SUMMER 2002 Dear Co a s t l i n e s Re a d e r : The question of where and when a hurricane strikes our shores—and its intensity if it does—has confounded meteorologists, insurance adjusters, emergency professionals, and coastal managers for years, but historically, these tropical st o r ms regularly reach Massachusetts. Over the last 100 years, with the exception of the 1920s, the Bay State was hit with at least one major hurricane every COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Jane M. Swift, Governor decade. Because we haven’t seen a serious tropical storm since Hurricane Bob in 1991, however, it can be easy to forget the kind of devastation hurricanes EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS can bring. And although Bob left almost $700 million dollars of damage in its Bob Durand, Secretary wake, it pales when compared to storms that hit Massachusetts in the mid-20th COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT Ce n t u r y. With all the coastal development in the last 50 years, it is important to Tom Skinner, Director remember that Massachusetts is vulnerable to these major weather events. 251 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114 (617) 626-1200 To help our readers prepare for the inevitable return of a significant storm, the focus of this edition of Co a s t l i n e s is hurricanes. Along with basic information on CZM Information Line...... (617) 626-1212 Bay State hurricanes and their potential impacts, this edition includes articles on CZM Home Page...... www.mass.gov/czm how to build and rebuild to withstand a storm, tips on how to prepare for hurri- cane season, and information on a wide range of tools available for reducing

CZM REGIONAL OFFICES risks in hurricane-prone areas.

North Shore...... (978) 281-3972 On another front, you may have noticed that our C o a s t l i n e s f o rmat has changed. To provide more detailed information on a wider variety of coastal Boston Harbor...... (617) 626-1200 issues, we have replaced our quarterly newsletter with this semi-annual magazine. South Shore...... (781) 545-8026 Each edition will now include features such as a coastal community profile; a Cape Cod & Islands...... (508) 362-1760 guest column from a noted coastal professional; a “Not Just for Kids” page with South Coastal...... (508) 946-8990 interesting activities for children, parents, and teachers alike; and an in-depth spread on a major coastal issue. We chose hurricane preparedness as the feature EDITOR Anne Donovan for our newly revised Co a s t l i n e s to inform our readers on the latest regulatory and DESIGNER/ASSISTANT EDITOR Arden Miller technical information on this issue, and to help people prepare their families and COVER PHOTO Arden Miller pr o p e r ty for the day the next big storm comes. You’ll also find many articles on PHOTOS unless otherwise noted, CZM Archives other topics, along with some old features like “Ask Joe” and CZScience. Please let us know how you like the new Co a s t l i n e s , as well as any issues you would like us to cover in future editions. For regular updates on issues affecting the Coastlines is a publication of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone coastal zone, sign up for our new monthly e-mail newsletter, CZ - M a i l . (See our Management (CZM) pursuant to National Web site at www.m a s s . g o v /czm for details.) Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Award No. NA17OZ1125. This newsletter is funded (in part) by a grant /cooperative agreement from NOAA. Views MASSACHUSETTS Si n c e r e l y , expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily OFFICE OF COASTAL reflect the views of NOAA or any of its sub-agencies. This ZONE MANAGEMENT information is available in alternate formats upon request. DIRECTOR TOM SKINNER PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER AT THE ANNUAL CZM Tom Skinner COASTSWEEP CLEANUP... CZM Director SUMMER 2002: focus on hurricanes

Go v e r nor Swift’s Hurricane Message page 3

Durand Congratulates Award Winners page 4

Get Prepared for Hurricane Season page 6

Major Southern New England Hurricanes page 12

Flood Insurance page 15

Beach Nourishment for Storm Protection page 16

Preparing for hurricane season...6 2000 Erosion Report page 17

Massachusetts Beaches Conference page 18

Rebuilding After the Storm page 19

Shoreline Change page 20

Coastal Construction Manual page 24

Identifying Flood Zones page 26

Public access to beaches...44

Coastal erosion and shoreline change...20

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS, c o n t i n u e d

Rocky outcroppings at Wingaersheek Beach are perfect for summer exploration.

SUMMER 2002: ebb & flow

Catch the Wave of the Future page 32

The Invasion of the Invasive Species page 33

Web Cam Craze Hits the Coast page 37

What Lies Beneath the Pretty Pictures page 38

Energy: A Major Coastal Issue page 40

Escape to Poocuohhunkkunnah! page 43

Public Access Rights Along the Coast page 44

Su r f’s Up! page 47

Ro w l e y , Massachusetts: Historic Hideaway page 48

U-Boats: Naval Folklore Lives On... page 50

Ask Joe (or “Joe on Hurricanes”) page 51

How to Track a Hurricane page 52

2 MEMA: THE COMMONWEALTH’S FRONT LINE FOR HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE By Governor Jane M. Swift As the summer draws to a close, we may follow, occasion. The MEMT is the “911” for local Once a storm has passed and its dam- with great interest and anticipation, the path communities when an event presents prob l e m s age has been done, MEMA’s Di s a s t e r of a tropical storm or hurricane as it that exceed city or town capabilities. Th e Rec o ver y Division goes into action, assist- accelerates north w a r d along the im p re s s i v e array of agency rep re s e n t a t i v es at ing in the evaluation of the destru c t i o n Atlantic Coast towa r d New hand means that someone in the Sta t e caused by the high winds, torre n t i a l England. As Gover n o r , I am Emergency Operations Center has the ability to rains, flash floods, storm surge, and co m f o r ted to know that the quickly solve a community’s problem, by pro- coastal erosion. (See Kudos to the Storm Massachusetts Eme r g e n c y viding additional equipment, personnel, or tech- Team on page 4 for information on the Management Agency nical experti s e . Exe c u t i ve Office of Env i ro n m e n t a l (MEMA) has been tracking Prep a r edness is an important spoke on the Affairs role in these assessments.) this storm for well over a wee k , wheel of emergency management. MEMA’s Local communities may be looking for fr om its birth off the coast of Africa, as it races Regional Offices, as well as the agency’s assistance to deal with the costs associated a c ross the Southern Atlantic tow a rd the Planning and Training Divisions, work ver y with the cleanup and damage to infra- Caribbean. If the storm does indeed head our closely with all 351 local municipalities to st ru c t u r e, from seawalls to municipal wa y , the State Emergency Operation Center, d e velop and exe rcise their own unique buildings to roads and bridges. MEMA located at MEMA Hea d q u a r ters in Fra m i n g - Co m p re h e n s i v e Emergency Management Pla n wo r ks with the federal government and ham, will spring to action as members of the to ensure each community has a viable, planned the state legislature to secure funds for Massachusetts Emergency Management Tea m response in place. Plans are also developed on the cleanup. In the past decade, throu g h (M E M T ) arrive for the anticipated “long haul.” the state level as well. The 25-mile backup of ME M A ’s efforts, local communities have During a storm event, MEMA’s 1996 Labor Day traffic, attempting to exit Cape rec e i v ed almost $42 million in hurricane-rel a t e d GOVERNOR JANE M. Communications Center, a daily 24-7 Cod in anticipation of the near-miss Hur r i c a n e assistance, the greatest being over $32 million to SWIFT AND SECRETAR Y OF ENVIRONMENTAL operation, is in continual contact with my Edu a r d, was the catalyst for the development of 11 counties from Hurricane Bob in 1991. AF F AIRS BOB DURAND office, MEMA’s four Regional Offices, key local the Cape Cod Emergency Traffic Plan. MEMA, While much of the focus during a hurricane is AT THE OPENING officials, state agencies, and threatened coastal along with the National Gua r d, the State Pol i c e , on the coast, inland communities suffer as wel l , OF THE DEER ISLAND and inland communities. Volunteer amateur the Coast Gua r d, the Red Cross, the Army particularly from flooding. In fact, in 1999, PUBLIC ACCESS TRAIL, radio operators also ensure that their 14,000 Corps of Engineers, and local officials crafted a Tropical Storm Floyd produced flooding in MAY, 2002. member statewide network is set to help out. plan to more efficiently get traffic over the Central and Western Massachusetts that Together with this information and the constant Ca p e ’s two bridges, including a housing strategy required over $2 million of state assistance updates directly from the National Weather to get motorists off the highway if high winds to make the necessary repairs. Service in Taunton, we plan our response to fo r ced the closing of the bridges. With MEMA leading the Commonwealth’s the emergency at hand. During the early summer months, MEMA, team to deal with the destruction nature can Dealing with a hurricane does not begin in conjunction with the National Wea t h e r deliver, the citizens of Massachusetts can feel h e re, howe ve r. MEMA is the state agency Ser vice, conducts local hurricane works h o p s , confident that the proper steps have been responsible for coordinating the Common- wh e r e citizens and officials alike can discuss the taken to ensure their safety and security. It is we a l t h’s storm preparation and response. Th e pr oper steps for preparation. The MEMT has a i m p o rtant that you do your part as well by members of the MEMT are liaisons of scores of two-day hurricane workshop and tabletop exer - listening to advisories from MEMA and you r federal, state, local, private, and volunteer agen- cise in coordination with “Mas s a c h u s e t t s local officials, particularly evacuation notices, cies and organizations that meet, train, and exer - Hurricane Prep a r edness Week,” which I will so we can minimize loss to life and prop e r ty cise together on a monthly basis for just such an de c l a r e this year during the week of July 21-27. in the face of these terrible storms. 3 KUDOS TO THE STORM TEAM... By Bob Durand, Se c r e t a r y of Environmental Affa i r s When hurricane season hits, the Storm Team (tech- Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency nically known as the Massachusetts Rapid Res p o n s e (MEMA). Joe fields calls from the Storm Team, Coastal Storm Damage Assessment Team) is ready to analyzes the incoming information, and conveys spring into action. State, local, and federal team critical details to the appropriate officials so commu- members volunteer to ven t u r e out immediately after nities get the help they need as soon as possible. a major storm to provide valuable Joe’s around-the-clock efforts are invaluable, and information on the location and extent he has become the “g o - t o - g u y” and institutional of damage. These timely reports help to m e m o ry for the others who staff the Bu n k e r. target emergency services, expedite Through the efforts of Joe, Rebecca, and other disaster rel i e f , keep coastal residents safe, volunteers, the Storm Team helps the mi n i m i z e prop e r ty damage, and devel o p Commonwealth and its communities get federal plans to reduce future impacts. Although disaster relief funds as quickly as possible. Before all of the hearty Storm Team vol u n t e e r s the team was established, damage estimates de s e r ve tremendous thanks for going out weren’t calculated until after the storm had passed, in horizontal rain, hurricane-force winds, and officials evaluating the damage were unaware knee-deep snow, and whatever else a of which areas were hardest hit. This delay posed storm can throw at them, the efforts of significant hardship to homeowners and commu- two individuals stand out—Reb e c c a nities in need of financial assistance to repair and Haney and Joe Pel c z a r s k i . rebuild after coastal storms. By assessing damage Rebecca Han e y , Coastal Geo l o g i s t during the storm, the Storm Team significantly fr om the Massachusetts Office of Coastal shortens the process by identifying areas that are Zone Management (CZM) serves as eligible for relief and providing initial damage team leader, making sure that all areas are estimates. This information is used by MEMA co ver ed, giving direction and advice to personnel to provide federal officials with the team volunteers, and staying in constant contact details they need to process federal assistance SECRETARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS BOB DURAND WITH with management to determine when the team claims. For individuals and communities facing COMMONWEALTH CITATION FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AWARD WINNERS, JOE PELCZARSKI AND REBECCA HANEY. should be deployed. Reb e c c a ’s focused dedication the daunting prospect of cleanup and rebuilding, pr ovides the extensive support team members need this streamlined process is incredibly important, to perform meaningfu l reducing the financial costs of lost business days assessments under difficult and temporary relocation. conditions. CZM’s Joe EOEA is proud of the Storm Team and its ded- THE STORM TEAM IDENTIFIES Pelczarski, who serves as icated leaders who serve the Commonwealth in its DAMAGED AREAS AS SOON AS the Executive Office of times of greatest need. That is why I nominated POSSIBLE TO HELP EXPEDITE Environmental Affairs Joe and Rebecca for a Commonwealth Citation DISASTER RELIEF. (EOEA) emergency man- for Outstanding Performance, an honor they agement liaison, also plays received and richly deserve. And if on television a critical role from the you happen to see Rebecca in her raingear or Joe st a t e ’s emergency operations at the Bunker, you may rest assured they are going center at the “Bu n k e r, ” beyond the call of duty to help protect the citizens 4 which is operated by the of Massachusetts. f e a t u r e HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE! IT’S HERE . . . GET PREPARED FOR HURRICANE SEASON! By Anne Donovan, CZM June 1 marks the beginning of the 2002 hurricane The energy created through a hurricane is trem e n - to 50 miles wide. Topped with violent storm season—and all signs point to an active 6 months of dous; if it could possibly be harnessed, one hour of wa v es, this pile of water climbs over the normal storms. Generally peaking in August and Sep t e m b e r , hurricane energy would supply the electrical needs tide. With luck, the surge will hit at low tide, the hurricane season officially extends all the way of the entire United States for a yea r . The quantity consequently muting its impact. But, on top of a th r ough Novem b e r . Although Massachusetts has of water invol v ed is also staggering. A typical hurri- high tide, storm surge can be devastating, raising been spared from a truly major hurricane for more cane drops 2 billion tons of water a day. water levels by more than 25 feet at its worst and than a decade, now is the time to get prep a r ed for Nor theasters—named for the direction their essentially bulldozing eve rything in its path. the inevitable return of a sever e storm. winds come from — a r e also cyclones, but start in Lu c k i l y, hurricanes are generally fast-mov i n g the north Atlantic when cold air from the land storms in New England, with the worst of the AN A TOMY OF A HURRICANE clashes with warm ocean temperatures from the winds passing in a manner of hours. Un l i k e The hurricanes that make their way to the Bay Gulf Str eam. Unlike hurricanes, whose season run s Northeasters that can linger over several tidal State are born in the tropical waters off the coast of fr om late spring through fall, Nor theasters are typi- cy cles, the narrow window for hurricane storm Africa, in the Caribbean, or in the Gulf of cally seen in Massachusetts from October to Apr i l . surges often misses high tide altogether. This Mex i c o . These cyclones are giant heat engines But, these major weather events can look ver y numbers game doesn’t change the fact that if that thrive on the warmth and moisture of much alike, despite the differences in their origins. storm surge and high tide coincide, the outcome these tropical seas, where storms typically can be disastrous. For coastal areas, this wall of flourish. If a developing storm encounters THE TRIPLE THREAT: SURGE, WINDS, water holds the most potential danger. With the a wind pattern that sets off the character- AND FLOODS most sever e impacts felt near where the eye of the istic counter-clockwise rotation of a In Massachusetts, we are in the unenviable posi- storm hits land, storm surge can crush vessels and Nor thern Hem i s p h e r e cyclone (in the tion of being vulnerable to all the possible threats structures, erode miles of beach, and undermine Southern Hem i s p h e r e, the rotation of the from a hurricane: relentless storm surge at the inappropriately designed or low-lying buildings. ea r th creates a clockwise motion), a trop i c a l coast, high winds battering coastal and inland storm may be born, and once born, given a name areas, and torrential floods in streams and rivers W I N D S - Gusting at least 74 miles per hour and an identity (see It’s All in a Na m e on page from the tip of Cape Cod to the Berkshires. (mph), hurricane winds can be deva s t a t i n g . HURRICANE 10). Spiraling around its extreme low- p re s s u r e While recent tropical storms have caused all three These winds pick up debris of all kinds, trans- OF 1938: ce n t e r , which will ultimately become the “ey e,” of these conditions in the Bay State, it has been forming it into missiles hurtling through the air. HEAVY SURF IN the storm siphons heat and moisture from the sea. almost 50 years since a Category 3 hurricane has Winds also tear at rooftops and shingles, blow WOODS HOLE. Sucked through the eye and above the storm, hit here, and more than 10 years since we’ve seen in windows, and when strong enough, can eve n the air cools and condenses, expanding and a Category 2. (See 1 through 5: The Hurricane topple over mobile homes and other small falling as rain. As long as the heat and the Categories on page 11.) s t ru c t u res, as well as larger buildings in the mo i s t u r e source continues, the storm can grow w rong place at the wrong time. Hurricanes can in intensity, spiraling wildly around the eye and STORM SURGE - Pushed towa r d the shore by power - also spawn tornadoes, with their extreme but growing up to 500-miles wide. ful winds, storm surge is a dome of water, often up targeted wind damage.

