STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-5127 Gina McCarthy, Commissioner NATURAL HAZARDS MITIGATION PLAN For 2007 – 2010 Photograph taken by DEP staff, September 19, 1999 at the Jenson’s Trailer Park, Still River, Danbury CT. Prepared by: Department of Environmental Protection Inland Water Resources Division Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106 With Assistance From: FEMA and The Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security December 2007 Connecticut’s 2007 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Americans With Disabilities Act Notice: The Department of Environmental Protection is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, providing programs and services in a fair and impartial manner. In conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, DEP makes every effort to provide equally effective services for persons with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities needing auxiliary aids, services, or accommodations to participate in a listed event or for more information by voice or TTY/TDD call (860) 424-3000. Department of Environmental Protection Inland Water Resources Division 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-(860)-424-3706 www.ct.gov/dep ii Connecticut’s 2007 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Connecticut's Standard Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan (NHMP) has been updated in response to the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000), and FEMA’s November 2006 Multi- Hazard Mitigation Planning Guidance. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) prepared the 2007 Plan Update with assistance by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS). An external review group, consisting of members from the Connecticut Interagency Hazard Mitigation Committee (CIHMC), reviewed the Plan. Funding for this Plan was provided through the FFY 2007 CAP-SSSE Cooperative Agreement. The areas of focus for the updated 2007 Plan include: • Update the existing Plan to the standards contained within Section 322 of DMA 2000 for a standard state mitigation plan; • Identify those areas affected by the October 2005 flood event; • Incorporate FEMA’s newest grant programs into the Plan; and • Incorporate the new Connecticut Floodplain Management Act (CFMA) into the Plan; • Incorporation of a discussion on potential impacts due to climate change with regards to natural hazard mitigation; • Inclusion of potential dam failures as an additional natural hazard; and • Reassessment of the goals and objectives presented in the 2004 Plan. The main premise of natural hazards mitigation is the prevention of loss of life, the reduction of damages associated with natural disasters, and the restoration of public services after each disaster. As a means to achieving effective hazard mitigation, states and local communities need to use the planning process and develop effective plans. Connecticut's efforts in updating its 2007 NHMP include: • An assessment of all natural hazards that affect Connecticut including the frequencies, magnitudes, and distribution of these hazards; • A risk assessment of Connecticut's vulnerability to natural hazards as addressed through potential loss of life and surveys of critical facilities in areas subject to these hazards; • The integration of climate impact as it relates to the assessment and analysis of natural hazards that could potentially affect the State; • An outline of Connecticut's governmental organization before, during, and after a natural disaster. The outline presents the roles of each major state agency or DEP division in planning and responding to these hazards; and • A summary of the most successful projects undertaken within the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMA), and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM) to serve as examples for other communities. Connecticut is a relatively small state with a strong home rule tradition. There are 169 municipalities in 8 counties in Connecticut. County government is very limited in its authority and capacity. The individual iii Connecticut’s 2007 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan municipalities function in much the same way as counties do in states with strong county government and limited local authority. The State of Connecticut, in cooperation with several regional planning organizations, is working towards having all its municipalities covered by a local natural hazard mitigation plan. These plans are required prior to the receipt of any available FEMA grant funds. To date, the planning effort has achieved a rate of 75% of Connecticut’s communities adopting or soon to adopt and be covered by a local hazard mitigation plan. A review of FEMA approved local hazard mitigation plans indicate that natural hazard concerns are very similar throughout many geographic areas of Connecticut. From highest level of threat to lowest, the following is a list of natural hazards that almost all local plans focused upon: • Flooding • High wind events (includes hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, etc.) • Winter storms/events (includes ices storms, ice jams, nor’easters, etc.) • Drought • Forest fires • Earthquakes • Tsunamis This plan update has provided Connecticut with an opportunity to build more effective interagency communication between its may agencies who affect natural hazard planning and mitigation, and to identify enhancements in current hazard mitigation planning that will help move the State to a better defined place in hazard mitigation planning. In addition, this update provided an opportunity to explore climate impact and its relation to natural hazards mitigation planning as a whole. This analysis of climate impact on hazard mitigation planning has recently become an important focus for CTDEP and will remain a primary focus in future plan updates. Connecticut's climate is changing. Over the next 50 - 100 years, we can expect significant climate change impacts on Connecticut's coastal communities, forests, fisheries, agriculture, human health, and natural disasters. These impacts include increased annual temperatures, rising sea level, increased sea surface temperatures, more intense storms, and changes in precipitation patterns. Climate change will impact the occurrence and intensity of natural disasters, leading to additional hazards and significant economic losses. For example, the frequency of heavy rainfall events is increasing across the Northeast and scientists expect extreme precipitation to continue to increase due to climate change. The Northeast suffered an estimated $130 million in property damage from several intense storms in the fall of 2005 and spring 2006. Connecticut’s coast has almost $405 billion of insured coastal exposure. The 6th highest insured state in the country. Coastal homes, roads, and infrastructure are at increased risk as sea level rises and storms become more intense. Scientists, insurers, investors, planners, designers, and policy makers must respond to the significant consequences of climate impacts on human health, coastal infrastructure, ecosystems, agriculture, and the economy. Recognizing the global, regional, and local implications of climate change, Connecticut and New England have shown great leadership in addressing mitigation through the reduction of greenhouse gases. In 2001, the New England Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers signed a regional Climate Change Action Plan and committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region to 1990 levels by 2010, 10% below that by 2020, and 75-85% by 2050. In 2004, the Connecticut General Assembly adopted these regional goals for Connecticut and the Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) was completed and submitted to the Connecticut legislature in 2005 iv Connecticut’s 2007 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan The State of Connecticut is committed to reducing future damage from natural disasters through mitigation. The mission of Connecticut’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Program and this associated Plan is to mitigate the effects of natural hazards by minimizing loss of life and property damage. Chapter 5 of this plan lays out the State’s existing goals and objectives that relate to hazard mitigation. The State of Connecticut has developed these goals and their associated strategies potential activities based upon the following: 1. Hazard vulnerability and risk assessments contained in this plan; 2. Evaluation of current state and federal regulations; and 3. State and federal funding sources available to conduct natural hazard mitigation measures in Connecticut. It is anticipated that by working towards achieving the goals set out in this Plan, effective natural hazards mitigation measures will be implemented to protect all residents of the State, and will promote the responsible natural hazard mitigation throughout Connecticut both on a state and local level. The implementation of effective hazard mitigation requires on-going planning and dedicated persistence both on a state and local level to maintain what has been done in the past and to improve upon past efforts to strive for implementing the most protection possible from natural hazards. The related strategies and activities presented in this Plan provide a guide to assist the State in working towards achieving these goals that will be implemented or initiated during the time period encompassing this NHMP Update. The goals themselves are achievable, yet they require adequate