Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation Plan 2010
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation Plan 2010 Prepared by Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and Department of Conservation and Recreation October 2010 Deval Patrick Tim Murray Governor Lt. Governor Kurt Schwartz Richard Sullivan Acting Director, MEMA Commissioner, DCR Cover Photograph Credits: Center; Boston Globe, Staff Photographer, Lakeville RT. 140, March 2010. Lower Left: Scott Macleod, Weymouth, June 2007. Lower Center; Cape Cod Times, Chatham North Beach, January 2008. Lower Right; Scott Macleod, Becket Brooker Hill Rd, September 2008 All photographs are used with permission. Plan Design and Layout: Sarah White, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Acknowledgments This document has been compiled by the State Hazard Mitigation Team, comprised of staff from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and Department of Conservation and Recreation: Richard Zingarelli Scott Macleod Sarah White Sherry Leung Chris Markesich Eric Carlson Special appreciation is extended to the individuals who participated in this update by contributing on a Workgroup and working session. Your dedication and feedback made this update more comprehensive and set the high-quality standards for the drafts and revisions. Linda Alexander Rebecca Haney Robert Ryan Tom Barnaby Chris Hatfield Rob Sousa Nicole Belk Erica Heidelberg James Sprague Myles Brown Ben Hiltunen Michael Stroman Scott Calisti Linda Hutchins Robert Thompson Fran DeNicola Rich Klein Jeffery Trask John Ebel Steve Patriarco Gregor Trinkaus-Randall Glenn Field Joe Pelczarski Beverly Woods Ed Fratto Representatives from the following agencies provided valuable contributions toward the content and development of the hazard mitigation plan. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Affairs Agencies Department of Conservation and Recreation US Army Corp of Engineers, New England District Department of Environmental Protection Federal Emergency Management Agency Office of Coastal Zone Management National Weather Service Department of Agricultural Resources Natural Resource Conservation Service Department of Fish and Game Northeast States Emergency Consortium Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency American Red Cross Department of Public Safety Weston Observatory at Boston College Department of Public Health US Geologic Survey Division of Capital Asset Management New England Disaster Recovery Exchange Massachusetts Historical Commission Franklin Regional Council of Governments Board of Building Regulation & Standards University of Massachusetts Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..............................................................................................................................................3 TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................................................4 APPENDICES LISTING ...............................................................................................................................................6 FOREWORD...............................................................................................................................................................8 PLAN UPDATE ..........................................................................................................................................................9 Format..................................................................................................................................................................9 Workgroups ........................................................................................................................................................10 Disasters and Recovery ......................................................................................................................................10 SECTION 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................11 1.1 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................................................11 1.2 NATURAL HAZARD RISK.................................................................................................................................11 1.3 DISASTER DECLARATIONS...............................................................................................................................11 1.4 COORDINATION AND PLANNING ...................................................................................................................11 1.5 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................................12 1.6 GOALS AND ACTIONS......................................................................................................................................12 SECTION 2 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW ....................................................................................13 2.1 PURPOSE ..........................................................................................................................................................13 2.2 AUTHORITY AND SCOPE..................................................................................................................................13 2.3 ADOPTION BY THE STATE ................................................................................................................................14 2.4 PROFILE OF MASSACHUSETTS .........................................................................................................................15 Demographics ....................................................................................................................................................15 General Overview of Massachusetts Geography................................................................................................16 Government Structure in Massachusetts ............................................................................................................18 SECTION 3 STATEWIDE HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING PROCESS .....................................21 3.1 HISTORY OF MITIGATION PLANNING IN MASSACHUSETTS ...........................................................................21 Hazard Mitigation Planning Process 2007- 2010..............................................................................................22 3.3 COORDINATION AMONG AGENCIES ...............................................................................................................26 Coordination and Outreach................................................................................................................................28 Coordination and Outreach................................................................................................................................29 3.4 PROGRAM INTEGRATION.................................................................................................................................29 SECTION 4 STATE RISK ASSESSMENT....................................................................................................34 4.1 IDENTIFYING AND PROFILING NATURAL HAZARDS ......................................................................................34 Flood Related Hazards.......................................................................................................................................36 Coastal Hazards.................................................................................................................................................43 Atmospheric and Winter Related Hazards .........................................................................................................53 Other Natural Hazards.......................................................................................................................................72 Geologic Related Hazards..................................................................................................................................80 Non-natural Hazards..........................................................................................................................................86 Overview of Past Federal Emergency and Disaster Declarations...................................................................103 Future Natural Hazards ...................................................................................................................................112 Secondary Effects of Hazard Events.................................................................................................................116 4.2 OVERVIEW OF MASSACHUSETTS POTENTIAL VULNERABILITY ....................................................................118 Massachusetts Potential Vulnerability to Future Natural Hazards..................................................................120 4.3 ASSESSING VULNERABILITY BY JURISDICTION ..............................................................................................121 Flood Vulnerability ..........................................................................................................................................126 Hurricane and High Wind Vulnerability ..........................................................................................................128