All hurricane photos, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of NOAA

6 FL O O D S - The rains from hurricanes can continue of the storm surge, acting like a giant funnel, chan- not among the worst in terms of wind speed or well after the wind and storm surge have passed. In neling this dome of water towa r d these susceptible storm surge, the prop e r ty damage totals alone New England, these storms can dump up to 6 to coastal communities. Cape Cod, along with the se c u r ed a top-three spot for Hurricane Bob. Th e 12 inches of rain, flooding streams and river s storm surge, gets battered with southwesterly winds Ca t e g o r y 3 storms from earlier in the century th r oughout the state. These rising flood waters and waves. When the eye hits east of the Cape, packed more of a punch, but the extensive coastal damage roads, homes, and buildings of all kinds, ho weve r , the predominant winds are from the de v elopment in the second half of the 20th di s r upting transportation, contaminating water no r theast, causing the storm to act more like a Ce n t u r y left many more homes and other struc - supplies, and creating a waterlogged mess req u i r i n g Nort h e a s t e r , packing its biggest punch from Cape tu r es in the path of Bob’s fury. Overall, New months to years of cleanup. It is this lingering Cod Bay north w a rd . England experienced $680 million in damage, $39 th r eat that proves most deadly, with more people These natural risks from hurricanes have million in Massachusetts alone. Most of southeast losing their life from hurricane floods in the last 30 existed for centuries, significantly altering the Massachusetts faced hurricane-force winds, with years than from storm surge and wind combined. Co m m o n we a l t h ’s landscape by periodically sculpt- coastal communities in these areas seeing sustained ing the shoreline, leveling inland forests, and floo d - winds of 75 to 100 mph. Brewster and Nort h THE COMMONWEALTH COASTLINE AT RISK ing rivers, streams, and surrounding lowlands. Th e Trur o experienced gusts of 125 mph, with Nort h Mid - A tlantic, southeastern, and Gulf States usually un p r ecedented development in Massachusetts over Trur o enduring sustained winds of 100 mph. Tree s bear the brunt of hurricane forces, but by virtue of the last 50 years, especially along the coast, means and utility polls wer e routinely damaged, and 60 our geography, Massachusetts is also vulnerable. that the periodic and natural effects of hurricanes pe r cent of the residents of southeastern Jutting eastward into the Atlantic, Cape Cod, the can mean tremendous losses. Massachusetts lost power . The storm surge in Islands, and ever ything to their west lie exposed to Buz z a r ds Bay was 10 to 15 feet, ripping boats from storms tracking up the east coast. The cooler waters THE WORST MASSACHUSETTS HURRICANES their moorings, destroying homes, and eroding large off our shores do offer some protection, sapping OF THE 20 T H CE N T U R Y sections of coastline. Onset, Bourne, Mashpee, and the energy from the storm as it approa c h e s . The worst hurricanes to hit Massachusetts in the War eham saw the worst surge, 12 to 15 feet. Although this hurricane-muffling system keeps last 100 years, in rev erse orde r , are: Hurricane Bob Mattapoisett was also hit hard, with 29 of 37 homes us re l a t i vely sheltered from a Category 4 or 5 in 1991; "the twins" from 1954, Hurricanes Carol de s t r oyed on Cove Street and 32 of 35 hurricane, it is no guarantee. In fact, four major and Edna; and last but not least, the Great New homes destroyed on Angelica HURRICANE hurricanes (Category 3) hit Massachusetts in the England Hurricane of 1938. Point. Southern-facing BOB: THE last century alone. shorelines experienced ADMIRALTY The counter-clockwise motion of the hurricane HURRICANE BOB - De veloping in the central si g n i fi cant erosion, with APARTMENTS IN means that the winds are worst to the right of the Bahamas on August 16, 1991, Hurricane Bob some spots along FA L M O U T H , storm path, while the rains are worst to the left. in t e n s i fi ed and accelerated north - n o rt h e a s t w a rd , Mart h a ’s Vin e y a r d and AFTER BOB BLEW OFF A Storm surge is greatest right around the eye. For paralleling the East Coast, and barreling into Blo c k Nantucket losing up SECTION OF storms with eyes that make landfall along the Island, Rhode Island, and later Massachusetts on to 50 feet of THE ROOF. South Coast, theref o r e, Buz z a r ds Bay gets the worst August 19. Although this Category 2 hurricane was s h o re l i n e .

7 19 5 4 - In this yea r , not one but two Category 3 Identifying Flood Zones on page 26 for more on hurricanes hit New England, Carol and Edna. Th i s how cumulative impacts and a lack of recovery double-whammy began at the end of August when time can compound the destructiveness of a HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS KIT Ca r ol formed in the Bahamas. After several days of storm.) Also, with the storm passing to the east, a heavy rainfall of 3 to 6 inches covered most of We’ve all seen it on the news. Some of us may sl o w north w a r d prog r ess, Carol accelerated rapidly Massachusetts, with northeastern parts of the state even have experienced it first hand. Long lines at the evening of August 30, passing just to the east of receiving 7 inches. Still saturated from the rains of gr o c e r y stores and empty shelves at home supply Cape Hatteras, Nor th Carolina, and continuing Carol, the area experienced extensive urban and warehouses as the hurricane bears down on some tow a r d eastern Long Island and southeastern stream flooding, with street washouts common, un f o r tunate coastal community. Like most things in life, Connecticut for an August 31 landfall. Most of especially in northeast Massachusetts where rivers the time to prepare for a hurricane is well before you eastern Massachusetts saw sustained winds of 80 to rose several feet above flood stage. Overall, 21 hear warnings on your local radio station. In fact, the time 100 mph, toppling trees and miles of power lines. people died throughout New England as a result to prepare for the 2002 hurricane season is now. Str ong winds caused devastation from eastern of this storm. To help, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Connecticut to Cape Cod, ruining 40 percent of Storms are unpredictable, and “100-yea r ” even t s Management (CZM) has compiled a detailed Web page, HURRICANE apple, corn, peach, and tomato crops. Mak i n g FRAN DOES can happen in rapid succession. (See 100 Ye a r listing links to all the best sources of information on hurri- landfall just after high tide, Carol ’s storm surge SOME SERIOUS Floods Don ’t Come on Schedule on page 15.) Less cane preparedness. The site provides information on: caused massive flooding, with the Somerset and DAMAGE New Bed f o r d areas receiving the worst of it in than a year after Carol and Edna, Connie and u Building and rebuilding to withstand the storm. IN NORTH Massachusetts. New Bed f o r d’s storm surge was over Diane brought more destruction to the re g i o n . CAROLINA. u Supplies to assemble at the beginning of hurricane 14 feet. Rainfall of 2 to 5 inches spread across the Both storms started as hurricanes, but came ashore season. region, and peaked in north central Mas s a c h u s e t t s in Nor th Carolina, weakened, and moved north - u How to develop an emergency plan for your family. at 6 inches. Th r oughout New England, 4,000 wa r d bringing colossal amounts of rain. Tog e t h e r , homes, 3,500 cars, and 3,000 boats succumbed they dumped almost 25 inches of rain in parts of u Tips for what to bring to a storm shelter. to Carol, and most of eastern Massachusetts lost Massachusetts, causing unprecedented floo d i n g , u Information on what to do with your pets in a weather phone service and powe r. And if that wasn’t with 40 percent of dow n t own Wo rcester emergency. e n o u g h . . . submerged. More than 100 homes were lost u Boat protection strategies. Fol l o wing a track slightly to the east of Carol , in New England, another 1,500 damaged, and Hurricane Edna barreled up the East Coast, pass- 90 people wer e killed. u How to best protect yourself and your family before, during, and after the storm. ing over Mart h a ’s Vin e y a r d and Nantucket on September 11. All of eastern Massachusetts faced u Hurricane tracking. winds of 75-95 mph, with peak gusts on Mart h a ’s u Storm prediction and hurricane warnings. Vin e y a r d of 120 mph. Por tions of eastern u Flood insurance. Massachusetts and nearly all of Cape Cod and the Islands lost power . The 6-foot storm surge coupled To access the CZM Hurricane Preparedness Kit, check out with a rising tide caused sever e flooding on our Web site at: www.mass.gov/czm/hurricanes.htm. If Mart h a ’s Vin e y a r d, Nantucket, and Cape Cod, and you don’t have Web access, call the CZM Information many boats wer e lost in this region as well. Bec a u s e Line at (617) 626-1212 and we’ll send you a printed C a rol had so heavily eroded beaches just days copy. ACT NOW AND DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT IN THE b e f o re, these areas we re more vulnerable to this RAIN AND HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS! second storm. (See The Art and Science of

HURRICANE OF 1954: 8 ALBATROSS III BREAKING LOOSE FROM A PIER IN WOODS HOLE. 19 3 8 - Und o u b t e d l y , the Massachusetts hurricane residences, many of substantial value; and what of the century was the Great New Eng l a n d is n ’t developed has largely been transformed from Hurricane of 1938. Dev eloping off the Cape Verd e farm to forest. Storm surge in developed areas will Islands on September 4, this storm took an unusu- sw a l l o w houses, businesses, and roads along with al track over the Gulf Str eam, maintaining its beaches and dunes. Tor r ential rains will find more 6 STEPS TO PREPARE FOR st r ength over these warm waters until it crashed im p e r vious surfaces, increasing runoff and exacer- HURRICANE SEASON into Long Island on September 21. The winds bating flooding impacts. Wind will topple tree s , Before the storm, the Massachusetts Emergency wer e devastating, with the Blue Hill Obs e r vat o r y small struc t u r es, and much that is not adequately Management Web site (http:// ww w. s t a t e . m a . u s /me m a / rec o r ding the strongest winds ever for the reg i o n , an c h o r ed. The storm surge and floods will wrea k pr e p a r e /hurricane.htm) suggests you take the following 121 mph sustained winds and gusts of 186 mph. ha v oc on septic systems, oil tanks, and the many actions to get prepared: Roofs, trees, and crops wer e extensively damaged other low-lying products of development vulnera- u Plan and practice evacuation routes. Your community and power outages wer e widespread, lasting for ble to the onslaught of water. may have a designated route; contact the local weeks in some areas. The storm surge was substan- Hurricane Bob clearly demonstrates our emergency management agency for details. tial, causing 18 to 25 foot tides from New London in c r eased vulnerability to coastal storms. At only a u Assemble a disaster supply kit in a waterproof IN THE AFTERMATH east to Cape Cod. Down t o wn Providence was cov- Ca t e g o r y 2 hurricane, Bob caused millions of dol- container that includes nonperishable foods, drinking OF HURRICANE lars of damage. Even the Bli z z a r d of ‘01, a water in non-breakable containers, cooking utensils er ed with 20 feet of storm tide and sections of FLOYD, PETS Nor theaster with 45 mph sustained winds and a (including a can opener), identification and valuable Falmouth and New Bed f o r d wer e buried under 8 ARE RESCUED IN papers in a water-proof container, personal hygiene feet of water. Western Massachusetts saw 3 to 6 storm surge of only 2.5 feet (which would be NO R TH CAROLINA. items, first aid kit, medications, battery-operated radio, inches of rain. In Spr i n g field, the Connecticut eq u i v alent to a rel a t i v ely lackluster tropical storm), flashlight, extra batteries, sleeping bag, pillow, sheets, Ri v er rose 6 to 10 feet above flood stage. Over a l l , caused significant damage along our devel o p e d change of clothing, rainwear, and toolkit. 8,900 buildings wer e destroyed in New Eng l a n d , coastlines, crumbling seawalls and flooding low- u Make arrangements for pets. It is the policy of shelters and another 15,000 we re damaged. Coastal lying roads. Str onger winds and a higher storm not to allow pets. You may want to contact animal communities we re decimated; 2,600 boats we re surge would pose a far more significant threat to boarding facilities or hotels for emergency informa t i o n . de s t r oyed and another 3,300 damaged, and fish i n g coastal communities. u Protect your windows. Permanent shelters are the best fleets suffered terribly, with 2,605 vessels destroyed protection, but plywood panels will also work. and 3,369 damaged. A total of 564 people wer e 2002 HURRICANE FORECAST killed and another 1,700 injured in southern Dr. William Gray of Colorado State Uni ve r s i t y , u Purchase flood insurance. (See Flood Insurance . . .Are You Covered? on page 15. ) New England. wo r l d - re n o wned hurricane forec a s t e r , indicates that 2002 is shaping up as an active yea r . On aver a g e , u Develop an emergency communication WH A T’S IN THE BAY STATE’S FUTURE? we see almost 10 tropical storms each year in the plan. If family members get separated during a Atlantic. This yea r , Gra y ’s April predictions call for disaster it is helpful to have a friend or relative, When a storm the size of the ‘38 Hurricane hits outside the impacted area, who can be con- again, emergency management professionals expect 12 named tropical storms, 7 of these hurricanes, tacted and told everyone is ok. considerable flooding, erosion, and prop e r ty loss. and 3 of these major hurricanes (at least a Sixty-four years ago, Massachusetts was pred o m i - Category 3). This forecast says there’s a 75 per- nantly farmland, and what development existed cent probability of one of these major hurricanes along the coast was mostly small, summer cottages. hitting somewhere along the U.S. coast. (Gray’s Now, sprawling cities and suburbs have rep l a c e d forecast will be updated May 31. See the photo courtesy of FE M A open farmland; coastal communities face continual Colorado State University Web site at ht t p : / / c o n s t ruction along the shore with ye a r - round tro p i c a l . a t m o s . c o l o s t a t e . e d u / f o r ecasts/ for details.)

9 HU R R I C A N E UN P R E D I C T ABILITY AND PREPAR E D N E S S get your boat out of the water, over - c o n g e s t e d ANDREW LEFT Any tropical storm that reaches the Bahamas has ramps, and along packed roads—and then still HIS MARK. the possibility to hit Massachusetts. The tracks of ha v e time to evacuate yourself and your family— IT’S ALL IN THE NAME these fickle storms are extremely difficult to pred i c t , you probably need at least 36 hours of advan c e d Did you ever wonder why tropical storms and hurri- ho weve r . In fact, the forecasted track of a hurricane wa r n i n g . canes are given names like Chantal and 72 hours before expected landfall can be off by as While prediction methods are continually Felix? Weather watchers found that much as 248 miles in any direction. At the 36 hour im p r oving, the vagaries of these complex wea t h e r distinctive names are more easily ma r k, this estimated error is only down to 127 patterns remain. Consequently, the best thing you and effectively communicated, miles, meaning that a storm expected to be a direc t can do if a major hurricane approaches is to listen reducing the confusion of hit for Mart h a ’s Vin e y a r d could ultimately make to state, federal, and local emergency prep a re d n e s s using coordinates to label a landfall as far west as the Connecticut River or as officials. They have the responsibility to make the storm. In 1953, the U.S. far east as Geo r g e ’s Bank. Even 12 hours before tough calls about evacuations—and they need to Weather Service began landfall, the resolution is only within 47 miles. make these calls with enough time to get ever yon e using women’s names, This unpredictability exacerbates the biggest out safely. abandoning an earlier plan pr oblem when a hurricane approaches: time to Fin a l l y , when it comes to major storms, you can to use names from the pho- pre p a r e. When few people lived along the coast, take steps to protect your family and your prop e r - netic alphabet (Able, Baker, ev acuation took little time. Now, even with the ty . Over the years, we have learned a lot about how Charlie). Since 1979, men’s im p r ovements in forecasting and the advan c e d to build, rebuild, and otherwise prep a r e for the names have been added to the warning coastal and riverside residents will rec e i ve , worst these storms can bring. list, which is now kept by an interna- ev acuations must be called for before the exact CZM has assembled additional information tional committee of the Wo r l d location of hurricane landfall is known with cer- on what you need to know to be ready for a Meteorological Organization. Six lists are used ta i n t y . The Bourne and Sag a m o r e bridges, for hurricane. See the Hurricane Prep a r edness Kit on HERE ARE THE NAMES page 8 for details and a Web address and telephone YOU CAN EXPECT TO in rotation, so the names for 2002 will be used again instance, close with winds of more than 75 mph, a SEE DURING THE 2002 in 2008, with one major exception. When a storm is condition that is likely to occur hours before the number to access this information. In addition, HURRICANE SEASON: particularly deadly or costly, the name is retired and a ey e descends on the Cape. This means that sum- see Coastal Construction Manual: A Great Tool for Arthur new name beginning with the same letter replaces it. mer visitors and permanent residents need at least Protecting Homes from St o rm Damage on page Bertha On the 2002 list, Cristobal replaced Cesar, Fay 24 hours of lead time, when the forecast could be 24 for more on construction strategies. By taking Christobal p roper precautions, we can all be ready for Dolly replaced Fran, and Hanna replaced Hortense. off by 88 miles. Boat owners face a similar guessing Edouard game. To have enough time to battle the crowds to w h a t e ver hurricane season 2002 brings. Fay Gustav ERIN AS SEEN FLOYD WAS HERE IGNACIO IN Hanna FROM ABOVE. (AND LEFT A LOT OF THE SKIES: Isidore WATER BEHIND IN A PLANE’S EYE Josephine FRANKLIN, VIRGINIA). VIEW OF Kyle HU R R I C A N E Lili IGNACIO, Marco 900 MILES Nana Omar SOUTHEAST Paloma OF HAWAI I . Rene Sally Teddy 10 Vicky Wilfred photo courtesy of Hurricane Hunt 1 THROUGH 5: THE HURRICANE CATE G O R I E S Wind speed dictates the potential damage that a hurricane can cause. The National Hurricane Center uses the Saffir/Simpson scale to classify hurricanes into five categories, based on wind speed. HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE THE HURRICANE CAT E G O R Y 1 - 74-95 mph sustained winds with 4-5 foot storm surge. OF ‘38... MAIN STREET Minimal damage, including: flooding of low-lying coastal roads; minor pier IN WOODS HOLE. damage; small, exposed vessels torn from moorings.

CAT E G O R Y 2 - 96-110 mph sustained winds with 6-8 foot storm surge. Moderate damage, including: some wind damage to roofing material, doors, and windows; flooding of low-lying coastal escape routes 2-4 hours before eye passes; considerable damage to piers and mobile homes; marinas flooded; small vessels with unprotected anchorages torn from moorings.

CAT E G O R Y 3 - 111-130 mph sustained winds with 9- 12 foot storm surge. Extensive damage, including: destruction of smaller structures by coastal flooding and destruction of larger structures by battering waves and floa t - ing debris; mobile homes destroyed; low-lying roads floo d e d 3-5 hours before eye hits; terrain less than 5 feet above sea level flooded for up to 8 miles inland.

CAT E G O R Y 4 - 131-155 mph winds with 13-18 foot storm surge. Extreme damage, including: some complete roof failure of small residences; AN EXAMPLE OF flooding of flat terrain up to 10 feet above sea level, as far as 6 miles ANDREW’S DAMAGE... inland; major damage from flooding and wave battering to lower floors THE PROPERTY OWNER of structures near shore; major beach erosion; low-lying roads flooded 3-5 PUTS INFORMATION ON THE REMAINS OF hours before eye hits. THE PROPERTY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR AGENTS CAT E G O R Y 5 - Greater than 155 mph winds and storm surge over 18 feet. TO ASSESS THEIR Catastrophic damage, including: complete roof failure of many residences COLLECTION and industrial buildings; some complete building failure with small utility build- ALLOWABLES. ings blown over or away; damage to lower floors of structures less than 15 feet above sea level, within 500 yards of shore; massive evacuation of resi- dential areas within 5-10 miles of shoreline may be required.

