TOWN of MIDDLEBOROUGH Hazard Mitigation Plan

May 18, 2015 (Final Draft Plan)

TOWN OF MIDDLEBOROUGH Hazard Mitigation Plan

Middleborough Town Hall Nickerson Avenue Middleborough, MA 02346

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Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ...... 3 Chapter One: Introduction and Planning Process ...... 5 Development of the First Mitigation Plan ...... 6 2015 Plan Update Process and Public Involvement ...... 6 Review of Existing Reports and Plans ...... 7 Review of Draft HMP by MEMA and FEMA...... 8 2015 Plan Changes from 2004 Plan ...... 8 Chapter Two: Profile of the Community ...... 9 Geography, Geology, Topography, and Climate ...... 9 Political Structure...... 10 Population Characteristics ...... 11 Transportation Network ...... 15 Land Use: Housing, Commerce, Industry and Agriculture...... 19 Economic Development ...... 23 Utilities ...... 25 Chapter Two Conclusions ...... 26 Chapter Three: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment ...... 29 Flood Related Hazards: ...... 29 Hurricanes, Tropical Storms and High Wind Events ...... 42 Tornadoes ...... 46 Thunderstorms ...... 48 Nor’easters, Winter Storms, and Ice Storms ...... 49 Wildfire ...... 52 Drought ...... 55 Geologic Hazards ...... 57 Chapter Four: Existing and Ongoing Mitigation Activities ...... 63 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Participation ...... 63 Current Mitigation Actions ...... 65 Chapter Five: Mitigation Actions Town of Middleborough ...... 71 Goals of Middleborough’s Hazard Mitigation Strategy ...... 71 Proposed Mitigation Actions and Implementation ...... 71 Chapter Six: Maintenance and Implementation ...... 81 Appendix 1 – Existing Reports and Documents: ...... 84

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Appendix 2 – Planning Process Documentation: ...... 87 Appendix 3 – Maps ...... 189

Tables

Table 1 – Middleborough’s 2010 Population, Land Area, and Density ...... 12 Table 2 - SRPEDD Population Projections by Community 2000-2030 ...... 12 Table 3 - Nursing and Residential Homes in Middleborough ...... 14 Table 4 - DPW 2015 Pavement Management Report: Public/Private Road Miles ...... 17 Table 5 - Land Use Classifications and Areas, MassGIS Data ...... 20 Table 6 - Building Permits 2003 - 2013 ...... 20 Table 7 - Employment by Industry in Middleborough ...... 24 Table 8 - Largest Employers in Middleborough ...... 24 Table 9 - Utilities within Middleborough ...... 26 Table 10 - Cell Towers and Antennae within Middleborough ...... 26 Table 11 - Dam Hazard Potential ...... 30 Table 12 - Taunton River Historical Crests ...... 32 Table 13 – 2013 Assawompsett Pond Target Water Levels by Season ...... 34 Table 14 – Dams in the Town of Middleborough ...... 39 Table 15 - Road Closure Locations Due to Flooding in March 2010 ...... 41 Table 16 - History of Southern New England Hurricanes ...... 43 Table 17 - Saffir-Simpson Scale for Hurricanes ...... 45 Table 18 - Enhanced Fujita Tornado Damage Scale ...... 47 Table 19 - Tornadoes 1950 - 1995 Plymouth County ...... 48 Table 20 - Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale ...... 50 Table 21- Eleven High-Impact Snowstorms That Affected the Northeast Urban Corridor...... 51 Table 22 - Ice Storm Events ...... 52 Table 23 - Vegetative Coverage in Southeastern Massachusetts ...... 53 Table 24 - Drying Hours to Reach Flammability ...... 55 Table 25 - Richter Scale ...... 59 Table 26- Vulnerability Assessment for Town of Middleborough ...... 61 Table 27 - Current Mitigation Actions: Town of Middleborough ...... 65 Table 28 - Proposed Mitigation Actions: Town of Middleborough ...... 73

Figures

Figure 1: SRPEDD Population projections for Region 1990-2030 ...... 12 Figure 2: Transportation Network ...... 15 Figure 3: Community Character ...... 21 Figure 4: Assawompsett Pond Complex Watershed ...... 33 Figure 5: Monthly Tropical Cyclone Distribution ...... 44 Figure 6: Tropical Cyclone Frequency ...... 44 Figure 7: Rocky Gutter Wildlife Management Area Trail/Road Map ...... 54 Figure 8: Historic Groundwater Levels, MA LKW-14, Lakeville MA ...... 56

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Chapter One: Introduction and Planning Process

Middleborough is a predominantly rural community with a classic New England downtown as well as having a long history of being a regional industrial center since colonial times. The landscape features cranberry bogs, natural wooded areas, and low-density residences in the outlying areas; higher density residential uses and businesses are located toward the center, and highway commercial uses as well as large industrial parks are located on the arterial roadways. The New England weather means natural hazards are a fact of life in Middleborough with each season presenting its own challenge -- heavy spring rains, summer droughts, early fall hurricanes, or winter snowstorms. The intersection of these natural hazards with the man-made environment can transform these routine events into natural disasters.

Emergency Management is categorized by four phases of action:

Mitigation: Activities which eliminate or reduce the probability of a disaster occurring; also, short and long term actions, which lessen the undesirable effects of unavoidable disasters;

Preparedness: Activities which governments, organizations, and individuals develop to prepare and pre-place resources and capabilities needed in the event of a disaster;

Response: The actual provision of emergency resources, assistance and services during a disaster to prevent loss of lives and property; and,

Recovery: Activities that seek to restore vital services to the community and to provide for the basic needs of the public. Recovery also involves long-term activities to restore the community to its pre-disaster status, and to institute measures against future emergencies and disasters.

The federal definition of “hazard mitigation” is any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards (44 CFR 201.2). The purpose of hazard mitigation is to reduce potential losses from future disasters. The intent of mitigation planning, therefore, is to maintain a process that leads to hazard mitigation actions. Mitigation plans identify the natural hazards that impact communities, identify actions to reduce losses from those hazards, and establish a coordinated process to implement the plan. (44 CFR §201.1(b)) Hazard mitigation activities may be implemented prior to, during, or after an event. However, it has been demonstrated that hazard mitigation is most effective when based on an inclusive, comprehensive, long-term plan that is developed before a disaster occurs. 1

This is a mitigation plan; it examines the natural hazards facing the Town of Middleborough, assesses the vulnerability of the area’s residents and businesses, and makes recommendations on ways to mitigate the negative effects of typical natural hazards. It does not specifically address preparedness, response or recovery, which are addressed in the Town’s Comprehensive

1 FEMA Local Mitigation Plan Review Guide October 1, 2011

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). The mitigation plan effort has drawn from the local knowledge of a group of officials and residents, and the recommendations presented are meant to be realistic and effective steps for mitigating natural hazards. Ultimately it is hoped that these actions will translate into savings – fewer lives lost, less property destroyed, and minimal disruption to essential services.

Development of the First Mitigation Plan

In April of 2004 the Middleborough Board of Selectmen appointed a local Pre-Disaster Mitigation Planning Committee and charged them with the development of the original “Natural Hazard Disaster Mitigation Plan”. The group included representatives from: the Fire Department, Board of Health, Department of Public Works, Building Commissioner, Conservation Commission, and Planning Board. The group held four (4) public meetings to discuss and develop the plan. The Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), through a FEMA Pre-disaster Mitigation Planning Grant, provided mapping and technical assistance for the creation of the plan. The template used by SRPEDD for preparation of the Middleborough plan was based on their Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan particularly where it involved the regional and local hazard descriptions and mapping.

2015 Plan Update Process and Public Involvement

This Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) updates the 2004 plan and was prepared by taking the following steps initiated by the Planning Department in March 2011; initial steps included identifying committee members, disseminating the 2004 plan and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidance documents, reviewing FEMA requirements, acquiring the original plan maps from the Regional Planning Agency and preparing an initial update of the 2004 plan including the possibility of converting it into an All-Hazards Plan. The Fire Chief, who also acts as the town’s Emergency Management Director (EMD), the Health Officer and the Planning Director met with Sarah White of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) on May 11, 2011 to review the requirements for updating the Town’s HMP and receive answers to questions that had been developed up to that point in the Town’s HMP update process. The Fire Chief acquired passwords for the Health Officer and the Planning Director in order for them to directly access the Town’s electronic Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (eCEMP) document on the State website. Existing reports and plans were reviewed; field inspections were made to document locations, sizes and characteristics of known dams; US Census information for the Town was accessed; Building Department records were reviewed, etc. In April (HMP only) and March 2015, December and February 2014, October 2013, August and September 2012, March, June, July, August, September, October and November 2011, and April, July and December 2010 the Local HMP Committee and/or the Local Emergency Management Planning Committee (LEPC) members met to discuss the need and the schedule for an HMP update; components required for a updated plan; cross referencing of existing plans and documents; an updated evaluation of the Town’s hazard risks; past disaster experiences; identification of the town’s hazard mitigation goals; the status of current and proposed hazard mitigation actions that were identified in the 2004 plan; and, addition of new proposed hazard mitigation actions to reflect current community goals and needs . All LEPC meetings were posted as public meetings with the Middleborough Town Clerk pursuant with the Open Meeting

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Law, M.G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25. LEPC minutes and agendas reflect a number of these meetings (Appendix 2 - Planning Process Documentation).

An opportunity for the public to participate in the plan update was provided during the drafting stage and the approval process. The Draft HMP was presented to the Planning Board at their September 13, 2011 public meeting and was sent to all Town Department Heads, including the Middleborough Gas & Electric Department on September 20, 2011 for review and comment (Appendix 2 - Planning Process Documentation). On September 20, 2011 the Draft HMP was posted on the Town’s website www.middleborough.com (Appendix 2 - Planning Process Documentation) and a copy was provided to the Library, for public review and comment; notices announcing Draft HMP availability were posted on the Town Clerk’s bulletin board in the Town Hall Annex at 20 Center Street, the Town Hall at 10 Nickerson Avenue and on the Town’s local access cable TV station (Appendix 2 - Planning Process Documentation). The Draft HMP was also presented at a Board of Selectmen’s public meeting during “Announcements” on October 17, 2011 which is covered by cable television and residents were requested to review it as posted on the website and submit comments. LEPC meetings were held on September 28, 2011, August 29, 2012 and October 16, 2013 to review proposed mitigation actions and prioritize their implementation (Appendix 2 - Planning Process Documentation). The October and November 2011 and October 16, 2013 LEPC meetings included representatives from Middleborough’s Gas & Electric Department who participated in plan review and discussion and including decision making regarding critical facilities. In addition the citizens and businesses of Middleborough, the HMP was provided to James Ricci and Charles Kennedy of the New Bedford Water Department; Cathal O’Brien and William Schwartz of the Taunton Water Department; John Healey, Freetown Town Administrator; Nancy Yeatts, Lakeville Board of Selectmen; Dr. Neil Fennessey, UMASS Dartmouth; David Johnston and Pamela Truesdale, at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP); and, Karen Porter at SRPEDD, for review and comment (Appendix 2 - Planning Process Documentation).

2013 HMP Committee Membership

Ruth Geoffroy Planning Director Robert Whalen Building Commissioner Jeanne Spalding Health Officer Patricia Cassady Conservation Agent Lance Benjamino Fire Chief Charles Cristello Town Manager

2015 HMP Committee Membership

Ruth Geoffroy Planning Director Robert Whalen Building Commissioner Robert Buker Health Officer Patricia Cassady Conservation Agent Lance Benjamino Fire Chief Robert Nunes Town Manager Christopher Peck DPW Director Jackie Crowley MGED General Mngr.

Review of Existing Reports and Plans

To fully integrate this planning process into the work of other departments and other studies, the HMP Committee reviewed a number of technical reports, plans and studies which were acquired from various Town Departments, nearby Cities and Towns, the Regional Planning Agency and State Agencies such as the Office of Dam Safety. Whenever possible the committee used the

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 information from existing reports to enhance the mitigation plan as is evidenced by the referenced quotations, data and the footnoted references contained herein. A list of these existing reports and documents is included as Appendix 1.

Review of Draft HMP by MEMA and FEMA

The first draft of the updated Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan, dated December 13, 2011, was submitted to Kathryn Fatherly, MEMA HQ, Mitigation Department, by the Middleborough HMP Committee on December 15, 2011. Comments from Marybeth Groff, MEMA Hazard Mitigation Planner were returned to the Town of Middleborough on August 13, 2012 with a meeting held between Middleborough officials and Marybeth on August 16, 2012. The Middleborough HMP Committee made revisions to the HMP and submitted the final draft plan, dated October 25, 2012, to Marybeth Groff, CFM, MEMA Hazard Mitigation Planner, on October 31, 2012. Comments from Hillary Slocum and Nan Johnson, FEMA Region I Community Planners were returned to the Town on June 11, 2013. The Middleborough HMP Committee made another series of revisions to the HMP and submitted the revised final draft plan, dated October 23, 2013, to Marybeth Groff, CFM, MEMA Hazard Mitigation Planner, on October 24, 2013. Comments from Caroline Williams, Hillary Slocum and Nan Johnson, FEMA Region I Community Planners were returned to the Town on July 22, 2014. HMP Committee members again met with Marybeth Groff from MEMA on October 21, 2014 and held a conference call with her on April 21, 2015. The Final Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan is now being submitted addressing all comments required to be made to comply with the standards for preparation of a Hazard Mitigation Plan.

2015 Plan Changes from 2004 Plan

The 2015 Hazard Mitigation Plan represents an almost complete upgrade of the 2004 Plan and was done by the Town alone with limited mapping assistance from SRPEDD. The 2015Plan has been greatly improved since the Town and its staff has become more educated in hazard mitigation, response and recovery over the intervening years as well as directly experiencing catastrophic flooding in 2010. The 2015Plan includes a fully rewritten Community Profile including but not limited to using 2010 U.S. Census Data, updated critical facilities and locations, an extensive section on flood hazard locations and mitigation including but not limited to the Assawompsett Pond Complex, inventory of dams within the Town, updated sections on hazards to the Town’s water and wastewater infrastructure and the HMP is now coordinated with the Town’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (eCEMP). Town of Middleborough hazards were updated to address all hazards identified in the State 2010 Hazard Mitigation Plan that would be experienced in Middleborough including the addition of Ice Storms and Extreme Temperatures. Additionally, the narrative for several of the hazards has been expanded. The 2013 Plan involves an update of the town’s hazard mitigation goals and mitigation strategy. The map data was reviewed and updated where necessary, specifically the Critical Facilities Map which now reflects critical Middleborough facilities for 2015.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Chapter Two: Profile of the Community

Geography, Geology, Topography, and Climate

Geography. The Town of Middleborough is located in southeastern Massachusetts in Plymouth County and is bordered by Raynham and Taunton on the west, Bridgewater on the north, Halifax and Plympton on the northeast, Carver on the east, Rochester and Wareham on the south, and Lakeville to the southwest. Middleborough is 40 miles south of Boston and 30 miles east of Providence, Rhode Island. It has a total land area of 69.6 square miles of land area and 72.3 square miles including water bodies, making Middleborough the second largest town in the Commonwealth with only Plymouth having a greater area of land. Currently, this is the fastest growing region of New England. Middleborough is located at Latitude 41° 53’ 20” Longitude 70° 53’ 23” at Barden Hill.

Geology/Topography. Geologists classify the southeastern Massachusetts area as part of the Northeast Coastal Lowlands/Coastal Plain region. The area is characterized by conditions created over 12,000 years ago when the massive glaciers covering New England receded. These characteristics include: low hills; highly porous water bearing deposits of sand and gravel; multiple swamps, lakes, rivers and ponds; and a high water table. The glaciers left behind glacial till that contains thick deposits of both sand and gravel cemented together with silts and clay, lying over bedrock and large lake bottom clay deposits particularly in the northern area of the Town. There are occasionally boulders, known as glacial erratics, of different rock types that were carried from northern regions and left behind as the glaciers receded. Middleborough has rolling hills and knobby terrain with elevation changes from 13 feet above mean sea level at the confluence of the Poqouy Brook with the Taunton River to 191 feet above sea level at Barden Hill.

Almost half of the town is covered with wetlands and surface water bodies which form an intricate network protecting and feeding the aquifer that provides drinking water for the town and beyond. The major waterways include the Nemasket River, which flows south to north through the center of town from Assawompsett Pond to the Taunton River; it creates the town’s westerly boundary with Lakeville and is an Anadromous herring fishery resource. Fall Brook is a tributary to the Nemasket River and is located wholly within the town. The Taunton River creates the town’s northerly boundary with Bridgewater; it is a federally recognized Wild and Scenic River and is also an Anadromous herring run. Purchade, Puddingshear and Poquoy Brooks are located in North Middleborough and discharge to the Taunton River; Puddingshear Brook contains a population of native brook trout and contains two USGS groundwater monitoring wells located just north of the Clayton Road Bridge crossing Puddingshear Brook. The Weweantic River is located in South Middleborough and creates the town line between Middleborough and Carver. There are several major ponds within Middleborough including Woods Pond and Tispaquin Pond which are wholly within the Town and are both used for recreation; Tispaquin Pond, categorized as a “great pond”, has a Commonwealth of MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife public boat ramp located off of Eldon Ave. The Assawompsett Pond Complex (APC), consisting of Assawompsett Pond, Pocksha Pond, Great Quittacus Pond, Little Quittacus Pond and Long Pond are located partly in Middleborough (Assawompsett, Pocksha and Great Quittacus) and partly in the towns of Lakeville, Rochester and Freetown. The APC is the largest natural water

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 body in the Commonwealth and has been dedicated for public water supply use to the cities of New Bedford and Taunton who serve over 250,000 people in 13 communities through drinking water withdrawal of up to 27.5 million gallons per day (mgd). New Bedford and Taunton also manage the APC’s water control structures, including but not limited to the Assawompsett Pond Dam in Middleborough/Lakeville, at the headwaters of the Nemasket River. The APC is the Anadromous fishery spawning ground for herring running up the Nemasket River, which is said to be the most prolific herring fishery in the region. The APC as well as the banks of other rivers, streams and ponds in Middleborough are all rich in archaeological and historic resources. There are a limited number of residential homes around Assawompsett and Pocksha Ponds, while Long Pond is surrounded by full time as well as vacation homes. Long Pond is also used extensively for recreational boating, fishing, swimming, etc. Most of the town is in the Taunton River Watershed, with the southeast corner alone draining to the Buzzards Bay Watershed through the Weweantic River; a small section of the town, near the Carver town line, is part of the Plymouth Carver Aquifer.

Within Middleborough there are 7,473 acres of open space including conservation and recreation lands. This includes the 1,483 acres of water supply lands surrounding Assawompsett, Pocksha and Great Quittacus Ponds in Middleborough owned by the City of New Bedford and 13 acres owned by the City of Taunton; the 3,381 acre Rocky Gutter Wildlife Management Area, owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife; the 714+ acres of protected land within the Black Brook Corridor; and, the 311 acre Weston Memorial Forest, owned by the Town of Middleborough.

