Berkshire County Hazard Mitigation Plan Prepared for: Adams, Becket, Dalton, Egremont, Great Barrington, Hancock, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, New Marlborough, Otis, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sandisfield, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington and Williamston, MA Prepared by: Berkshire Regional Planning Commission 1 Fenn Street, Suite 201 Pittsfield, MA 01201 Berkshire Regional Planning Commission This plan was financed through a grant from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security – Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). February 8, 2012 BRPC – 2012 Draft Berkshire County Hazard Mitigation Plan 1 Table of Contents Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 10 Introduction and Overview ........................................................................................................... 11 Background ............................................................................................................................... 11 Geographic Scope ..................................................................................................................... 11 Community Involvement ........................................................................................................... 12 Planning Process ............................................................................................................................ 14 Coordinating Role of Regional Planning Agency ....................................................................... 14 Planning Process ....................................................................................................................... 14 Regional Profile ............................................................................................................................. 17 Population, Households, and Employment............................................................................... 17 Regional Land Use ..................................................................................................................... 22 Transportation Network ........................................................................................................... 24 Water Resources ....................................................................................................................... 25 Natural Hazard Identification ........................................................................................................ 27 Identifying and Profiling Hazards .............................................................................................. 27 Flood Related Hazards .......................................................................................................... 27 Coastal Storms ...................................................................................................................... 38 Atmospheric and Winter Related Hazards ........................................................................... 40 Geologic Hazards .................................................................................................................. 51 Other Natural Hazards .......................................................................................................... 54 Community Profiles ....................................................................................................................... 60 Town of Adams Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ..................................................................... 60 Town of Becket Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ..................................................................... 65 Town of Dalton Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ..................................................................... 71 Town of Egremont Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ................................................................ 76 Town of Great Barrington Natural Hazard Risk Assessment..................................................... 80 Town of Hancock Natural Hazard Risk Assessment .................................................................. 86 Town of Lee Natural Hazard Risk Assessment .......................................................................... 90 Town of Lenox Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ...................................................................... 95 Town of Monterey Natural Hazard Risk Assessment .............................................................. 100 Town of New Marlborough Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ................................................ 104 Town of Otis Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ....................................................................... 108 City of Pittsfield Natural Hazard Risk Assessment .................................................................. 112 BRPC – 2012 Draft Berkshire County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2 Town of Richmond Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ............................................................. 119 Town of Sandisfield Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ............................................................ 123 Town of Sheffield Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ................................................................ 128 Town of Stockbridge Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ........................................................... 132 Town of Tyringham Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ............................................................. 136 Town of Washington Natural Hazard Risk Assessment .......................................................... 139 Town of Williamstown Natural Hazard Risk Assessment ........................................................ 143 Existing Protections ..................................................................................................................... 147 Participation in the National Flood Insurance Program .......................................................... 147 Building Codes ......................................................................................................................... 148 Structural Mitigation ............................................................................................................... 148 Existing Protection Matrixes ................................................................................................... 150 Vulnerability / Risk Assessment .................................................................................................. 171 Overall Vulnerability ............................................................................................................... 171 Assessing Vulnerability: Addressing Repetitive Loss Properties ......................................... 173 Assessing Vulnerability: Identifying Structures .................................................................. 173 Wildfire, Tornado and Earthquake ..................................................................................... 177 Region Wide Hazards .......................................................................................................... 177 Assessing Vulnerability: Estimating Potential Losses .............................................................. 177 Flooding .............................................................................................................................. 177 Assessing Vulnerability: Analyzing Development Trends ....................................................... 180 Mitigation Strategy ...................................................................................................................... 181 Mitigation Goals ...................................................................................................................... 181 Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................................... 181 Implementation of Mitigation Actions .................................................................................... 183 Prioritization of Mitigation Actions. ................................................................................... 184 Mitigation Actions ................................................................................................................... 184 Plan Adoption and Maintenance ................................................................................................. 259 Monitoring, Evaluating and Updating the Plan ....................................................................... 259 Incorporation into Existing Planning Mechanisms .................................................................. 260 Continued Public Involvement ................................................................................................ 260 Adoption by Communities ...................................................................................................... 261 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................. 281 Appendix ...................................................................................................................................... 283 Appendix 1. Plans Reviewed ................................................................................................... 284 BRPC – 2012 Draft Berkshire County Hazard Mitigation Plan 3 Appendix 2. Meeting Notes ...................................................................................................