11 A CENTENNIAL REVIEW OF MAJOR LAND-FALLING TROPICAL CYCLONES IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND By David R. Vallee, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service Forecast Office, Taunton, Massachusetts Hurricanes and tropical storms are no strangers to Army Corps of Engineers. Rainfall analyses wer e no land-falling Category 3 hurricanes. August Massachusetts. For ty-one such tropical cycl o n e s obtained from prior publications (Vallee 1993, and September (Fi g u re 2) we re the most ha v e affected the region since 1900, 12 of which Vallee and Czephya 1996). a c t i ve months for tropical cyclone activity in made landfall with significant impact. These 12 sys- Massachusetts, with 10 occurrences. The tems displayed similar characteristics with respect to OVERVIEW OF THE 12 MAJOR LAND-FALLING remaining two occurred in July. the storm track for acceleration, high winds, storm TROPICAL CYCLONES surge, and heavy precipitation. This article rev i ew s Table 1 shows the major tropical cyclones that have COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 12 southern New England tropical cyclones since st r uck southern New England since 1900. LA N D - F ALLING TROPICAL CYCLONES 1900, focusing on the similarities of these 12 land- With the exception of the 1920s, Southern New Each of these 12 systems, with var ying degrees of falling systems as they impacted Mas s a c h u s e t t s . England has experienced at least one major land- impact, brought high winds, coastal flooding, and falling system in each decade of the 1900s (Fig u r e heavy precipitation to the region. Each system expe- DA TA SOURCES 1). The 18-year period from 1938 to 1955 was rienced some degree of forwa r d acceleration. Th e Track information for each tropical cyclone was quite active with five major systems, including four co r e of strongest winds and the largest storm surges obtained from the National Climatic Data Center Ca t e g o r y 3 hurricanes. The 15-year period from wer e always focused east of the storm track. Th e (NCDC) Historical Climatology Series 6-2 1985 to 1999 was also active with four major heaviest precipitation was always focused along and (NCDC 1993). Storm surge information was gath- systems, including two Category 2 hurricanes. west of the storm track. er ed through a collection of southern New Eng l a n d Perhaps the most interesting statistic with regard Hurricane Evacuation Studies produced by the U.S. to frequency is that since 1954, there have been Fo r ward Motion Each system displayed significant northward TABLE 1 - TWELVE SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONES IMPACTING acceleration. The average forward speed at time SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND, 1900-1999 of landfall was 33 miles per hour (mph), while 51 Storm intensity at landfall is given by the Saffir/Simpson scale (see page 11) or listed as a tropical mph was observed with the Great New England storm (TS). Forward motion is at time of landfall (miles per hour). Hurricane of 1938. The rapid acceleration enhanced high winds, storm surge, and heavy NAME DATE INTENSITY FORWARD MOTION precipitation. Unnamed 7/21/1916 CAT 1 18 Unnamed 9/21/1938 CAT 3 51 Wi n d Unnamed 9/14-15/1944 CAT 3 30 The rapid acceleration of these systems produced a Carol 8/31/1954 CAT 3 40 rather short duration of both tropical storm and Edna 9/11/1954 CAT 3 46 hurricane force winds, when compared to slower Diane 8/18-20/1955 TS 15 mo ving tropical cyclones elsewh e r e in the wes t e r n Donna 9/12/1960 CAT 2 25 Atlantic. The average duration of tropical storm Belle 8/9-10/1976 CAT 1 20 fo r ce winds ranged from 12 to 15 hours. Hur r i c a n e Gloria 9/27/1985 CAT 2 45 fo r ce winds wer e generally produced for three to six Bob 8/19/1991 CAT 2 30 hours centered around the time of landfall. Sys t e m s Bertha 7/12-13/1996 TS 30 accelerating up the coast we re often imbedded 12 Floyd 9/18/1999 TS 35 in deep layer southerly flow. In the No rthern Hem i s p h e r e, the components of surface wind and Massachusetts surges in excess 25 feet will occur inflow produced an enhance- the mean flow act in the same direction, prod u c i n g on portions of Buz z a r ds Bay (U.S. Army Corps of ment of rainfall in upslope enhancement (Els e b e r r y et al. 1987). Also, as this Engineers 1997). regions of the major river basins acceleration occurs, the eye diameter expands, caus- Most of east coastal Massachusetts is quite vul- in the region. The duration and ing an eastward displacement of the radius of maxi- nerable to storm surges, but due to the rapid strength of this inflow was criti- mum wind (RMW). This pattern was observed in mo vement of hurricanes, the tidal piling most often cal to the magnitude of the Hurricane Bob, with a RMW of approximately 25 associated with major coastal flood episodes in the enhancement. Tropical cyclones miles (National Weather Ser vice 1992), and in the wi n t e r time on the east coast doesn’t have time to tended to maximize both com- Great New England Hurricane of 1938 with a ma t e r i a l i z e. Slosh modeling suggests that a surge ponents, thus explaining why, in RMW of over 40 miles. of 4 to 7 feet is possible in and around Boston spite of such a rapid forward As a crude rule of thumb, an area due to experi- Har b o r . If this struck on a high astronomical tide, motion, tropical cyclones FIGURE 1: TROPICAL CYCLONE FREQUENCY IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND ence this core of sustained winds can add the for- the resulting tidal elevations could surpass those impacting southern New wa r d motion to the sustained wind speed. This sum p roduced by the October 1991 storm and the England also produced wide- gi v es an estimate of the maximum gust potential. Bl i z z a rd of 1978. But it would take a unique spread torrential rainfall. In 1938, for example, the Great New England sequence of events for such a surge to materialize— Ty p i c a l l y, the first bands Hurricane of 1938 was moving rapidly north near unlike along the exposed south coast where there is of heavy rainfall arrived 12 60 mph, producing sustained winds of 125 mph. far greater potential and frequency of occurren c e . to 15 hours in advance of the Adding the forwa r d motion to this sustained wind The uniqueness of Cape Cod Bay provides a dif- storm c e n t e r. The ave r a g e speed gives an estimated maximum gust potential fe r ent problem. Hurricane Edna of 1954 provi d e d rainfall of 6 to 10 inches was of 185 mph. The Blue Hill Obs e r vat o r y, in Mil t o n , nearly the optimum set of circumstances to prod u c e west of the track of the storm, Massachusetts, rec o r ded a wind gust of 186 mph. a surge of 10 feet across Wel l fl eet and Trur o. For with the heaviest amounts in this to occur, the storm had to travel directly over topographically enhanced S t o rm Surge the top of Cape Cod. The northeast wind flow locations. East of the storm, The rapid acceleration impacts the magnitude of ahead of this type of storm track would pile the two inches or less was com- FIGURE 2: MONTHLY TROPICAL CYCLONE the storm surge. Wind stress and pres s u r e gradient water into Cape Cod Bay . Then approximately 1 to mon. Hurricane Bob, a tight DISTRIBUTION FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 1 ar e the key components in surge production, with 1 /2 hours after the storm has passed, a wind shift to Bahama-born system, p ro- wind stress accounting for approximately twice the the southwest will literally slosh the water arou n d duced a dramatic rainfall distribution acro s s surge produced solely by pres s u r e gradient (Anthes the base of the bay into Wel l fl eet and Trur o. Rhode Island with a maximum of more than 1982). The angle at which the systems made land- Res e a r chers believe that this did occur with Edn a , 7 inches in the nort h west and less than 0.5 fall in Massachusetts was generally 60 to 90 but her arrival at low tide spared the region signifi- inches in nearby southeast Massachusetts. degrees, or close to perpendicular to the coastline, cant floo d i n g . One of the most dramatic displays of heavy aiding in surge production on north-south rainfall was associated with Tropical St o r m oriented bays and inlets. Ra i n f a l l Diane, August 1955. One week prior to While the stronger tropical storms prod u c e d Nearly half of all tropical cyclones that have impact- Diane, a ver y weakened Tropical Storm Connie surges of 1 to 3 feet, the Category 2 and Category 3 ed southern New England since 1900 produced sent 4 to 8 inches of rain across we s t e r n storms generated storm surges in excess of 12 feet. si g n i fi cant river and small stream flooding. Hea v y Massachusetts. Then, just 5 days later, Di a n e For the two most power ful storms, the Great New rainfall typically developed well in advance of the would produce 10 to 20 inches of rain in a England Hurricane of 1938 and Hurricane Carol storm center, in response to the dramatic increase in 2-day span across much of the Bay State. In in 1954, the RMW was focused on eastern mo i s t u r e advection and a rapidly destabilizing Westfield, Massachusetts, Diane produced a Connecticut and Narragansett Bay . Surge modeling at m o s p h e r e produced by a deepening upper level re c o rd one-day rainfall total of 18.15 inches; indicates that for a storm similar to Hurricane tr ough or cut-off low. In addition, as shown by to put this in the proper perspective, that was C a rol but focused on the South Coast of Vallee and Czephya (1996), strong east or southeast nearly half their annual rainfall! 13 CO N C L U S I O N Major land-falling tropical cyclones in southern New England during the last 100 years have all dis- pl a y ed similar characteristics. This consistency in behavior should allow forecasters and emergency managers to better anticipate and prep a r e for the ev olution of the storm’s impact across the reg i o n .

RE F E R E N C E S Anthes, R. A., 1982: Tropical Cyclones, Their Evol u t i o n , CHECK OUT CZM’S HURRICANE KIT AT Stru c t u r e, and Eff e c t s . Science Press, 208 pp.

Els e b e r r y, R. L., W. M. Frank, G. J. Holland, J. D. WW W. M A S S . G O V/CZ M /HU R R I C A N E S . H T M Jar r ell, R. L. Southern, 1987: A Global View of Trop i c a l Cyclone. Office of Nav al Res e a rc h , 185 pp. FOR MORE ON HURRICANES AND HOW

National Climatic Data Center, 1993: Tropical Cycl o n e s TO PREPARE FOR HURRICANE SEASON. of the Nor th Atlantic, 1971-1992. NOAA His t o r i c a l Climatology Series 6-2, Asheville, NC, 193 pp.

National Weather Ser vice, 1992: Disaster survey rep o r t - Hurricane Bob August 16-20, 1991. NOAA, U.S. Dep t . of Commerce, 57 pp.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England Div i s i o n , 1997: So u t h e r n Massachusetts Hurricane Evacuation Stu d y . US A CE Technical Data Rep o r t, Waltham, MA, 100 pp.

Vallee, D. R., 1993: Rhode Island Hurricanes and Trop i c a l Sto r ms, A Fif t y - S ix Year Sum m a r y 1936-1991. NOAA Tech. Mem o . NWS-ER-86, Bohemia, NY, 62 pp.

_____, and L. Czephya, 1996: An Analysis of Orog r aphically Induced Rainfall in Southern New Eng l a n d . Preprints, Fifteenth Conference on Weather and For ecasting (Nor folk), American Met e o r ological Soc i e t y , Boston, 269-271.

S ATELLITE VIEW OF TROPICAL CYCLONE NEAR DEL RIO, TEXAS, OCTOBER 5, 1 9 5 4 .

14 photo courtesy of NOAA FLOOD INSURANCE . . . ARE YOU COVERED? By Anne Donovan, CZM The winds are whipping and the furious seas are participate in the NFIP. The only coastal commu- lashing against the crumbling seawall. As the waters nities that don’t are Chilmark and Rowley, so rise in one immense tidal surge, the seawall, the roa d c i t i zens in those towns cannot obtain flood 100-YEAR FLOODS DON’T behind it, and the entire first story of your house are i n s u r a n c e . In addition, those communities COME ON SCHEDULE awash. Knee-deep in this briny mess is not the time a re not eligible for federal financial assistance What, exactly, is a “100- year flood?” A flood that hap- pens every 100 years? Nope. This confusing and often to start thinking about flood insurance. (including many forms of disaster assistance) mis-used term is really a statistical assessment, indicating Ever y yea r , floods damage more U.S. homes than for pro p e rty acquisition or construction within that a flood of that magnitude (or greater) has a 1-percent any other type of natural disaster. And it’s not just a Special Flood Ha z a rd Area (an area prone chance of occurring in any given year, with a typical the houses along the shore or a riverbank at risk. In to flooding and designated on FEMA Fl o o d recurrence every 100 years. To help clarify, the Federal fact, 20 to 25 percent of flood insurance claims are Insurance Rate Maps with the letter “A” or “V”). Emergency Management Agency has stopped using the outside areas considered “ Joining the NFIP term, opting instead for “1-percent annual chance flood.” “ h i g h - r i s k” for flo o d s . is not difficult for a “ Joining the NFIP is not Just because such a major flood happens in one year Bottom line, your co m m u n i t y , and we can does not reduce the likelihood of that event the next year. homeowner’s policy does d i fficult for a community, and h e l p,” said Richard Each year, no matter what has happened before, the not cover flood damage. If Zi n g a relli of the Fl o o d chance of seeing that kind of flood is 1 percent. you are expecting federal Ha z a rd Ma n a g e m e n t we can help.” The statistics can get even more confusing. For any disaster relief to save the Program (FHMP) at p a rticular 100-year period, there is a 63.5 percent - Richard Zingarelli, DEM day in case of a major the De p a rtment of chance of having a “1-percent annual chance flo o d . ” E V E RY YEAR, flood, you will be in for a Environmental Manage- Confused? Over long periods of time these events are FLOODS DAMAGE long wait and will most likely get a loan that has ment (DEM). “Nearly all of the community likely to happen every 100 years, but over any parti c u l a r MORE U.S. HOMES to be repaid with interest, if disaster relief becomes re q u i rements are already cove red by existing 100-year period, the chances are less simply because THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF NAT U R A L av ailable at all. So, the National Flood Ins u r a n c e state regulations, such as the We t l a n d s these things are not scheduled and are not absolutely DI S A S T E R . Program (NFIP) is your best bet for prot e c t i n g Protection Act and the State Building Code. predictable. From a more practical perspective, over the what is probably your biggest inves t m e n t . The few remaining re q u i rements are typically typical life of a mortgage (30 years), there is a 26 per- The NFIP, created by Congress in 1968 and handled by establishing a floodplain overlay dis- cent chance of seeing a “100-year flood.” If that statistic managed by the Federal Emergency Man a g e m e n t trict within the community’s zoning by l a w, a makes you nervous, see Flood Insurance . . . Are You Agency (FEMA), makes federally backed insurance copy of which can be obtained from FHMP. ” Covered? at left for more information. av ailable in communities that develop and enforce For more information, contact Rich floodplain management mechanisms. The NFIP at (617) 626-1406 or by e-mail, floo d - p ro o fi ng standards also offer a great benefit to R i c h a rd . Zi n g a relli @state.ma.us. ho m e o wners, with houses meeting these standards Maps are available to help yo u suffering 77 percent less flood damage than other determine your flood risk, and homes. (In addition, FEMA’s Coastal Construction t h e re’s plenty of information on Manual pr ovides state-of-the-art rec o m m e n d a t i o n s N F I P. To find out more, check for flood-proofing and storm protection. Se e out the FEMA Web site at Coastal Construction Manual: A Great Tool for http://www.fema.gov/nfip/index, Protecting Homes from Storm Damage on page 24 call your insurance agent, or call for details.) FEMA at 1-888-FLO O D 2 9 , Almost all communities in the Commonwea l t h TDD# 1-800-427-5593.

15 BEACH NOURISHMENT FOR STORM PROTECTION By Rebecca Haney and Anne Donovan, CZM How do you “no u r i s h ” a beach? for example, while prov i d i n g new sand is “compatible” with Why feed it sand, of course. And some protection to homes and the old sand by comparing the a well-nourished beach provi d e s roads behind them, accelerate grain sizes. Finer materials more better protection from scouring e rosion, ultimately lowering the easily erode, reducing the storm waves and punishing storm e l e vation of the fronting beach longevity of the storm protection surge. The most common type of and undermining the seawall and potentially smothering near- beach nourishment project in i t s e l f. Pro p e rty owners dow n - by eelgrass beds and other natu- Massachusetts reuses clean materi- c u r rent also face the brunt of ral resources. Coarser material al from nearby dredging proj e c t s , these unnatural stru c t u re s , may negatively impact the recre- which is technically called “beach when sand is trapped behind ational value and aesthetics of fill.” The primary purpose for jetties and other stru c t u re s , the beach, but will not readily these projects is to keep the sand accelerating erosion dow n - erode. Consequently, material in the system and find a conven- c u r rent and exposing these with slightly coarser or equal ient place to unload the dredged p ro p e rties to greater damage. grain size is best, but coarser material. Although these projects To help promote beach material can also be acceptable. can provide some storm protec- fill/beach nourishment and design The slope of the beach is tion, they are not designed for pr ojects that will last, as well as to also important. If the new sand this purpose, and the sand can be reduce potential environ m e n t a l c reates a steeper pitch to the washed away in rel a t i v ely short impacts of these projects, the beach, rapid erosion and re d i s- ord e r , causing potential environ - Massachusetts Office of Coastal tribution of the sand is likely. mental problems. To help extend Zone Management (CZM), the Again, matching original con- the life of these valuable beach fill Dep a r tment of Env i ro n m e n t a l ditions is best. pr ojects, and to ensure that there ar e no unintended environ m e n t a l consequences, planning and prop - “A well-nourished beach provides better er design are req u i re d . The second kind of proj e c t , p r o t e c t i o n f r o m scouring storm waves and technically ref e r r ed to as “beach nourishment,” is designed by an engineer to add a specific punishing storm surge.” amount of sand to a system to pr ovide storm protection. Suc h Protection (DEP), and the The beach nourishment no n s t r uctural alternatives are the Division of Marine Fis h e r i e s B M Ps, which include extensive recommended form of storm pro- (DMF) are developing beach additional details on using te c tion, because seawalls, jetties, nourishment best management public dredging projects for and other struc t u r es provide only practices (BMPs) . beach nourishment, endan- te m p o r a ry protection with high The most important factor g e red species protection, and costs, and do not address the when designing a beach nourish- other topics, are curre n t l y 16 underlying problem. Se a w a l l s , ment project is to make sure the under deve l o p m e n t . photo by Rebecca Haney Over the next 60 years, erosion is expected to claim one out of four houses within 500 feet of the U.S. shoreline. What other figures should you know about? We l l . . . u Roughly 1,500 structures and the land on which they g overnments invo l ved in land-use planning, and federal are built will be lost to erosion each year, costing decision-makers dealing with National Flood Insurance coastal property owners $530 million per year. In policy and the need for reform. The conclusions of the beach areas, the risk posed by erosion is equivalent to Heinz re p o rt? the risk from flooding. u Congress should instruct the Federal Emergency u At current enrollment levels, the National Flood Management Agency to develop erosion hazard maps Insurance Program, which makes federally-backed that display the location and extent of coastal areas flood insurance available in communities that agree to subject to erosion. The maps should be made widely adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances, available in both print and electronic form a t s . will pay $80 million per year for erosion-related d a m a g e . u Congress should require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to include the cost of expected These are some of the staggering conclusions fro m erosion losses when setting flood insurance rates along Evaluation of Erosion Hazards, a report completed by The the coast. H. John Heinz III Center in April 2000 for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The report is a wake-up For the complete report, check out the Heinz Center Web call to coastal pro p e rty owners at risk, state and local site at www.heinzcenter.org/programs/SOCW/eros i o n . h t m .