Climate Massachusetts in general has a humid climate with temperatures that average 68° to 72° F in the summer and 28° to 32° F in the winter. The National Climatic Data Center reports the following normal temperatures by season in Middleborough:

January 26.5° F July 71.0° F

The normal annual precipitation is 48.8 inches. The growing season, from the last killing frost in the spring to the first killing frost in the fall, runs between 180 – 200 days. The area is subject to a variety of severe weather events: hurricanes, northeasters, thunderstorms, blizzards, tornadoes, and drought. All of these are discussed more fully in the next chapter.

Political Structure

The governing body of the Town of Middleborough is a five member Board of Selectmen who also serves as the Boards of Health, Water Commissioners and Sewer Commissioners; the Board also issues Earth Removal Permits. The legislative body of the Town is Town Meeting, open to all registered voters. The Planning Board consists of five elected members and one appointed Associate Member position. The Board of Selectmen hires a Town Manager pursuant to the Town Charter. The seven member Conservation Commission is appointed by the Town Manager and confirmed by the Board of Selectmen. Gas and Electric service is provided to the towns of Middleborough and Lakeville by the Town owned Middleborough Gas and Electric Department which is overseen by an elected Commission consisting of five members.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Population Characteristics

The 2010 US Census indicates that Middleborough has a total population of 23,116 in the year 2010. With a land area of 69.6 square miles the average population density is 332 persons per square mile but growing rapidly due to new construction. The median age is 41.2 years, with 65% of the population in the 18-64 age group. Twenty percent of the population is made up of children under the age of 16. With a total of 8,468 households, the average household size is 2.67 persons.

Middleborough has experienced rapid population increase over the past ten years, and is expected to continue this growth. The town was the fastest growing in the SRPEDD Region between 2000 and 2010 with a 15.92% increase in population.2 The figure below indicates census population figures and growth projections prepared by SRPEDD & the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MADOT).

According to a build-out study conducted by IEP, Inc. for the Town in 1989, if current zoning is unchanged, and every single buildable lot is developed for residential use, family size remains unchanged, and no additional infrastructure is provided to currently undevelopable lots, the population of Middleborough could reach 45,043 at build-out. This does not include additional population and housing unit construction resulting from densities above current zoning, mandated by the State’s Affordable Housing Law, MGL Ch. 40B.

New construction permits over the last 10 years have been on the rise due to the availability of large tracts of developable land, permitting of a large Adult Mobile Home Park known as Oak Point and access to Boston through the proximity to interstate highways and the MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Middleborough/Lakeville, Bridgewater and Halifax.

Past Population Trends The long view of Middleborough has been of a community slowly emerging from its rural roots as a low density, sparsely populated town. The town did not experience the post-war growth spurt that affected so many other communities in the 40’s and 50’s. Instead, Middleborough experienced a flatter growth increase that by default allowed the town to retain much of its rural character. However, the coming decades suggest a new pattern of population growth.

Projected Population Growth Rates Planners use growth rates from the recent past, tweaked by economic factors to project future growth rates. Consequently we start the discussion of projected rates with the results from the last few years.

According to the 2010 Census, over the last decade, the town’s population changed, from 19,941 people in 2000 to 23,116 in 2010. This was a 15.92% increase, or little more than 1.6% annually. In the local region; i.e., the nine towns surrounding Middleborough, the population grew from 148,937 residents in 2000 to more than 155,323 residents in 2010, an increase of 6,386 or an annual change of 0.4% per year. Of these abutting towns, Raynham and Rochester had the highest 10 year growth rates of 14% and 14.2% respectively, while the City of Taunton lost population with a rate of -0.2%. The entire SRPEDD area saw its aggregate population increase by 3.2%, with a 2010 population of 616,674.

2 SRPEDD 2011 Annual Report

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Even with this seemingly small increase, population growth rates in the entire New England region are significantly lower than those seen in Southeastern Massachusetts. Between 2000 - 2010 Middleborough was the 20th fastest growing Town in Massachusetts out of 351 cities and towns, according to the 2010 Census3. Forecasts for the next five to ten years are that Middleborough’s population will continue to increase, adding nearly 947 residents in the next ten years while averaging growth rates of 0.4% annually according to SRPEDD.4 The balance of the region is expected to experience average growth rates in the range of 0.3% to 0.6%. The resulting year 2020 forecast population for Middleborough will be 24,063. This represents an overall increase of people at only 4.1% over the latest numbers from 2010 and a significantly less projected amount of growth than occurred over the previous decade.

Table 1 – Middleborough’s 2010 Population, Land Area, and Density

Land Area Population Density Community Population (1) (Square Miles) (2) (Persons/Square Mile) (3)

Middleborough 23,116 69.6 332

Figure 1: SRPEDD Population projections for Region 1990-2030

800,000 653,000 698,000 700,000 563,130 597,294 616,670 600,000

500,000

400,000

Population 300,000

200,000

100,000

0 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

Years

Table 2 - SRPEDD Population Projections by Community 2000-2030

2000 2010 2020 2030 Community U.S. Census U.S. Census Projection Projection Middleborough 19,941 23,116 24,063 25,303

3 The BostonChannel.com, Mass Fastest Growing Towns, September 27, 2011 4 SRPEDD 2010 Factbook

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Consistent with national trends Middleborough has seen a steady increase in the absolute number of residents whom are over 65 years of age. This is a trend that is expected to continue as the “baby-boomer” generation ages. The number of residents over the age of 65 has increased by 66% since 2000. This population generally has a higher incidence of special needs for emergency response-- due to health afflictions and mobility restrictions—although overall this population is a healthier and more active group than they were thirty years ago. The Federal Administration on Aging notes the following as reasons the elderly are more vulnerable to disasters:

• They have difficulty getting assistance due to progressive physical and mental impairments and other frailties that accompany aging; • They are slower to fill out forms for disaster notification and/or disaster relief assistance; • They are often at higher post-disaster nutritional risk and medication risk; • They are often targeted by fraudulent contractors; and • They may be susceptible to abuse as overall family stress levels increase in the later stages of a disaster.5

The permitting and construction of the 1150 unit Oak Point adult mobile home park off of Thompson and Plain Streets in North Middleborough and the 74 unit Edgeway Estates adult mobile home park off of Rte. 79 combined with the existing 95 unit Hillcrest Mobile Home Park on East Grove Street has brought a concentrated population of residents 55 years of age and older. These mobile home parks when complete will provide 16% of the Town’s total housing units and with approximately 1.5 persons per unit6, a total of 1979 residents.

Other vulnerable populations are youth and the disabled. Youth are vulnerable due to their need for supervision and guidance in times of emergency—especially groups of children under the care of a limited amount of adults. This is best assessed at the local level through critical facilities identification of childcare centers and schools. These facilities are indicated on Middleborough’s map of critical facilities and include daycare centers and schools.

Special Populations - Working in collaboration with the Greater Attleboro Transit Regional Authority (GATRA), the Middleborough Council on Aging (COA) provides transportation services for elderly and handicapped residents and the general public. The Council also provides a wide range of recreational activities and education programs for elders, caregivers and the community. The Leonard E. Simmons Center, 558 Plymouth Street, serves as a multi-service center offering with beautiful grounds, and gardens. In 2010, over 1200 visited the center for recreational purposes.7

Within the 16-64 age group 697 persons identified themselves as having mobility (going outside the home) or self-care limitation according to the 2000 US Census. 1,470 persons had some work disability. Amongst persons over 65 years, 600 identified themselves as having mobility or self- care limitation. These are all non-institutionalized persons with disabilities. Middleborough’s

5 “Disaster Preparedness for Older Americans”, 2002. Business Publishers, Inc.: Silver Spring, MD, p.1. 6 Barbara Erickson, Middleborough Assessor, September 2011 7 Andrea Priest, Director Council on Aging, August 2011

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 map Census appended to this plan shows that 3,415 persons identified themselves as having mobility (going outside the home) or self-care limitation according to the new 2010 US Census8.

The 2000 Census represents the first time that data on the disabled was collected. The Census long form allowed self-reporting by the respondent on questions that would indicate disabilities of various types:

-Sensory disability -Physical disability -Mental disability -Self-care disability -Going outside the home disability -Employment disability.

Due to the ability to select more than one category, this translates into a smaller number of residents. The special circumstances of the disabled population that may affect disaster response include: o the visually-impaired are reluctant to leave familiar surroundings; o those with mental or cognitive impairment may not understand or may become confused; o guide dogs and other assistance animals may become disoriented in a disaster; o proper transport techniques are required to reassure anyone being carried that they will not be dropped; o many respiratory illnesses are aggravated by stress; o medically-dependent individuals may not be able to communicate their needs; and all temporary shelters must meet accessibility standards

Middleborough contains a number of nursing and/or residential homes with residents requiring skilled nursing or other special need accommodations. Those homes include:

Table 3 - Nursing and Residential Homes in Middleborough

Name Address Size Type 123 Golden Living Center-Oakhill 76 North Street Alzheimer’s, Skilled nursing beds 40 beds Assisted living, Hannah B. G. Shaw Home 299 Wareham Street 20 beds Skilled nursing Nemasket Healthcare Center 314 Marion Road 90 beds Respite & hospice care

The Montgomery Home 64 South Main Street 7 beds Assisted living

Serenity Home 98 South Main St 24 beds Rest Home, assisted living Homeless shelter for Conway House 14 East Grove St. women/children

8 SRPEDD Census Map 2010.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Transportation Network

Major Streets and Highways The Town of Middleborough is well served by a number of state and local highways that provide direct access through the town and to Interstate 495. The principal roadways that provide access to the town are described below. Descriptions of the roadways include a description of geometric conditions and adjacent land uses.

Interstate 495 is a circumferential limited access highway around the Boston metropolitan area. Depending on location, the highway provides two or three lanes of travel in each direction. Access to I-495 is provided via four partial cloverleaf interchanges in Middleborough and a 5th in Wareham. These on-/off-ramps are at Exit 3-Rte 28/Rock Village; Exit 4-Rte 105/Downtown; Exit 5-Rte 18/ Lakeville/Middleborough and Exit 6-Rte 44. These on-/off-ramps, at exits 3-6, provide direct access to Route 28, Route 106, Route 18, and Route 44 respectively. Exit 2- Rte. 58/Wareham is located approximately one quarter (¼) mile from the Middleborough town line in Wareham

Figure 2: Transportation Network

Route 44 is a state highway that provides an east-west access to Carver, Kingston and Plympton to the east and Lakeville, Raynham and Taunton to the west. Route 44 provides one lane of travel in each direction with additional turning lanes provided at major intersections west of Rte. 58 and 2 lane median divided, grade separated travel east of Rte. 58. The posted speed limit on Route 44 varies between 25 miles per hour west of the Rotary, 50 miles per hour east of the Rotary to Rte. 58 in Carver where it rises to 65 mph between there and Rte. 3. Rte. 44 east of the Rotary is a limited access roadway with 4 signalized intersections at Old Center St., Everett St., Plymouth St. and Rte. 105 and no other curb cuts or developments are allowed by MADOT. Land use along Route 44 west of the Rotary is a mix of commercial uses.

Route 105 is a state highway that provides north-south access to Lakeville to the south and Plympton and Halifax to the north. Route 105 provides one lane of travel in each direction with

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 additional turning lanes provided at major intersections and four travel lanes from Rte. 28, through the I-495 interchange and into Lakeville. Route 105 provides access to the Middleborough/ Lakeville MBTA Commuter Rail Station, located just south of the on-/off- ramps to I-495. The posted speed limit on Route 105 varies between 45 miles per hour and 25 miles per hour as the road approaches and bisects downtown Middleborough. Land use along Route 105 is a mix of office, retail, agricultural and residential uses. To the north, land use is rural/agricultural and the road serves as a major connector to Halifax and Plympton.

Route 28 is a state highway that provides north-south access to Bridgewater to the north and Wareham to the south. Route 28, the old “Cranberry Highway” provides one lane of travel in each direction and intersects and combines with Rte. 18 at the Middleborough Rotary and proceeds in this combined fashion north into Bridgewater. Land use along Route 28 is a mix of office, retail, highway commercial, agricultural and single family as well as multifamily residential uses; the area north of the Rotary consists primarily of large industrial parks with some commercial and residential uses.

Route 18 is a state highway that provides north-south access to Bridgewater to the north and Lakeville and Rochester to the south. Route 18, provides one lane of travel in each direction and intersects and combines with Rte. 28 at the Middleborough Rotary and proceeds in this combined fashion north into Bridgewater. Land use along Route 18 south of the Rotary consists of restaurants, and Ocean Spray Cranberries Corporate Headquarters; north of the Rotary it consists primarily of large industrial parks with some commercial and residential uses.

Traffic, Congestion and Circulation Alternatives Middleborough residents rely on their private vehicles to travel on the local and regional roadway network to meet their primary transportation needs. Other than new commercial and residential subdivision roadways, there has been little change in the roadway system in Middleborough in the past 20 years although Town officials have aggressively advocated for significant changes.

Since the construction and opening of the new Rte. 44 from Carver (Rte. 58) to Plymouth (Rte. 3) in 2004, there has been a significant increase in traffic and congestion on Rte. 44 (Rte. 58 to I- 495), at the I-495/Rte. 44 and I-495/Rte. 18 interchanges and at the Middleborough Rotary. The newly built section of Rte. 44 has resulted in significant commercial and residential development in the towns to the east of Middleborough which generate additional vehicles that travel west on Rte. 44 in order to access I-495. This Rte. 44 traffic congestion, westbound in the morning and eastbound in the evening, results in significant delays at the four signalized intersections on Rte. 44 in Middleborough, despite the recently redesigned and constructed signal layouts at Old Center St., Everett St., Plymouth St. and Rte. 105, which now provide dedicated turning lanes. The long delays at the signalized intersections and Middleborough Rotary are causing drivers to find detours and shortcuts through the downtown area and residential neighborhoods around the Rotary including Vernon, Ash, Clay, Old Center and West Grove Streets and Anderson Ave. Cut through traffic is now occurring from the Route 44/Rte105 intersection, travelling on Rte. 105 through East Main Street and the downtown to the I-495/Rte. 105 interchange to avoid the congestion on Rte. 44 and at the Middleborough Rotary.

Backups at the Middleborough Rotary during the PM peak hour of traffic, are causing travelers on I-495 southbound wishing to take the Rte. 44 eastbound exit, Exit 6, to actually back up onto

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 the interstate highway. Vehicles wishing to avoid this backup are proceeding past this exit to Exit 5, Rte. 18, and are entering the Rotary from the south and others travelling eastbound on Rte. 44 are taking the I-495 southbound exit to travel the short distance on I-495 to then get off at Rte. 18 to again enter the Rotary from the south rather than west. Additional large scale industrial development in the Town of Plympton will further exacerbate this congestion. I-495 continues to experience significant backups in Middleborough as a result of the decrease from 3 travel lanes to 2 travel lanes in each direction which is particularly problematic during the summer Cape Cod tourist season on Friday and Sunday nights. This backup, results in more traffic diverting to Rte. 28 which runs parallel to I-495.

The Rte. 105/I-495 interchange as well as the Rte. 28/Rte105 intersection are heavily congested during peak traffic hours without the addition of the cut through traffic described above. Additional development in the Town of Lakeville will further exacerbate the congestion in this area.

Future commercial, industrial and residential development within Middleborough and more critically in abutting towns will generate more vehicle trips on local and regional roadways. While commercial development in the western part of town will create more problems during the morning and evening peak commuter hours, new residential development in other parts of town will result in more off-peak and weekend traffic to schools, shopping areas and the Town’s recreation facilities. An increase in residential population will also place more demands on parts of the transportation network used for bicycling, jogging, hiking or horseback riding. Based on these findings, the following recommended actions have been identified to help meet the future needs of the Town’s transportation system for the next generation.

Table 4 - DPW 2015 Pavement Management Report: Public/Private Road Miles

TOWN State Unaccepted Total 163.72 miles 64.38 miles 24.71 miles 252.82 miles

The Town of Middleborough, SRPEDD and MADOT have identified locations in town that experience high accident rates and warrant improvements through roadway widening and traffic signalization. First and foremost is the Route 44 corridor between the Carver Town Line and I- 495. Proposed improvements include double barreling of the road, a combination of grade separation and at-grade intersection improvements as well as replacement of the Middleborough Rotary. The Route 28 corridor also needs the implementation of recommended transportation improvements because of recent and proposed commercial development projects. Route 105 between Route 28 and North Street needs to be reconstructed, and the Town has initiated the project, which needs support from MADOT for funding. Rte. 105 at the I-495 interchange is scheduled to be signalized by MADOT; however the Town of Middleborough does not believe that the proposed signal design adequately addresses the traffic needs of Clark Street East or West. Construction of this project has not been initiated as of this date.

Evacuation Routes Route 44 serves as the evacuation route for populations to the east, specifically residents of Plymouth, when required to evacuate the 10 mile zone around the

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth. Residents are to be sent to three Evacuation Centers located in Taunton, Bridgewater and Braintree. According to the Town of Plymouth’s 2011 “Public Emergency Information Calendar, Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant” which includes instruction on evacuation and routes to be taken, only residents from Zone #6 in Plymouth are instructed to travel west on Route 44 to I-495, then north on I-495 to Rte. 24 to Taunton. Other Plymouth residents from Zones 1, 2, 3 and 5 are encouraged to travel south on Route 3 to Rte. 25/I-495, then north on I-495 to Rte. 24 to Taunton. The zones sent south on Rte. 3 are shown on the evacuation map in the same color as the Zone #6, Rte. 44 route; therefore it appears that Rte. 44 is an alternate route. Entergy, the owner of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, provides information through their website which does not distinguish which roads should be taken to the shelter in Taunton and all of the Town of Plymouth evacuation routes are shown in the same color. The routes designated in the Plymouth evacuation plan may appear to be circuitous to many residents, sending them south to go north or to travel by “back roads” such as Rte. 106, and residents may determine that the fastest way to leave Plymouth, Carver and Kingston to reach their designated shelters in Taunton or Bridgewater would be to utilize Rte. 44. If this is the case, the Rte. 44 signalized intersections in Middleborough as well as the Rotary area may become significantly congested causing cut through traffic attempting to find ways around the backups.

The 2006 Regional Hurricane Evacuation Plan by SRPEDD identifies Rte. 44 and I-495 as evacuation routes from Cape Cod, the Southcoast towns of Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett and Plymouth. Several locations in Middleborough are identified as potentially inhibiting safe and adequate evacuation traffic flow during an emergency situation. I-495 drops from 3 lanes to 2 between Rte. 25/I-495 and Rte. 24; Rte. 44 drops from 2 lanes to 1 from Rte. 58 to I-495; and, the Middleborough Rotary experiences significant congestion. The Conclusions and Recommendations contained in this report suggest that I-495 should be widened to 3 lanes in each direction, Rte. 44 be widened to 2 lanes in each direction and the Middleborough Rotary be removed.

