Litchfield Hills Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan 2016 Update
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Litchfield Hills Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan 2016 Update Litchfield Hills Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan: 2016 Update August 2016 Prepared by the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, this plan is an update to the 2006 Litchfield Hills Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. This report serves the following municipalities: Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, Norfolk, Torrington, and Winchester. FOR USE BY The citizens and municipal governments of the Litchfield Hills region, The Federal Emergency Management Agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security; The Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection PREPARED BY The Northwest Hills Council of Governments 59 Torrington Rd, Suite A-1, Goshen, CT 06756 860.491.9884 With assistance from the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency FINAL AUGUST 2016 Page ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Litchfield Hills Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee Additional Technical Assistance (a Subcommittee of the Northwest Hills Public Safety Task Force) • James Shanley, Barkhamsted Emergency Management Director • Richard Novak, Barkhamsted Road Supervisor • Rick Tillotson, Colebrook Emergency Management Director • Bill Jasmin, Colebrook Road Foreman • Jim O’Leary, Goshen Emergency Management Director • Ed Perry, Goshen Road Supervisor • Theodore Jansen, Hartland Emergency Management Director • Wade Cole, Hartland First Selectman and Road Foreman • Vincent Wheeler, Harwinton Emergency Management Director • John Fredsall, Harwinton Road Supervisor • David Rogers, Litchfield Emergency Management Director • Jack Healy, Litchfield Director of Public Works • Tony Gedraitis, Morris First Selectman • Lew Clark, Morris Road Foreman • Kevin Parsell, New Hartford Emergency Management Director • John Allyn, Town of Norfolk Road Supervisor • Richarrd Byrne, Norfolk Volunteer Firefighter • Jerry Rollet, Torrington Public Works Director • Gary Brunoli, Torrington Fire Chief • Neil Amwake, Winchester Public Works Director • Steve Williams, Winchester Emergency Management Director • Tim Malone, Capitol Region Council of Governments • Steve Silver, Eversource • Dan Soule, Litchfield County Dispatch • Thomas Vannini, DEHMS Region 5 Coordinator FINAL AUGUST 2016 Page iii Table of Contents I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2 A. Overview of Planning Process and Report Contents ............................................................................................................................................. 3 II. Regional Description .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 A. The Regional Landscape ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 B. Cultural Heritage .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 C. Transportation Network and Infrastructure ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 D. Institutional Structure for Emergency Management ........................................................................................................................................... 12 III. Natural Hazards of Concern and Regional Vulnerability ......................................................................................................................................... 19 A. Flooding ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Description ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Past occurrences .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Extent ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Impacts ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24 HAZUS-MH Flood Results ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Probability ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 29 Level of Concern ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 B. Hurricanes ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 30 Past occurrences .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30 Extent ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Impacts ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30 HAZUS-MH Hurricane Results .............................................................................................................................................................................. 31 Probability ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 32 Level of Concern ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33 C. Tornados and Severe Windstorms ...................................................................................................................................................................... 38 FINAL AUGUST 2016 Page iv Past occurrences .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38 Extent ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Impacts ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39 Probability ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 39 Level of Concern ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 39 D. Severe Winter Storms .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 40 Past occurrences .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 40 Extent ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Impacts ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41 Probability ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................