17 THE MASSACHUSETTS BEACHES CONFERENCE If you are interested in protecting our sandy shores, plan to attend Northeast Beaches: A Balancing Act on October 24-26. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is teaming up with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Sea Grant Office, Northeast Shore and Beach Preservation Association, the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Massachusetts’ Urban Harbors Institute, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Coastal Ocean Institute, and Massachusetts Audubon to sponsor a three-day, multi-disciplinary conference at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The event will bring together individuals interested in protecting and enhancing beaches to discuss a variety of issues including coastal processes, beach nourishment, dredging, coastal habitat, coastal access, water quality, and beach management. The focus of the discussion will be on the state-of-the art science and techniques for protecting beaches, with the recognition that without such protection, these resources will be lost forever. The conference will provide a forum for discussion and coordination of beach protection and management strategies; raise public awareness of the status of the N o rtheast's beaches; and provide a networking opportunity for individuals and local groups working on beach issues. balancingAn agenda and registration information will be posted on the CZM Web site ( w w w. m a s s . g o v/czm) this summer. our beaches October 24 - 2 6

18 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE REBUILDING

Property damage or destruction during a major storm can be a devastating experience. People are available, however, to provide SCIENTIST TO STUDY you with information on how to safely, soundly, and legally STORM-DAMAGED PROPERTI E S rebuild. So if rebuilding is in your future after a hurricane or other Ocean-front property that has been battered by hurricanes and major storm, be sure to contact appropriate local, state, and fed- other storms is often vulnerable to repeat damage. To address this eral officials before beginning work. This includes your local problem, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Building Inspector; your Conservation Commission if you’re in (CZM) is hiring a scientist to look at properties that have been or near a resource area such as a beach, dune, bank, salt marsh repeatedly damaged by storms with the goal of reducing such or other wetland, etc.; your Board of Health for septic system damage in the future. This one-year project will be conducted in work; and the state Department of Environmental Protection cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Woo d s (DEP) Waterways Program at (617) 292-5695 if you are subject Hole. Repetitively damaged properties along the Massachusetts to Chapter 91 regulations. (Chapter 91 governs piers, seawalls, coast will be catalogued and the patterns of damage will be and other structures on the waterfront, as well as development evaluated, looking at flood zones, erosion rates, landform types, HOMES CAN on filled tidelands.) In addition, contact the U.S. Army Corps BE EXTENSIVELY degree of shoreline armaments (groins, jetties, seawalls, of Engineers for any work to be conducted in wetlands or below revetments), and exposure of the property (open coast vs. areas DAMAGED BY the high tide line. STORM WAVES protected by barrier beaches, etc.). Distinctions will be made DEP enforces many of the laws regarding building along the AS WITNESSED ON between minor, moderate, and major structural damage. coast and has developed a helpful publication on this topic, COVE STREET IN The scientist will document correlations between damage and MATTAPOISETT AFTER called Protecting Coastal Pro p e rty from Major St o rm Da m a g e : the potential contributing factors and make recommendations to HURRICANE BOB What to Do and Who to Contact Be f o re Building or Re b u i l d i n g CZM and the Department of Environmental Protection on the PASSED BY. Near the Coast. Along with details on who to call before need for policy and regulatory changes. In parti c u l a r , strategies rebuilding, this publi- to balance development with preservation and restoration of cation includes many resources areas, dissipate storm wave energy, and reduce of the requirements for flooding will be considered. coastal construction, A team of experts will oversee the project, including Rebecca as well as summaries Ha n e y , CZM’s Coastal Geologist and Hazards Coordinator, Rob of the key laws that Thieler from the USGS, Jim O’Connell from the Woods Hole apply. See w w w. m a s s . Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Program and Cape Cod g ov / c z m /protect Cooperative Extension, and Richard Zingarelli from the coastalproperty.pdf De p a r tment of Environmental Management Flood Hazard for a copy. If you don’t Mitigation Program. have Web access, call the CZM information

line at (617) 626-1212 AFTER THE STORM: and we’ll send it DAMAGED PROPERTY to you. IN SCITUATE FOLLOWING A 1991 NORTHEASTER. photo courtesy of Jim O’Connell photo courtesy of Jim O’Connell 19 SHORELINES: NEW DATA ON SHORELINE CHANGE By Rebecca Haney and Anne Donovan, CZM Coastal shorelines change constantly in response ex p l o r e the historical migration of Mas s a c h u s e t t s de v elopment is susceptible to on-going risks from to wind, waves, tides, sea level fluctuation, season- sh o r elines, are strongly advised to consult with a winds, waves, storm surge, flooding, rel a t i v e sea al and climatic variation, human alteration, and pr ofessional when attempting to use the Sho re l i n e le v el rise, and the associated erosion of coastal land- other factors that influence the movement of sand Change Project data for planning purposes. In no forms. Consequently, shoreline change is an impor- and material within a shoreline system. Major case should the long-term shoreline change rate be tant issue in Mas s a c h u s e t t s . storms, such as hurricanes, can have dramatic and used excl u s i v ely before the short-term rates and While erosion and flooding are necessary immediate impacts. The loss (erosion) and gain contributing factors are understood and assessed. and natural, they do have the potential to damage (accretion) of coastal land is a visible result of the coastal pro p e rty and related infrastru c t u re, way shorelines are reshaped in the face of these HOW AND WHY SHORELINES CHANGE pa r ticularly when development is sited in unstable dynamic conditions. As the waves gently lap the shore of a beautiful or low-lying areas. These dynamic and powerf u l To help make informed and responsible deci- st r etch of sandy beach, do you ever wonder where p rocesses can expose septic systems and sewe r sions, coastal managers, shoref r ont landowners, and that sand came from? The answer is: erosion. Th e pipes, contaminating shellfish beds and other potential prop e r ty buyers need information on both so u r ce of the sand that created and continues to resources; release oil, gasoline, and other toxins cu r r ent and historical shoreline trends, including feed the beaches, dunes, and barrier beaches in to the marine environment; and sweep construc- reliable measurements of erosion and accretion rates Massachusetts comes primarily from the erosion of tion materials and other debris out to sea. Public in non-stable areas. The goal of the Mas s a c h u s e t t s coastal landforms. For example, the material erod e d safety is also jeopardized when buildings collapse Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) fr om the Atlantic-facing coastal bluffs of the Cape or water supplies are contaminated. Sho r eline Change Project is to develop and distrib- Cod National Sea s h o r e supplies sand to down d r i f t Sho r eline change can result in significant eco- ute scientific data that will help inform local land (i.e., down current) beaches of the Cape. nomic and emotional loss in a system of fixed prop - use decisions. Erosion, transport, and the accretion that res u l t s er ty lines and own e r s h i p . Attempting to halt the A word of caution to shoref r ont landown e r s , ar e continuous and interrelated processes. Ever y natural process of erosion with seawalls and other potential buyers, and others interested in this infor- da y , wind, waves, and currents move sand, pebbles, ha r d struc t u r es, howeve r , simply shifts the prob l e m , mation as it relates to a particular prop e rt y — t h e and other small materials along the shore or out to subjecting downdrift prop e r ty owners to similar Sho r eline Change Project presents both long- and sea. Sho r elines also change seasonally, tending to losses. Also, without the sediment transport associ- sh o r t-term shoreline change rates at 40-meter inter- ac c r ete slowly during the summer months when ated with erosion, some of the Commonwea l t h ’s vals along the entire Massachusetts coast. In a broa d sediments are deposited by rel a t i v ely low energy gr eatest assets and attractions—beaches, dunes, sense, this information may provide useful insight wa v es and erode dramatically during the winter barrier beaches, salt marshes, and estuaries—are into the erosional forces at work along the when sediments are moved offshore by high energy th r eatened and will slowly disappear as the sand Massachusetts coast. But care must be used when wa v es and storm surge. Hurricanes, Nort h e a s t e r s , so u r ces that feed and sustain them are eliminated. applying this information to specific prop e r ty or and other major storms, of course, can cause sever e The challenge, theref o r e, is to site coastal devel - local sections of coastline. Due to the multitude of er osion whenever they strike. opment in a manner that allows natural physical natural and human-induced factors that can influ- coastal processes, such as erosion, to continue. To ence shoreline position over time, correct interpre- SHORELINE CHANGE AND COASTAL PROPERTY meet this challenge, coastal managers, prop e rt y tation of the data req u i r es an in-depth knowl e d g e Giv en its aesthetic and rec r eational appeal, the owners, and developers must work with eros i o n — of coastal processes. Those without extensive back- Massachusetts coastal zone has been and continues not against it—by understanding the magnitude gr ounds in coastal geology, while encouraged to to be subject to intense development. Much of this and causes of erosion, and applying approp r i a t e

20 management techniques that will allow its benefici a l the short-term shoreline change (i.e., the change adjusted to the presence of the jetty, howeve r , the functions to continue. be t w een successive historic shorelines), the total er osion rate decreased and leveled off. If the jetty la n d w a r d or seaward change in distance, and the was properly engineered and is properly main- THE CZM SHORELINE CHANGE PROJECT long-term shoreline change rate for each transect. tained, the short-term erosion rate of -0.20 feet per In the previous phase of the Sho r eline Change It is very important to note that due to neces- year is more likely to be rep re s e n t a t i v e of how this Project, CZM completed a statistical analysis from sary adjustments in the baseline for this project, sh o r eline is functioning currently and should be the mid-1800s to 1978 for Massachusetts' ocean- the location of current transect numbers are not used for planning purposes, rather than the long- facing coastline and produced 76 maps showi n g consistent with those reported on the 1997 shore- term rate, which dampens the effect of the jetty se v eral historic shorelines to demonstrate long-term line maps or data tables. Therefore, shoreline rates in s t a l l a t i o n . sh o r eline change. CZM distributed these maps to of change noted at the end of numbered transects In contrast, an area along the southeastern shore coastal Conservation Commissions in 1997, help- on these shoreline change maps and data tables of Nantucket exhibits a long-term annual shorel i n e ing local decision makers identify coastlines that are should not be compared directly with previous change rate of +0.07 feet per year with a net move- pr one to storm damage and significant erosion and numbered transects. ment of the beach of only 34.6 feet from 1846- to assess erosion potential. CZM recently complet- 1994. This beach is far from stable, howeve r , as ed an update of the Sh o reline Change Project, HOW TO CORRECTLY INTERPRET THE DATA illustrated by an analysis of the short-term rates of using 1994 National Oceanic and At m o s p h e r i c To correctly interpret the shoreline change data, all change. Bet w een 1846 and 1887 the beach accret e d Administration (NOAA) aerial photographs of the sh o r eline data (i.e., both long- and short-term data) 215 feet; from 1887-1955 it eroded 12 feet; from Massachusetts shoreline. CZM established an agree - must be analyzed and evaluated in light of curren t 1955-1978 it eroded 113 feet; and from 1978-1994 ment with the U.S. Geological Sur vey (USGS), the sh o r eline conditions, recent changes in shorel i n e this same beach eroded 56 feet. Despite the appar- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WH O I ) uses, and the effects of human-induced alterations ent long-term statistical stability of the beach, any Sea Grant Program, and Cape Cod Cooperative to natural shoreline movements. In areas that show buildings constructed on the accreting beach would Extension (CCCE) to produce a 1994 shorel i n e , sh o r eline change rev ersals (i.e., where the shorel i n e ha v e been threatened when the erosional tren d add it to the previous project, and update the statis- fluctuates between erosion and accretion) or area s returned, a situation that is presently occurring at tics and calculate erosion rates. The work was con- that have been extensively altered by human activi- Lo w Beach on Nan t u c k e t . ducted by Rob Thieler and Courtney Schupp at the ties, professional judgment and knowledge of natu- In addition, in many cases human attempts to USGS and Jim O’Connell at the WHOI Sea Gra n t ral and human impacts are typically req u i r ed for stop erosion result in a change to the natural equi- Program and CCCE. The new maps and statistical pr oper interpret a t i o n . librium of the shoreline. Wh e r e segments of the analysis of shoreline change now cover the time For example, a transect along Springhill Beach in sh o r eline have been armored with sea walls and period from the mid-1800s to 1994. Sandwich that is downdrift from a jetty shows a other struc t u r es to stop erosion, the shorel i n e The 1:10,000 scale shoreline change maps long-term annual erosion rate of -2.82 feet per yea r . change data must be looked at ver y closely to deter- sh o w the rel a t i v e positions of four or five historic From 1860-1952, the average rate of erosion at this mine what affect these struc t u r es are having on sh o r elines and depict the long-term change rate at transect was -3.74 feet per yea r . From 1952-1994, sh o r t- and long-term erosion rates. For example, 40-meter (approximately 131-feet) intervals along ho weve r , the annual erosion rate was only -0.20 feet much of the sand sources for Hum a r ock Beach in photo by Rebecca Haney the shore. In all, 30,300 transects wer e construc t e d per yea r . These rates show that, following construc - Scituate have been eliminated due to seawall and SHORELINE and used in the statistical analysis. Data tables that tion of the jetty in 1914, there was an accelerated rev etment construction in the 1940s and 1950s. CHANGE IS accompany the 76 shoreline change maps also show sh o r t-term rate of erosion. Once the shorel i n e Co n s e q u e n t l y , the recent trend of erosion that A NATURAL, NECESSARY PROCESS. 21 began in the 1950s is not only continuing—it is h a ve a resolution of +/- 0.12 meters/year (0.4 with the Conservation Commission or Pl a n n i n g accelerating. f e e t / ye a r ) . De p a rtments, and at the CZM Re g i o n a l Fi n a l l y, the shoreline positions presented in This re v i ew will give you a good sense of how Offices. CZM will also have the shore l i n e the maps and data tables we re compiled using a particular shoreline has behaved over time, change maps, accompanying data, and all sup- s e veral historical map and near-ve rtical air pho- and may provide an indication of future shore- p o rting technical documents on its Web site at: tographic data sources and state-of-the-art ana- line behavior. Howe ve r, professional expertise is w w w. m a s s . g ov/czm. If you do not have We b lytical techniques. The shoreline change maps n e c e s s a ry when attempting to use these maps access and would like the map (36” x 44”), for p roduced for this re p o rt meet National Ma p and data for planning purposes. your area, please call (617) 626-1191. Accuracy St a n d a rds for 1:10,000 scale mapping.

Recognizing various sources of erro r, this re s u l t s FOR MORE INFORMATION . . . BLUFFS, LIKE THIS ONE ON CAPE COD BAY IN in a positional accuracy for individual shore l i n e s CZM will provide a set of maps and data tables EASTHAM, CAN EXPERIENCE HIGH SHORT-T E R M of +/- 8.5 meters (28 feet). The rates of shore- to each coastal community, covering the shore- EROSION RATES WHEN STORMS UNDERMINE line change (the focus of this project) are line within its boundaries. These maps should THE TOE OF THE BLUFF. d e r i ved statistically from these shorelines and be available in the town or city hall, pro b a b l y

RAPIDLY ERODING COASTLINE IN NANTUCKET.