Railroad Middleborough is serviced by the Old Colony MBTA Commuter Rail line which provides train service into Boston’s South Station. The Middleborough/Lakeville Station straddles the Middleborough/Lakeville town line off of Route 105 in Lakeville. Middleborough also hosts the commuter rail layover facility at the “Y” in the tracks off of RTE 105 and Clark Street West. The Old Colony MBTA line was upgraded further in the spring of 2013 to provide rail service from Boston’s South Station to Hyannis. Weekend service on the “Cape Flyer” between Boston and Hyannis, with stops in Braintree, Middleborough and Buzzards Bay began on Memorial Day weekend and extended through Columbus Day 2013. In addition to commuter rail service, the north-south tracks in Middleborough also provide freight service between Cape Cod and areas to the north, sharing the single track Old Colony line. These tracks form a “Y” at the layover facility where a second track used for freight service extends to the west toward Lakeville and Myricks. The Conrail yard, located off of Station Street in downtown Middleborough, serves as the rail yard for both the Myricks and Cape Cod tracks. The rail yard is used as a holding and staging area for both full and empty rail cars and to “make-up” trains with specific cars to be sent off to various locations. A significant amount of trash is sent to SEMASS, the regional waste to energy incinerator in Rochester, utilizing the rail road which runs through Middleborough.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Land Use: Housing, Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.

Land use within the Town of Middleborough is characterized by large tracts of undeveloped and agricultural land interspersed with clusters of development. The undeveloped land includes large, relatively contiguous land areas. Open land ranges from agricultural upland to cranberry bogs and reservoirs, undeveloped woodlands to large areas of wetlands. The Town has major concentrations of open land in large parcels and multiple holdings, protected and unprotected, in its northeastern area. The Cumberland Farm/Haseotes, Great Cedar Swamp properties straddle the town line with Halifax and contain approximately 2000 acres of undeveloped land, half of which is farmed and the other half remains regulated wetland. The adjacent Little Cedar Swamp area and the Taunton River corridor are similarly undeveloped. In South Middleborough the Rocky Gutter Wildlife Refuge, Black Brook Corridor and the water supply lands surrounding the Assawompsett Complex are vast areas of predominantly protected undeveloped land.

Overall Land Use Observations The developed areas of Middleborough include concentrations of business and residential uses around historic villages, business uses along highway and rail corridors as well as large industrial parks located near the Middleborough Rotary, and residential uses in single lots and in subdivisions that are generally located near the major highway and arterials that transect Middleborough. The following map is indicative of the larger patterns of land use, and is available through the Massachusetts GIS system; the more recent Middleborough GIS land use map is more useful and detailed in many ways, but is not suitable for reproduction within the limits of this report because of the extreme level of detail it provides.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Table 5 - Land Use Classifications and Areas, MassGIS Data

Land Use Class Area (ac.) Cropland 2,360 Pasture 2,360 Forest 27,926 Wetland 1,108 Mining 287 Open Land 1,215 Recreation: participation 83 Recreation: spectator 85 Residential: MF 74 Residential: SF Less than 1/4 ac. Lots 328 Residential: SF 1/4 to 1/2 ac. Lots 874 Residential: SF Larger than 1/2 ac. Lots 3,888 Commercial 336 Industrial 231 Urban Open 355 Transportation 787 Waste Disposal 85 Water 1,947 Woody Perennial 2,407 Total Area* 46,738 Source: 2004 Natural Hazard Disaster Mitigation Plan

Residential growth had been strong for new housing including single family, condominiums, multifamily, and manufactured housing (mobile homes) until the economic downturn of 2008.

Table 6 - Building Permits 2003 - 2013

Source: Middleborough Building Department Figure 3: Community Character

Forecasts for the ten years by SRPEDD suggest that Middleborough’s population will continue to increase, adding nearly 947 residents in the next ten years while averaging annual growth rates of 0.4%, which is much lower than the 1.6% per year experienced between 2000 and 2010.

New housing units produced in 2009 and 2010 were 23 and 14 respectively, a significant decrease from the high of 285 in 2003. In the future, housing production may return to a rate that is more reflective of the pre-2000 period whereby the number of units would increase in Middleborough at a rate of about 80-100 units per year through 2020.

The expansion in housing will be filled by a population of households that current trends predict will be a mix of young families and retirees.

Middleborough’s average household size is 2.67 persons, which is above regional averages, indicating that a significant number of families are attracted to the way of life in Middleborough.

While the proportion of elderly within the population has been consistent with the regional averages, this is shifting. The development of Oak Point, the 1150 unit senior manufactured housing development is substantially changing the demographics of the town, which must be taken into account in planning for services in the future.

These expected changes in the total population and in the number of households will influence budgetary decisions, land use issues and local commercial expectations. These

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 local changes will not be solely based on the aggregate increases expected, but are also due to the relevant characteristics of the town’s future population.

According to Middleborough’s Housing Production Plan the town’s housing stock in 2010 was 64% single family, 11% manufactured housing/mobile homes, 20% multifamily (including 2 family) and 5% condos and townhouses.

Middleborough had 1,811 rental housing units or 26% of total units according to the 2000 US Census.

Housing prices in Middleborough have been affordable relative to other parts of the region. The relatively low prices tended to make Middleborough a somewhat attractive housing location than other areas. However, since the economic downturn and there has been a decrease in local prices, the values are still greater than incomes and the ability to obtain mortgages continues to be a challenge.

The Town of Middleborough does not meet goals for low income housing supply, as currently defined by the state. As a result, the Town may be subject to “Comprehensive Permit” projects that exceed zoning standards or vary from local land use regulations, if such projects can supply additional housing meeting state goals. The Town may consider other methods to add to its approved low-income housing stock to promote diversity.

There are four private campgrounds in Middleborough: KOA at the corner of Plymouth and Rt. 44; and three on Tispaquin Pond, YMCA’s Camp Yomechas on Wareham St., Camp Avoda on Gibbs Rd. and Tispaquin Family Campground on Purchase St. The Fire Department would coordinate evacuations with the campground directors.

Historical Development Patterns: The Village Structure Many towns in New England grew from a single central location, and then spread outwards in a radial pattern along the roads that connected town centers to the region. Middleborough’s historical development pattern is somewhat rare. The “islands” of upland left between the wet lowlands were desirable locations for most land uses, and roads were easily built across the sandy soil if they skirted the surface waters and wetlands. So Middleborough evolved as numerous small clusters of “villages” or hamlets at the crossroads of a spider web-like network of roads. Some of these villages were substantial, and became concentrations for a mixture of commercial, residential and rural uses. Others were merely a convenient concentration of farms and associated residences. The remnants of this scattered pattern of clustered settlements are visible in many locations today, although their identity has often become obscured by time and the imposition of subsequent development. Older residents in town relate to and use the village place names more than young folk or newcomers as the villages contained neighborhood schools in the past making them geographically important to the residents. The following locations are considered historic villages within the town:

North Middleborough (also called Titicut) – Pleasant and Plymouth Street. Middleborough Center –Centre St, North and South Main Streets and Wareham Street, traditionally known as ‘Four Corners” because of the crossroads that define the Center. Rock Village –Miller, Smith and Walnut Streets.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 South Middleborough – Wareham, Locust and Spruce Streets The Green –East Main Street and Plymouth Street East Middleborough – Thompson Street area. Eddyville –Plympton, Cedar and Carmel Streets. Waterville –Plymouth Street between Carmel and Wall Street, south of Route 44.

Middleborough has 3 districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Muttock, located around Nemasket Street/Oliver Mill Park, south of Rte 44; South Main Street; and, South Middleborough. A 4th District is pending on Thompson Street (Rte 105)

Economic Development

Although Middleborough is considered a rural community because of its size and agricultural appearance, it has been a commercial and industrial center since colonial times. The Business District, which comprises only 0.2% of the Town, is a traditional “downtown” with main street and storefronts directly adjacent to the broad sidewalks of Centre and Wareham Streets as well as North and South Main Streets, which is also Route 105. Many of the buildings contain commercial space on the first floor and residential apartments on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Downtown Middleborough is a National Historic Register District

The Development Opportunities District (DOD) is a zoning overlay district located on Rte 18/28 north of the Rotary and north of Rte 44 west of the Rotary. This district has been designed to encourage large, comprehensively planned industrial and commercial land uses on parcels of land with 10 acres or more. Currently the town has three industrial developments: Campanelli Business Park has been permitted for 2.16 million s.f. of development, has 1.63 million s.f built to date with 445,000 s.f. of dedicated expansion for current tenants; Middleborough Park @ 495 has been permitted for 1.09 million s.f. of development , has 289,564 s.f. built to date and 56,000 s.f. of planned expansion; and, Southpointe Corporate Center, which may accommodate up to 1 million square feet of commercial or industrial development, has not been built to date.

The Town’s General Use (GU) District covers a large area of the town, generally running along Route 28 from Route 44 to the Wareham town line; although there are small GU zones in other locations. The GU District allows single family and small commercial/light manufacturing uses by “right” and multifamily uses and large commercial and manufacturing uses (with buildings greater than 20,000 s.f) by special permit.

Although Middleborough has an Industrial District, it is not the center of industrial development. It is located on River Street along the Taunton River and was zoned as such to accommodate the now defunct K&F Brick Company. The district does not allow residential uses of any type, although most pre-existing development is residential, and the area is inappropriate for most types of development as it is not served by the public water or sewer system and soils are a limiting factor.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Table 7 - Employment by Industry in Middleborough

Source: SRPEDD Fact Book 2015

Table 8 - Largest Employers in Middleborough

# of Employees Company Name Nature of Business (approximate) Christmas Tree Shops Warehouse/Distribution, Corporate Headquarters 270 Pavestone, Inc. Manufacturing 200 Brookfield Engineering Manufacturing, Corporate Headquarters 176 Ocean Spray Cranberries Manufacturing, Corporate Headquarters 170 Neuro-Rehabilitation Long Term Care Medical Facility 156 Center at Middleborough NES Clothing 160 Warehouse/Distribution (Broder Brothers)

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 # of Employees Company Name Nature of Business (approximate) IDEX Manufacturing 134 Champion Exposition Services Manufacturing, Warehouse/Distribution 120 Serta Mattress Warehouse/Distribution 95 Malden International Design Corporate Headquarters 75 Groupo Bimbo Bakeries Distribution Center 50

Source: Middleborough Office of Economic and Community Development

Utilities

Gas and Electric Middleborough is a major utility to its residents. As previously mentioned, Middleborough owns its own municipal utility, the Middleborough Gas & Electric Department, which provides electric and natural gas service to the town’s residents and businesses as well as to the Town of Lakeville.

Water Ground water provides drinking water to the residents of the town through both Middleborough’s public water supply system and, in outlying areas, through private water supply wells. Middleborough maintains 11 water supply wells and serves an average day demand of approximately 1.7 mgd and a maximum day demand of approximately 3.12 mgd9. The wells are located throughout town and include, Cross St, Plympton St, East Main St 1 & 2, East Grove St, Tispaquin Pond 1 & 2 (Wareham St), Miller St, Rock Pond 1 & 2 (Miller St) and Spruce St. Sixty nine percent (69%) of the population is served by Middleborough’s public water supply system. Middleborough also supplies a small number of customers in Lakeville due to groundwater contamination issues.

Wastewater Middleborough operates a public sewer system as well as a 2.16 mgd wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located on the Nemasket River north of Route 44. This system services the center of town as well as the industrial parks in the DO District north of the Rotary. Middleborough’s Board of Selectmen has maintained a moratorium on sewer line extensions, and prohibits any residential extensions beyond the existing sewer service area, except for extensions relating to commercial development. Currently, 7200 people or 31% of the population is served by Middleborough’s public sewer system as is the Ocean Spray Corporate Headquarters on the Lakeville-Middleborough town line10. There are 29 miles of sewer line with 6 pump stations, two of which do not have emergency power backup. The WWTP is located within the 100 year floodplain of the Nemasket River and much of its treatment works were inundated during the 100 year floods of 2010. The plant is also not equipped with 220 or 480 volt emergency backup power to operate the pumps and aeration systems, which is a significant problem when power outages result from natural hazards. The waste water treatment plant is scheduled to undergo a significant upgrade over the next 3-5 years in compliance with renewal of the town’s NPDES discharge permit. Emergency power generation is included in the upgrade design.

9 Joseph Silva, Water Superintendent, September 2011 10 Todd Goldman, Wastewater Superintendant, September 2011

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Table 9 - Utilities within Middleborough

Community Electric Gas Provider Drinking Water Source Wastewater Provider Middleborough Middleborough Middleborough Municipal & Private Partial Gas & Electric Gas & Electric Wells Middleborough/ISDS Department Department

Cellular Communications There are a number of cellular communications towers located in the town which provide service to the residents, emergency responders and surrounding communities. These towers are generally located along the main highway corridors, although some equipment is located on existing structures. Most of the towers host co-located facilities for more than one cell phone provider.

Table 10 - Cell Towers and Antennae within Middleborough

Owner Location Height Providers State Police Tower West Grove Street - Barracks 185' Sprint Nextel 499 Wareham Street 180' AT & T Nextel 426 Wareham Street 150' AT & T Southeast Comm. 121 Pine Street 180' T-Mobile, Sprint Crown Atlantic Company 169 East Grove Street 180' Sprint, Comcast Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, Jaminac Corp. 376 West Grove Street 180' USA Mobile Omnipoint 164 Everett Street 150' Nstar(co-locate on existing Nextel, T-Mobile, Off Plympton Street 180' transmission tower) Omnipoint Industrial Communications Off Katrina Road 190' Sprint Nstar (co-locate on existing Off Plymouth Street 180' T-Mobile transmission tower) Voicestream 31 Bedford Street 150' T-Mobile 5 Clayton Road 150' Town of Middleborough 111 Wareham Street - Water Tower Nextel Omnipoint 123 East Grove Street 150' At & T 81 Highland Street 152' Nickerson Avenue - Town Hall Town of Middleborough T-Mobile Cupola Central congregational 2 Webster Street - Church Steeple Church Fairfield Inn 3 Chalet Road - Hotel Source: Middleborough Zoning Board of Appeals

Chapter Two Conclusions

The following general characteristics, drawn from this profile, are relevant to the design of a disaster mitigation strategy:

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Middleborough is a growing community and the future indicates this will continue especially as infrastructure improvements make it easier to live in Middleborough and work elsewhere The growth of the past two decades has brought to town many new residents who are unfamiliar with the weather and hurricane pattern of the area. The substantial agriculture resources of Middleborough are at risk from natural hazards. The large number of cranberry bogs and their appurtenant reservoirs makes dam integrity and failure a significant issue. The rural nature and size of the community makes communication and response for emergency services more difficult. The presence of a large open space parcels, wildlife management area, and major undeveloped tracts make Middleborough more vulnerable to wildfires than other areas. New construction is occurring in areas vulnerable to wildfire and the Town lacks a public water supply in many of the outlying areas. Manufactured housing is particularly vulnerable to natural hazards and Middleborough has a sizeable number of such homes. In addition, as a senior complex, this population is elderly with the associated response needs. In general Middleborough is a wet town – with swamps, bogs, ponds, streams, and rivers making up approximately 50% of the town’s area. Flooding is an issue and can be exacerbated when natural vegetation and debris collects in the many miles of connected waterways in the town or when flood mitigation is not employed during new development that adds impervious area to a watershed.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

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Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Chapter Three: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

This chapter will discuss the natural hazards and evaluate the risk they pose to residents, homes and businesses. Each natural hazard is identified and profiled with information on the hazard’s dimensions, history, and risk factors. Risk will be examined in terms of the likelihood of the natural hazard occurring; the geographic area that the natural hazard could affect; and the impacts that could be expected. The “likelihood” or probability of an event occurring is determined by reviewing historical events and consulting expert opinion, while GIS mapping is used to evaluate the area that could be affected. Information on the development characteristics of Middleborough from the profile chapter is used to estimate the impacts of natural hazards on critical facilities, vulnerable populations, and infrastructure.

The discussion on risk assessment draws heavily from Middleborough’s 2004 Hazard Mitigation Plan, Massachusett’s 2013 Statewide Plan and Middleborough’s own experience. Additional hazards have been added to this plan since the Town’s 2004 HMP including Ice Storms, Extreme Temperatures and Landslides and the narrative for a number of hazards has been expanded. Although the State Plan includes additional hazards such as Coastal Hazards, Major Urban Fires and Tsunamis which are experienced in Massachusetts, Middleborough has excluded these hazards from this plan, as they do not occur or their impacts are not felt within the Town. Maps for this section are provided at the end of the chapter.

Flood Related Hazards:

Description of Flood Hazard The State Hazard Mitigation Plan of 2013, records flooding as a significant hazard faced within the state, rated highest with respect to frequency, likely level and potential worst case.11 This is not surprising given that a number of natural hazards can cause flooding including: hurricanes, Nor’easters, thunderstorms, and winter storms. Middleborough has experienced severe flooding from heavy rains; repetitive storms over a short period of time; and, snow melt within the hundred year floodplain although flooding after a hurricane may be more severe. The growth of Middleborough has meant that pervious land has become more impervious, increasing the amount of runoff from normal precipitation, although all new subdivisions and major developments are required to mitigate post development runoff increases over pre-development conditions for up to and including the 100 year storm event.

As indicated by the Critical Facility and Flood maps (Appendix 3), the 100-year floodplain areas in Middleborough are located along river corridors and round ponds including the Assawompsett Pond Complex. Further evaluation should be undertaken to assess whether this land area is the rear portion of developed lots, wetland areas or in any other way restricted from development. Much of this area may be associated with bogs.

Dam Safety Regulations Middleborough has 20 dams listed by the Massachusetts Office of Dam Safety (ODS) and two other known dams which are not. Many of these facilities are smaller dams (or flumes) associated with the cranberry industry and are used to manage water supply relative to cranberry growing and harvesting. Eight of the dams are regulated by Federal or State laws with four (4) of these dams being categorized as Significant Hazard and four (4) as Low Hazard dams. A listing of these facilities is included at the end of this Chapter.

11 Massachusetts Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2013 Update, p.5-6. The Office of Dam Safety, a division of the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), has jurisdictional authority over dams that meet the following criteria: dam structure six feet or higher, or impoundment of 15 acre feet12 or more, or a significant downstream hazard as determined by staff review (e.g. campground, densely developed area, major thoroughfare, etc.). This includes government and privately owned dams. Revisions of the Dam Safety Statute, MGL Ch. 253 §§ 44-50, significantly changed the responsibilities of dam owners to register, inspect and maintain dams in good operating condition. Amendments to Dam Safety Regulations 302 CMR 10.00-10.16 became effective November 4, 2005 and are reflective of the statutory changes require owners to register the dams and have them professionally inspected at the owner’s expense, every two years. While the monitoring of dam condition falls to the owner, be it a private or public entity, damage from dam failure may include multiple owners and even property across town boundaries.

Dam owners must complete a Dam Registration Form provided by the ODS. The ODS will then issue a Dam Registration Certificate to the dam owner for recording at registry of deeds. The dam owner must record the certificate as an attachment to the record deed and provide Dam Safety with a copy of the recorded certificate. When land ownership is transferred from one owner to another, a revised Dam Registration Form must be submitted to the ODS in a timely manner to initiate issuance of an updated Dam Registration Certificate which must be recorded.

Owners of dams are required by 302 CMR 10.07 to hire a qualified engineer to inspect and report results every 2 years for High Hazard Potential dams, every 5 years for Significant Hazard Potential dams and every 10 years for Low Hazard Potential dams.

