fire Departments, Levy County School Board, local ministers and other sources available. Emergency Management will request all area home health agencies to contact their special needs clients and notify Levy County Emergency Management of assistance requirements. Ministers are aware of special needs of their congregations and will assist with special needs notification. The potential for Persons with Special Needs to require assistance in a major disaster event is substantial.
e. Levy County has estimated that approximately 1,700 Spanish-speaking or non-English speaking populations are located throughout the county. Many of these individuals comprehend English in either verbal or written form.
f. Levy County has an estimated 900 farm workers.
g. The number of seasonal residents in Levy County varies between 1,300 – 1,800 with most tourists to the area visiting for 2 to 3 night stays. The winter population does increase primarily in the coastal communities, RV parks, hunting lodges and campgrounds of the county.
h. Approximately 750 people within Levy County have a hearing disability. The exact number of legally deaf is not known and will be handled by the dispatch center through the TDD equipment as needed.
i. Transient populations including travelers, is very small in Levy County. Levy County does not have “homeless” or “street people”.
j. There are 38 mobile home parks in Levy County. Additionally, there are a large number of mobile homes in the rural areas of the County numbering approximately 19,619.
k. Levy County Sheriff’s Office has a jail which house approximately 126 inmates at capacity, along with the Levy County Forestry Work Camp (all female) which house approximately 280 inmates at capacity. Levy County has no state or federal prisons.
2. Population in Vulnerable Areas: The greatest concentration of population in Levy County exists in the areas most vulnerable to impact from specific hazards, such as hurricanes and transportation accidents/hazardous material spills. This is addressed in the Levy County LMS, which identifies vulnerable areas and population, and recommends specific mitigation projects to avoid, minimize or reduce damage. Awareness of potential population in vulnerable areas assists in planning for response and recovery.