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The City of Northampton Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan

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The City of Northampton Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan THE CITY OF NORTHAMPTON LOCAL NATURAL HAZARDS MITIGATION PLAN Adopted by the Northampton City Council on __________ Prepared by: The Northampton Natural Hazards Mitigation Planning Committee and The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission 26 Central Street, Suite 34 West Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 781-6045 www.pvpc.org This project was funded by a grant received from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation Services (formerly the Department of Environmental Management) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 - INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 Hazard Mitigation ...................................................................................................................1 Planning Process .....................................................................................................................1 2 – LOCAL PROFILE .................................................................................................................. 6 Community Setting ................................................................................................................6 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................7 Natural Resources ................................................................................................................10 3 – HAZARD IDENTIFICATION & ANALYSIS ....................................................................... 14 Natural Hazard Identification ...........................................................................................14 Natural Hazard Analysis Methodology ..........................................................................21 Detailed Hazard Profile for Northampton .....................................................................26 Vulnerability Assessment ....................................................................................................36 Past and Potential Hazards ...............................................................................................36 4 – CRITICAL FACILITIES ........................................................................................................ 41 Critical Facilities within Hazard Areas .............................................................................41 Category 1 – Emergency Response Services ..............................................................41 Category 2 – Non Emergency Response Facilities .....................................................44 Category 3 – Facilities/Populations to Protect ............................................................45 5 – CURRENT MITIGATION STRATEGIES ............................................................................. 51 Flooding ..................................................................................................................................51 Severe Snowstorms/Ice Storms .........................................................................................63 Hurricanes ...............................................................................................................................69 Tornadoes ...............................................................................................................................72 Wildfires/Brushfires ................................................................................................................77 Earthquakes ...........................................................................................................................81 Dam Failures ..........................................................................................................................87 6 – INCORPORATION ............................................................................................................ 94 7 – FUTURE MiTIGATION STRATEGIES ................................................................................. 96 Goal Statements and Action Items ................................................................................96 General Mitigation Action Items ......................................................................................96 Flooding ..................................................................................................................................98 Severe Snow Storms/Ice Storms .....................................................................................100 Hurricanes and Tornadoes ..............................................................................................101 Wildfires/Brushfires ..............................................................................................................101 Earthquakes .........................................................................................................................102 Dam Failure ..........................................................................................................................102 Man-Made Hazards/Hazardous Materials ..................................................................103 8 – PLAN ADOPTION & IMPLEMENTATION ..................................................................... 108 Plan Adoption .....................................................................................................................108 Plan Implementation .........................................................................................................108 APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................... 113 Appendix A ..........................................................................................................................114 Appendix B ...........................................................................................................................117 Appendix C ..........................................................................................................................124 Appendix D ..........................................................................................................................128 Appendix E ...........................................................................................................................130 Appendix F ...........................................................................................................................131 Appendix G..........................................................................................................................134 City of Northampton Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan 2 Acknowledgements The Northampton City Council extends special thanks to the Northampton Natural Hazards Mitigation Planning Committee as follows: Clare Higgins, Mayor of the City of Northampton Melissa Nazzaro, aid to Northampton’s Emergency Management Director Nancy Forrestall, Smith College Representative Jim Laurich, Northampton Department of Public Works Engineer Carolyn Misch, Senior Land Use Planner, Northampton Office of Planning and Development Captain Joseph W. Koncas, Northampton Police Department Ned Huntley, Director of Northampton’s Department of Public Dana Cheverette, Northampton Fire Department / Local Emergency Planning Committee The Northampton City Council offers thanks to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for developing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan (http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/mitigate/plan.htm) which served as a model for this plan. In addition, special thanks are extended to the staff of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission for professional services, process facilitation and preparation of this document. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Catherine Miller, Principal Planner/Co-Project Manager Eric Twarog, Senior Planner/Co-Project Manager Shaun Hayes, Principal Planner/GIS-Graphics Section Head Andrew Smith, Land Use Specialist Todd Zukowski, Senior Planner/GIS Specialist Jim Scace, GIS Specialist 1 - INTRODUCTION Hazard Mitigation The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) define Hazard Mitigation as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards such as flooding, storms, high winds, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, etc. Mitigation efforts undertaken by communities will help to minimize damages to buildings and infrastructure, such as water supplies, sewers, and utility transmission lines, as well as natural, cultural and historic resources. Planning efforts, like the one undertaken by the City of Northampton and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, make mitigation a proactive process. Pre- disaster planning emphasizes actions that can be taken before a natural disaster occurs. Future property damage and loss of life can be reduced or prevented by a mitigation program that addresses the unique geography, demography, economy, and land use of a community within the context of each of the specific potential natural hazards that may threaten a community. Preparing a Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan before a disaster occurs can save the community money and will facilitate post-disaster funding. Costly repairs or replacement of buildings and infrastructure, as well as the high cost of providing emergency services and rescue/recovery operations, can be avoided or significantly
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