Table 11 - Dam Hazard Potential

DAM CLASSIFICATION CHARACTERISTICS

Dams located where failure will likely cause loss of life and serious High Hazard Potential damage to home(s), industrial or commercial facilities, important public utilities, main highway(s) or railroad(s). Dams located where failure may cause loss of life and damage home(s), industrial or commercial facilities, secondary highway(s) or Significant Hazard Potential railroad(s) or cause interruption of use or service of relatively important facilities. Dams located where failure may cause minimal property damage to Low Hazard Potential others. Loss of life is not expected. MGL Chapter 253 and 302 CMR 10.00 requires that dam owners Emergency Action Plans: prepare, maintain and update Emergency Action Plans for all High Hazard Potential dams and certain Significant Hazard Potential dams.

Source: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/pe/damSafety

The Massachusetts Office of Dam Safety reports that the region’s dams, like the other parts of New England infrastructure, are an aging infrastructure that is expensive to repair. Routine

12 Acre foot = Amount of water that fills one acre of land to a depth of one foot, approx. 300,000 galloons of water.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 maintenance is necessary to control the growth of trees and keep the area clear so defects can be detected. In addition to aging, the region’s dams are often doing work beyond their original design. The increase in impervious surfaces leads to increased flows in some streams and rivers and thus greater demands are placed on the dams. In 2010, the Stony Brook Pond Dam at the Pratt Farm Conservation Area “overtopped” after heavy precipitation, and came close to catastrophic failure. When this happens the dams can fail quickly as the earthen structures are subject to erosion pressures. The Riverways Program within the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Law Enforcement (DFWELE), has been studying the larger environmental costs of both operational dams and dam failures. Dam failures may cause loss of life and property downstream, but they may also degrade the environment. Many dams act as a holding area for contaminated sediments. With a dam failure, these sediments are released and can damage wildlife and the ecology of the river system. An associated cost of dam failures is the potential for such destruction to affect fish ladders or culverts for directing water. The Riverways Program is looking to develop an assessment tool for evaluating dams for all aspects of safety, including environmental safety. The State Office of Ecological Restoration is investigating and encouraging the removal of unnecessary dams within Massachusetts and the State is reportedly providing funding for such endeavors.

In summary, the likely occurrence of flooding due to a variety of causes (hurricanes, Nor’easters, thunderstorms, winter storms, and dam failure) is High in Middleborough and would affect limited geographic areas and population base thus having an impact on the Neighborhood level. The severity of the impacts on persons, property, and public infrastructure can be expected to be Extensive.

Previous Occurrences of Flood Hazards - Middleborough experiences flooding because of its low flat topography and number of rivers, streams and ponds; however, the large amount of natural wetland areas and floodplains as well as other undeveloped lands within the town have protected it more than other areas. Flooding occurs from two types of storms, short duration, high intensity rain events causing flash flooding, and long duration sometimes back to back moderate intensity rain events. Flash flooding impacts infrastructure, such as roads, which may not be mapped as flood prone areas but flood because of the drainage systems inability to pass flows quickly enough. Drainage systems are designed for the “100 year storm” or 7” of rainfall over a 24 hour period. This is different from the “100 year flood” which is the flood event causing an elevation of flooding having a 1% chance of occurring in a given year. You may have a 100 year flood without having a 100 year storm. Middleborough experienced two 100 year floods in 2010, on 3/17/10 and again on 4/1/10. This was due to heavy rains over 3 or more days during each event. A USGS flood gauge is located at the Titicut Street Bridge on the Taunton River, which provides instantaneous river elevation data, flood projections, historic crests, etc. through the National Weather Service’s River Forecast Center: According to the River Forecast Center, the flood stage of the Taunton River is 10.50 ft on the stream gauge, with historic crests as follows (Note: Datum to be adjusted to match FEMA FIRM elevations on NGVD29 Datum): http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=box&gage=bdgm3.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Table 12 - Taunton River Historical Crests

Height Stream Flood Rank Date Gauge Elevation Flood Elevation Gauge (1) 14.97 ft 04/01/2010 9.61 ft 24.58 ft (2) 14.51 ft 03/17/2010 9.61 ft 24.12 ft (3) 14.48 ft 03/20/1968 9.61 ft 24.09 ft (4) 13.02 ft 08/21/1955 9.61 ft 22.63 ft (5) 12.54 ft 04/08/1987 9.61 ft 22.15 ft (6) 12.49 ft 03/27/1969 9.61 ft 22.10 ft (7) 12.40 ft 10/17/2005 9.61 ft 22.01 ft (8) 12.21 ft 06/09/2006 9.61 ft 21.82 ft (9) 11.90 ft 12/28/1969 9.61 ft 21.51 ft (10) 11.30 ft 03/24/2001 9.61 ft 20.91 ft (Source: National Weather Service’s River Forecast Center with Flood Elevation by Middleborough Planning Department)

Location and Impact of Flood Hazards

Assawompsett Pond Complex (APC) - During the 100 year flood as experienced on 3/17/10 and 4/1/10, the APC experienced extensive flooding, seriously impacting the four towns of Middleborough, Lakeville, Freetown and Rochester, where the ponds are located. Lakeville and Freetown were hit hardest, as more homes and road infrastructure are located around the ponds in these towns. Route 18 in Lakeville was closed for almost 3 weeks. Residents near the APC had been complaining for months prior to the floods, that they felt the City of New Bedford was maintaining the ponds’ water at too high a level going into the winter/spring months and that Middleborough’s Nemasket Park Dam on the Nemasket River, at Wareham Street, was also prohibiting water from leaving the ponds. As a result of the floods, two advisory committees were created to study the flooding events and determine actions for future mitigation of such flooding. The “Dam Committee or Working Group” studied the hydrologic and hydraulic aspects of the flooding, was supported by staff from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Southeast Regional Office, and included representatives from the cities and towns involved, specifically those with water control structures; and, the second “Nemasket River Committee” was tasked with studying the Nemasket River, and identifying obstructions and possible methods for improving flow, was also supported by DEP staff..

It was determined by the Dam Working Group, in April 2011, through the assistance of Dr. Neil Fennessey of UMASS Dartmouth, that a decision support system and operations management plan for the APC and the Nemasket River, needed to be prepared in order to develop a management protocol that adequately addressed the needs of all Pond Complex stakeholders. This comprehensive plan needed to be developed to manage the APC/Nemasket River system particularly during prolonged drought or flooding. The “firm yield,” or the daily water withdrawal rate that can be reliably maintained during a prolonged drought, would be the essential first step to address water supply needs. The study would help water supply managers’ plan and prepare for floods and would help determine the cause of the 2010 flooding. Implementation of the dam, ponds, and river operating rules and recommendations from this proposed study would help reduce future flooding, property damage, and the need for federal

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 disaster flood relief through FEMA. The proposed investigation would consist of three major objectives: (1) develop a mathematical, computer-based model of the APC and its contributing watershed, to establish the firm yield and reservoir management operating rules for the APC; (2) develop a computer-based model of the Nemasket River above the fish ladder and the Nemasket Park Dam in Middleborough to determine its conveyance capacity and devise operating rules for the Middleborough dam; together, these two models would comprise the DSS computer model; and, (3) stakeholders would use the DSS to develop a comprehensive resource management plan for the APC and the Nemasket River. The management plan and operating rules would guide operators as to how much water to reliably withdraw for public water supply, when to hold water back or release water, and how much, in anticipation of drought or flooding and riparian needs. In addition, the proposed study and management plan would anticipate and provide guidance for the widest range of climate change scenarios as well as fishery and other needs, it would also examine and develop strategies to ameliorate Nemasket river conveyance restrictions due to aquatic vegetation and to coordinate the operation of the Assawompsett Pond Dam and water supply system, the Nemasket Park Dam, and the Middleborough East Grove Street water supply well.

Figure 4: Assawompsett Pond Complex Watershed

Source:Dr Neil Fennessey, UMASSDartmouth

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

The type of study envisioned is very expensive and currently there are no sources of funding adequate to support this task. In the interim, a temporary protocol has been established between New Bedford and Taunton who utilize the ponds for water supply withdrawals; the Town of Middleborough who manages the Nemasket Park Dam and maintains the East Grove St. well and the wastewater treatment plant on the Nemasket River; the Lakeville-Middleborough Herring Fisheries Committee overseeing the needs of the alewife fishery; and, officials from the four host towns representing residents around the ponds and recreational pond users. The protocols target optimum pond levels by specific time of year and amount of rainfall received or expected to be received. The target pond levels were set as follows and recently converted to NAVD88 datum:

Table 13 – 2013 Assawompsett Pond Target Water Levels by Season

TIME OF YEAR TARGET POND ELEVATION NAVD88 (NGVD29) January and February to March 1 51.32 NAVD88 (52.5 NGVD29)

April 1 51.82 NAVD88 (53.0 NGVD29) May 1 52.82 NAVD88 (54.0 NGVD29)

June 1 and July 1 52.32 NAVD88 (53.5 NGVD29)

August 1 51.82 NAVD88 (53.0 NGVD29)

September, October, November and December 51.32 NAVD88 (52.5 NGVD29) Source: William Schwartz, City of Taunton, Water Department, October 1, 2013

The protocol’s development created a process for daily pond elevation readings by the City of Taunton which are distributed via email by Taunton to specific Working Group members on a weekly basis; there is now routine contact between New Bedford, Taunton and Middleborough officials who coordinate adjusting water control structures at the Assawompsett Pond Dam and at the Nemasket Park Dam based on protocol elevations with the effects of the adjustments similarly reported to one another. Unfortunately, between September and November 2011, the above average rainfall and groundwater elevation exceeding the 90th percentile has created another flooding threat at the APC despite the Target Water Level Protocol. Because of the rain, height of groundwater and other factors including sediment, boulders and vegetation blocking numerous locations in the Nemasket River, the Cities were unable to lower the level of Assawompsett Pond in September and October, as the River is as high as the pond. The Working Group has once again convened to respond to public concern and address the situation. The Group, including the Cities of New Bedford and Taunton, has tentatively determined that water must be released while the River is low, in July and August, so that by the first of September the Pond is at 52.5 NGVD29 (51.32 NAVD88). The pond level would be raised again, beginning at the first of March with the highest elevation, 54.0 NGVD29 (52.82 NAVD88), held only until the end of May with consideration given to the elevation of groundwater. These elevations must be regularly reviewed with respect to fisheries, recreation and other interests of the APC and Nemasket River.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Nemasket River - The Nemasket River experiences flooding as indicated by the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). The River is controlled by two dams, one at Assawompsett Pond known as “the gatehouse” and the bascule dam at Wareham Street known as the Nemasket Park Dam. The bascule dam controls the Nemasket River’s elevation upstream of Wareham and East Grove Streets to ensure that there is adequate water in the River to keep the Town’s East Grove Street water supply well recharged. The East Grove Street well is the Town’s largest producing well; it is a 100 year old hand dug well, 22 feet deep and 26 feet in diameter13, located on the bank of the Nemasket River. The Nemasket River is very flat with slow flows, which means that water released form Assawompsett Pond does not clear out quickly. The distance from Assawompsett Pond to Wareham Street is 3.56 miles with an elevation drop of 2.75 feet or a slope of 015%. Sediment, sand bars, boulders and invasive vegetation have been observed blocking numerous locations in the Nemasket River and the uneven streambed is evident when reviewing the 1983 FEMA Flood Profile of the River. These obstructions blocking the River are causing flooding at the APC which cannot drain when the boards are removed at the Assawompsett Pond Dam. Other areas of flooding downstream of Wareham Street include the homes on Montello Street near East Main Street, the East Main Street wastewater pumping station, Oliver Mill Park, the East Grove Street well and the Town’s WWTP off of Everett Street. During the 100 year flood experienced on 3/17/10 and 4/1/10, the WWTP experienced extensive flooding and a number of unique waste handling procedures were employed to prevent discharge of untreated wastewater to the Nemasket River. The plant’s biological processes had to be reseeded after the flooding receded. Although the Town’s DPW & Electric Plant are located on Wareham Street at the Nemasket River, these buildings are not within the 100 year flood plain and were not impacted by the 2010 floods. However it should be noted, that catastrophic unforeseen flooding as experienced in other locations in the country, could adversely impact both of these buildings.

Taunton River – The Taunton River experiences flooding as indicated by the FEMA FIRMs. A USGS flood gauge is located at the Titicut Street Bridge, with instantaneous elevation data, flood projections, etc. provided by the National Weather Service’s River Forecast Center, at http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=box&gage=bdgm3. With the lack of homes on the River most of the flooded lands are woods and wetlands. During the 100 year flood as experienced on 3/17/10 and 4/1/10, Woloski Park was inundated, but other homes remained out of the flooded area. It is anticipated that flood events greater than the 100 year event including up to the 500 year flood, would impact many more homes along the Taunton River not usually prone to flooding. During the 100 year floods of 2010 both the Summer Street Bridge and the Titicut Street Bridge roadway approaches flooded on the northern sides, requiring the roads to be closed. The Summer Street Bridge replacement project, currently underway through 2011, should alleviate this Summer Street flooding when completed.

Assawompsett Pond Dam – The dam (“gatehouse”) at the headwaters of the Nemasket River regulating flows from Assawompsett Pond has earthen embankments with a spillway structure containing five six-foot wide bays separated by granite piers with flumes controllable by wooden planks and a 2 foot wide fish ladder. The spillway height is 8.5 feet above the Nemasket River stream channel and is 43 feet long; the earthen embankments are 5 – 7 feet high and total 2800 feet long, 900 feet on the Lakeville side of the spillway and 1900 feet on the Middleborough

13 Defeo, Wait & Pare, “Results of Prolonged Pumping Tests and Conceptual Zone II Delineation at East Grove St Well”, October 1995, p.3.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 side. The dam, owned and controlled by the City of Taunton, was built in 1896 and impounds 70,000 acre-feet of water in 4 interconnected ponds. The most recent study of this dam is presented in a Phase I Inspection/Evaluation Report, by CDM, dated November 8, 2006. Dam Safety Regulations categorize this structure as Large in size due to its height and storage capacity and as a Class II or Significant hazard dam. The 2006 CDM report rated this dam as being in Fair condition with two major recommendations: develop and implement an Operations and Maintenance Plan for the dam; and, develop an Emergency Action Plan including Emergency Early Warning System or rehabilitate the auxiliary spillway on the Middleborough side of the structure. In April 2012, the ODS approved an application to Change Hazard Classification of this Dam submitted by CDM-Smith in a request dated March 20, 2012. As a result the Hazard Classification was changed from Significant to Low Hazard. According to the ODS letter, the March report presented a dam failure assessment including downstream conditions and CDM’s conclusion that a failure of the dam would not result in any appreciable increase in downstream flooding.

Nemasket Park Dam – The Nemasket Park Dam is located on the Nemasket River at Wareham Street and is owned by the Town of Middleborough. It consists of a 15’ high by 110 foot long earthen structure supporting Wareham Street and the overflow spillway is controlled by an adjustable steel bascule gate. A fish ladder was constructed in this dam in 1969. Dam Safety Regulations categorize this structure as Intermediate in size due to its height and 680 acre-foot storage capacity and as a Class II or Significant hazard dam. Pare Engineering, Inc. inspected this dam in 1998 and prepared a report entitled “Department of Environmental Management, Office of Dam Safety, Municipally Owned Dam, Inspection/Evaluation Report”. The most recent report for Dam Safety was dated February 22, 2010 by GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Pratt Farm Dams - The Town of Middleborough Conservation Commission owns the Pratt Farm Conservation Area on East Main Street which contains 2 dams, the 9.3 foot high by 140 foot long Stony Brook Pond earthen, concrete and timber dam, on the east side of the farm; and, the 8 foot high by 114 foot long Sachem Street earthen dam on the west side of the farm. A dam study was recently completed by the Office of Dam Safety entitled “’Stony Brook Pond Dam’ Phase I, Inspection and Evaluation Report” by Pare Corporation, dated March 22, 2011.The report identifies that the Stony Brook Pond Dam is in Poor condition and should be categorized as Intermediate sized and of Significant (Class II) hazard potential. The Sachem Street Dam is assumed to be non-jurisdictional, as the Office of Dam Safety did not prepare a report after the storms. Both dams are controlled by single flume structures, with wooden flashboards, to regulate the height of water. During the major flooding which occurred on 3/16/10 and 4/1/10 (100 year flood) the Stony Brook dam overtopped with water tearing out the unprotected downstream embankment. Local cranberry growers, with great difficulty, assisted the Town in pulling flashboards during the storm and National Guardsmen placed sandbags on the dam to shore it up and prevent total failure. The Sachem Street dam was undermined from below the surface, leaving a large sinkhole in the center of the dam. This was also shored up by National Guardsmen. Downstream structures that may be impacted by the failure of either of the Pratt Farm Dams include East Main Street (Rte. 105), the neighborhood of homes on East Main, Montello St and Sachem Street, and the Town’s East Main Street Water Pumping Station. The Middleborough Conservation Commission is working with the Massachusetts Office of Dam Safety (ODS) to address the deficiencies of the Stony Brook Pond Dam. The Commission has

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 hired GAF Engineering of Wareham MA to monitor the dam and make reports every 6 months as well as to investigate preparation of a Phase II Investigation.

Shingle Mill Pond off of Plympton St. – The Town of Middleborough Water Department purchased a 92 acre parcel of land located between Plympton and Fuller Streets for water supply purposes in 2002, locally known as the “Fuller Street Property”. This land has an access road off of Plympton Street immediately before house # 100 and across the street from house #99, which leads to and crosses a 10.67 foot high by 188 foot long earthen, fieldstone and timber dam on the property with a concrete weir structure controlled by wooden flashboards. The dam holds water back on a brook flowing east to west creating Shingle Mill Pond, a 5+ foot deep cranberry bog reservoir, located on the eastern side of the access road. During the major flooding which occurred on 3/16/10 and 4/1/10 (100 year flood) this dam was at the point of overtopping with water beginning to flow over the unprotected embankment. National Guardsmen placed sandbags on the dam to prevent failure. Downstream structures from the dam include numerous cranberry bogs and a couple of residences including a Bed & Breakfast. It does not appear that this dam has ever been registered with the Office of Dam Safety nor has it been inspected or evaluated since it has been owned by the Town; it is unclear whether the dam impounds enough water to make it jurisdictional.

