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West Brookfield Hazard Mitigation Plan

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West Brookfield Hazard Mitigation Plan West Brookfield Hazard Mitigation Plan Quaboag River from Long Hill Road (CMRPC photo) Adopted by the Board of Selectmen January 5, 2017 Prepared by the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission 2 Washington Square, Union Station Worcester, MA 01604 www.cmrpc.org & Local Hazard Mitigation Team Town of West Brookfield, Massachusetts Acknowledgements The West Brookfield Board of Selectmen extends its thanks to participants in the Local Hazard Mitigation Team: Thomas O'Donnell, Police Department and EMD Johanna Swain, Executive Secretary to the BOS Sarah Allen, Selectman Diane Vayda, Selectman Barry Nadon, Selectman (former) Paul Lapucchino Fire Department (former) Wes Cassavant, Water Department Gordon DeWolf, Conservation Commission Richard Rossman, Historical Commission Jeff Nickerson, Concrete Block Insulating Systems, Inc. The Board likewise offers thanks to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for guidance and feedback regarding this plan. In addition, thanks are extended to the staff of the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission for process facilitation and preparation of this document. Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission Andrew Loew, Principal Planner Matthew Franz, GIS Analyst Derrick Mathieu, Assistant Planner John Mauro, Homeland Security Coordinator Paul Dell’Aquila, Principal Planner (former) Eric Smith, Principal Planner (former) Mark Widner, Homeland Security Coordinator (former) Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Disaster Mitigation Plan ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Plan Purpose ....................................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 PLANNING PROCESS ................................................................................................................................ 1 3.0 REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY PROFILE ................................................................................................... 4 4.0 NATURAL HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................... 5 4.1 Overview of Hazards and Impacts ...................................................................................................... 6 4.2 Flooding ............................................................................................................................................... 9 4.3 Severe Snowstorms / Ice Storms / Nor’easters ................................................................................ 13 4.4 Hurricanes ......................................................................................................................................... 17 4.5 Severe Thunderstorms / Wind / Tornado ......................................................................................... 21 4.6 Wildfires / Brush Fires ....................................................................................................................... 27 4.7 Earthquakes ...................................................................................................................................... 32 4.8 Dam Failure ....................................................................................................................................... 36 4.9 Drought ............................................................................................................................................. 39 4.10 Extreme Temperatures ................................................................................................................... 43 4.11 Other Hazards ................................................................................................................................. 46 4.12 Impacts of Climate Change on Hazards .......................................................................................... 47 5.0 CRITICAL FACILITIES & VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ............................................................................. 50 5.1 Critical Facilities................................................................................................................................. 50 Category 1 – Emergency Response Facilities .......................................................................................... 51 Category 2 – Non Emergency Response Facilities .................................................................................. 52 Category 3 – Dams .................................................................................................................................. 53 Category 4 – Facilities/Populations to Protect ....................................................................................... 53 6.0 EXISTING PROTECTION .......................................................................................................................... 55 6.1 Existing Protection Matrix ................................................................................................................. 57 7.0 MITIGATION STRATEGY ......................................................................................................................... 61 7.1 Impact ............................................................................................................................................... 61 7.2 Priority ............................................................................................................................................... 61 7.3 Estimated Cost .................................................................................................................................. 62 7.4 Timeline ............................................................................................................................................. 63 7.5 Strategy Types ................................................................................................................................... 63 8. PLAN ADOPTION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND MAINTENANCE .................................................................. 72 8.1 Plan Adoption .................................................................................................................................... 72 8.2 Plan Implementation ......................................................................................................................... 72 8.3 Plan Monitoring and Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 73 8.4 Potential Federal and State Funding Sources ................................................................................... 75 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................................ 85 A. Maps................................................................................................................................................ 85 B. Public Survey Results ...................................................................................................................... 85 C. Planning Team & Public Meetings .................................................................................................. 85 D. Certificate of Adoption.................................................................................................................... 85 E. Glossary ........................................................................................................................................... 85 West Brookfield Hazard Mitigation Plan January 2017 Page 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Disaster Mitigation Plan Congress enacted the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) on October 10, 2000. Also known as the Stafford Act Amendments, the bill was signed into law by President Clinton on October 30, 2000, creating Public Law 106-390. The law established a national program for pre- disaster mitigation and streamlined the federal administration of disaster relief. Specific rules on the implementation of DMA 2000 were published in the Federal Register in February 2002 and required that all communities must have a Hazard Mitigation Plan in place in order to qualify for future federal disaster mitigation grants following a Presidential disaster declaration. The Hazard Mitigation Plan emphasizes measures that can be taken to reduce or prevent future disaster damages caused by natural hazards. In the context of natural hazard planning, Pre-Disaster Mitigation refers to any action that permanently reduces or eliminates long-term risks to human life and property. 1.2 Plan Purpose New England weather is renowned for its mercurial and dramatic nature. Late summer hurricanes, major winter blizzards, and summer droughts are all part of climactic atmosphere in Central Massachusetts. These occur frequently enough to be familiar scenes to residents of West Brookfield. The intersection of these natural hazards with the built environment can transition these routine events into classified natural disasters. Since many towns historically developed along waterways as a corridor for transportation and power, they are have evolved into riverine floodplains. The historical development pattern of Central Massachusetts makes the likelihood of a devastating impact of a natural disaster more likely.
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