Merrimack Valley Region Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2015 AmbuBus/MVRTA-Metro-Bus-Stretcher-Conversion-Kit/ Participating Communities Town of Andover Town of Boxford Town of Georgetown Town of Groveland City of Haverhill City of Lawrence Town of Merrimac City of Methuen Town of Newbury City of Newburyport Town of North Andover Town of Rowley Town of Salisbury Town of West Newbury With Assistance of Merrimack Valley Planning Commission 160 Main Street Haverhill, Massachusetts 01830 November 2015 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Plan update was prepared with the guidance and assistance of local and regional hazard mitigation planning team representatives from the participating communities. MVPC extends its grateful appreciation to the following individuals in particular: Tom Carbone, Director of Public Health, Andover Chief Patrick Keefe, Andover Police Department John Dold, Public Works Director, Boxford Ross Povenmire, Planning and Conservation Director, Boxford Lt. Robert Hazelwood, Emergency Management Director, Boxford Police Department Chief Donald Cudmore, Georgetown Police Department Howard Snyder, Town Planner, Georgetown Deputy Chief and EMT Director Jeff Gillen, Groveland Police Department Nancy Lewandowski, Administrative Assistant, Groveland Andrew Herlihy, Community Developoment Director, Haverhill James Michitson, Emergency Management Director, Haverhill John Pettis, City Engineer, Haverhill Chief John Marsh, Lawrence Fire Department Dan McCarthy, City Planner, Lawrence Chief Brian Moriarty, Lawrence Fire Department Chief Ralph Spencer, Fire Department/EMD, Merrimac William Buckley, Community Development Director, Methuen Joseph Giarrusso, Conservation Officer, Methuen Captain Michael Buote, Methuen Fire Department Martha Taylor, Town Planner, Newbury Marshal Thomas Howard, Newburyport Police Department Jon-Eric White, City Engineer, Newburyport Jeff Coco, Emergency Management Director, North Andover Jean Enright, Assistant Director, Community Development, North Andover Brent Baeslack, Conservation Agent, Rowley James Broderick, Fire Chief/EMD, Rowley Deborah Eagan, Town Administrator, Rowley Lisa Pearson, Planning Director, Salisbury Lee Ann Delp, Emergency Management Director, West Newbury Many other municipal staff, regional and state personnel, and citizen volunteers also participated in the meetings and discussions, and contributed to the development of this Plan. Although too numerous to mention individually, the following in particular made important contributions: Paul Materazzo, Director of Planning, Andover Robert Hazelwood, Emergency Management Director, Boxford Peter Durkee, Highway Surveyor, Georgetown Steve Przyjemski, Conservation Agent, Georgetown Chief John Clement, Fire Department, Groveland Karen Jarrett, Engineer, Haverhill Brad Buschur, Groundwork Lawrence and MVPC Delegate, Lawrence Carol McLeod, Finance Director, Merrimac Kathleen Colwell, Asst. Planning Director, Methuen Stephen Gagnon, Asst. Civil Engineer, Methuen Douglas Packer, Conservation Agent, Newbury Chief Michael Reilly, Police Department/EMD, Newbury Anthony Furnari, Public Services Director, Newburyport Julia Godtfredsen, Conservation Admininstrator, Newburyport Curt Bellavance, Community Development Director, North Andover Jennifer Hughes, Conservation Agent, North Andover Jerry Klima, Board of Selectmen and MVPC Delegate, Salisbury Michelle Rowden, Conservation Agent, Salisbury Gary Bill, DPW, West Newbury Paul Sevigny, Health Agent, West Newbury Sarah White, Mitigation Grants Manager, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Richard Zingarelli, State Hazard Mitigation Officer/NFIP Coordinator, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Marybeth Groff, Hazard Mitigation Planner, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Beverly Woods, Executive Director, Northern Middlesex Council of Governments MVPC also wishes to acknowledge the following Commission staff: Joseph Cosgrove, Environmental Program Manager Alan Macintosh, Asst. Director (retired 2014) Peter Phippen, Coastal Program Coordinator Michael Parquette, Comprehensive Planning Manager Ted Semesnyei, Economic development Coordinator Jerrard Whitten, GIS Manager/Sr. Environmental Planner Steve Lopez, GIS Specialist Kelsey Quinlan, GIS Technician Tony Komornick, Transportation Program Manager Betsy Goodrich, Transportation Planner Todd Fontanella, Transportation Planner Nancy Lavallee, Office Administrator TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................... 1 1.1 Disaster Mitigation Act ...................................................... 1 1.2 Background ..................................................................... 2 1.3 Plan Purpose ................................................................... 