HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN Town of Deering New Hampshire Contoocook River Flooding of Longwoods Manufactured Housing Park, 1987 Adopted by the Deering Board of Selectmen December 17, 2003 HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN Town of Deering, NH December 17, 2003 Town of Deering 762 Deering Center Road Deering, NH 03244 Phone: (603) 464-3248 Fire Department Phone: (603) 529-4303 Web: www.deering.nh.us Central NH Regional Planning Commission 28 Commercial Street Concord, NH 03301 Phone: (603) 226-6020 Web: www.cnhrpc.org NH Office of Emergency Management 107 Pleasant Street Concord, NH 03301 Phone: (800) 852-3792 Web: www.nhoem.state.nh.us Federal Emergency Management Agency 442 J.W. McCormack POCH Boston, Massachusetts 02109 Phone: (617) 223-9540 Web: www.fema.gov Deering Hazard Mitigation Plan December 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate of Adoption...................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements........................................................................................... v Chapter 1. Introduction .................................................................................... 1 Background ............................................................................................ 1 Goals.................................................................................................... 1 Methodology........................................................................................... 2 Chapter 2. Hazard Identification ......................................................................... 3 Definition of Hazards ................................................................................ 3 Map 1: Potential Hazards............................................................................ 7 Chapter 3. Profile of Hazard Events in Deering ....................................................... 8 Past and Potential Hazard Events in Deering .................................................... 8 Past Hazard Events That Have Impacted Deering ............................................... 17 Map 2: Past Hazards.................................................................................. 26 Chapter 4. Asset Identification ........................................................................... 27 Critical Facilities ..................................................................................... 27 Vulnerable Populations .............................................................................. 29 Economic Assets ...................................................................................... 30 Special Considerations............................................................................... 30 Historic/Other Considerations...................................................................... 32 Homes within the Floodplain ....................................................................... 33 Evacuation Routes.................................................................................... 33 Map 3: Critical Facilities ............................................................................ 34 Chapter 5. Potential Losses ............................................................................... 35 Flooding ................................................................................................ 35 Dam Breach and Failure ............................................................................. 37 Hurricane .............................................................................................. 37 Tornado ................................................................................................ 37 Wildfire ................................................................................................ 37 Nor’easter and Heavy Snow Storms ............................................................... 38 Ice Storms ............................................................................................. 38 Earthquake ............................................................................................ 38 Severe Lightning ..................................................................................... 38 Downbursts, Hailstorms, Landslides, Radon, Drought .......................................... 38 Map 4: Potential Hazards and Losses.............................................................. 39 Page i ADOPTED – 12/17/03 Deering Hazard Mitigation Plan December 2003 Chapter 6. Development Trends ......................................................................... 40 Population and Housing Growth.................................................................... 40 Land Use ............................................................................................... 41 Relation to Natural Hazards ........................................................................ 42 Chapter 7. Floodplain Management...................................................................... 43 Flooding in Deering................................................................................... 43 National Flood Insurance Program ................................................................. 43 Repetitive Loss Properties .......................................................................... 44 Floodplain Management Goals/Reducing Flood Risks........................................... 45 Chapter 8. Local Hazard Mitigation Objectives ....................................................... 46 Objectives ............................................................................................. 46 Chapter 9. Existing Mitigation Strategies ............................................................... 47 Description of Existing Programs and Activities ................................................. 47 Chapter 10. Newly Identified Mitigation Strategies ................................................... 50 Chapter 11. Evaluation and Implementation of Actions.............................................. 53 Deering’s Mitigation Action Plan ................................................................... 53 Cost to Benefit Analysis ............................................................................. 58 Chapter 12. Plan Monitoring, Evaluating, and Updating ............................................. 60 Maintenance and Update Schedule of the Hazard Mitigation Plan ........................... 60 Implementation of the Plan Through Existing Programs ....................................... 61 Continued Public Involvement...................................................................... 62 Chapter 13. Appendix ....................................................................................... 63 Process for Disaster Declaration in Deering ...................................................... 63 Grant Programs for Disaster Relief ................................................................ 66 Action Evaluation and Prioritization Matrix of the Hazard Mitigation Committee ......... 67 Publicity and Meeting Information for the Deering 2003 Hazard Mitigation Plan ......... 68 Page ii ADOPTED – 12/17/03 Deering Hazard Mitigation Plan December 2003 List of Tables and Maps: Table 1 - Deering Hazard Events 1727-Present ........................................................... 17 Table 2 – Essential Facilities................................................................................. 27 Table 3 – Utilities.............................................................................................. 28 Table 4 – Dams ................................................................................................. 28 Table 5 – Bridges............................................................................................... 29 Table 6 - Schools .............................................................................................. 29 Table 7 – Vulnerable Populations ........................................................................... 29 Table 8 – Economic Assets ................................................................................... 30 Table 9 – Cemeteries & Churches........................................................................... 31 Table 10 – Hazardous Materials Facilities.................................................................. 31 Table 11 – Historic Sites & Buildings ....................................................................... 32 Table 12 – Recreational or Gathering Sites................................................................ 33 Table 13 – Overall Population and Housing Growth Trends in Deering, 1970-2000 ................. 40 Table 14 – Population Density in Deering, 1970-2000 ................................................... 40 Table 15 – Residential Building Permits Issued by Housing Type, April 1998 – September 2003.. 41 Table 16 – Land Use in Deering, 2003 ...................................................................... 42 Table 17 - Deering Policy and Loss Statistics, December 2002......................................... 44 Table 18 - Existing Mitigation Strategies .................................................................. 47 Table 19 – Potential Mitigation Strategies................................................................. 50 Table 20 – Deering’s Mitigation Action Plan 2003 ........................................................ 54 Table 21 - Hazard Mitigation Committee Annual Future Meeting Schedule.......................... 60 Map 1: Potential Hazards Map 2: Past Hazards