Marion Road Cranberry Reservoir Dam – A cranberry bog reservoir, formerly owned by Maksy, located on the east side of Marion Road north of Perry Street was created through the construction of an 11 foot high by 700 foot long dike along and directly adjacent to Marion Road; the dike was not designed by an engineer, nor was it constructed with the normal safety components, such as a controllable rather than fixed weir outlet, emergency spillway and slopes devoid of trees and woody vegetation. Failure of the dam could impact Marion Road and the New Bedford Water Supply property in the Assawompsett Pond Complex on the west side of the road across from the dam. A permit for the dam’s reconstruction was issued by the Office of Dam Safety, in June 2004 as part of the approval of subdivision modification allowing the adjacent Walnut Hill Estates to discharge drainage through the reservoir; however, the subdivision modification was never constructed and the dam was not reconstructed; the Dam Safety Permit has now expired. During the major flooding which occurred on 3/16/10 and 4/1/10 (100 year storm) debris indicates that water reached the top of the dam adjacent to Marion Road and flowed over in one location near the fixed outlet structure. No slope damage or erosion was observed from the slight overtopping, however.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

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Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 wn of Middleborough

Dam Hazard Normal Height EAP Date of Date of Code Storage Most Most Year Drain Latitude/ Source Owner Address River Recent Recent Built Area Spill‐ Longitude of Info Dam Max Phase I Other Condition way Length Storage Inspect* Inspect* Type Office of ODS under Review? Low 6/8/99 Dam (Edward Medeiros?) Fair Safety Town of 10 Nickerson Ave Office of Significant Middleborough Middleborough, 8/1/07 Dam Board of Selectmen MA 02346 Safety City of Taunton, 15 Summer Office of NEMASKET Low 8.5 50,000 Dept of Public Street Taunton, 1894 11/8/06 3/20/12 Dam RIVER Works, Water Div. MA 02750 Fair 2830 70,000 Safety Town of 10 Nickerson Ave Office of STONY Significant Middleborough Middleborough, 3/11/11 Dam BROOK Board of Selectmen MA 02346 Poor Safety Attn: Daniel F. Charles or Anna O'Connor 172 WHET‐ Significant 12 60 NR Barnhardt 41.91667/ Charge Pond Rd. STONE 1920 9.8 3/26/09 FEMA (Waterville ‐70.83667 Wareham, MA BROOK Cranberry Co, ?) Fair 175 130 B 02571 Town of 10 Nickerson Ave NEMASKET Significant 14 60 NR 42.556669 Middleborough Middleborough, 1900 0 9/27/07 FEMA RIVER /‐72.89833 Board of Selectmen MA 02346 Satisfactory 200 100 B Lawrence W. Pink WOODS Low 9 540 NR 41.888329 FEMA, (ODS under 1943 4.6 4/4/83 BROOK /‐70.85 ODS Review?) 220 1080 B Attn: William Comm. of MA ‐ DEM Rhodes 572 Main DOUBLE Low 11 18 NR 41.85/ FEMA, (Double Brook 1920 0 10/17/97 Street Wareham, BROOK ‐70.805 ODS Cranberry Corp.?) MA 02571 Fair 200 63 B Non‐Juris. 11 46 NR RAVEN 41.92/ FEMA, Edgewood Trust 1900 5.7 BROOK 275 75 B ‐70.866669 ODS

ROCKY Non‐Juris. 12 75 NR 41.875/ FEMA, W. Hannula MEADOW 1920 41.20 ‐70.809999 ODS BROOK 1100 90 B ROCKY Non‐Juris. 10 46 NR 41.878329/ FEMA, Lawrence W. Pink MEADOW 1914 6.1 ‐70.819999 ODS BROOK 325 70 B Dam Hazard Normal NATID Height EAP Date of Date of Code Storage Most Most Dam Year Drain Latitude/ Source Street Name Owner Address River Recent Recent Name Built Area Spill‐ Longitude of Info Dam Max Phase I Other MA ID Condition way Length Storage Inspect* Inspect* Type Purchase St. MA 00405 Pink ROCKY Non‐Juris. 9 37 NR (Rocky 41.88167/ FEMA, Reservoir Lawrence W. Pink MEADOW 1914 2.8 Meadow/ ‐70.81667 ODS MA000316 #1 Dam BROOK 150 60 Nye’s Way B MA 00358 Beaton‐ Non‐Juris. 11 46 NR LeBaron Short/ Est. of Peter G. TR‐SHORTS 41.901669/ FEMA, 1920 9 MA000256 Reservoir Tispaquin Beaton BROOK 350 90 B ‐70.854999 ODS Dam Edgewood MA 02156 Non‐Juris. Office of Trust Dam Edgewood Trust Dam Upper #2 Safety Reservoir Edgewood MA 02158 Non‐Juris. Office of Trust Dam Edgewood Trust Dam Upper #3 Safety Reservoir Office of MA 02448 Shorts Shorts Non‐Juris. Dam Brook Dam Brook Safety Town of 10 Nickerson Ave Office of MA 03153 Oliver Mill NEMASKET Non‐Juris. Nemasket St Middleborough Middleborough, Dam Pond Dam RIVER Board of Selectmen MA 02346 Safety Office of MA03363 Ocean Non‐Juris. Bridge St? Dam Spray Dam Safety East Main St Town of 20 Centre Ave Office of MA 03391 Pratt Farm (Pratt Farm/ Middleborough Non‐Juris. Middleborough, Dam Pond Dam right Sachem Conservation MA 02346 Safety St. side) Commission Shingle Town of 10 Nickerson Ave Plympton Raven 10.7 Town / Mill Pond Middleborough Middleborough, Street Brook ODS Dam Board of Selectmen MA 02346 188 off Wareham Hannula St/Basking Town Dam Ridge Dr. * 12/1/2009 DCR Office of Dam Safety

Inventory of Regulated Dams

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Other Dams – The Town of Middleborough supports a large cranberry industry and many streams have been dammed to create cranberry bog reservoirs, used for irrigation. These dams range in size, height, impoundment volume and structural integrity. Information that is known about other dams in the Town of Middleborough is presented in Table 15.

Road Closure Locations – During periods of major flooding, such as the events which occurred on 3/16/10 and 4/1/10 (100 year storm), accessibility around the town was prohibited, due to flooding of many roads and bridges. This caused the necessity to reroute traffic as well as to install signage and barricades. In one location on Summer Street, the road totally washed out. Attached is a map showing the locations where flooding occurred causing the closure of that specific road.

Table 15 - Road Closure Locations Due to Flooding in March 2010

2010 ROAD CLOSURE LOCATION STREET SECTION (between)

Summer Street Bridge over Taunton River River / Titicut Streets Titicut Street Bridge over Taunton River Plymouth / Summer Streets Bridge over Nemasket Murdock Street Summer / River’s Edge Drive River Bridge over Nemasket Plymouth Street Summer / River’s Edge Drive River Vernon Street Bridge over Poqouy Brook Rte. 44 / Old Center Street Culvert over Purchade Plymouth Street Purchade / Murdock Streets Brook Tispaquin Street Culvert over Fall Brook Wareham / Thomas Streets Tispaquin Street Power line crossing Wareham / Thomas Streets Wood Street Culvert over Fall Brook Bridge / Vaughan Streets Walnut Street north of Owl Swamp Marion Road / Cherry Street Precinct Street Thompson / Plymouth Streets River Street House #64 Summer / Thompson Streets, East Main Street Sachem /Wood Streets Cherry Street House #220 France Street Source: Middleborough Fire Department

Woloski Park – Woloski Park is a community of 11 homes located on the Taunton River in north Middleborough. The lands, on which the homes are located, with the exception of one, are within the 100 year floodplain. Access to Woloski Park is via a dead-end gravel road which crosses Purchade Brook via a 600 foot long causeway. The causeway floods at the 2 year storm event, is overtopped by 3.5’ of water at the 10 year flood and at the 100 year flood the road is under 8 feet of water; access is available by boat only. Emergency response to these homes is problematic during routine calls while the road is flooded and the multiple evacuations necessary for complete evacuation during catastrophic events is a significant burden to emergency responders and others.

FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs)

Since commencing the update of the Town’s HMP, FEMA has issued new FIRMs on two separate occasions. The maps were originally dated August 1, 1983. The first set of revised maps adopted by the Town is dated and became effective on July 17, 2012 and included changing the map datum from NGVD29 to NAVD88 as well as map development using LIDR. A second set of map revisions were made after more detailed flooding analysis was conducted on localized areas of the Town involving the Taunton and Nemasket Rivers as well as the Assawompsett Pond Complex. As a result, 14 of the Town’s maps were updated and the effective date of the new map set which was adopted is July 16, 2015.

Repetitive Losses and NFIP

NFIP The town of Middleboro has 34 NFIP policies in force as of 12-31-10. This accounts for $7,794,400 in insurance in force with a total premium of $33,032. This means the average policy in Middleboro is about $972. There has been a total of 20 NFIP Claims (with only 15 actually being paid out) since 1981 when Middleboro joined the NFIP Program. The total claims paid is $181,502.18

Repetitive Loss Properties A repetitive loss property is any property, which the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has paid two or more flood claims of $1,000 or more in any, given 10‐year period since 1978. As of 2011 there has been 1 property that meets FEMA’s definition of repetitive loss in Middleboro. This property is residential and is located on the Taunton River in north Middleborough

Hurricanes, Tropical Storms and High Wind Events

While New England is not the area of the United States most burdened by hurricanes, the Atlantic coast of the United States can expect to see an average of 2 major hurricanes every 3 years14 and New England can expect one major landfall in each decade.15 This is in part due to the geography of Massachusetts—its projection easterly into the Atlantic places it in the typical path of storms that originate in Cape Verde or the Bahamas. Hurricanes are tropical storms that obtain wind speeds of 74 miles per hour or greater and are accompanied by heavy rainfall. Since

14 Jarrel et al, 4. 15 Vallee, D. “A Centennial Review of Major Land Falling Tropical Cyclones in Southern New England. [Available at: www.erh.noaa.gov/er/box/tropical_cyclones.htm], p.2.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 hurricanes are formed at sea, storm surge is a concern when hurricanes make landfall. The National Weather Service reports, “Southern New England has been affected by forty-one such storms since 1900, 12 of which made landfall with significant impact.” 16 Table 17 reflects the history of these events. The tracks of storms that made landfall within the region are reflected on the map, Hurricane & Tornado, appended to this Plan. It should be noted, however, that these paths are neither indicators of future behavior nor the full representation of hurricane impacts in the region. The heaviest areas of hurricane damage are on the eastern side of landfall, as the storm moves in a large counter-clockwise spinning spiral. The most damaging storms have made landfall and tracked to the west of this region - including the major 1938 unnamed hurricane that made landfall in Milford Connecticut and the 1954 Hurricane Carol that made landfall in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Mapping the paths of hurricanes that made landfall in the region since 1860 shows that eight hurricanes, of varying intensity, have crossed the region. The inset tells a more complete story about hurricane damage, by indicating those hurricanes that made landfall as far west of the region as the Rhode Island border. Figure 5 indicates the frequency of hurricane events in southern New England during the past hundred years. The likelihood that southeastern Massachusetts will experience a hurricane is “Medium”.

Table 16 - History of Southern New England Hurricanes

NAME DATE INTENSITY Unnamed 7/21/1916 CAT 1 Twelve significant Unnamed 9/21/1938 CAT 3 tropical cyclones Unnamed 9/14-15/1944 CAT 3 Carol 8/31/1954 CAT 3 impacted southern New Edna 9/11/1954 CAT 3 England, 1900-1999. Diane 8/18-20/1955 TS Donna 9/12/1960 CAT 2 Storm intensity at Belle 8/9-10/1976 CAT 1 landfall is given by the Gloria 9/27/1985 CAT 2 Saffir/Simpson scale or Bob 8/19/1991 CAT 2 Bertha 7/12-13/1996 TS TS for tropical storm. Floyd 9/18/1999 TS Hermine 8/31/04 TS Irene 8/29/11 CAT 1 Sandy 10/27/12 TS Source: Vallee, D. “A Centennial Review of Major Land Falling Tropical Cyclones in Southern New England. [Available at: www.erh.noaa.gov/er/box/tropical_cyclones.htm] Revised by Town of Middleborough

16 Vallee “A Centennial Review”,p 1.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Figure 5: Monthly Tropical Cyclone Distribution

Figure 6: Tropical Cyclone Frequency

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Table 17 - Saffir-Simpson Scale for Hurricanes

Strength Wind Pressure Storm Surge Speed (millibars) (feet) (mph) Category 1 74-95 >980 4-5 ft. Category 2 96-110 965-979 6-8 ft. Category 3 111-130 945-964 9-12 ft. Category 4 131-155 920-944 13-18 ft. Category 5 >155 919 18 ft. Tropical Cyclone Classification Tropical Depression 20-34 kt or 23-39 mph Tropical Storm 35-64 kt or 40-73 mph Hurricane 65+ kt or 74+ mph

In assessing the magnitude or severity of damage from a hurricane in southeastern Massachusetts, consideration must be given to the timing of the event. Hurricanes that make landfall during high tide will have much greater storm surge and thus flood larger areas. In addition, hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, a period that includes the summer population swells experienced by several southeastern Massachusetts communities. The timing of the storm relative to other weather events also has a bearing on the overall impact of the hurricane. If a hurricane follows another hurricane or a major rain event, the effects can be magnified as flooding is greater and weakened or loosened trees are more susceptible to toppling. High wind impacts are also greater when leaves remain on deciduous trees, in spring, summer and fall rather than winter months, and are especially great if the ground is saturated at the same time. Hurricanes, tropical storms as well as tropical depressions may cause significant flooding from long duration, high intensity rainfall as recently occurred on August 28, 2011 up and down the eastern seaboard from hurricane Irene.

The severity of an event considers the potential for loss of life, property damage, and critical facility or business interruption. Most experts anticipate that the next major New England hurricane will have extensive impacts because present residents are unaware of the serious danger and major property investment has increased the value of structures in the region. Given that the last major storm event was nearly twenty years ago, there is concern that those who have re-located to the area during this period or come of age during this period, are unaware of the real danger posed by a powerful hurricane. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) estimates that 80-90% of the population now living in United States coastal areas has never experienced a major hurricane.17 This lack of firsthand knowledge can cause lax response to warnings and poor or little preparedness.18 When residents are slow to respond to warnings the severity of impacts can be expected to be greater.

17 “Hurricanes: Unleashing Nature’s Fury”, August, 2001, ARC 5030, NOAA/PA 94050, p.8. 18 Jarrell, J. “The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Hurricanes from 1900 – 2000. NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS TPC-1, [Available at www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/deadly/index.html], p. 8.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 The new population has come with increased residential construction. Given the rating categories within severity of impacts (see Table 24), “Extensive” is described, as “widespread major property damage; major public infrastructure damage (up to several days for repairs); essential services are interrupted from several hours to several days; many injuries and/or fatalities” appears to fit the severity of damages Middleborough could expect. Of course, a powerful storm on a particular tract could inflict much greater damage.

A number of the storm events discussed under “Flood Related Hazards”, also represent wind hazards to the region. Hurricanes and Nor’easters typically have high winds that can topple trees, knock out power lines, and carry dangerous debris. Southeastern Massachusetts communities need to be prepared for high wind events. Wind has primary and secondary impacts. That is, property damage may occur as roofs are blown off and trees or power lines are blown down, but this is often followed by secondary impacts as the debris from one structure is blown into another structure or vehicle, and downed power lines cause fire or electrocution. The lack of power creates other problems for Middleborough residents. Only 69% of the population is served by the public water supply leaving 31% or 7165 residents to rely on private wells which do not function during power failures unless the residents own gas powered generators. Power outages may also impact the ability of the Middleborough Water Department to supply public drinking water and provide fire protection. As more septic systems are built above grade where groundwater is high, the use of electric sewage pumps is necessary. Power failures in these areas present a further health risk. Similarly, the Middleborough WWTP and sewer pump stations are also dependent on electric power to operate and power failures may adversely impact the system as has happened in the past. Sump pumps that many homes rely would also be unable to function. Middleborough’s rural wooded nature means that there are a large number of trees shading the public roads, older homes enjoy the presence of large mature trees and new homes are often built nestled in the woods. The proximity of so many trees threatens the homes themselves as well as persons walking or in vehicles being hit or killed by falling limbs.

Tornadoes

The Middleborough map Hurricane & Tornado in Appendix 3, reflects the 100-year wind exposure zones defined by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ACSE) construction standards. The wind exposure standard is used to determine the construction needed to withstand an average wind gust lasting 3 seconds at 33 feet off the ground. Middleborough was/is in the 100 mph zone as of 2004. The ASCE standards are only used for high-rise structures, but the mapped zones indicate wind patterns as determined through readings and modeling. These patterns are consistent with the general regional weather patterns that indicate inland areas have less severe winds than coastal areas. As of January 1, 2008, the Massachusetts Building Code 780 CMR categorizes Middleborough in the 110 MPH zone for basic wind speed.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Table 18 - Enhanced Fujita Tornado Damage Scale

SCALE WIND (MPH) TYPICAL DAMAGE EF0 < 73 Light Damage: Some damage to chimneys; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over; sign boards damaged EF1 73-112 Moderate Damage: Peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos blown off roads. EF2 113-157 Considerable Damage: Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars overturned; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated; cars lifted off ground EF3 158-206 Severe Damage: Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in forest uprooted; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown. EF4 207-260 Devastating Damage: Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown away some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated. EF5 261-318 Incredible Damage: Strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept away; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters (109 yds); trees debarked; incredible phenomena will occur.

Occasional contributors to wind hazards are tornadoes. Since 1950, the southeastern Massachusetts region has experienced 15 tornadoes. Tornadoes can form from individual cells within severe thunderstorms or squall lines or from an isolated “supercell” thunderstorm. There are typically 1 to 3 tornadoes somewhere in Southern New England each year.19 Most recently, a National Weather Service Damage Survey Team concluded that an EF-1 Tornado and/or Waterspout occurred in a portion of Eastern Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts on July 23, 2008 at 4:05 PM. What began as a waterspout just off of Rumstick Point in Barrington, Rhode Island quickly moved onto land over the southern portion of Warren, Rhode Island. It then continued eastward into southeastern Massachusetts. Most of the damage had a rating of EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with wind speeds of 65 to 75 mph. However, there was one small section of Warren, RI that demonstrated EF1 damage, where 64 wind speeds were estimated at 90 mph. The tornado path length was 4.2 miles and very narrow with a path width of only 40 yards. No injuries were reported. The majority of the damage was to trees, some of which fell onto power lines and houses.20 Table 20 lists the dates and intensity of the events in Plymouth County as determined by the tornado Enhanced Fujita Scale, which is detailed in Table 19. Within this region, tornadoes tend to be more likely in the months of May – September and within the hours of 3 – 6 PM. The National Weather Service reports that despite technological advances in equipment, the warning window for a tornado is still only about 2 minutes. In addition, this warning is very general, typically covering an area as large as a county.21 Massachusetts ranks nationally as 35th in occurrences of tornadoes for the period 1950 – 1995, but 16th in fatalities and 12th in property damages based on these same events.22

19 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010 20 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010, p. 63-64 21 Interview with Glenn Field, July 2003. 22 http://nebraskaweather.unl.edu/severe/USspc_state_tornado_information_alpha_2.htm

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Massachusetts can expect on average, three tornadoes per year throughout the state.23 Tornadoes and other natural hazards that bring high winds, can affect the entire southeastern Massachusetts region. Thus all populations are vulnerable, but given that 38% of tornado fatalities are in mobile homes24, mobile home park residents are a more vulnerable group than the general population. The higher fatalities does not reflect the fact that mobile home parks are more likely to be hit by a tornado, but rather that if hit mobile homes are more vulnerable to damage. In summary, the likelihood of wind damage due to tornadoes is considered to be Medium in Middleborough, and would affect a limited geographic area and population base thus having a Neighborhood impact. The severity of the impacts on persons, property, and public infrastructure can be expected to be Extensive.

Middleborough has one mobile home park and two senior manufactured housing Parks: Hillcrest on East Grove Street with 95 units; Oak Point off of Plain Street with 895 occupied units, permitted for 1150 units at full build; and, Edgeway Estates off of Rhode Island Rd (Rte 79) with 52 occupied units and 74 units at full build out respectively. Oak Point and Edgeway have been constructed since 1998 and consist mainly of double wide manufactured housing units that would comply with the most recent HUD construction Standards. Hillcrest, however contains units built between the as early as the 1950’s and do not comply with current HUD standards. When Hillcrest units are replaced, which is very infrequently, the new unit is required to comply with HUD and Massachusetts Building Code standards.