3 1.4 Geographic Scope ............................................................ 4 SECTION 2. PLANNING PROCESS ...................................................... 6 2.1 Coordinating Role of Regional Planning Agency ............... 6 2.2 Preparing for Plan Updating Process ................................ 7 2.3 Project Start-Up and Planning Team .................................. 7 2.4 Other Public Forums & Community Involvement Opportunities ................................................................. 16 2.5 Other Regional Planning Initiatives ................................... 19 2.6 Hazard Identification and Assessment Process ................ 20 2.7 Updating the Existing Protections Matrix .......................... 21 2.8 Development of Hazard Mitigation Strategies & Actions ... 21 SECTION 3. REGIONAL PROFILE ........................................................ 22 3.1 Population, Housing, and Employment .............................. 22 3.2 Land Use Characteristics & Trends ......................................... 27 3.3 Transportation Network ..................................................... 30 3.4 Water Resources and Public Water Supplies .................... 31 3.5 Protected Open Space & Prime Farmland ....................... 36 3.6 Historic & Cultural Resources ........................................... 40 3.7 Demographic Trends and Projections ............................... 42 3.8 Assessed Valuations By Community ................................ 45 SECTION 4. NATURAL HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION ........................... 46 A. Natural Hazards Inventory ............................................ 46 4.1 Flood-Related Hazards ..................................................... 47 4.2 Wind-Related Hazards ...................................................... 54 4.3 Winter-Related Hazards .................................................... 69 4.4 Fire-Related Hazards ........................................................ 75 4.5 Geologic Hazards ............................................................. 78 4.6 Heat Waves/Extreme Heat ............................................... 83 4.7 Climate Change & Sea Level Rise .................................... 83 v TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) B. Non-Natural Hazards .................................................... 88 4.8 Public Health Emergencies & Hazards ............................. 89 4.9 Transportation Accidents .................................................. 90 4.10 Nuclear Event ................................................................... 91 4.11 Infrastructure Failure ........................................................ 92 4.12 Commodity Shortages ...................................................... 93 4.13 Food Contamination/Food-borne Illness ........................... 95 4.14 Water Contamination/Water-borne Illness ........................ 96 4.15 Chemical/Hazardous Materials Spills & ReleaseS ............ 96 4.16 Terrorism .......................................................................... 97 SECTION 5. COMMUNITY PROFILES, CRITICAL FACILITIES AND RISK AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS ......... 99 A. Natural Hazard Risks for the Merrimack Valley Region .....99 B. Natural Hazard Risks By Community .............................. 102 5.1 Town of Andover ............................................................... 102 5.2 Town Boxford .................................................................... 113 5.3 Town of Georgetown ......................................................... 122 5.4 Town of Groveland ........................................................... 134 5.5 City of Haverhill ................................................................. 141 5.6 City of Lawrence ............................................................... 151 5.7 Town of Merrimac ............................................................. 162 5.8 City of Methuen ................................................................. 171 5.9 Town of Newbury .............................................................. 182 5.10 City of Newburyport ......................................................... 200 5.11 Town of North Andover .................................................... 216 5.12 Town of Rowley ............................................................... 225 5.13 Town of Salisbury ............................................................ 232 5.14 Town of West Newbury .................................................... 254 SECTION 6. EXISTING PROTECTIONS MATRIX .................................. 261 6.1 Town of Andover ............................................................... 262 6.2 Town of Boxford