22 SHORELINE CHANGE MAY HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

23 COASTAL CONSTRUCTION MANUAL: A GREAT TOOL FOR PROTECTING HOMES FROM STORM DAMAGE By Wendy Quigley, CZM When you think of the houses along the reduce the vulnerability of houses in coastal areas. requirements, identify hazards, and determine the Massachusetts coastline, do you envision quaint The wealth of information found in the CCM financial and insurance implications for building cottages where families take their summer vaca- offers professionals, such as engineers, architects, in the coastal zone. tions? Or, do you think of grand shore-side and local building inspectors, state-of-the-art Volume II of the CCM leads the reader homes, many of them newly built, where people guidance to ensure that when construction does through the detailed determination of site-specific enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean all year occur in hazard-prone coastal areas, details are loads or pressures affecting a coastal dwelling, long? Whatever image comes to mind, do you incorporated into planning and design to mini- such as high winds, coastal floodwaters, and even think these dwellings might be in harm’s way mize potential damage and loss. earthquakes (not as vital a design consideration come the next hurricane or other coastal storm? Although the expansion of the third edition here in New England as it is in California). After Coastal property owners, as well as local building into a large, three-volume publication may appear determining the loads that would affect a specific inspectors and coastal developers, should under- intimidating at first–it’s almost 3 inches thick!– site, the reader is guided through design and con- stand the potential impacts of coastal storms, and the new format is user-friendly with figures and struction considerations. In addition to the pro- use all the tools at their disposal to protect all tables summarizing complex details and calcula- active hazard-planning aspects of the design and properties, from the smallest cottage to the most tions. For those people more comfortable with construction phases, the CCM also addresses spacious mansion, from the wrath of these poten- digital formats, the CD-Rom contains interactive maintenance of buildings in the sometimes harsh tially devastating weather events. hyperlinks, automatic formula calculations, and conditions along the coast. Now, thanks to a tremendous effort by the an index. The appendices provided in Volume III Federal Emergency Management Agency The first volume of the CCM provides a his- offer helpful topic-specific details about a va r i- (FEMA), a valuable new and improved tool is torical perspective, introducing issues in the ety of issues ranging from material durability available to help coastal developers, planners, reg- coastal environment. Statistics and photographs in the coastal environment to design guidelines ulators, and the property-owners they serve iden- from past storms, including those that impacted for swimming pools and elevators in flood- tify potential hazards to property and reduce risks New England such as the Hurricane of 1938 and p rone areas. through proper planning and construction of resi- the Halloween Northeaster of 1991, are high- dential structures in coastal areas. This tool is the lighted to demonstrate the importance of pro- HOW CAN YOU USE THE CCM TO recently revised third edition of the Coastal active planning in the coastal high-hazard zones. MITIGATE COASTAL HAZARDS? Construction Manual: Principles and Practices of The damages that have occurred to at-grade u If you are a coastal property-owner having a Planning, Siting, Designing, Constructing, and buildings (i.e., those at ground level) underscore new home built or existing one renovated, ask Maintaining Residential Buildings in Coastal Areas, the importance of CCM recommendations and your developer if they are applying the plan also known as the CCM. requirements for elevating dwellings on piles in ning, design, and construction standards and Given the significant financial losses from flood-prone coastal settings. Excerpts about storm recommendations from the most recent CCM. major coastal storms, such as an estimated $1.75 events for regions of the U.S. are followed by an u If you are a coastal developer (engineer, billion in damage (1996 dollars) from Hurricane overview of the fundamentals of hazards and risk architect, builder, etc.), review the latest Bob in 1991, which greatly impacted Buzzard assessment for coastal properties. Volume I draws version of the CCM and apply the “best Bay shorelines, the CCM is invaluable. It provides upon lessons learned to discuss how to identify and practices” approach to coastal residential con advice for coastal construction “best practices” to evaluate site alternatives, investigate regulatory struction when required whenever possible.

24 u If you are a coastal development regulator (building inspector, conservation commissioner, etc.), use the CCM as a guide and reference as you review residential coastal construction PROPER CONSTRUCTION IS IN projects to ensure that “best practices” have THE DETAILS, SUCH AS USING been applied. AN OPEN PILE FOUNDATION AND ELEVATING THE FIRST FLOOR Printed copies and easy-to-navigate CDs of ABOVE BASE FLOOD ELEVATI O N the third edition of the CCM are available by (I.E., ABOVE THE 100-YEAR contacting the FEMA Publications Di s t r i b u t i o n FLOOD LEVEL). Facility at 1-800-480-2520 and request FEMA Publication 55.

photo courtesy of FEMA 25 THE ART AND SCIENCE OF IDENTIFYING FLOOD ZONES By Wendy Quigley, CZM Ar e you planning to develop oceanfront prop e rt y ? FLOOD ZONES DEFINED USING FIRMS TO IDENTIFY FLOOD ZONES Ar e you responsible for coastal floodplain manage- The two primary types of flood zones (or special The first step in determining if a prop e r ty is in a ment? If so, whether you are a coastal devel o p e r , flood hazard areas) included in the Mas s a c h u s e t t s flood zone is to examine the most up-to-date geologist, building inspector, or conservation com- Wetlands Protection Act regulations as Land FIRM. FIRMs, as well as Flood Insurance Stu d y mi s s i o n e r , you will want to familiarize you r s e l f Subject to Coastal Storm Flo wage are vel o c i t y rep o r ts, are available from FEMA for a nominal fee with how to accurately define the extent of floo d zones and A-zones. Velocity flood zones, also by calling the Map Ser vice Center at 1-800-358- zones. In some cases, it is not as simple as rea d i n g kn o wn as V-z ones or coastal high hazard area s , 9616 or by ordering on-line at http://msc.fema. the latest Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) from ha v e been identified by FEMA as areas “wh e r e go v/MSC. Also, they can usually be viewed at local the Federal Emergency Management Agency wa v e action and/or high velocity water can cause go vernment offices, such as the building inspector, (FEMA). Although this article targets people with st r uctural damage in the 100-year flood,” a floo d planning board, and conservation commission. experience in these issues, coastal prop e rt y - ow n e r s with a 1-percent chance of occurring or being The base flood elevation (BFE) for a flood zon e or potential buyers should be aware that flood zon e ex ceeded in a given year (See 100 Year Floods Don’t is the level that flood waters are calculated to rea c h maps do not always tell the whole story. Come on Schedule, on page 15). Because of this during a 100-year even t . This value is usually potential for damage, stringent printed on a FIRM for each coastal flood zo n e . reg u l a t o r y req u i r ements seek to FIRM elevations are re f e renced to the Na t i o n a l en s u r e that work and construc - Geodetic Ve rtical Datum of 1929 (NGVD), tion in V-z ones will minimize e xcept for Nantucket, which is re f e renced to the en v i r onmental and struc t u r a l Half Tide Level Datum of 1934. If your pro j e c t 16 feet impacts, as well as economic plan does not use NGVD, conve rt to a consis- loss. A-zones are areas inundat- tent datum. Please note that for V- zones, the 8 feet ed in a 1 0 0 - year storm eve n t BFE is not necessarily a ground elevation. As that experience conditions of seen in Fi g u re A, although the BFE for the sea- 0 feet less severity than conditions w a rd portion of this V- zone is 16 feet, the ve l o c- experienced in V- zones, for ity conditions do not reach as far landward as example, wave heights less the 16-foot ground elevation. Instead, as wave s than 3 feet. Since FEMA b reak and wave heights diminish in the land- FIGURE A flood zones may w a rd direction, the BFE is re d u c e d . experience dangerous storm- In general, to delineate specific A-zones, identify BFE = BASE FLOOD ELEVATION generated wave action and the BFE on the FIRM and locate it on the corre- surges, an accurate determi- sponding topographic contour on the project plan NFIP = NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM nation of the spatial extent (r emembering to conver t datums if necessary). To of these zones is vital to delineate V-z ones, scale the zone boundary from a understanding the level of kn o wn, fixed point, such as a benchmark or roa d risk for a particular pro p e rt y intersection (if scaling from a road on the FIRM, or activity. use the center of the road since the lines do not

ADAPTED FROM FEMA CCM, VOLUME 1, JUNE 2000, p. 3-9 26 accurately re p resent road edges), or, at the same generally do not reflect scale, overlay the FIRM onto the project plans these regulatory changes. and trace the zone boundary. When scaling, do In most cases, the only not use a shoreline location as a re f e rence point recent update involved since its position may change over time. the addition of Coastal Due to limitations associated with the scale Barrier Re s o u rce Un i t s of flood zone mapping, actual V- zone condi- in 1992. Any re v i s i o n s tions may not match the FIRM boundary for a made since the original specific site. T h e re f o re, site topography, land- maps we re created are form type, and nearby transect data from the listed under the legend local FEMA Flood Insurance Study may need p rovided with each to be considered in delineating V- zones for F I R M . planning purposes. When a detailed study of These updated NFIP site conditions is necessary, those without regulations define a V- extensive background in flood zone mapping zone or coastal high a re advised to consult with a pro f e s s i o n a l . ha z a r d area as an “ar ea of special flood hazard COASTAL SAND DUNES–A SPECIAL extending from offshore CIRCUMSTANCE to the inland limit of a FIGURE B For sites partially or completely within a coastal pr i m a r y frontal dune sand dune, the FIRM may not give the complete along an open coast and any other area subject to of the dune crest, is equal to, or less than, 540 an s w er as to the extent of the flood zone. FEMA high velocity wave action from storms or seismic sq u a r e feet.” Fig u r e B demonstrates how the 540 rec o g n i z es that their original mapping over s i m p l i - so u r ces.” Due to the dynamic nature and eros i o n sq u a r e foot area is measured . fied the flood zone/sand dune issue by not taking potential of primary frontal dunes, such as changes FEMA provides further clarification of this into account erosion and associated wave run u p in shoreline configuration from the impact of con- “5 4 0 - ru l e ” in its 1995 Guidelines and Spe c i fic a t i o n s (the rush of the breaking wave). During a coastal se c u t i v e storms, “the final rule definition of coastal for Wa ve El e vation De t e rmination and V Zo n e storm, sand dunes often erode, providing sediment high hazard area includes all primary fron t a l Map p i n g . Although a dune with a cros s - s e c t i o n a l to the coastal beach and nearshore are a s. dunes. Th e re f o r e, the boundary line of the V-zo n e , a rea greater than 540 square feet may prov i d e Depending on the original dune volume, the at a minimum becomes the landward ‘to e ’ of the some level of protection during the 100-ye a r coastal sand dune may be over topped or erod e d dune.” (Fed e r al Reg i s t e r ; May 6, 1988) ev ent, by definition the V-z one still includes the completely resulting in velocity conditions and In some cases, the V-z one may extend farth e r en t i r e primary frontal dune. Fur ther analysis is wa v e action that extend farther landward than la n d w a r d than the inland limit of the primary ne c e s s a r y to establish the landward edge of the depicted on the FIRM. In 1988, FEMA rev i s e d dune. Section 65.11 (b) of the NFIP reg u l a t i o n s V-z one if the dune will be over topped and/or if the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) indicates that “pr i m a r y frontal dunes will not be the cross-sectional area of the primary dune is less regulations, specifically Title 44, Code of Fed e r a l co n s i d e r ed as effective barriers to base flood storm than 540 square feet. When the cros s - s e c t i o n a l Regulations, Section 65.11, Evaluation of sand surges and associated wave action where the cros s - ar ea of the primary dune is less than 540 square dunes in mapping coastal flood hazard areas to sectional area of the primary frontal dune, as feet, the additional analysis invol v es assuming address this issue. However, due to budgetary me a s u r ed perpendicular to the shoreline and above the dune is re m oved by erosion during the constraints, even FIRMs dated post-1988 the 100-year stillwater flood elevation and seaward storm event, and assessing the results of wave

27 runup models to determine how far inland In addition to updating the methodology used important for FEMA’s ability to address its map- velocity conditions would extend. The FEMA to identify coastal high hazard areas, FEMA has ping limitations. To help address these mapping Guidelines provide methodology for eval u a t i n g also provided additional guidance for devel o p m e n t limitations now and to provide a valuable plan- si t e - s p e c i fi c conditions and delineating V-z ones in A-zones that may experience coastal storm ning and regulatory tool, CZM is developing a in sand dunes. flooding. A-zones in coastal settings are identified pilot project in partnership with FEMA to Why 540 square feet? FEMA’s assessment of as “Coastal A-zon e s ” in the revised CCM. determine the feasibility of updating cert a i n dune erosion is based on a statistical analysis of Although Coastal A-zones experience forces less Massachusetts FIRMs to show the minimum er osion data from actual storm events of differen t se ve r e than V-z ones, they may still be subject to extent of the V-zone (i.e., the inland extent of se v erities. FEMA graphed the cross-sectional area velocity and wave- r elated storm conditions capa- primary coastal sand dunes). Stay tuned to that was eroded from the primary dunes during ble of causing damage. Th e re f o r e, FEMA encour- Coastlines for more on this effort. various coastal storms, then determined the medi- ages the application of certain V-z one reg u l a t o r y In addition, FEMA has a number of helpful an value of erosion for the data set. For 100-yea r re q u i rements within these areas, such as the materials available on-line at www. f e m a . g ov, storms, the median area of erosion was 540 square e l e vation of new or substantially improve d i n c l u d i n g : feet. Using the median means that in 50 perce n t d wellings on open pile foundations. of the cases, less than 540 square feet is erod e d , u NFIP regulations (http://ww w. f e m a . g o v /nfi p while more than 540 square feet is eroded in the NEED MORE HELP? /la w s . h t m ) . other 50 percent of the cases. In addition, this Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Man a g e m e n t u Guidelines and Specifications for Wave analysis does not account for cumulative impacts (CZM) coastal geologists provide technical assis- Elevation Determination and V Zone Mapping fr om multiple storms and long-term erosion. Th e tance to local coastal regulators and developers to (March, 1995) (h t t p : // ww w. f e m a . g o v / recent revision of FEMA’s Coastal Constru c t i o n facilitate accurate flood zone delineations and to mi t / t s d / d l _ v z n . h t m ) . Ma n u a l (CCM) addresses these limitations by better assess potential risks and hazards for coastal u Guide to Flood Maps (http:// ww w .fema.gov recommending that a more conservat i v e primary pro p e r ties. Due to budget limitations, FEMA is not /nfi p/re a d m a p . h t m ) . fr ontal dune measure of 1,100 square feet be used cu r r ently able to update all FIRMs affected by this u Technical Bulletins (http:// ww w .fema.gov for planning purposes. issue, making detailed site-by-site analysis a necessi- /mi t /te c h b u l . h t m ) . ty . It appears, howeve r , that the importance of this issue has been rec o g n i z ed by the substantial funding in c r ease to the mapping program included in the recently proposed federal budget for fiscal yea r 2003. Passage of this budget increase is extremely

28 A C C U R AT E LY DEFINING THE EXTENT OF FLOOD ZONES OFTEN IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS READING A FEMA FLOOD ZONE MAP.

29 Invasive species: the threat is here and now...33

R o w l e y, Massachusetts: history and beauty on the north shore...48

U-boats: gone, but not forgotten...50

30 Public access...44

EBB & FLOW Energy sources...40 EVENTS & ISSUES GOING ON AROUND THE COAST

Surf’s up in New England...47 THEY’RE HERE, THEY’RE THERE, THEY’RE EVERYWHERE—THEY’RE THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE! One has been sighted on a station wagon in Norwell. Several are firmly attached to a building in downtown Boston. They’ve been reported in American Samoa, and officials from New Hampshire, Maryland, and Delaware have inquired about them. Are they some unknown marine life form? Or a rare bird? Hardly. They’re this summer’s hottest item: blue, white, and purple “coastal zone management - it’s the wave of the future” window decals and they’re available for the asking...

WANNA GET IN ON THE ACTION? Order your free “wave of the future” decals today by calling the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone M a n a g e m e n t ’s Information Line at 6 17-6 26-1212 or e-mail us at [email protected].

SHARI CURREY, CZM’S 2000-2002 NOAA COASTAL SERVICES FELLOW AT THE CHARLES RIVER ESPLANADE ON EARTH DAY, 2002.

C ATCHING THE WAVE, AMERICAN S A M O A . S T Y L E .

photo courtesy of American Samoa Coastal Management Program

32 DEFENDING MASSACHUSETTS AGAINST BIOLOGICAL INVADERS By Jay Baker, CZM

In the early 1980s, curators of tropical aquariums ac r oss the globe, including those working here in I N VADERS IN MASSACHUSETTS th r oughout Eur ope began to cultivate an alga Massachusetts. Many organisms that thrive in While Massachusetts has not yet had to deal im p o r ted from the Caribbean for use in tanks dis- artificial or stressful environments, both plants with the presence of an invader like caulerpa, a playing tropical fish. This bright green, feathery alga and animals, are in high demand for use in home number of other inva s i ve species are well estab- called caulerpa (Caulerpa taxifolia) provided a bril- aquariums, water gardens, aquaculture operations, lished, and many more are encroaching on the liant backdrop for tropical displays, resisted wilting res e a r ch facilities, or as bait for fresh or saltwater Massachusetts bord e r. In the summer of 2000, a in the arti fi cially lighted tanks, and grew vigorou s l y fishing. As a result, many of these species are trans- team of re s e a rchers from across the country, led in a wide range of temperatures. Caulerpa provi d e d po r ted for sale around the world. In fact, though it by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zo n e the perfect habitat for aquarium animals in the arti - is now illegal to possess caulerpa in the ficial aquarium environments. In 1984, a small United States, a brief search of the patch—only about one square meter—of caulerpa Internet will rev eal a number of companies was noted on a submerged flat under the windows willing to deliver the “Killer Algae” right of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco on the to your doorstep. In the summer of 2000, Mediterranean Sea, likely discharged with waste- populations of caulerpa wer e discover ed water from an aquarium display. Scientists soon in two Southern California estuaries, both noted the rem a r kable tendency of this alga to likely getting their start as a result of ag g re s s i v ely crowd out native plant and animal releases by aquarium hobbyi s t s . species. Its ability to spread by extending long The ve ry characteristics that make stems, or rhizomes, which are toxic to most plants species like caulerpa so desirable for and fish, makes it a fier ce competitor for space. Th e use in artificial environments also make alga forms large, dense mats, uninhabitable by them a great threat to the natural almost all other species. The rhizomes also cause d i versity of aquatic systems. Sp e c i e s caulerpa to be easily entangled in and transporte d transported beyond their native range with boat anchors and fishing gear, and by 1990 and introduced to natural systems often caulerpa had spread as far as 120 miles from its have no competitors, allowing them to original point of introduction. In 1997, caulerpa grow rampant and displace many or all co ver ed a total area of 17-square miles, and by the native species. As a result, these invasive spring of 2001, caulerpa, now commonly ref e r re d species are considered to be second only to Management, the Massachusetts Bays Pro g r a m , to as the “Killer Algae,” had invaded the coastlines human development in causing declines in the and MIT Sea Grant, conducted a survey of A RESEARCHER of six Mediterranean countries. total number of species in the United States and in va s i v e species along the coast of Mas s a c h u s e t t s RE M O V E S ATTA C H E D worldwide. The explosive growth of invasive and Rhode Island (see Coastlines Winter 2000- OR G A N I S M S GOOD PETS CAN BE GREAT PESTS species also causes major conflicts with human 2001). This Rapid Assessment Sur vey documented FROM A FLOAT- The adaptable and aggres s i v e characteristics of uses of aquatic resources. These species often the presence of 24 introduced species and 49 ING DOCK Caulerpa taxifolia and other invas i v e species are caus- completely clog waterways and water intakes, c ryptogenic species, or species whose origin DURING THE ing great concern not only in the Mediterranean, but making them unusable for recreational, munici- could not be determined. While many of RAPID ASSESS- also among scientists and natural res o u r ce managers pal, or industrial purposes. these species, such as the European green crab MENT SURVEY.