Table 19 - Tornadoes 1950 - 1995 Plymouth County

Plymouth County Date F-Scale September 7, 1958 F0 July 4, 1964 F1 June 9, 1965 F0 November 18, 1967 F2 August 9, 1968 F1 September 16, 1986 F1 July 10, 1989 F1

Thunderstorms

A thunderstorm is a storm with lightning and thunder, produced by a cumulonimbus cloud, usually producing gusty winds, heavy rain and sometimes hail. A thunderstorm is classified as "severe" when it produces damaging wind gusts in excess of 58 mph (50 knots), a tornado, or hail that is ¾” in diameter or larger (penny size)25.

An average thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes. Severe thunderstorms can be much larger and last much longer. Southern New England typically

23 http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/severeweather/small/avgt5095.gif 24 http://nebraskaweather.unl.edu/severe/UStornfacts.htm 25 Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, the National Weather Service plans to change this long-standing definition to be 1” diameter hail or larger (quarter size).

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 experiences about 10-15 days per year in which there are severe thunderstorms.26 Every thunderstorm has an updraft (rising air) and a downdraft (sinking air, usually with the rain). However, sometimes, there are extremely strong downdrafts, known as downbursts, which can cause tremendous straight-line wind damage at the ground, similar to that of a tornado. A small (< 2.5 mile path) downburst is known as a “microburst” and a larger downburst is called a “macro-burst.” An organized, fast-moving line of embedded microburst that travels across large portions of states is known as a “derecho” and this can occasionally occur in Massachusetts. The strongest downburst ever recorded was 175 mph, near Morehead City, North Carolina. Winds exceeding 100 mph have been measured in Massachusetts from downbursts.

The entire state of Massachusetts is susceptible to thunderstorms and severe storms. There have been several damaging thunderstorms in Massachusetts. In June of 1998 a very slow moving and complex storm system moved through southeast New England. The combination of its slow movement and presence of tropical moisture across the region produced rainfall of 6 to 12 inches over much of eastern Massachusetts. This led to widespread urban, small stream, and river flooding. The counties of Plymouth and Worcester were added to the initial federal disaster declaration on July 3, 1998. This 1998 storm caused more than $7 million in personal property damage (FEMA-1224-DR-MA). On May 24, 2009 Bristol, Plymouth, Norfolk, and Worcester Counties experienced an intense thunderstorm causing minor flooding, winds exceeding 70 MPH, and quarter sized to golf-ball sized hail.27 In summary, the likelihood of wind damage due to severe thunderstorms is considered to be High in Middleborough, and would affect a limited geographic area and population base thus having a Neighborhood impact. The severity of the impacts on persons, property, and public infrastructure can be expected to be Serious

Nor’easters, Winter Storms, and Ice Storms

Nor’easters are a common winter event in New England and they bring high winds, sustained rains and/or snow. They are more problematic in part because they have a longer duration – 12 hours to 3 days, versus 6 to12 hours for hurricanes. Many southeastern Massachusetts communities will have flooding associated with the heavy precipitation of Nor’easter storms. Problems can be exacerbated when the rains fall and the melting of snow and ice is added to the flow. The large chunks of ice that are freed can clog drainage passages and increase localized flooding. This flooding can affect private residences, businesses, and public infrastructure such as roadways and storm drains. As a community with the outlying area without access to the public water supply, the loss of power from high winds, snow and ice in Middleborough results in many homeowners that lack a back-up generator being without running water.

The hazard map for Middleborough, Nor’easters & Blizzards (Appendix 3) indicates the snowfall pattern. The majority of Middleborough falls within a band of lower average annual snowfall 24.1 to 36 inches per year, with approximately the northern fourth classified in the higher snow band of 36 – 48 inches of snow each year. According to NOAA, the greater Providence area (covering the western section of southeastern Massachusetts) has a 20% chance each year of having at least 1 snowfall amounting to 12 inches or more, and is likely to experience 9.88 snowstorms each year. The greater Boston area (covering the northern/central

26 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010 27 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010, p. 61

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 area of southeastern Massachusetts) has a 33% chance each year of having at least 1 snowfall amounting to 12 inches each year and is likely to experience 10.33 snowstorms annually.28 Middleborough is most accurately placed within the Boston area. While melting snow adds to flooding, snowfall also presents a non-flooding hazard as access to critical facilities may be compromised by large amounts of snowfall. Variations on this hazard are a snowstorm in combination with rain that produces a very heavy wet snow or ice storms both of which weigh down trees and power lines. There have been a number of severe winter storms, which caused enough damage to prompt a Presidential Emergency Declaration. Most recently, in January 2005, a massive three-day winter storm system dropped more than three feet of snow in Middleborough and other parts of southern New England. Logan Airport was shut down and roadways were completely impassable for more than 36-hours in the southeastern part of the state. The estimated costs of snow removal for this event statewide exceeded $40 Million.29

While the Fujita and Saffir-Simpson Scales characterize tornados and hurricanes respectively, there is no widely used scale to classify snowstorms. The Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS)30 characterizes and ranks high impact northeast snowstorms. These storms have large areas of 10 inch snowfall accumulations and greater. NESIS has five categories: Extreme, Crippling, Major, Significant, and Notable. The index differs from other meteorological indices in that it uses population information in addition to meteorological measurements to give an indication of a storm's societal impacts. This scale was developed because of the impact northeast snowstorms can have on the rest of the country in terms of transportation and economics. NESIS scores are a function of the area affected by the snowstorm, the amount of snow, and the number of people living in the path of the storm. The largest NESIS values result from storms producing heavy snowfall over large areas that include major metropolitan centers.

Table 20 - Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale

Category NESIS Value Description 1 1—2.499 Notable 2 2.5—3.99 Significant 3 4—5.99 Major 4 6—9.99 Crippling 5 10.0+ Extreme

28 http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/climate/snow-climate.html 29 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010, p. 71 30 http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/snow-and-ice/rsi/

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Table 21- Eleven High-Impact Snowstorms That Affected the Northeast Urban Corridor.

Rank Start End NESIS Category Description Map Middleborough Snowfall over 10”

1 1993-03-12 1993-03-14 13.20 5 Extreme view

2 1996-01-06 1996-01-08 11.78 5 Extreme view 10”-20”

3 1960-03-02 1960-03-05 8.77 4 Crippling view 20”-30”

4 2003-02-15 2003-02-18 7.50 4 Crippling view 20”-30”

5 1961-02-02 1961-02-05 7.06 4 Crippling view 10”-20”

6 1964-01-11 1964-01-14 6.91 4 Crippling view 10”-20”

7 2005-01-21 2005-01-24 6.80 4 Crippling view 20”-30”

8 1978-01-19 1978-01-21 6.53 4 Crippling view 10”-20”

9 1969-12-25 1969-12-28 6.29 4 Crippling view

10 1983-02-10 1983-02-12 6.25 4 Crippling view 10”-20”

11 1958-02-14 1958-02-17 6.25 4 Crippling view 10”-20”

Source: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/snow-and-ice/rsi/

Another type of winter storm experienced by the Town of Middleborough is an ice storm. Ice storm conditions are defined by liquid rain falling and freezing on contact with cold objects creating ice build-ups of 1/4th inch or more that can cause severe damage. An ice storm warning, now included in the criteria for a winter storm warning, is for severe icing. This is issued when 1/2 inch or more of accretion of freezing rain is expected. This may lead to dangerous walking or driving conditions and the pulling down of power lines and trees. A warning is used for winter weather conditions posing a threat to life and property.

Ice pellets are another form of freezing precipitation which occurs when snowflakes melt into raindrops as they pass through warm air. The raindrops then refreeze into particles of ice when they fall into colder air near the surface of the earth. Sleet occurs when raindrops fall into subfreezing air thick enough that the raindrops refreeze into ice before hitting the ground. Sleet is different from hail. Sleet is a wintertime phenomenon; hail falls from convective clouds (usually

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 thunderstorms) under completely different atmospheric conditions - and often during the warm spring and summer months.

From 1971 to 2009 there have been about 40 ice storm events which impacted at least one or more counties in Massachusetts31. Ice storms can arise in Middleborough and southeastern Massachusetts, however they most frequently occur in the higher elevations of Western and Central Massachusetts. The following table shows the number of ice storm events each county has experienced since 1971.

Table 22 - Ice Storm Events

County Number of Ice Events 1971-2009

Worcester 27 Middlesex 22 Essex 20 Hampshire 20 Hampden 19 Franklin 17 Berkshire 13 Norfolk 9 Bristol 8 Plymouth 8 Suffolk 7 Barnstable 3 Dukes 0 Ice Storm Events by County. State Hazard Mitigation Plan In summary, wind damage and societal impact due to severe winter storms is considered to be High in Middleborough, and would affect a large geographic area and population base thus having a Regional impact. The severity of the impacts on persons, property, and public infrastructure can be expected to be Serious.

Wildfire

Wildfires are a natural part of the southeastern Massachusetts ecosystem. Fires keep the forest floor clean of debris, encourage the growth of grasses that serve as wildlife feed, and ensure that trees have plenty of room to grow. Natural fires, recurring in a cyclical manner, can recycle nutrients and create a diversity of natural habitats. In these ways, wildfires that occur in isolated areas can be a positive force. Increasingly, however, development is encroaching into isolated areas and wildfires present a danger to human life and manmade facilities. Forest fires that were in remote areas are now forest fires in people’s backyards. The dual issues of human suppression of forest fires and human encroachment into forest areas, has increased the risks associated with wildfire. Portions of southeastern Massachusetts are classified as “pine barrens”. These are areas where the vegetation is predominately pitch pine with an understory of scrub oak

31 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 and black huckleberry. Not only is this vegetation highly flammable, the ecosystem of the pine- barrens relies on periodic fire to perpetuate the barrens.32

The dispersion of growth into rural and undeveloped areas described in Chapter Two: Profile of the Community, is consistent with the national phenomenon documented in discussions of the Wildlands/Urban Interface. The Wildland/Urban Interface is the line, area, or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. The Wildlands/Urban Interface is getting attention because as development (particularly low- density residential development) pushes into flammable vegetative areas the threats of wildfires increase.

The southeastern part of Massachusetts, Plymouth County to the Southern coast of Bristol County, Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, are more susceptible to wildland fires due to the availability of fuel, impact from off shore winds, and increasing development within the wildland areas. One of the largest wildland fires on record was in Plymouth in May 1957. This catastrophic fire burned 15,000 acres and destroyed about 40 structures. 33

Table 23 - Vegetative Coverage in Southeastern Massachusetts

Percent of Vegetation Type Acres Total*

Pitch Pine/Scrub Oak 120,332.00 23 % Northern Hardwood 41,423.49 8 % Red Maple Dominant 19,191.91 4 % Oak/Maple Birch 3,908.96 1 % Open Meadow 7,283.46 1 % Forested Wetlands 56,101.70 11 % Mixed Hardwood Pine 42,023.78 8 % Suburban Forest 92,233.93 18 % Water Bodies/Beaches/No Vegetation 132,883.69 26 %

The Middleborough map, Wildfire (Appendix 3), indicates vegetative coverage of the region that can be used to assess flammability. Pitch pine/scrub oak vegetation is resiny and waxy, characteristics that make it the most highly flammable vegetation in the region. The red areas on the Forest Vegetation Map are pitch pine/Scrub oak vegetation. The 3000 acre Rocky Gutter Wildlife Management Area in southeast Middleborough is an area of unbroken woodlands and wetlands where white pine, red maple, oak, black gum, holly and white cedar make up the over story and blueberries and green brier are common.

32 Barbour, Henry et al, “Our Irreplaceable Heritage: Protecting Biodiversity in Massachusetts” 1998, p.46- 7(NHESP & MA Audubon). 33 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010, p. 74

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Figure 7: Rocky Gutter Wildlife Management Area Trail/Road Map

The types of injuries that wildfire can cause include: loss of life, loss of property, and environmental damage. Fighting fires relies on having adequate access to the area and sufficient water. Middleborough currently maintains two (2) brush breaker fire engines and one (1) pumper truck for fighting wildfires in outlying areas. In summary, the likelihood or frequency of wildfire is considered to be Medium in Middleborough, and would affect a limited geographic area and population base thus having a Neighborhood impact. The severity of the impacts on persons, property, and public infrastructure can be expected to be Serious.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Drought

Drought is defined as a long period of below normal precipitation. According to the State’s 2013 Hazard Mitigation Plan, Massachusetts is often considered a ‘water-rich’ state. Under normal conditions, regions across the state, including Middleborough, annually receive between 44 and 47 inches of precipitation. The region’s precipitation results from weather fronts moving across the US, finally reaching New England, before entering the Atlantic. Historically, most droughts in Massachusetts have started with dry winters, rather than a dry summer. Unlike many other hazards, the severity of droughts develops over time; providing an opportunity to develop and implement appropriate response measures as the situation worsens. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) along with other State agencies monitor water resource conditions statewide and DCR publishes a monthly “Current Water Conditions Report”. This report is part of the State’s Drought Management Plan which also defines action levels that trigger general levels of response given the severity of the situation.

During the summer of 2002, one-third of the country, including Massachusetts, experienced drought conditions. Massachusetts has experienced multi-year drought periods in 1879-83, 1908-12, 1929-32, 1939-44, 1961-69, and 1980- 83. The most severe drought on record in the northeastern United States was during 1961-69. Water supplies and agriculture were affected because of the severity and long duration of the drought. Precipitation was less than average beginning in 1960 in western Massachusetts and beginning in 1962 in eastern Massachusetts. March 2007 was the second driest March on record. March and April were months of high fire danger. A number of days had “red flag” wildfire warning due to hot and dry weather, high winds, and low fuel moisture. DCR placed an increased emphasis on wildfire detection and suppression during this period of time.34 In southeastern Massachusetts, 1964 – 1967, 1980 - 1981 and 2001 - 2002 were notable times of water stress in the region. 35

Drought is the main factor that determines the intensity of a wildfire season - the less moisture present in trees and vegetation, the more likely they are to ignite and the hotter they will burn. Table 23 indicates the amount of time it takes for vegetation to dry after rainfall, to reach its point of flammability.

Table 24 - Drying Hours to Reach Flammability

Size of Fuel Hours Post Rain to Reach Flammability ¼” diameter or less 1 hour ¼ – 1” diameter 10 hours 1 - 3” diameter 100 hours 4 – 7” diameter 1,000 hours 8” + diameter 10,000 hours Source: MA Bureau of Fire Control.

Beyond its role as a factor leading to wildfire, drought also has impacts on public safety for all firefighting activity, agriculture such as cranberry production, drinking water supplies and

34 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010, p. 75-76 35 USGS National Water Information System Website.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 economic vitality of large users such as industrial processes. Middleborough and southeastern Massachusetts` generally has enough precipitation to support the demands that residents and businesses place on water. The USGS maintains a groundwater monitoring well, MA-LKW 14, in Lakeville off of Route 105 across from Lori Lane which may be used to monitor drought conditions. Real time and historic data from this well may be viewed in graphical or tabular form at the USGS National Water Information System website: http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/gwlevels?site_no=415228070554601&agency_cd=USGS&f ormat=gif .

Figure 8: Historic Groundwater Levels, MA LKW-14, Lakeville MA

Impacts to the Town of Middleborough from an extended drought would affect agriculture, fire protection, drinking water production, wastewater services, fisheries and river water quality. Significant impacts would be felt in the cranberry industry, which in general involves family farms that are very dependent on water. Impacts would include limitations on irrigation, water picking of crops, frost protection and general vine survival. Other agricultural operations within the town would similarly suffer. The Town’s ability to provide public water for drinking, fire protection and industrial uses would be affected. The Middleborough Water Department has a multi-step water management program, which can be implemented depending on drought severity. It is designed to control outside water use and may require voluntary or mandatory

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 water bans and potentially water rationing. To maintain water supply operations appropriate scheduling of pump cycles, down-time for wells and water tower repairs would be required; considerations would be required to maintain adequate pressure for fire protection and large user needs.

There may be negative impacts on the Nemasket River by the Cities of New Bedford and Taunton restricting flows from the APC for their own drinking water needs possibly impacting Anadromous herring fisheries; as well as production of drinking water from Middleborough’s East Grove Street Well, and the operation of the Town’s waste water treatment plant (WWTP) located on the Nemasket River. Negative water quality impacts could be experienced in the Taunton River through the reduction of its base flows; nine (9) waste water treatment plants discharge to the Taunton River in and upstream of the Town of Middleborough. There may be a significant increase in the incidence of wildfires throughout the rural parts of the town where access is limited and there is no public water supply system available for fighting fire.

It should be noted that in a previous drought during 2001, the Cities of New Bedford and Taunton released so little water from Assawompsett Pond in late summer/early fall, that the pond flowed backwards into Pocksha Pond and then into Great Quittacus. This caused the herring fry (young) to be trapped in Great Quittacus Pond because the water was flowing in the wrong direction under Long Point Road and their instincts required that they swim downstream with the current. As a result, Middleborough, New Bedford and Taunton officials were required to manually and mechanically scoop the fry out and over Long Point Road to Pocksha Pond so they could make their way to the Nemasket River and ultimately back to the sea. If this condition had not been observed and these fish were not assisted, the result could have been the decimation of the Nemasket River’s herring fishery for years to come.

Middleborough’s WWTP discharges to the Nemasket River and the River’s capacity as a receiving water controls the amount and quality of wastewater which is allowed to be discharged. Periods of drought may be exacerbated by the drinking water supply needs of the Cities of New Bedford and Taunton and the reduction of infiltration/inflow into the system. During extended or severe droughts waste water treatment operations could potentially be impacted including the ability to accept and treat highly concentrated septage from septic haulers and leachate from landfills. In summary, the likelihood or frequency of drought is considered to be Medium in Middleborough, and would affect a wide geographic area and population base thus having a Regional impact. The severity of the impacts on persons, property, and public infrastructure can be expected to be Serious.

Geologic Hazards

Earthquake The hazards that present the least risk to southeastern Massachusetts are geologic hazards such as earthquakes. The United States Geological Service (USGS) categories the region as one of low risk for earthquakes, although small-scale earthquakes (under 3 on the Richter Scale, Table 25) are common in the region. The Weston MA Observatory of Boston College tracks earthquake activity throughout New England and reports that recent earthquakes in the vicinity of this region

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 include an April 1996 magnitude 3.5 in Swansea; a July 11, 2002, magnitude 3.0 in Martha’s Vineyard; and a February 23, 2004 magnitude 2.0 in Dartmouth.

The Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) Zones, shown on the hazard map Earthquake appended to this Plan, are based on modeling data that indicates areas where there is a 10% chance in the next fifty years of an earthquake exceeding the PGA for that zone. PGA is a measurement that compares the shaking of the ground with the force of gravity.

One secondary effect that is often observed in low-lying areas near water bodies is ground liquefaction.36 Liquefaction is the conversion of water-saturated soil into a fluid-like mass. This can occur when loosely packed, waterlogged sediments lose their strength in response to strong shaking. Liquefaction effects may occur along the shorelines of the ocean, rivers and lakes, and they can also happen in low-lying areas away from water bodies but where the ground water is near the Earth’s surface. Landslides and land slumps are other secondary effects that can be induced by earthquake shaking and that can be very damaging.

