Town of Bedford New Hampshire Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2014
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TOWN OF BEDFORD NEW HAMPSHIRE DRAFT Town of Bedford, New Hampshire, Town Office Building HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN UPDATE 2014 DRAFT TOWN OF BEDFORD NEW HAMPSHIRE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN Update 2014 Prepared by the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission DRAFT The preparation of this document has been financed in part by a grant from the State of New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. DRAFT Acknowledgements The Bedford Town Council would like to thank the following people for contributing their time and effort to complete the Bedford Hazard Mitigation Plan and its update: Bedford Hazard Mitigation Plan 2014 Update Committee Members Rick Sawyer, Planning Director, Planning and Zoning Department Karin Elmer, Planner 1, Planning and Zoning Department Dawna Duhamel, Chief Financial Officer, Bedford School District Scott Wiggin, Chief, Bedford Fire Department Michael Bernard, Patrol Lieutenant, Bedford Police Department Steve Crean, Environmental Coordinator, Dept. of Public Works Emile Lacerte, Assistant Highway Superintendent, Dept. of Public Works Michael McLaughlin, Engineer, Dept. of Public Works Thanks also to: • The New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (NH HSEM), which developed the New Hampshire Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, and • The Southwest Region Planning Commission, which developed Hazard Mitigation Planning for New Hampshire Communities. Both publications servedDRAFT as models for this plan. “We will of course be there to help after disaster strikes, but as you all know, there’s no substitute for mitigation before it does.... As a poet once wrote, “the test of men lies in action.” We as emergency managers and first responders cannot afford to wait for action….Through planning, mitigation, education, and cooperation, we can make sure our at-risk communities are prepared before the first drop of rain or gust of wind ever threatens our shores.” —Joe Allbaugh, Director of FEMA, Addressing the 2002 National Hurricane Conference 2014 Bedford Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Page i Preface Hazard mitigation planning is a relatively new field, spearheaded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during the 1990’s after Hurricane Andrew caused more than $20 billion dollars in damage across several southern states. That event resulted in 54 fatalities and the disruption of millions of lives. Since that time many more natural disasters have caused great losses in the United States, including Hurricane Katrina and most recently, Hurricane Sandy. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, developed by FEMA, was intended to help both communities and states prepare for, and deal with, such disasters. While New England normally does not have hurricanes of Andrew’s magnitude, this area does experience many types of natural disasters that cost both lives and money. These disasters and other natural hazards occur during all four seasons in the Northeast: winter ice, snow, and nor’easters; spring flooding; summer downbursts and thunderstorms; and fall hurricanes. Planning to make a community disaster-resistant before these events occur can help save lives as well as homes and infrastructure. FEMA has several programs designed to strengthen the nation’s disaster resistance by reducing risks, changing conditions and behaviors before a disaster to protect lives and prevent the loss of property. FEMA has several programs designed to strengthen the nation’s disaster resistance by reducing risks, changing conditions and behaviors before a disaster to protect lives and prevent the loss of property. FEMA has also recently updated the existing Flood Insurance Rate Maps, as many communities hadDRAFT outdated maps that did not reflect the true extent of flooding potential. A community’s eligibility for hazard mitigation funding depends upon having adopted a hazard mitigation plan and updating it at least every 5 years. Mitigation measures contained within the Bedford Hazard Mitigation Plan may be sufficient to receive grant funding. It is hoped that this document will be a good first step toward analyzing hazards in Bedford, forecasting where potential disasters might occur, and reducing their impact on people and the community Page ii 2014 Bedford Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... I PREFACE .......................................................................................................................................... II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... V SECTION I - INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................1 Natural Hazards and Their Consequences ...................................................................1 What Is Hazard Mitigation? ............................................................................................2 Why Develop a Hazard Mitigation Plan? .....................................................................2 Benefits of Hazard Mitigation .........................................................................................2 Background: Bedford Hazard Mitigation Planning .....................................................3 Purpose ...................................................................................................................3 Authority ................................................................................................................4 Scope of the Plan ...................................................................................................4 Plan Update Methodology ..................................................................................4 Town of Bedford 2013-2014 Hazard Mitigation Committee Members .....................................................................................................5 Public Committee Meetings ................................................................................5 Coordination with Other Agencies and Individuals .......................................5 Incorporation of Existing Planning Documents, Studies, Reports and Technical Information ...................................................................................6 Existing Bedford Emergency Operations Plan .................................................6 State of New Hampshire Legislation Related to Master Plans ......................6 Town of Bedford Water Resources Plan ............................................................6 Plan DevelopmentDRAFT Steps ..................................................................................................7 TOWN OF BEDFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE ..............................................................................9 HAZARD MITIGATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................9 SECTION II - HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT ..............................10 Location, Topography, Population, and Weather Conditions .................................10 Principal Streams and Brooks ...........................................................................11 Floodplains, Flood Problems and Flood Protection Measures .....................11 Disaster Risk ....................................................................................................................13 Vulnerability Assessment ..............................................................................................13 Current Land Development Trends in Bedford .........................................................17 National Flood Insurance Program ..............................................................................18 Past and Potential Hazards and Critical Facilities .....................................................20 A. Flooding ..........................................................................................................20 B. Wind .................................................................................................................25 2014 Bedford Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Page iii C. Wildfire ............................................................................................................27 D. Ice and Snow Events ......................................................................................28 E. Earthquakes .....................................................................................................31 F. Other Hazards .................................................................................................32 Critical Facilities ..............................................................................................................36 Areas at Risk ....................................................................................................................39 SECTION III - EXISTING MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS .................................................................................................................46 Existing Protection Matrix .............................................................................................49 Summary of Recommended Improvements ...............................................................54 SECTION IV - NEWLY IDENTIFIED MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND CRITICAL EVALUATION .....................................................................................................................55