33 DON’T LET THE LITTLE PACKAGE FOOL YOU: THE EUROPEAN GREEN CRAB IS A HARDY INVASIVE!

(Ca rcinus maenus), and the common periwinkle many Massachusetts lakes and ponds unusable for and handling of living aquatic organisms. The fol- snail (Littorina littore a) we re likely “hitchhikers” fishing, boating and swimming. Massachusetts state lo wing are a few simple guidelines that can be fol- on international shipping vessels, several of agencies spent more than $500,000 on the control lo wed to limit the spread of these species. these invaders are thought to have been intro- of these species in 2001. duced by re c reational boaters or as escapees Proper Disposal of Home f rom aquariums, aquaculture operations, or TASK FORCE TAKES ACTION Aquarium Contents re s e a rch facilities. On the freshwater side, officials Recognizing the need to stall the introduction of Plants and animals used in both salt fr om Massachusetts Dep a r tment of Env i ro n m e n t a l ne w invas i v e species, and minimize the spread of and freshwater aquariums should Management estimate that 50 - 70 percent of the established invaders, a coalition of Mas s a c h u s e t t s n e ver be disposed of in a lake, public lakes and ponds in Massachusetts are infest- state agencies, federal officials, and area scientists st r eam, pond, estuary, or even in a ed with invas i v e plant species. Infestations by the began developing the Massachusetts Aquatic Inva s i v e municipal storm drain. Like caulerpa, likes of water chestnut (Trapa natans) and Eur a s i a n Species Management Pla n in the fall of 2001. Th e plants and animals sold for use in these aquariums watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) have ren d e re d Plan addresses invas i v e species concerns in both ar e often ver y hardy and aggres s i v e, and many marine and freshwater environ - fr eshwater invasions across the country have been ments, and includes actions such as attributed to the release of aquarium plants. Pla n t s monitoring estuaries throughout the and algae can also harbor unseen snails or other Gulf of Maine for invas i v e species, small inver tebrates, which might become estab- cr eating a database of invas i v e lished in local waters. All unwanted aquarium species occurrences throughout the plants, algae, and fish should be placed in a plastic region, and training vol u n t e e r s bag and disposed of in the trash. Many res e a rc h e r s ac r oss the state to monitor for intro- ev en recommend that aquarium plants be placed in duced plants and animals. (For more a free zer for 24 hours prior to disposal, ensuring information on this planning effort, that they are unable to rep r oduce if they do come please visit www.m a s s . g o v/czm/ into contact with a local waterwa y . A few pet stores in va s i v emanagementplan.htm.) will accept unwanted aquarium plants and animals for disposal. WH A T YOU CAN DO TO STOP THE INVAS I O N Choosing Plants and Animals Of highest priority in the Plan is the for Your Water Garden education of the general public, Outdoor water gardens are growing in popularity res e a r chers, and industry rep re s e n t a - ac r oss Massachusetts as a centerpiece of res i d e n t i a l ti v es reg a r ding their role in invas i v e landscapes. As with home aquariums, plants and species prev ention. People who live fish used in water gardens are often selected because near and utilize waterways for a var i - they grow well in stressful environments and req u i r e ety of purposes—just about ever y- minimal care. Some of the most prob lemati c one—can play a part in limiting the aquatic invas i v e species in Massachusetts, such as sp r ead of aquatic invaders. In many purple loosestrife (Lyt h r um salicaria), can still be cases, introductions can be avoi d e d pu r chased in area nurseries. Because water garde n s by exer cising minimal care in the use ar e usually outdoors and directly exposed to natural

A COMMON SALT MARSH INVADER, PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS 34 OR COMMON REED. en v i r onments, the escape of imported plants is not Thorough Cleaning of Boat Hulls, Engine Props, Massachusetts can harbor invas i v e shellfish uncommon. Seeds or other rep ro d u c t i v e compo- and Boat Tra i l e r s pathogens such as dermo (Per kinsus marinus) and nents of plants can be transported by wind or wild Rec r eational boats and their trailers are likely the QPX (quahog parasite unknown), which can linger animals such as birds and small mammals. most common means of transport for invasive in shells and other waste materials and cause signifi- Bef o r e purchasing plants or seeds for use in water species between water bodies within New cant mortality in economically important shellfish ga r dens (or any garden for that matter) find out if England and Massachusetts. Aquatic plants are stocks. The Massachusetts Division of Mar i n e the plant is native to New England or a potentially easily entangled in engine props, anchors, boat Fisheries is also concerned about the intentional or in va s i v e import. CZM is currently working on an trailers, and fishing gear. In many cases, the trans- unintentional introduction of Eur opean, Asian, Ecological Landscape Ini t i a t i v e, which will devel o p port of just a fragment of a plant to an uninfested and Pac i fi c-Coast shellfish species such as the Asian guidance for landscapers and homeowners on select- water body can allow for the generation of a clam (Corbicula flum i n e a ) and the Pac i fi c oys t e r ing native plants for use around the home, including thriving and damaging population. Likewise, boat (Crassostrea gigas). It is illegal to place any live wetland species that might be selected for water gar- hulls provide suitable habitat for a variety of inva- shellfish in Massachusetts waters without a permit dens (look for an update in an upcoming issue of sive fouling organisms such as the notorious from the Division of Marine Fisheries, and shell- Co a s t l i n e s ). In the meantime, lists of native plants European zebra mussel (Driessena polymorpha), fish waste should be disposed of in the trash. can be obtained from the Massachusetts Division of which has been sited in lakes only Fisheries and Wil d l i f e ’s Natural Heritage Program. If a few miles from the Massachusetts you are unsure of the origin of a plant, avoid buying border. it. Exp r ess your interest in purchasing native plants Boat hulls, props, boat trailers, for use around your home to your local nursery. fishing gear, and other submerged components should be thoro u g h- Proper Disposal of Unused Fishing Bait ly cleaned before leaving a boat While the sources of fish used as live bait in access. All animals and plant Massachusetts are carefully regulated, the import of material should be disposed of in in ve r tebrate species such as worms and crus t a c e a n s a trash receptacle as far from the ar e not. Worms imported from Southeast Asia, for water as possible. Likewise, water example, may comprise a portion of the marine live f rom bait buckets, motors, and bait industry in New England. Sur p r i s i n g l y , many other equipment should always be species used for bait are hardy enough to be sold live drained far from a water body. in coin operated vending machines! Of additional Animals, plant material, or water concern is the material in which the intended bait should never be released upon species are shipped. Often made up of seaweed or arriving at a new lake, pond, estu- plant matter, the packaging itself may become a a ry, or any other water body. pr oblematic invad e r , or harbor additional species not intended for use as bait. Proper Disposal of Shellfish or While it may seem the humane thing to do, Shellfish Waste unused bait or bait packing materials should never As with home aquarium contents, be released into the water. Unused bait should be li v e shellfish or shellfish rem n a n t s placed in a plastic bag or container and disposed of should be kept clear of natural in the trash. aquatic systems. Even shellfish harvested in THE WATER CHESTNUT (T R A PA NATA N S) WAS INTENTIONALLY INTRODUCED TO THE U.S. AS A FOOD SOURCE. TODAY, DUE TO DRAMATIC PR O L I F E R A TIONS, IT 35 CLOGS LAKES, PONDS, AND RIVERS. THE THREAT IS HERE AND NOW that make recreational use of the infested pond eradication of this invader will likely req u i r e the Just this past fall, Massachusetts res e a r chers made a impossible, and often impeding water movement in v estment of significant res o u r ces, and make the di s c o ver y that underscores the need for a grea t e r to the point that it can cause flooding in infested pond all but unusable over the next several yea r s . aw a r eness of the invas i v e species issue in the state. areas. A common aquarium and water garden De p a rtment of En v i ronmental Management Scientists from the Uni v ersity of Connecticut and plant, hydrilla was first released in Florida, and officials are also concerned that hydrilla may have the Massachusetts Dep a r tment of Env i ro n m e n t a l now infests 43 percent of the public lakes and al r eady been spread to other ponds in the area. Management found a potentially devastating invad - ponds in that state. With the recent addition of A greater awareness of the invas i v e species issue er called hydrilla (Hydrilla vert i c i l l a t a ) in Long Pon d Massachusetts, hydrilla has now spread to 18 would likely result in a significant decrease in the on Cape Cod. Dubbed, the “Per fect Wee d ,” states across the country. number of aquatic invas i v e species introductions in hy drilla is one of the most aggres s i v e invas i v e plants While no one is absolutely certain how hydr i l l a Massachusetts and across the globe. By exerc i s i n g no w present in the United States. Hydrilla is native made it to Long Pond, the discover ers of the Perf e c t a few cautions, such as those listed above , to Asia where it coexists with other submerged Weed suspect that it escaped from a water garde n Massachusetts could be spared the negative plants and provides habitat for many aquatic organ- on the grounds of an area home. Though a less like- impacts of many encroaching invaders. For isms. In the United States, howeve r , it quickly ly scenario, the hydrilla may also have been intro- more information on the invasive species issue, cr owds out all other species, growing in thick mats duced by a boater who had recently visited an and how to stop aquatic invasions, please visit infested lake or pond in the following web sites: another state. Since its u ww w .anstaskforce.gov di s c o ver y, all boat ramps u ht t p : // na s . e r .usgs.gov accessing the pond have u ww w. c c e . c o rn e l l . e d u /pr o g r a m s / been closed to prev ent the na n s c /na n _ l d . c f m sp r ead of this species to other water bodies in the ar ea, and Barnstable Town Officials are considering a herbicide application pr ogram estimated to cost as much as $60,000 in the first year, and almost ce r tainly requiring follow- up applications in the fo l l o wing yea r s . Cl e a r l y , the introd u c - tion of hydrilla and the THOUGH SMALL IN SIZE, CONTROL OF resulting impairment of THE EUROPEAN ZEBRA MUSSEL SHOWN Long Pond was not an HERE COSTS THE U.S. HUNDREDS OF intentional act. Reg a rd l e s s , MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY.

HYDRILLA OVERTAKES A FLORIDA LAKE.

36 WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF, from your office cubicle, YOU HAD A WINDOW TO THE wider WORLD, a way to look out onto a beautiful beach or striking shoreline? Well, with the World Wide Web and the advent of the Web cam era, you do. With an estimated half million sold in the year 2000 alone, these ubiquitous video cameras hooked up to PCs are everywhere, broadcasting their instantaneous images all over the world. With this many electronic eyes out there, it’s no surprise that some Web cams are focused on the Commonwealth’s coast. Here’s a sampling:

u One of the most famous of Web cams can be u The long lines of traffic down to Cape Cod found at the New England Aquarium. The during a summer weekend are notorious. Each WEB CAM IMAGE FROM THE giant ocean tank video camera is in the year, the Sagamore and Bourne bridges BEACHCOMBER RESTAURANT 200,000-gallon center tank, which mimics the IN WELLFLEET. TO SEE A underwater ecology of a coral reef. At any handle an estimated 35 million vehicles cross- CURRENT VIEW, GO TO given moment, you may see sharks, turtles, or ing to and from the Cape. To brace yourself w w w. t h e b e a c h c o m b e r. c o m/b e a c h/. rays gliding past—and those are just three of for the trip, take a real-time look at the traffic the over 50 varieties of fish and reptiles that via the bridge cams that are provided by you might spot! Cape Cod Online.

u The folks at the Beachcomber, a restaurant and bar in the town of Wellfleet on Cape Cod, have a Web cam facing east from their 3r d floor. This is the only Web cam on Cape Cod that faces the Atlantic Ocean and is a must- watch when there’s a storm!

u A rather unique Web cam can be found at the Fish Pier in Chatham. The panoramic camera provided by TeleCam Systems allows a “sweeping panorama from Aunt Lydia’s Cove on Pleasant Bay, across Tern Island, along Nauset Beach to the ‘Break’ at the entrance to Chatham Harbor.” It’s a great way to get a taste of a Cape Cod fishing harbor without actually being there.

Plenty of other Web cams are listed on the CZM site at ww.m a s s . g o v /cz m /we b c a m s . h t m. Take a moment to visit the coast from your computer. If we are missing a Web cam or if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for the CZM Web site, please e-mail br i a n . m a r d i r o s i a n @ s t a t e . m a . u s .

37 WH A T LIES

BBy Paul Somerville,E CZM N E AT H . . . SOMETIMES TH E R E If there’s one thing most people agree on, it’s that But for some folks, many of these picture - only to rev eal it later on. ARE SIGNS TO LET the coastal areas of the Commonwealth have po s t - c a rd - p e r fect views contain numerous flaw s — The photos included here wer e taken at var i o u s YOU KNOW OF m o re than their share of ve ry special, incre d i b l y and some of us are paid to find them. I’m talking places along the coast of Massachusetts. I am PO TENTIAL CON T A- MI NA N T S IN THE beautiful vistas. Think about the Great Marsh on about local, state, and federal employees whose job going to show you what lies beneath the pre t t y WATER. the No rth Sh o re, Du x b u ry Bay on the So u t h it is to look for potential sources of pollution that picture as filtered through my alert-to-potential- Sh o re, boat-filled Mattapoisett Ha r b o r, and the alter natural ecosystems, causing coastal ponds and environmental-issues eyes. This is an exe rcise in marshes of the We s t p o rt River on the way to embayments to age at unnaturally accelerated rates, contamination-source assessment and investiga- Horseneck Beach, both on the Bu z z a rd’s Ba y or that cause beaches to be closed to swimming and tion and is not meant to indicate that any person, s h o reline. Then there’s the Cape and Is l a n d s , pro d u c t i v e shellfish areas to be closed to shellfish thing, or property in these pictures has been, is, affectionately called “Go d’s Country” by Tru m a n ha r vesting. Let’s not forget the many employees and or may be an actual source of fecal coliform Henson, Cape and Islands Regional Coord i n a t o r volunteers from non-profi t groups, as well as inde- bacteria contamination. for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zo n e pendent, unpaid volunteers that work out of their Oh, and when you look at such scenes in the Management (CZM). Places like Ha t c h’s Ha r b o r concerns for the environment. These folks all learn fu t u r e, you may develop a heightened awareness of in Provi n c e t o wn, Nauset Marsh from For t Hill in to look past the striking beauty and see the whole what could be lurking in the background, but don’t Eastham, Ba r n s t a b l e’s Sandy Neck, Na n t u c k e t’s ar ea from an environmental perspective, knowi n g ev er look so hard for the faults that you lose you r Madaket Harbor and the Vi n e y a rd’s Me n e m s h a that sometimes the ver y thing that makes a place ap p r eciation for the beauty that’s there. Trust me. Harbor or Gay Head. They are all beautiful for so pretty might also be a potential problem. And Even the most hardc o r e pollution seeker can be one reason or another. sometimes nature hides the problem or disguises it, stopped dead in their tracks by a colorful sunset.

38 A CLOSER LOOK...behind the pretty pictures Comments by Paul Somerville, CZM

“The main thing I notice here is the houseboats. Are they weekend cottages? How are their holding tanks emptied? Does the owner take them to a pumpout facility? Also, I see the barrier beach and wonder if there are houses near the beach, just out of sight, and, if so, how old are their sept i c systems? Are they cesspools or Title 5 systems?”

“A storm drain coming out of a seawall; what particular- ly catches my eye is the amount of erosion at the base of the se a wall, indicating that the r e’s A LOT of wat er shooti n g out of that pipe. This leads me to wonder how much impervious su r face the r e is. I also happen to know that a lo t of the soils are heavy clay, which doesn’t lend itself to na t u r al filt ra t i o n . ”

“What you DON’T see in this photo that would be revealed in wat er quality invest i g ations is the sewag e tr eatment plant just around the corne r . Also, uprive r , ju s t out of site, is the center of a small town with lots of stor m drains and impervious surfaces. A lot of the ar ea is built on roc k, which means that pollutan t s do n ’t have the benefit of sand or soil filt r ation befor e the y hit the wate r .”

“We have houses fairly close to the bank, which means that faulty septic s ystems could be a real problem. And the geese! A d e fi n i te b a c te ri a source. Birds like to eat and then make room for more. And with boats I h ave to wo n d e r, do th ey have enclosed heads? Also, all of the gre e n algae in the intertidal area indicates loads of nitrogen-rich groundwater.”