While the likelihood of a powerful earthquake in the region is low, the actual risk is high because of how old the buildings are and because few structures have been built to withstand earthquakes. Critical infrastructure such as bridges and dams would be vulnerable. Middleborough also has large areas of the town located close to rivers, ponds and wetlands, with groundwater close to the surface. Overall the likelihood of an earthquake in the region is considered to be Low and the type of event would be such that the impacts would be Regional but the severity Minor, because earthquakes in the area are typically very small.

Middleborough’s impact from earthquakes would be felt most severely in the downtown area where the historic buildings, such as the Town Hall and Police Station, are generally old, relatively large in size and densely spaced. These structures would be prone to structural damage or possible destruction. Additionally, the downtown is served by an antiquated water and sewer system, where some of the piping is more than 100 years old. These utilities could be severely impacted by an earthquake of significant size through rupturing of pipes; in addition there could be damage to the existing water tower structures or multiple water main ruptures could result in the water towers being drained completely, leaving the town without water pressure or storage volume.

36 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2013 p. 8-8

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Table 25 - Richter Scale

Recorded on local seismographs, but generally not M= 1-3 felt M= 3-4 Often felt, no damage Felt widely, slight damage near epicenter M= 5 Damage to poorly constructed buildings and other M= 6 structures within 10's km "Major" earthquake, causes serious damage up to M= 7 ~100 km "Great" earthquake, great destruction, loss of life M= 8 over several 100 km Rare great earthquake, major damage over a large M=9 region over 1000 km

Landslide Landslides may include a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes, and shallow debris flows. Although gravity acting on an over steepened slope is the primary reason for a landslide, there are other contributing factors that could contribute to a landslide in the Town of Middleborough, such as: erosion caused by river flow or wave action creating over steepened slopes; rock and soil slopes weakened through saturation by heavy rains or snowmelt; and, earthquake created stresses that make weak slopes fail.

Landslides are common throughout the Appalachian region and New England. The greatest eastern hazard is from sliding of clay-rich soils. According to the Massachusetts Hazard Mitigation Plan, the US data set for landslides indicates that areas along the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts, and the greater Boston area have the highest risk to landslide.

In Massachusetts, landslides tend to be isolated in size and pose threats to highways and structures that support fisheries, tourism, timber harvesting, mining, energy production and general transportation. Landslides commonly occur with other major natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods that exacerbate relief and reconstruction efforts. Expanded development and other land uses have increased the incidence of landslide disasters.

In Middleborough, there are few bluffs or other areas of naturally occurring steep slopes that would be prone to landslides, however earth removal activities related to agriculture or development activities often result in high, overly steepened slopes. Inadequately stabilized, extremely high and over steepened slopes are at higher risk for the occurrence of a landslide, depending on soil type and other factors. Homes or other structures built close to the top or bottom of these slopes could be in a dangerous location, if these slopes are destabilized due to heavy rain and saturation.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 In September 2008 a small landslide occurred in Holyoke covering several cars and a large paved area under several feet of mud and debris. It is thought the cause of this slide was saturated soils due to days of rain and poor urban drainage.37 Overall the likelihood of a Landslide in the region is considered to be Low and the type of event would be such that the impacts would be to a Single Structure but the severity could be Serious.

37 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Assessing Vulnerability

Table 26- Vulnerability Assessment for Town of Middleborough

Hazards Frequency Severity Geography

Flood HIGH EXTENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD

Hurricanes/Tropical storms MEDIUM EXTENSIVE REGIONAL

Tornado MEDIUM EXTENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD

Thunderstorms HIGH SERIOUS TOWNWIDE

Winter Storms/Ice Storm HIGH SERIOUS REGIONAL

Wildfire MEDIUM SERIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD

Drought MEDIUM SERIOUS REGIONAL

Extreme Temperatures HIGH MINOR REGIONAL Earthquake LOW MINOR REGIONAL Landslide LOW SERIOUS SINGLE STRUCTURE

Frequency (Likelihood of future occurrence)

Very Low: Events that occur less frequently than once in 100 years (Less than 1% per year) Low: Events that occur from once in 50 years to once in 100 years (1% to 2% per year) Medium: Events that occur from once in 5 years to once in 50 years (2% to 20% per year) High: Events that occur greater than once in 5 years (Greater than 20% per year)

Severity

Minor: Limited and scattered property damage; limited damage to public infrastructure and essential services not interrupted; limited injuries or fatalities. Serious: Scattered major property damage; some minor infrastructure damage; essential services are briefly interrupted; some injuries and/or fatalities. Extensive: Widespread major property damage; major public infrastructure damage (up to several days for repairs); essential services are interrupted from several hours to several days; many injuries and/or fatalities. Catastrophic: Property and public infrastructure destroyed; essential services stopped; numerous injuries and fatalities.

Geography (Area of Impact affecting any locality for a particular event)

Single Structure: Event would likely impact single structure Neighborhood: Would impact a single neighborhood or partial community Town wide: Entire community impacted Regional: At least several communities many communities to a county impacted

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Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Chapter Four: Existing and Ongoing Mitigation Activities

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Participation

Participation in the NFIP is voluntary for communities and is based on an agreement between each participating community and FEMA. The Town of Middleborough (Community Identification Number 250275) has been a participant in the NFIP since 1981. Participating in the NFIP has three basic aspects, which are discussed below.

Flood Plain Identification And Mapping NFIP participation requires community adoption of flood maps; current floodplain maps were recently updated by FEMA and were adopted by Middleborough becoming effective on July 16, 2015. . Mapping flood hazards creates broad-based awareness of the flood hazards and provides the data needed for our community to effectively administer floodplain management program. The existing 2015 flood maps can be viewed by the public and are located only in the Planning Department located in the Town Hall Annex (Bank Building) at 20 Centre St. The Planning Department has investigated methods for cost effectively reproducing the 2015 colored flood maps for distribution to the Conservation Commission and Building Departments; however the cost appears to be prohibitive. Maps can also be accessed from FEMA’s website http://msc.fema.gov/

Floodplain Management Floodplain management can be defined as a community program of corrective and preventative measures for reducing flood damage. The program is led by the Building Inspector, Robert Whalen. These measures take a variety of forms and generally include requirements for zoning, subdivision or building, and special-purpose floodplain ordinances/bylaws. In Massachusetts a majority of the required regulations are covered under state laws, which are enforced locally. Those regulations are

o Massachusetts State Building Code: 780 CMR 3107.0, "Flood Resistant Construction") o Wetlands Protection Regulations: 310 CMR 10.00 o Inland Wetlands Restriction: 302 CMR 6.00 o Coastal Wetlands Restriction:302 CMR 4.00 (may only apply to certain communities) o Minimum Requirements for Subsurface Disposal of Sanitary Sewage 310 CMR 15, Title 5

The Town’s Zoning By-law, Section 8.1 Flood Plain District, provides local floodplain management that enforces minimum floodplain management regulations on new or improved structures located on land shown to be within the boundaries of the Special Hazard Area (Zone A, Zones A1-A30) on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Floodway Maps. This section of the By-law was recently updated by the Town and approved at the April 27, 2015 Town Meeting.

Insurance Since, Middleborough participates in the NFIP property owners and renters residing anywhere in the community (not only in a special flood hazard area) are able to purchase flood insurance as a protection against flood losses.

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Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 . Current Mitigation Actions

The following table lists mitigation actions by category that the Town of Middleborough presently has in place. These Current Mitigation Actions were included in the 2004 HMP and have been revised and updated in this 2013 Plan.

Table 27 - Current Mitigation Actions: Town of Middleborough

Category of Effectiveness and/or Improvements or Changes Protection Description Area Covered Enforcement Needed Measure

The Town struggles to fund CIP items. Annually develop list of capital needs Funding on an “as possible” basis. or infrastructure projects to implement New 5 year plan was adopted in HMP Action Items; submit to CP Capital Capital Planning Committee (CP) June 2015. Integrate Hazard Committee for scheduling. Encourage Improvement in place. Prepares Capital Mitigation Plan requirements at CP Committee to utilize risk Planning/ Improvement Plan (CIP) on an Town-wide next Capital Improvement Plan assessment when evaluating CIP Structural annual basis covering a 5-year re-write with section detailing data, requests, as was done in 2013 when the Improvements cycle. information, risk assessment, Police Station was proposed to be hazard mitigation strategies/goals, relocated to the Star Mill property and proposed mitigation actions which was within the 100 and 500 yr. flood plain.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Category of Effectiveness and/or Improvements or Changes Protection Description Area Covered Enforcement Needed Measure

First attempt in 2008 failed; also failed Local Wetlands Bylaw Town-wide Effective in Spring 2014.

Planning Board and Fire Department consult to ensure site Local roadways sufficient width Town-wide plans and regulations are adequate None for fire response equipment for emergency response purposes.

Residential lot must have adequate

upland area to protect floodplains Zoning for residential lots: and wetlands by giving resident - Minimum 12,000 s.f. upland Town-wide None enough useable land for building area of specific geometry Regulations/ and landscaping without

Bylaws/Codes encroachment.

Subdivision Rules & Enforced. Regulations - Underground -Protects electric system from utilities required winter storm and high wind -Pre vs. Post 100 yr. Drainage Town-wide outages. None mitigation for new -Prevents flooding development -Prevents landslide & erosion -Road embankment and slopes

to not exceed 3:1 w/o

adequate stabilization

Soil Conservation Regulations- could prevent sediment build up Town-wide Adequate. None in waterways from run-off from sand and gravel operations.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Category of Effectiveness and/or Improvements or Changes Protection Description Area Covered Enforcement Needed Measure

Ongoing throughout year by Town-wide within Middleborough G & E through Tree Maintenance – Trimming and abutting street contract services in compliance None and removal - Electric Utilities right-of-way’s with State and Federal requirements.

Town-wide within As needed basis, and as funding Tree Maintenance - Trimming Public ROW and allows. Prevents power outages and More funds and removal – DPW on public land wildfires

Continue to meet regularly with good Inter-department Emergency Operations, attendance by member agencies; Coordination through Local Town-wide Meets quarterly or as needed basis. Administration, and monitor HMP Proposed Action Emergency Planning Committee Enforcement implementation.

Cable TV; siren system; Town Public outreach to access resident cell invested in and deployed “Code- Disaster Warning System Town-wide phone numbers for Code-Red Red” Emergency Notification communication. System in 2013. Routine annual program followed as permitted within the Highway Maintenance of Drainage Town-wide Department. Remove sediment & None Facilities debris to allow free water flow & prevent flooding. Snow removal, tree removal as Winter Road Clean-up DPW None needed in response to storms.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Category of Effectiveness and/or Improvements or Changes Protection Description Area Covered Enforcement Needed Measure

Pratt Farm & Forest Management and/or Morgan Stewardship Plans in place; Forest Management Conservation selective cutting conducted. None Areas and Weston Removal of dead timber and Forest maintenance of access roads. Maintain plan compliance and update Addresses disaster mitigation, consistently. CEMP has now been cross Comprehensive Emergency Town-wide preparedness, response and referenced with HMP. Practice drills to Management Plan (CEMP) recovery be initiated for plan testing & implementation. No mention of Hazard Mitigation Plan, Town vulnerabilities or avoidance. Integrate Hazard Include reference to plan and avoidance

Mitigation Plan requirements at of vulnerabilities: development Master Plan Findings and Town-wide next Master Plan re-write with considerations regarding flooding, and Alternatives Report – 2002 section detailing data, information, wildfire prone areas, etc. when

risk assessment, hazard mitigation updated. Planning strategies/goals, and proposed mitigation actions . No mention of Hazard Mitigation Plan requirements, Town vulnerabilities or avoidance. Include reference to plan and avoidance Integrate Hazard Mitigation Plan at Community Development Plan – of vulnerabilities: development Town-wide next CD Plan re-write with section 2004 considerations regarding flooding, detailing data, information, risk wildfire prone areas, etc. when updated. assessment, hazard mitigation strategies/goals, and proposed mitigation actions

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Category of Effectiveness and/or Improvements or Changes Protection Description Area Covered Enforcement Needed Measure

Currently, cross references Hazard Mitigation Plan. Integrate Hazard Include section on avoidance of Mitigation Plan at next CD Plan re- vulnerabilities: development Open Space Plan –2012 Town-wide write with section detailing data, considerations regarding flooding, the information, risk assessment, APC, wildfire prone areas, etc. when hazard mitigation strategies/goals, updated and proposed mitigation actions No mention of Hazard Mitigation Plan. Integrate Hazard Mitigation

Plan at next Water Department Update plan annually; add Water Water Department Emergency Emergency Response Plan re-write Town-wide Department Mitigation section; add Response Plan – 2009 with section detailing data, section on Haz. Mit. Plan purpose and information, risk assessment, identify hazards; hazard mitigation strategies/goals, and proposed mitigation actions

Regular Training on hazardous Town-wide Effective None materials, nuclear evac, etc.

Should prepare plan identifying persons Specified Town Ongoing to be trained, type of training, and NIMS Training & Certification Staff positions and completion of training. public officials Education & Should prepare plan identifying persons Training Emergency Management Specified Town to be trained, type of training, and Ongoing Institute Training Staff positions completion of training.

Try to widen distribution – consider Wide range of materials available mailing with tax bill or utility bill. Post at town hall and Fire Department Town-wide Adequate links to hazard mitigation on Town web on preparedness. site

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Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Chapter Five: Mitigation Actions Town of Middleborough

Goals of Middleborough’s Hazard Mitigation Strategy

The goals of the Town of Middleborough’s Hazard Mitigation Strategy are to: 1. Protect public health, safety, and welfare; 2. Reduce property damage caused by natural hazards; 3. Minimize social dislocation and distress; 4. Reduce economic losses and minimize disruption to local businesses; 5. Protect the ongoing operations of critical facilities; 6. Expedite disaster recovery mitigation efforts during the recovery phase; 7. Promote nonstructural flood mitigation to reduce damage to property and environment; 8. Reduce the dependence and need for disaster assistance funding after natural disasters; 9. Continue to use the LEPC to support, implement and revise the Hazard Mitigation Plan; 10. Provide adequate financial and staffing resources to implement the Mitigation Plan.

To accomplish these goals and prepare this Hazard Mitigation Plan, the Town has identified and catalogued all potential hazards that Middleborough is vulnerable to by compiling information from various studies and reports and direct knowledge of staff, departments and stakeholders within the Town; determined mitigation measures available to reduce the threat of known hazards, compile them in one location and prioritize them for funding and scheduling purposes; and, to specify responsible parties, identify potential funding sources and monitor the implementation of the Town’s Mitigation Strategy and Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Proposed Mitigation Actions and Implementation

The following table represents mitigation actions recommended by the LEPC, Department Heads, HMP Committee and general public. The actions represent mitigation strategies that the Town may implement to prevent or reduce the hazard vulnerabilities identified in the plan. Some of these activities will require dedication of Town staff, grant funding or the cooperation of other agencies. The Town of Middleborough is making a good faith effort to implement these actions as is evidenced by the progress reported since the 2004 Plan identified as “Updated” and the willingness to add new items as the Town’s need is recognized. It must be noted however that these capital expenditures are scheduled within the constraints of the local budget, staff resources, and new demands from state and federal agencies. The Local Committee reviewed each action and used the following six criterions to prioritize the actions. Priorities are categorized as follows: 1 – High, Must Do; 2 – Medium, Need to Do; and, 3 – Low, Like to Do.

1. The number of homes and businesses effected by the hazard; 2. Level of impact on delivery of emergency services; 3. Political and public support to implement mitigation measure; 4. Is cost reasonable when considering size of problem and likely benefit from mitigation; 5. Availability of grant funding, staff time or public funding via capital planning process; 6. Likelihood of occurrence and severity of hazard to be addressed by proposed action.

Integration of Hazard Mitigation Plan Requirements into other Planning Documents

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Data, information, risk assessment, hazard mitigation strategies/goals, and proposed mitigation actions will be integrated into other Middleborough planning documents, including but not limited to the Town’s Open Space Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, Master Plan, Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, Water Department Emergency Response Plan and Community Development Plan. Boards, Commissions and Committees preparing these plans should consult with the HMP Committee (LEPC) during the integration of these Hazard Mitigation Plan requirements into their respective plans.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15

Table 28 - Proposed Mitigation Actions: Town of Middleborough

Resources/Funding 2015 Change from Action Hazard Priority Responsible Parties Timeline Benefit of Action Item Needed 2004 Plan

(1) Woloski Park Repetitive Flooding: Flood Updated:

HMGP application Pending, Permanently resolves repetitive flooding approximately $1.2 Selectmen, ConCom. and access problems for all flood Added after #2 3 years to million total to Alternative # 1 - Acquire residential Planning Board, The events. Adds protected open space to failed to receive Flood 2 complete purchase and raze all properties and raze structures Nature Conservancy, Wild and Scenic River Corridor and HMPG funding in project 11 homes. 25% MA. DF&W additional land to DF&W current 2006 Matching funds from holding. The Nature conservancy

Alternative #2 - Elevate access road Corrective measure to mitigate existing Pursue HMGP funding Failed to receive flooding up to the 10 year flood event in combination with funding in 2006; Requires new box culverts and raises that annually prevents vehicular and Flood 3 DPW 9 months Town Budget monies shifted focus to Alt roadway bed above 10 year flood emergency access and necessitates – total cost estimated #1 above; reapplied elevation for a distance of 700 feet. significant repair each spring. at $250,000 for HMGP in 2011

Updated: Removed Item per Fire Chief; -Pursue grant funding (2) Construct dry-hydrants; Provides water source in areas not ineffective due to Wildfire -Fire Dept./ Planning As-needed or CIP funding as served by municipal water inconsistency of budget allows available ground water

Create initial wildfire vulnerability map (3) Mapping of Wildfire Hazard Area: with access roads, fire breaks and Map vegetation to identify areas of alternative water supplies in relationship high wildfire threat by using GPS; to existing homes as shown on GIS. locate access roads to back country Purchase of handheld Fire Department with Allows tracking of vegetation changes, areas, and alternative water sources; Wildfire 2 2 years GPS equipment. Town Added EMD identification of deadfall buildup etc. for input into Town GIS to assess Budget further mitigation actions. ID areas with community vulnerability and poor or no access or firebreaks and mitigate severity and extent of vulnerable unprotected homes for future wildfire. mitigation.

Updated: Pursue grant funding Assist in mapping of Wildfire Hazard Completed - Chief (3a.) Equip fire vehicles with Global supplemented by Fire Department with Area. Use to locate areas identified and Command Positioning System (GPS). Wildfire 2 2 years Town Budget for EMD during future deadfall vehicles are equipment. 10 units at cleanup/mitigation efforts. equipped. a cost of $500 per unit.

