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Note: On 26 -27 August 2008 Tropical Storm Fay stalled over Cabarrus County produced exceptionally heavy rains which caused heavy and widespread flooding throughout the county. This caused flooding in areas outside of the 500 year flood plain. Other hurricanes and tropical storms have passed through the county, but generally these were felt in the form of heavy rain and occasional localized flooding of roads. None of these other storms had a significant impact on the area. 3. Hazards Not Listed. Several hazards noted on the list developed by the state are not significant hazards in Cabarrus County. Landslides and Nor'Easters are not hazards to any measurable degree in Cabarrus County. No landslides have been recorded in Cabarrus County. The county is far enough inland in the state that the hazard from a Nor'Easter is nothing more than normal winter rainfall. G. Technological Hazards 1. Hazardous Materials. (a) Any area that manufactures hazardous materials, or contains transportation routes (roads, rail) that transports hazardous materials is at risk for a hazardous material event. Approximately 6,774 hazardous materials (HazMat) events occur each year. 991 are railway events. Trucks are responsible for most of the remainder of events. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has determined that the average frequency of hazardous materials accidents for one year was estimated to be 2,484 accidents, with 768 resulting in the release of hazardous materials. The average annual frequency of hazardous materials incidents was 1,455. The average annual frequency for loading /unloading incidents was 10,746. The average distance for trip lengths for gasoline transport is 28 miles the average trip length for chemical trucks is 260 miles. Even though trucks account for most accidents, it is railway transport that is of most concern. Collisions and derailments can cause very large spills as it is rare that a single car will go over. An average of 280 HazMat spills occur at fixed sites each year. Natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes can cause HazMat releases or disturb old HazMat release sites ( Superfund sites). These same disasters can make it difficult to contain these events once they occur. Also, natural disasters can limit access to the spill, waterlines for fire suppression may be broken, and response personnel and resources may be limited. Flooding and high winds can quickly spread the contaminant, threatening agriculture, the water supply and air. HazMat releases pose short and long term threats to people, wildlife, vegetation, and the environment. HazMat materials can be absorbed through inhalation, ingestion, or direct contact with the skin. (b) In previous years, wastes were dumped on the ground, in rivers, or left out in the open. As a result, thousands of uncontrolled or abandoned waste sites were created. Some common hazardous waste sites include abandoned warehouses, manufacturing facilities, processing plants and landfills. In response to growing concern over health and environmental risks posed by hazardous waste sites, Congress established the Superfund Program in 1980 to clean up these sites. The Superfund Program is Annex A Hazard Identification and Analysis A -15 1 DecMAVNW"ber 5 F -6 Page 119