39 EN E R G Y : A MAJOR COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ISSUE By Jane Mead, CZM When you flip on the light or turn up the thermostat, About 15 percent of the state’s power is generated and they maintain the transmission systems. Prices do you wonder where the energy comes from? Wit h fr om coal and nuclear energy, with two large coal-fired that the electric suppliers can charge are unregulated, most of our energy sources in Massachusetts coming po wer plants and one nuclear plant in Mas s a c h u s e t t s . but retail prices to businesses and homeowners are fr om out of state, it’s an easy question to avoid. Each It is not expected that any new coal or nuclear generat- regulated, though the price of electricity can be yea r , Bay State residents and businesses consume more ing facilities will be built in the foreseeable future. raised or lowered in response to market conditions. than one and a half quadrillion Btus of energy. Bec a u s e Right now, renewable energy is a fairly small part Other features of the statute require that renewable so much of the state’s raw energy is brought in by ship, of the Massachusetts fuel mix. Hydropower is the energy be included in the mix of power sources used many storage and generating facilities have been locat- major source of homegrown electricity, but is by the retail power suppliers. ed on the Commonwea l t h ’s coast, which is just one gradually being phased out because of the damage This stru c t u re has led to enormous interest in reason energy is a major coastal management issue. that dams cause to spawning fish. Small pro j e c t s d e veloping additional generating capacity, as well as re n ewable sources of energy in Ma s s a c h u s e t t s . About 50 PERCENT OF THE ENERGY CONSUMED IN MASSACHUSETTS IS In the past year, about 1,000 MW of new capacity we re brought on line, another 6,500 MW have DEVELOPED FROM PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, pumped FROM WELLS IN VENEZUELA been permitted, and 3,500 MW are under con- AND THE MIDDLE EAST and delivered to regional tank farms by ship and barge... struction and will be on line within the next 2-3 years. To fuel these plants, a high-pre s s u re gas to capture wind and solar power have also been pipeline to bring natural gas from Sable Is l a n d , THE SOURCES: CURRENT AND PROJECTED installed in the state, and wind power projects are Nova Scotia, is under rev i e w. A proposal to develop About 50 percent of the energy consumed in expected to be proposed in increasing numbers. a 420 MW wind farm in Nantucket Sound is also Massachusetts is developed from petrol e u m cu r r ently under consideration. pr oducts, pumped from wells in Ven e zuela and ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND DEREGULATI O N the Middle East and deliver ed to regional tank Massachusetts is part of ISO New England (ISO-NE), RE V I E W : POWER PLANTS AFFECTING THE farms by ship and barge. At the moment, New an Independent System Operator for an integrated six CO A S T AL ZONE England is more heavily dependent on fuel oil state power region. ISO-NE manages bulk power and The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zo n e for heat than other parts of the country, though transmission systems within these states. Management (CZM) has had significant invol ve m e n t this is changing as new sources of natural gas New England power plants can generate about in the rev i e w of all new and expanded energy facilities become avai l a b l e . 25,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity per day. Th e in the coastal zone. Under our federal consistency Natural gas, currently the source of 30 percent region can also import up to 4,200 MW from New au t h o r i t y , any project that affects the land or water of our energy, is mostly piped from the Gulf of Yor k, Quebec, and New Brunswick. The transmission res o u r ces or uses of the Massachusetts coastal zon e BARGE LAYING Mexico, western Canada, and the Scotian Shelf off t h e system, or power grid, consists of about 7,000 miles of must be consistent with state coastal policies. Power A NATURAL Canadian Maritime Provinces. About 15 perc e n t high-capacity electric lines. plants have the potential to affect many coastal GAS PIPELINE of the natural gas used in Massachusetts is import- In 1998, Massachusetts passed an electrical energy re s o u rces and CZM re v i ew helps to minimize ed as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), primarily de r egulation statute, which has had a significant impact those impacts. f rom Trinidad. The huge re s e rves that have been on the power generation market in Massachusetts and In 1998, four existing coastal generating plants that found off the Canadian Maritimes, and the the New England region. Existing electric utility ar e within CZM’s jurisdiction wer e purchased from demands of new electrical generating facilities companies were strongly encouraged to divest them- local utilities by large generating companies. Sit h e for clean fuel, howe ve r, are expected to incre a s e selves of all generating facilities. Generators were ac q u i r ed Boston Edison facilities in South Boston on natural gas use in the region. By 2005, it is antici- expected to compete for sales to local distribution the Res e r ved Channel, in Ever ett on the Mystic River , pated that natural gas will be used to generate 45 companies on price. Under deregulation, existing and in Weymouth on the For e River . No changes wer e p e rcent of the re g i o n’s electricity. retail utility companies transmit power to retail users pr oposed to the South Boston plant, but Sithe wanted 40 to double the capacity of the Mystic and Fore River Maritimes and Nort h e a s t ’s system at Bev erly and would be Sev eral other projects are expected to be proposed in plants and conver t them from oil to gas fired turbines. buried under the sea floor through Bev erly Har b o r , Sal e m the near future including an offshore gas pipeline from At the Mystic plant, CZM worked with the owners Sound, Massachusetts Bay , Boston Har b o r , and the mouth Sable Island passing along the continental shelf off to identify marine docking facilities, allowing the of the Weymouth For e River , delivering gas to the Sit h e Massachusetts to the New York / N ew Jersey area, and a construction materials to be barged to the site rather For e River plant mentioned above. CZM has been parti c u - wind and wave energy project on Nantucket shoals. than trucked through the streets of Eve rett. At the larly concerned about the potential impact of this proj e c t Fore River, CZM and other agencies objected to the on deep-sea shipping, as the proposed route crosses sever a l FUTURE CONSIDERAT I O N S ow n e r’s plan to use large amounts of river water to shipping channels and anchorages. Algonquin has A major constraint on the New England energy cool the plant and instead successfully advocated for re -designed the project to bury the pipeline by at least 10 ma r ket is the condition of the surrounding infrastruc t u re . the use of an air-cooling system. feet in areas where ships might anchor or where shipping ISO-NE has identified a shortage of transmission c a p a c i- Another existing power plant at Kendall Sq u a re on channels may be dredged below current depths. Another t y, and has begun a project to improve high vo l t a g e the Charles River in Cambridge was purchased by consideration has been the impact of the extensive anchor- transmission lines, both to bring power in fro m Southern Energy (now Murant). Again, plant cooling ing system used to steady the barges that lay the pipeline s o u rces outside the region and to improve transmis- was a major issue. The applicant proposed an innova- in the water–these anchors affect significantly more of the sion within the re g i o n . t i ve cooling design using a diffuser to spread heated ocean bottom than the pipeline itself. Algonquin has Though new natural gas pipelines will become water throughout the Charles River Basin, howe ve r agreed to use a system of buoys on the anchor lines, a vailable, distillate fuels, such as gasoline, jet fuel, many re s o u rce agencies are concerned that the heated which will minimize damage to the ocean bottom. and home heating oil, will continue to be transport e d water will have adverse effects on fish. These agencies, by ships and barges. A ve ry significant percentage with CZM, are working with the applicant to modify RE V I E W : WIND POWER of the storage capacity for these fuels is bridge-bound, the design to avoid fishery impacts. Because of improving technology and the req u i re m e n t meaning that the storage tanks are upstream of often that Massachusetts retail electric companies use aging bridges. Two bridge repair projects in the RE V I E W : NATURAL GAS PIPELINES re n ewable sources of energy, there is considerable Boston area alone have upset regional fuel delive ry The new power plants proposed in Massachusetts are pri- i n t e rest in wind powe r. Cape Wind Associates has schedules over the past the past three years, and marily natural gas fired, as this fuel burns more efficiently pr oposed a 170-machine wind farm that would generate the projects are not finished yet. It is important that than oil and has fewer adverse impacts on air quality. To up to 420 MW of power on Horseshoe Shoals in the state develop an overall plan for repair and pr ovide fuel to these power plants, new high-pres s u r e gas Nantucket Sound. This project would be the first replacement of bridges that takes maritime needs pipelines are being proposed to bring gas from the fiel d s in the world of this size in the open ocean. The into account. off the Canadian Maritimes to the New England reg i o n . p roponents plan to provide power to the New CZM will continue to work with the energy Algonquin Gas Transmission Company has proposed the England power grid, offering a source of renewable suppliers and generators to ensure that alterations HubLine, a 29.4-mile long, 30-inch high-pres s u r e gas energy to the region. This project, while outside of and additions to our badly needed energy system transmission line to be located in western Mas s a c h u s e t t s state waters, will be re v i ewed by CZM, as it will a re built in a manner that is consistent with Bay . The proposed pipeline would interconnect with affect the Massachusetts coastal zone. Massachusetts coastal policies.

DID YOU KNOW? Current sources of energy for electric power generation in New England are as follows:

NUCLEAR 24% COAL 13% OIL 20% HYDROELECTRIC 6% NATURAL GAS 16% SOLAR/WIND 5%

(The remaining 16% is made up of energy purchased from other states.) HYDROPOWER DAM PETROLEUM TANKER N ATURAL GAS-FIRED ELECTRICAL GENERATION 41 FACILITY IN EVERETT HULL MUNICIPAL LIGHT COMPAN Y ‘ S WIND TURBINE ON REFLECTIONS: IN HULL, THE POINT ALLERTO N . ENERGY FUTURE IS HERE By Jane Mead, CZM

On a sunny February afternoon, the occupants of the dozen or so cars parked next to Hull Gut were not as interested in ocean views as they were in this new-fangled machine on the grounds of the high school. Standing 240 feet tall at the tip of its 90-foot blades, the Hull Municipal Light Company’s new 660 kW wind turbine is an object of great interest and, from what I could over- he a r , of admiration. The three-bladed Vestas turbine sitting on top of its 150-foot mono-pile structure was described by on-lookers as “majestic”and “a piece of sculpture.” Average area wind speeds of 13 mph provide enough ener- gy to power all of Hull’s street and traffic lights at an annual savings of $50,000, and there is electricity left over to con- tribute to the power grid. The wind turbine replaces a 40 kW turbine that operated on the site for 10 years, before it was damaged in a storm in 1995 and taken out of service. T h e new machine incorporates design features that make it s t r o n g e r. Birds can’t roost on the mono-pile structure and the slowly rotating Average area wind speeds of 13 mph provide blades are easy enough energy for birds to see and avoid. There to power all of Hull’s street and traffic lights is a slight down- wind sound from at an ANNUAL SAVINGS OF $50,000... the turning blades. I’m not sure if the residents on the other side of the school can hear it, though the faint rhythmic whooshing might be very soothing. And, of course, there is no air, water, or soil pollution to clean up. 42 ALL ABOARD FOR POOCUOHHUNKKUNNAH! By Arden Miller, CZM At the turn of the century, most of coastal Cape Cod (so christened due to the bounty of cod TO PLAN A TRIP... America was served exc l u s i vely by hundreds of fish in the surrounding waters)—geographically, small excursion vessels, steam ships, and ferry Cuttyhunk is 14 miles off the coast of New FERRY SCHEDULES: boats. To d a y, while planes, trains, and cars have , Be d f o rd and has the distinction of being the www.cuttyhunk.com/schedule.htm in many cases, replaced the n e e d for water trans- s o u t h western most of the 13 Elizabeth Islands. (508) 992-1432 p o rtation, ferries remain a viable Just over two miles long and mode of transportation for less than a mile wide, the entire 500-plus acre FOR INFORMATION ON MASSACHUSETTS both vacationers and island has a winter population of less than 100 AUDUBON SOCIETY BIRD WALKS: commuters. Un l i k e and only slightly more during the summer. (508) 362-1426 their 19t h c e n t u ry fore- Tr a n s p o rtation on the island consists mainly of fathers, today’s boats golf carts (although there is no actual course to CUTTYHUNK FISHING CLUB: often have amenities play on) and there are few street or trail signs to (508) 992-5585 like snack bars, flu s h- guide you. But, not to worry: where ver you go, ing toilets, and fle x i- you can retain your sense of direction as you can CUTTYHUNK LOBSTER: ble schedules, and see the sea. And there are other things to see as (508) 999-1263 many fleets include well; the island is an Audubon Bi rd and Wil d l i f e high-speed boats that cut San c t u a r y (tours for bird enthusiasts are available GENERAL INFORMATION: t r a vel time in half. In on Sundays from July through Oct o b e r ) . Do n’t www.cuttyhunk.com/history.htm Massachusetts, popular destina- like avifauna? There’s the Cuttyhunk Historical tions such as Nantucket and Ma rt h a’s Vi n e y a rd Museum, the Gosnold Monument, and the ww w. i m p u l z . n e t /bu z z a r d s b a y /ha r b o r s /cu t t y. h t m a re only accessible via water or air—if anyone eve r Cuttyhunk Historical Society has exhibits d i rects you to a mainland bridge, they’re spinning c h ronicling the island’s history. a tall tale. Add Cuttyhunk Island to the list of For fresh sea food enthusiasts, the Cu t t y h u n k such destinations; with ferry service departing re g- Fishing Club serves breakfast 7-11 a.m. daily ularly from New Be d f o rd, it’s easier than ever to m i d - May through Labor Da y. And between Ma y e x p l o re this small maritime village. 15 and October 15, a call ahead to Cu t t y h u n k Originally called Poocuohhunkkunnah by the Lobster will net you live lobsters cooked to na t i v e Wampanoag tribe, Cuttyhunk Island is often o rd e r, served on the fish dock. Go s n o l d , ref e r r ed to by the name of its town center, Gos n o l d . Cuttyhunk, or Po o c u o h h u n k k u n n a h — c a l l Dis c o ver ed by Bart h o l o m e w Gosnold in it what you will. Just don’t call too 16 0 2 — w h o, incidentally, also named late for dinner. . .

CUTTYHUNK ISLAND, MASSACHUSETTS

43 PUBLIC ACCESS RIGHTS ALONG THE COMMONWEALTH COAST By Anne Donovan, CZM

As summer begins, a frequent question is, “Wh a t holds that certain pro p e rty rights in tidelands has not been tested in the court s . ar e my legal rights along the more than 1,500 miles (i.e., all lands presently or formerly subject to To add to the complexity, pro p e rty ow n e r s of Commonwealth coastline?” For the privately tidal action) are held by the state for the com- were granted ownership of the tideflats for only owned shoreline, the answer is somewhat co m p l i - mon good of its people. In most of the U.S., 100 rods (in modern terms, 1,650 feet) fro m cated, but we’ll do our best to explain. this doctrine has been used to keep the tideflats high water. So on intertidal areas wider than L e t’s start with the most straightforw a rd in public ow n e r s h i p. In these states, once yo u 1,650 feet, the public can use the seaward-most things first. For natural shorelines (i.e., those get to the shore, you can walk freely over this reaches for any lawful purpose. Also, on tide- n e ver modified by filling), the area beyond the periodically wet strip of coastline. lands that have been filled for development and typical reach of the high tide (technically In Massachusetts (except for a large section a re now dry land, a host of public pro p e rt y k n own as “mean high tide”) is generally priva t e of Prov i n c e t own), our Colonial forefathers in rights are protected by Chapter 91 of the p ro p e rt y. The owner can exclude the public the 1640s granted ownership of the tideflats to Massachusetts General Laws (but that is another completely from this area, unless an easement s h o re f ront pro p e rty owners to stimulate coastal st o r y altogether). or other legal right-of-way allows public access economic development through the building of Still confused? The AG ’s Office has a gre a t a c ross the pro p e rt y. Equally straightforw a rd w h a rves and docks. Public rights to use this por- pamphlet, Public Rights/Pr i vate Pro p e rt y : is the submerged land beyond mean low tion of the tidelands, howe ve r, we re specifically Ans w ers to Frequently Asked Questions on Bea c h water, which is almost always owned by the re s e rved for three purposes: fishing, fowling, and Ac c e s s, available at http:/ /w w w. a g o. s t a t e . m a . C o m m o n wealth and generally open to all. navigation. So, once you make your way to the u s/p u b s/beachacc.pdf (PDF version) and The tricky part is the so-called “tideflats,” Massachusetts shore through some kind of pub- ht t p : // ww w. a g o. s t a t e . m a . u s /pu b s /be a c h a c c . h t m or the area between mean high tide and mean lic accessway, you are free to move about below (HTML version). The CZM Web site also l ow tide. This intertidal area is governed by the high water mark to catch fish and harve s t has a piece called Public Rights Along the the Public Trust Doctrine, which was born in shellfish, hunt birds, and maneuver a vessel, as Sh o reline at http:/ /w ww. m a s s . g ov/c z m/ ancient Rome, later made its way to En g l i s h long as you obey local and state regulations, of s h o relinepublicaccess.htm. If you don’t common law, and was adopted by the Colonies course. In addition, the Massachusetts At t o r n e y ha v e Web access, call the CZM Information and then by all coastal states upon formation of Ge n e r a l’s Office broadly defines “f ow l i n g” to Line at (617) 626-1212 and we can send the Union. Basically, the Public Trust Doctrine include birdwatching, although this definition you copies.

44 POINTS OF ACCESS...

For more information on Ma s s a c h u s e t t s BEACHES WITH PUBLIC ACCESS, check out these web sites: www.state.ma.us/film/feefree/beaches.htm www.boston.com/sports/swimming www.msba.net (click on “Access Points” on the navigation bar) www.tbha.org

45 SURFING AT GLOUCESTER’S GOOD HARBOR BEACH

Good Harbor Beach on Cape Ann is an east-facing sandy barrier beach about one-half mile long. This public beach is a popular local and regional recreational destination in summer and winter. While the ocean temperature remains chilly during the summer (mid-60 degrees), the width and gentle slope of the beach and the relatively shallow nearshore area make this a nearly perfect beach for all activities. The southern end of the beach ends at a rocky headland, where east and southeast swells wrap around the point and produce good surfing waves. Under just the right conditions, waves breaking to the left inside Bass Rocks can be ridden 50 yards up the creek. In the summer, when lifeguards patrol the beach, surfing is permitted only before 9:00 am and after 5:00 pm. Water quality is generally good, except after heavy rains when an outgoing tide drains the marsh. The summer parking fee (Memorial Day to two weeks after Labor Day) for non-residents is $15.00 on weekdays and $20.00 on weekends and holidays.