(4) Amend Floodplain Zoning to Planning Board/Bldg. Spring 2015 Needed for consistency with NFIP Updated: conform to MEMA Flood 1 Commissioner/ Town Town – Town Budget regulations. Discourage inappropriate

recommendations. Meeting Meeting uses to be located in flood plain Completed 2015

(5) Master Plan- Integrate Hazard Updated: Action Mitigation Plan into MP at next All Planning Board/ Part of the Master has been refined; rewrite; add section detailing HMP 3 1 Year Maintains Plan Consistency Hazards Planning Department Planning process. insert at next MP purpose, local hazards, mitigation rewrite strategy, goals and actions. Maintains Plan Consistency. HMP (6) Open Space Plan- Integrate Hazard cross referenced on pages 24, 34 and Mitigation Plan into Open Space Plan; All Conservation “Reference” Section. At next rewrite add section detailing, HMP plan purpose, 3 1 Year Town Budget Hazards Commission expand to detail HMP purpose, data, local hazards, mitigation strategy, goals and information; identify hazards, and actions mitigation, goals and actions. (7) Work with Middleborough Gas & Electric Department (MGED) to Expand Education effort re: Hazard Mitigation. Provide $2000 for education Updated: Easily informs public of necessary educational information including materials. Research Not Complete; actions to prepare for and prevent but not limited to wildfire All LEPC/Planning/ and pursue grant changed regional 3 6 months natural hazards. Covers two (2) Towns safety/mitigation, flood Hazards MGED funds; request public effort to MGED and in service area, Middleborough and protection/prevention, winter service donation from added local effort in Lakeville storms/ice storms, thunderstorms and MGED. #10 below extreme temperature to residents as MGED bill stuffers and public handouts.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Resources/Funding 2015 Change from Action Hazard Priority Responsible Parties Timeline Benefit of Action Item Needed 2004 Plan (8) Expand Local Hazard Mitigation Education effort: - Purchase educational handouts for Inform residents of actions mitigate specific medium and high severity and extent of impacts from Pursue frequency Middleborough hazards; Within 5 Middleborough’s natural hazards. Focus AllAll 6 months Grants;Pursue request grant public funds in a Easily informs public of necessary actions -Publish hazard information and links 2 3 LEPCLEPC years on most frequent hazards, including but Added LocalUpdated Effort HazardsHazards service regionaldonation application. from to prepare for and prevent natural hazards. on Town website. not limited to flooding, winter storms, MGED, Staff Time - Integrate Hazard Mitigation into thunderstorms, extreme temperature and existing public outreach efforts for wildfire. Emergency Preparedness and Response

2nd EOC (Police Station) Currently (9) Relocate and equip 2nd EOC from located adjacent to primary EOC Equipment and Police Station to North (Central Fire Station). Relocate to a supplies necessary to Added: Relocation Middleborough Fire Station, a All EMD/ Board of 5 years spatially separated location to avoid 3 support EOC. Town complete, equipping separate spatial location 4 miles Hazards Selectmen pinpoint hazard impact in single Budget and EMP facility underway. away from primary EOC at Central location such as from tornado, Grant Fire Station. earthquake, etc. Equipment purchases ongoing (10) Develop Management and Operations plan for Assawompsett 3 years; Provide predictable, scientific basis for Pond Complex to provide for Regional Effort: MA. funding is operation/management of pond/river operations to mitigate flood and DEP, Host Towns & Flood/ Identified in Approximately system to operate for and address flood, drought conditions through normal 1 Cities including Added Drought 2014 MA $500,000 normal and drought conditions; develop operations; balance stakeholder Middleborough, Environmenta future mitigation tasks to reduce issues of public water supply, Legislators l Bond Bill flooding and impacts of flooding. Anadromous Fisheries, flooding of homes, recreation, etc. This action would be done as part of #(13 Management and Operations Approximately (11) Install Staff Gauges, tied to plan for Assawompsett Pond Middleborough, $3000 for surveyor NAVD88, on bridges or other APC 2 years; grant Complex, above Would allow Added. Lakeville, Freetown and purchase of staff and Nemasket River locations to funding is municipalities to adequately monitor Flood 2 & Rochester DPWs; gauges. Staff Gauge monitor elevations for indicators of being water body elevations and assess and Benchmark Portion NB & Taunton Water installation and prolonged high water trends pursued. respond to threat of flooding. USGS, in completed 2013 Depts. maintenance by City signaling need to implement flood Summer 2013, established benchmark & Town Depts. mitigation actions. elevations on structures. Staff gauges to be installed or repaired next. (12) Establish Dam Safety Program on Knowledge of dam locations to be local level to identify and map dams Added. monitored during extreme flooding owned by the Town and others and EMD/DPW/Planning Flood 1 2 years Town Budget events. Pre-disaster understanding of responsibility of the Town for /Conservation GIS functional as of threat level, regulatory compliance, management of dams to mitigate 10/2013 maintenance and reporting, etc. hazards from flooding and failure.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Resources/Funding 2015 Change from Action Hazard Priority Responsible Parties Timeline Benefit of Action Item Needed 2004 Plan This is a maintenance/preparedness item. (13) Evaluation and registration of Determine size, level of hazard and Water Consultant, Town Shingle Mill Pond Dam Flood 2 2 years condition; recommend mitigation if Added Department/EMD Budget (off Plympton Street) necessary. Reduce hazard by reducing risk of failure, loss of property, eco system and life

(14) Pratt Farm Dams Stony Brook Pond Dam: With the exception of evaluating a. Register Dam w/ODS removal of these dams, this is a b. Conduct follow-up Inspections; maintenance/preparedness item. c. Conduct Phase II Inspection The current condition of the Stony Conservation and Investigation. Flood 1 Approximately Brook Pond Dam is Poor. Added Commission/DPW 5 years d. Bring Dam into compliance and $550,000 - $850,000 complete repair, breach or Capital Benefit: Reduce the risk of failure, removal work Plan/investigate grants reducing loss of property, eco system e. Pursue downgrade of hazard and life level by ODS.

(15) Develop Dam Safety Awareness Remind Dam owners of need for dam Program to educate dam owners LEPC/ Conservation permit renewal; construction of on activities to mitigate future Commission, necessary safety upgrades. damage from Dam failure; Flood 2 2 years Town Budget Added Planning Reduce the possibility of future failure, identify regulatory requirements, reducing loss of property, eco system including reporting, maintenance, and life and repair. (16) Water Department Emergency Response Plan – - Integrate Hazard Maintains Plan Relevancy and Mitigation Plan into Plan at next Consistency. Integrates HMP purpose, rewrite; add section detailing HMP local hazards, mitigation strategy, goals purpose, local hazards, mitigation All Consultant. Water and actions. Identifies Water System strategy, goals and actions. Add 2 Water Department 1 year Added Hazards Enterprise Fund Risks and Vulnerabilities with specific water infrastructure Risks Mitigation Action section to prevent and Vulnerabilities Section; develop hazards identified in Emergency specific mitigation strategies in Response Plan; response. Maintain and update plan annually. (17) GIS Implementation For Town- Ability to utilize GIS to plan for hazard wide use and develop proficiency of IT, Planning, Health mitigation, response and recovery. Added All Town staff to support Hazard 2 and Conservation 2 years Town Budget. Identify areas vulnerable to hazards and Hazards Mitigation assessment and tracking Departments critical infrastructure. Produce large efforts maps for EOC.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Resources/Funding 2015 Change from Action Hazard Priority Responsible Parties Timeline Benefit of Action Item Needed 2004 Plan GIS Road Flooding data layer development – Identify and map Town (18) GIS Road Flooding data layer roadways at risk of closure due to development – Identify and map vulnerability to flooding. Identify roadways at risk due to flooding. Flood 2 IT, Planning, EMD 2 years Town Budget alternative routes of passage for each Added Identify alternative routes of location. Develop mitigation actions passage. Develop mitigation actions such as reconstruction/improvement of for each location. culverts, increasing grade of roadway, etc. for each location. (19) Implement a Culvert monitoring program to identify and map existing culverts vulnerable to flood damage, and prepare a strategy for mitigation measures including a prioritized schedule for culvert reconstruction, upgade and replacement. Culverts currently identified for reconstruction and upgrade include: a.) Walnut Street @ City of New Bedford Water Department Property adjacent to #138 Walnut Street Effective use of resources by routine Town b.) Summer Street in the area of monitoring and prioritization to prevent Flood 1 IT, DPW, Planning 5 years Budget/Grants/Chapter Added #81 Summer Street unexpected culvert failure due to flood 90 c.) France Street- in the area of vulnerability the cranberry bog reservoir d.) Winter Street in the area of #18 Winter Street e.) Thomas Street in area of the cranberry bog and pond f.) Cross Street near Rockwell Crossing g.) Fuller Street near # 120 Fuller Street e.) Carver Street near Purchase Street

(20) GIS Data layer development - In- Develop evacuation maps showing Funding for aerial house development of updated All IT and Planning topography and accurate location of 3 1 year photography and data Added Vulnerability/Risk, Critical Facilities Hazards Department utilities for emergency response conversion. and other Maps appended to HMP. including for wildfires.

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Resources/Funding 2015 Change from Action Hazard Priority Responsible Parties Timeline Benefit of Action Item Needed 2004 Plan Some facilities may not provide adequate shelter and are vulnerable to (21) Designated Evacuation Shelters – specific hazards; including but not Identify vulnerability and risk of limited to extensive window area, lack Added All LEPC designated shelters for each hazard; 2 2 Years Town Budget of emergency power for food Hazards identify specific mitigation measures preparation, etc. Identify mitigation Completed 2013 to reduce risk at designated shelters measures by shelter and develop shelter deployment plan based on risk assessment by hazard.

(22) Develop a Drought Emergency Plan to identify local drought indicators, Monitor and plan for drought conditions monitor drought conditions, Water to provide early warnings to town Added Drought 3 6 months communicate relevant information Department/Planning Town Budget officials and planners to support and provide early warning of drought decision making. conditions.

Reduces urban heat island effect where development replaces natural vegetation (23) Increase Tree Plantings around Extreme and open land. Continue to require tree Added buildings to shade parking lots and Temperatur 2 Planning/DPW Town Budget planting in new subdivisions, and along public rights of way. e replace trees when dead or diseased ones are removed.

(24) Encourage use of cool roofing Extreme Reduces urban heat island effect where Added products to reflect sunlight and heat Temperatur 3 Building Department development replaces natural vegetation

away from buildings e and open land.

(25) Establish and promote accessible heating and cooling centers in the Town Budget/Local Extreme Ensures that vulnerable populations are Town. Organize outreach to Health Health Climate Added Temperatur 1 1 year adequately protected from the impacts vulnerable populations. Create Department/LEPC Change Adaptation e of extreme temperatures database of individual at high risk of Planning Grant death such as elderly, homeless, etc.

(26) Post warning signs at local parks to Thunder- Town Budget/Grant Educate and protect children and Added advise children to take shelter during 2 Park Department 3 months storms for signs families from risk of lightning strike lightning/thunderstorms.

(27) Routinely monitor critical facilities and equipment to confirm that Protect critical facilities from lightning Thunder- Added infrastructure has adequate lightning 1 DPW/EMD/IT 3 months Town Budget strikes to ensure infrastructure and storms protection and surge protectors and equipment remain online. replace where necessary.

Severe (28) Retrofit public buildings to withstand Protects buildings from the impacts of Winter Selectmen/School Added snow loads and prevent roof 2 Capital Planning winter storms and reduces the Storms/Ice Department collapse. vulnerability of roof collapse. Storms

(29) Educate public on winter storm risks Severe including methods to prevent ice Protect buildings from impact of winter Winter Building Department, Town Budget/Grant Added dams; hazards to natural gas meters 3 6 months storms by reducing structural risk to Storms/Ice MGED for brochures & equipment; and, discouraging the buildings and utility equipment. Storms use of flat roofs.

(30) Plan for mitigating vulnerability of roads during winter storms by Reduce vulnerability to roadway maintaining adequate road and Severe accidents by reducing roadway impacts debris cleaning capabilities; and, Winter Added 1 DPW 1 year Town Budget from winter storms; accidents are the using snow fences or “living fences” Storms/Ice leading cause of death during winter (rows of trees/vegetation) to prevent Storms storms. blowing and drifting snow over critical road sections

(31) Establish and promote accessible Severe Town Budget/Local heating centers in the Town. Create Ensures that vulnerable populations are Winter Health Climate Added database and organize outreach to 1 Health Department 1 year adequately protected from the impacts Storms/Ice Change Adaptation vulnerable populations, at risk during of severe winter storms. Storms Planning Grant extended power outages.

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Chapter Six: Maintenance and Implementation

Monitoring, evaluating and updating the Hazard Mitigation Plan are important steps in creating an effective plan. The Hazard Mitigation Team, listed on Page 8, will conduct an annual progress review of the plan, led by the Town’s Planning Director, at one of the monthly Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) department meetings. At that time, the Hazard Mitigation Team will review the hazard mitigation measures that have been implemented to that date and determine if these measures have impacted the overall threat to the Town from the hazard identified. This review will include site visits to appropriate locations where these measures have been implemented. Mitigation measures that have not been implemented will be reviewed to determine if they will still minimize natural hazards or if they are no longer a viable option. Issues related to implementation of the plan will be reviewed including problems relating to financial, political, legal and technical issues. Recent disasters experienced by the Town, if any, will be evaluated to determine if new mitigation strategies are required and how previously implemented mitigation measures performed.

Evaluation of the Hazard Mitigation Plan in its entirety will be done on a 5-year basis in accordance to the Disaster Mitigation act of 2000 or any significant natural hazard disaster. The review and revision will begin 9 months prior to the expiration of the current plan. The Hazard Mitigation Team will incorporate all of the revisions made during the annual progress reviews. New information on hazard identification and risk assessment will be reviewed and incorporated in to the hazard mitigation plan so that it remains current and accurate. The plan will be updated with possible new mitigation measures and plans of action as determined from the review. This allows for updates to be made as Middleborough grows and changes. The Team will also review the Town’s mitigation goals and revise or update them as necessary. As with the annual progress review, the Hazard Mitigation Team will review the hazard mitigation measures that have been implemented to that date and determine if these measures have effectively impacted the overall hazard. The review will include site visits to locations where the measures have been implemented. The progress of implementing mitigation measures will be examined and the identified mitigation strategies and actions will be reviewed for continued effectiveness. The schedule and priority for implementing specific measures will be reevaluated as well as any financial, political, legal and technical issues preventing implementation. The Planning Department will oversee the Hazard Mitigation Team’s involvement in the review and updating process.

The Hazard Mitigation Team will publically advertise and announce commencement of the Hazard Mitigation Plan review process and solicit community and stakeholder comment. Public meetings will be held to discuss plan changes with the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board and other groups if warranted. The Team will coordinate the Town’s plan with SRPEDD, our Regional Planning Agency, as well as with the Emergency Management Director and the Town Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The public will be notified of the update process using the local paper, posting on the Town’s website www.middleborough.com, the Town Clerk’s bulletin board, and public announcement at meetings of the Board of Selectmen.

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Comments, corrections, questions or suggestions may be addressed to:

Ruth McCawley Geoffroy, Planning Director Middleborough Planning Department 20 Center Street Middleborough, MA 02739 508-946-2425 [email protected]

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Appendix 1 – Existing Reports and Documents:

Community Development Plan, by Larry Koff & Associates, 2004

Housing Production Plan, by Larry Koff & Associates, 2011

Master Plan, Findings and Alternatives Report, by the Cecil Group, 2002

Open Space Plan, Middleborough Conservation Commission, 2012

Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan 2012, Town of Middleborough

2004 Hazard Mitigation Plan, Town of Middleborough

“Water Department, Department of Public Works ‘Emergency Response Plan’”, December 2009

“Town of Middleborough Water Conservation Plan for Public Suppliers” 2008

‘Stony Brook Pond Dam’ Phase I, Inspection and Evaluation Report, by Pare Corporation, 3/22/11.

Letter from Edward J. Hughes., Dam Safety Engineer, DCR, Office of Dam Safety, dated December 24, 2012 requesting Town of Middleborough submit extension request for Follow-up Inspection, Stony Brook Pond Dam.

Department of Environmental Management, Office of Dam Safety, Municipally Owned Dam, Inspection/Evaluation Report, 1998

“’Assawompsett Pond Dam’, Phase I Inspection/Evaluation Report”, by CDM November 8, 2006

Letter from Edward M. Lambert, Jr., Commissioner DCR to Ronald Miner, PE CDM Smith, Inc., dated April 9, 2012 approving Application to Change Hazard Classification of a Dam, Assawompsett Pond Dam, NID No.: MA03154, Middleborough, MA.

Pratt Farm Conservation Area, Forest Management Plan, by Philip B. Benjamin CF, 6/16/11

Stuart Morgan Conservation Area, Forest Management Plan, by Philip B. Benjamin CF, 6/16/11

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 Weston Memorial Forest, Forest Management Plan, by Philip B. Benjamin CF, 1/29/10

Town of Middleborough 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan, dated June 6, 2011

Town of Middleborough Building Permits by Month 2003 to 2013 by Building Department

December 2001 Working Draft, Massachusetts Drought Management Plan Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2010 http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/mema/disaster- recovery/mass-haz-mit-plan2010-official.pdf Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “State Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 2013 http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/mema/mitigation/state-hazard-mitigation-plan/massachusetts-state-hazard-mitigation-plan.pdf US Census Bureau, American FactFinder, Town of Middleborough Plymouth county Census 2000 Demographic Profile and Disability Status of Non-institutional Population http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-state=qt&-context=qt&- qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_DP2&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-tree_id=403&-redoLog=true&-all_geo_types=N&- _caller=geoselect&-geo_id=06000US2502340850&-search_results=16000US2540885&-format=&-_lang=en

US Census Bureau, American FactFinder, Town of Middleborough Plymouth County Census 2010 Demographic Profile http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table

SRPEDD’s “Census 2010 Releases, Regional Data, Data By Community, American Community Survey Estimates, 2005 – 2009, Profiles by Municipality. http://www.srpedd.org/data.asp

“Census 2010 Trends at a Glance” 2011 SRPEDD Annual Reporthttp://www.srpedd.org/news_reports.asp

MAPC 2010 US Census Redistricting Data by Municipalityhttp://www.mapc.org/data-services/census

SRPEDD Region Population Growth and Projections 1960 – 2030 http://www.srpedd.org/Factbook2009.asp

“Hurricane Evacuation Route Evaluation, Final Report” September 2006, Southern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization & SRPEDD. http://www.srpedd.org/transportation.asp

2011 Public Emergency Information Calendar, Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. http://www.plymouthma.gov/Public_Documents/PlymouthMA_EmManage/index

Middleborough Hazard Mitigation Plan Draft 12/13/11 rev. 10/23/13 rev. 5/18/15 In the Event of an Emergency at Pilgrim Station, Evacuation Where do I go? Entergy Website http://www.pilgrimpower.com/in-case- of-emergency.html

SRPEDD Community Quickstats, Middleborough http://www.srpedd.org/srpeddquickstats.asp

SRPEDD 2010 Fact Book http://www.srpedd.org/Factbook2009.asp

SRPEDD 2011 Annual Report http://www.srpedd.org/news_reports.asp

USGS National Water Information System website MA-LKW 14, in Lakeville MA: http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/gwlevels?site_no=415228070554601&agency_cd=USGS&format=gif

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LEPC/Local Committee Agenda’s and Minutes

Public Outreach

Inter-Departmental Participation

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Appendix 3 – Maps

Critical Facilities

Flood; Hurricane & Tornado; Nor’easters & Blizzards

Wildfire; Earthquake; Census

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