46 SURF’S UP IN NEW ENGLAND By Deerin Babb-Brott, CZM Mention “surfing” to most people and East coast surfers are preoccupied WHERE DO THEY they think of California sunshine, crys- with weather and storms, and for a per- tal blue water, and gentle breezes. That fectly logical reason: weather typically GET THESE picture is about as far from reality as moves west to east. Unlike the West NAMES? you can get when you’re talking about Coast, where every meteorological hic- surfing in New England. cup across the vastness of the Pacific is Although most surfing Here, a great surfing day often east-bound and eventually causes a locations are christened means that a low-pressure system track- wave to bump up against a west-facing with nothing more original ing just offshore is bringing heavy snow beach, East Coast surfers are largely than the name of the beach, and 8-12 foot waves whipped up out of dependent on waves traveling in the a few receive unusual (if not 40-degree water by 35 mph winds. opposite direction of the weather–a v e ry poetic) monikers. For Heavy weather means good surfing, and frustrating state of affairs. And since the example, “Stinkys” got its the 50 or so surf spots along the only systems that can do this reliably name from the decaying Massachusetts coast (with names like are coastal lows (including full blown Long’s, Stinky’s, and Shopping Carts) Northeasters) and tropical storms, algae at this location, which don’t “go off” until a storm somewhere surfers closely follow every weather is especially aromatic in off the coast builds up the waves. pattern that even hints of generating the hot summer sun, while good waves. “Shopping carts” was labeled Chest-head+ Points are bigger than the for the abandoned shopping beaches. Light SSE wind started puffing Out to sea, our low is fizzling out, but it’s c a rt, half buried in mud, around noon giving some of the spots a already made its waves and the buoys visible at low tide. ripple on the face, clouds rolled in at from here all the way to the Hotel buoy the same time. Air temp 50 water 38, of f Jersey are all smelling long period high tide 5 PM. st u f f, some of it with respectable size. February 20, Looks like the real deal is tomorrow. http://www.noreaster.surfshop.com/ February 20, http://www.surfinfo.com/ html/reports.html

Just when we were I know! What’s next? starting to understand Benthic mapping? English, they start up with this SurfSpeak...

47 ROWLEY IS ONE OF THE TOWNS IN ESSEX COUNTY KNOW FOR HAVING MANY ANTIQUE STORES. ROWLEY: HISTORIC HIDEAWAY ON THE NORTH SHORE By Arden Miller, CZM

Led by Reverend Ezikiel until its official incorporation on Sep t e m b e r 5,000 people. As part of Essex County—an Rogers from St. Peter’s 4, 1639 when, in the language of the a rea given the lofty moniker “The Mo s t Church of Rowley, d a y, it was declared that “Mr. Ez i k i e l Historic County of America” 1 — Rowley TOWN HALL, ROWLEY. Yorkshire, England in Roger’s Plantation Shalbee Called Rowley, is the northeastern-most town in the fall of 1638, 20 Ma s s a c h u s e t t s . ” Massachusetts. Its 19 square miles are adventurous British As one of the five communities within the home to a number of historic sights families boarded the Par ker River/Essex Bay Area of Cri t i c a l including Jewel Mill. Originally called sailing vessel John of Env i r onmental Concern (ACEC), Rowley is Pearson Mill, it has the distinction of London for what were kn o wn locally as part of the “Great Mar s h , ” being the oldest continuously operating then known as “the so named as the ACEC boasts 12,800 salt water mill in the United States and, due colonies.” (A side note marsh acres—the largest contiguous area of to its original purpose of combing and of interest—perhaps marsh north of Long Island, New York. spinning wool, Rowley is known as the only of interest to those Originally, the hay from the Rowley por- b i rthplace of the American wool industry. interested in the history tions of the salt marsh was used by settlers Also, the Old Stone Arch Bridge, ere c t e d of print and typogra- for thatching roofs and in 1643, still stands. phy—this ship was also cattle feed. While the Other vestiges of transporting the first market for hay-thatched Row l e y’s venerable printing press to be used in the United roofs isn’t what it once past include “Ol d States.) A few weeks later, the printing was, the hay continues Nan c y ,” a cannon used p re s s , and the families, safely landed on the to serve Rowley we l l during the American sh o r es of what is now Salem, Mas s a c h u s e t t s . by providing flood Rev olution, a Civil War The printing press was moved to c o n t rol and serving as Monument, an original Cambridge and published many early a natural filter for con- cobbler’s shop from w o rks—including those of Be n j a m i n taminants from upland 1830, and the Rowley Franklin—that would be coveted by today’s discharge and urban Burial Ground where bibliophiles and fans of Antiques Road Sho w. ru n o f f, and the marsh- Reverend Rogers, and The families settled closer to their landing es, beautiful thro u g h- the original members spot, in an area 32 miles from Boston, out the ye a r, can be of his “plantation” are between the Atlantic Ocean and the accessed for boating. laid to rest.

Merrimack River . People took to calling this In 2002, Rowley is 1Sta n d a r d His t o r y of Essex County, to wnship “Mr. Ezikiel Rog e r ’s Pla n t a t i o n , ” home to more than Massachusetts, Jewett & Co., 1878

THE ROWLEY BURIAL THREE GENERATIONS OF GROUND IS THE FINAL ROWLEY CLAMMERS. RESTING PLACE FOR 48 MANY HISTORIC FIGURES. photo (left) courtesy of James Gundstrom - all others: Arden Miller PERLEY’S MARINA—ONE OF MANY SCENIC SCENES IN ROWLEY.

Bo rd e r ed by Boxf o r d and Geo r g e t o wn on wr ote of Rowl e y : the west, Newb u r y on the north, Ipswich on “It is one of the pleasantest towns in Essex the south, and the Plum Island River on the County... In the summer season, it is hardly east, Rowley is less than 10 miles from the possible to go over the green hillocks...or by New Ham p s h i r e borde r . For the antique the sparkling brooks fringed with luxuriant lo vers, Sundays in the summertime mean the gr ass and flowers...without wishing that one outdoor antique flea market at Tod d ’s Far m had been born in Rowley... To be born in Antiques is open for business and bargains such a place...and to sleep at last in the same (the devotees claim it’s best to get there dust with the good old fathers of olden times, ar ound 6 a.m. for the ver y best bargains!). were enough to fill the cup of mortal An anonymous writer of the times when happiness full.” people used phrases like “gr een hillocks” Indeed...

49 U- B O A TS: NAVAL FOLKLORE 700 FEET UNDER THE SEA By Dave Trubey, Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archeological Resources

EX-GERMAN Whether fostered by fanciful images of adven - which wer e at times also used for storing frei g h t . sailing to Japan under the command of Kptlt. SUBMARINE U-234 tu r e, fear, nationalism, or curiosity, the Ger m a n Add i t i o n a l l y , XB U-boats wer e equipped with up Joh a n n - H einrich Feh l e r . Despite the ves s e l ’s size IS TORPEDOED BY U-boat, that elusive hunter from a far-off land, to 15 torpedoes, but unlike a number of other and firep o wer , it was unsuccessful in the destruc - US SS GREENFISH has become an established part of American naval U-boat classes, these subs had only two torpedo tion of Allied shipping. ON NOVEMBER 20, 1947, 40 fo l k l o r e. Par ticularly along the New Eng l a n d tubes, both located on the stern. The XBs meas- Upon reception of cease-fire instruc t i o n s MILES NORTHEAST coast, in many a seaport town, an old salt can be ur ed 295 feet in length, 30 feet in breadth, and fr om headquarters on May 4, 1945, U-234 was OF CAPE COD. found with a tale to tell of the night he or some- 15 feet in draft, making them the largest Ger m a n en route to Japan carrying technical drawings, one he knows came face to face with a U-boat, U-boats ever built. The XBs could travel at a top two crated Me-262 fighter jets, 550 kilograms of uranium, and several senior-ranking Ger m a n They saw them on the horizon: the two hard shapes topping the sea level stood out officers. Due to the cease-fire, Commander like squat battlements: they could only be U-boats—the hated and longed-for targets Fehler aborted his mission and set a course for the United States to surrender the vessel, but that were now part of the rubbish of defeat. – Nicholas Monsarrat, The Cruel Sea 1951 not before two Japanese officers, passengers on U-234, took their own lives. Historian Sam u e l me r e miles from our shores. Although it is speed of 17 knots on the surface, seven knots Eliot Morison contends that much to the skip- often difficult to separate fact from fict i o n , submerged, and had a maximum oil capacity of pe r ’s repulsion, the officers “dosed themselves one thing is certain: Americans are fascinat- 368 tons. Designed for a crew of 48-60 sub- with liminal instead of performing the tradi- ed by U-boats, particularly those that lie at mariners, the XBs wer e able to reach depths of tional seppuku, and died slowly and ignobly,” the bottom of the sea. mo r e than 700 feet. As with most vessels, size while other sources attribute the deaths to an While tedious res e a r ch and advances in comes with some significant drawbacks. Wh a t over dose of sleeping pills. technology may some day uncover the XB class U-boats gained in size, they lost in Fol l o wing the broadcasting of its position, mo r e, five U-boats rep r esenting three diving speed; a compromise that ultimately U-234 was boarded by a U.S. Navy crew to classes are known to have gone to the resulted in the loss of six of the eight XB class pre v ent the anticipated destruction of the craft by bottom in the deep waters off the U-boats constructed. the Germans and brought under escort to the coast of Massachusetts. Although none U-234, construction of which commenced on Por tsmouth Nav al Shi p y a r d in Por tsmouth, New wer e caught lurking outside our harbors October 1, 1941 at Ger m a n i a we r ft, sustained Ham p s h i r e. Two years following its surren d e r , U- and all suffered less than Hollywood fates damage from bombing raids before even coming 234 was motored northeast of Cape Cod where being either scuttled or used as training off the stocks. Originally intended for mine lay- it was sunk on November 20, 1947 as a torpedo targets by the U.S. Nav y , their pres e n c e ing operations, it was rebuilt as a transport sub- test target by the submarine U.S.S. Gree n fis h . none the less serves as a stark reminder of a dark marine to ferry war materials from Germany to Tod a y , the remains of U-234 lie in more than period in our world’s history. Japan in order to fill the void left by the Jul y 600 feet of water some 40 miles off shore. Wh i l e Of the five U-boats off the Mas s a c h u s e t t s 1944 loss of its pred e c e s s o r , U-233. From Marc h the condition of this site and that of the other coast, the XB class U-234 is perhaps the best 1944 to Feb ru a r y 1945, U-234 was a part of the four U-boats is unknown, rapid advances in deep kn o wn. The XB class U-boats—a total of eight Fifth Flotilla based at Kiel and for the last two water technology suggest that a new generation ex i s t e d — we r e designed during World War II and months of its career served the Th i rt y - T h i r d will catch a glimpse of these elusive vessels from a co n s t r ucted at the Ger m a n i a we r ft yard in Kiel, Flotilla at Flensburg, Ger m a n y . U-234 took far off land. Ger m a n y . As mine-laying submarines, XBs wer e pa r t in only one active patrol from Kiel to More information on U-234 and other capable of carrying 66 mines in 30 mine shafts, Kristiansand, Norw a y , with the intention of U-boats is available online at www.u b o a t . n e t . 50

photo courtesy of National Archives ASK JOE... By Arden Miller, CZM

JOE: THE WH A T WOULD BE THE FIRST THREE PUTNAM, CONNECTICUT ANSWER THINGS YOU WOULD PERSONALLY DO 1955: WORST STORM MAN. JOE’S EVER WITNESSED. TO PREPARE FOR A HURRICANE? Well, the first concern would be that I’d have to prepare well ahead of every o n e else since I’d have to take care of my photo courtesy of the Pelczarski photo album s t u ff before going to the Bunker. [Editor’s WH A T’S THE MOST DRAMATIC STORM YOU'VE EVER note: Joe is the Executive Office of PE R S O N A L L Y WITNESSED? Environmental Affairs’ emergency In 1955, when I was four going on five, the east coast was hit with two management liaison and, as such, serves as part of the agency’s tropical storms. I lived in Putnam, Connecticut on the Quinnebauge River Emergency Operations Center—aka “The Bunker”—staff. For more and the river completely went. There was a magnesium plant in town that on Joe and the liaison roll, see “Kudos to the Storm Te a m ” page 4. exploded when all the water hit. It was unbelievable—water everyw h e r e . That said...I would secure all my lawn furn i t u r e — e v e rything from Hundreds, if not thousands, of houses were destroyed. My grandmother the beach chairs and toys to the barbeque would have to be tied stayed with a mentally challenged girl whose own mother had suffered a down—and make sure my family was safe and prepared. I’d make he a r t attack from the shock of the flood and both my grandmother and the sure all of the things that are supposed to be in the safety kit are girl had to be rescued by the Coast IT WAS UNBELIEVAB L E —WATER EVERYW H E R E . there: water, batteries, flashlight, radio, perishables... Lastly, I Guard. For weeks, everyone in the would take care of my boats. One of them I’d actually sink as it town had to get their water from the H U N D R E D S, IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF HOUSES to w n ’ s filtering plant. During the rest would be safer on the bottom. I’ve done all of this before, but WERE D E S T R O Y E D . .. luckily nothing ever hit. of the ’50s and early ’60s, the part of town that was level with the river was nothing but dirt and everyt h i n g TR Y TO CHANNEL NOSTRADAMUS—JOESTRADAMUS—WHEN AND left standing was full of dirt. Eventually, it all had to be bulldozed down. WHERE DO YOU PREDICT THE NEXT HURRICANE WILL HIT? Now it’s a shopping mall... For starters, I took this “How Psychic Are You?” test on the internet recent- ly , and out of a possible 100, I got 16, meaning I have NO psychic AND HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY SIMILAR DRAMAS HERE? ability whatsoever! So I cannot even begin to try to predict such a thing. Hurricane Bob was the first disaster I witnessed from the Bunker. My overall impression was that things were very intense and there was a lot ARE THERE GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES SPECIFIC TO MASSACHUSETTS of humidity. I specifically remember that all of the apples fell off the trees TH A T WOULD BE IRREPAR A B L Y DAMAGED BY A HURRICANE? and a number of vessels were destroyed. The excessive rains had every- D e f i n i t e l y. In fact, it doesn’t even take a full-on hurricane to forever one worried about mosquitoes; at that time the threat of Eastern Equine alter geography. In the past, excessive rainfall has caused rivers to Encephalitis was very real to people. The state was able to get FEMA flood in such a way that their mouths were permanently altered. In (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to reimburse us for spraying other cases, beaches can be forever changed. One such example is (to kill mosquitoes and their larvae). There were only a couple such cases Chatham Breach. During a storm in January of ’93, the barrier beach re p o r ted within Massachusetts, so we were spared larger dramas. that protected Chatham Harbor was literally split in two. Without the protection of the beach, the buildings downtown were susceptible to LAST QUESTION: IF YOU WERE ON THE HURRICANE NAMING all sorts of erosion and flooding, causing a lot of property damage COMMITTEE, WHAT WOULD YOU NAME THE NEXT HURRICANE? and destruction. Kara, after my four year old niece. She’s a little terror! 51 THE ANSWER IS BLOWING IN THE WIND… By Arden Miller, CZM

Met e o ro l o g i s t s — y ou know, the people you see on the news 2) Follow weather updates, via the radio, Internet, who tell you if it’s going to rain and get ver y excited when a or t.v. daily. “big pres s u r e system” is moving towa r d us—are paid to pre- 3) As you hear about any movements, note them on dict the wea t h e r . They base their predictions on what they the map. Also, if your news source of choice is understand to be going on in the skies and oceans of not getting excited about wind speeds or gusts, make a just the United States, but the whole world. A storm in note of that, perhaps using an arrow and an India, extra cold air in Chicago, Illinois, and high vel o c i t y exclamation point next to your plotted dot. winds in Africa can all have a potential affect on what hap- pens in Mas s a c h u s e t t s . Now, here’s the fun part: based on what yo u’ve If this sounds like an interesting way to spend your heard, and what you can see on your chart, try to guess time, or you like the idea of seeing patterns in how things the path of the storm/hurricane. Bonus points if yo u around the world are interconnected, this exercise in can predict the time it will touch over a particular are a . charting hurricanes and tropical storms can be a useful As you are doing this, think about what you know of way to see science at work. weather factors: is it over the jet stream? Are there low To track the storms of 2002, all you ’ll need is a pen or or high-pre s s u re systems from other areas that could pencil, the graph at right, and access to weather service i n t e rf e re with its path? bulletins (these are available on t.v. and radio new s And here’s a potentially fun twist (no pun intended): re p o rts, or by checking on-line Internet sites such as get together with friends or classmates and each pick ww w. n o a a . g o v/wx.html on a regular basis). So if you have one, and only one, source to get your hurricane or these things and want to see how you measure up to the storm information from and agree to how often yo u’l l people who get paid to do this, here’s what you do: update your map (i.e. eve ryday at noon and 6 p. m . ) . When it’s all ove r, compare your sources to see which 1) Whenever you hear about a hurricane, or a n ews source was the most accurate. Based on what yo u tropical storm that has the potential to become a find out, you may develop a greater understanding and hurricane, plot its position on the map. Just make sure a p p reciation of we a t h e r. Or at least an idea of why the to note the name, as sometimes more than one weather people are not always 100 percent accurate. You hurricane or tropical storm can be on the radar may even discover that you have a hidden talent that screen at a time. could someday lead to career as a meteorologist!

52 CHART COURTESY OF NOAA n

w e

s WHEN PLOTTING A STORM Hurricane center positions are given by latitude and longitude. For example, if you hear: “The storm ’s center is located near 41.5 degrees North and 63.0 degrees West...” on the chart, read North to 41.5 degrees and then West to 63.0 degrees as shown in the example shown above right.