Wareham Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan June 2020 Prepared for: Town of Wareham 54 Marion Road Wareham, MA 02571 Prepared by: Woods Hole Group A CLS Company 107 Waterhouse Road Bourne, MA 02532 USA (508) 540-8080 This document contains confidential information that is proprietary to the Woods Hole Group, Inc. Neither the entire document nor any of the information contained therein should be disclosed or reproduced in whole or in part, beyond the intended purpose of this submission without the express written consent of the Woods Hole Group, Inc. Woods Hole Group, Inc. • A CLS Company Table of Contents PURPOSE OF PLAN .................................................................................................... 1-2 1.2 THE PLANNING PROCESS ........................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 PLAN DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................... 1-6 1.4 PREVIOUS FEDERAL/STATE DISASTERS ...................................................................... 1-6 2.1 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................ 2-2 2.2 GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 2-2 2.3 CLIMATE ................................................................................................................... 2-3 2.4 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.......................................................................................... 2-3 2.5 LAND USE .................................................................................................................. 2-3 2.6 TRANSPORTATION .................................................................................................... 2-5 2.7 CRITICAL FACILITIES ................................................................................................... 2-5 2.8 HISTORICAL PROPERTIES ........................................................................................... 2-6 2.9 REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTIES .................................................................................... 2-7 3.1 FLOODING (COASTAL & INLAND) ............................................................................... 3-3 3.2 COASTAL EROSION .................................................................................................. 3-13 3.3 HURRICANES & TROPICAL STORMS ......................................................................... 3-17 3.4 SEVERE WINTER WEATHER (SNOW/BLIZZARD/ICE STORM/NOR’EASTER) ................. 3-24 3.5 WILDFIRE ................................................................................................................ 3-29 3.6 TORNADO ............................................................................................................... 3-32 3.7 DROUGHT ............................................................................................................... 3-35 3.8 EXTREME TEMPERATURE ........................................................................................ 3-39 3.9 EARTHQUAKE .......................................................................................................... 3-42 3.10 INVASIVE SPECIES ................................................................................................... 3-45 3.11 OTHER SEVERE WEATHER ........................................................................................ 3-46 3.12 DAM AND CULVERT FAILURE ................................................................................... 3-52 3.13 WATER QUALITY CONCERNS (ALGAL BLOOMS, RED TIDES) ...................................... 3-58 3.14 TSUNAMI ................................................................................................................ 3-62 3.15 SUMMARY OF HAZARDS ......................................................................................... 3-63 Report/Project Title i Date (Month and Year) Client 2002-000 See Proprietary Note on Title Page Woods Hole Group, Inc. • A CLS Company 4.1 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 4-2 4.2 RESULTS .................................................................................................................... 4-5 4.3 VULNERABLE PROPERTIES AND CRITICAL FACILITIES ................................................ 4-26 4.4 VULNERABLE POPULATIONS .................................................................................... 4-27 5.1 MITIGATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ....................................................................... 5-2 5.2 EXISTING CAPABILITES .............................................................................................. 5-2 Town Plans and Policies ..................................................................................................... 5-2 Town Staff .......................................................................................................................... 5-3 Financial Capabilities ......................................................................................................... 5-3 Existing Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................ 5-4 Participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) ......................................... 5-5 5.3 PROPOSED MITIGATION ............................................................................................ 5-5 Planning Process ................................................................................................................ 5-5 Proposed Mitigation Actions.............................................................................................. 5-6 6.1 PLAN MONITORING, EVALUATION AND UPDATES ..................................................... 6-2 6.2 INCORPORATION OF MITIGATION STRATEGIES .......................................................... 6-2 6.3 CONTINUED PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................... 6-3 6.4 PLAN ADOPTION ....................................................................................................... 6-3 REFERENCES: 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R-1 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan ii June 2020 Town of Wareham 2018-0014 See Proprietary Note on Title Page Virtually every type of weather has been and will be experienced within a coastal Massachusetts town. From freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions in the winter to heat and humidity in the summer, Wareham must plan for the worst. The old adage of “if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute” certainly applies. Introduction In addition to potentially severe weather, Wareham’s unique peninsular geography and its position at the upper extent of Buzzards Bay exposes the Town to potential wave energy and storm surges capable of causing coastal erosion, flooding, and property damage to multiple sections of Town. In total, Wareham has approximately 57 miles of marine and estuarine shoreline. Natural hazards of all kinds can result in injury, loss of life, damage to buildings and infrastructure, which can have significant adverse impacts on the Town’s economic, social and environmental resources. Through the development and implementation of this Mutli-Hazard Mitigation Plan, the 1 Town of Wareham is proactively trying to prepare for and mitigate potential impacts from the various natural hazards. Chapter Chapter Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan 1-1 June 2020 Town of Wareham 2018-0014 See Proprietary Note on Title Page CHAPTER 1 Introduction PURPOSE OF PLAN The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines hazard mitigation as “any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from (natural) hazards”, such as floods, hurricanes, winter storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. Hazard mitigation may include both structural measures, such as flood control structures, and nonstructural measures, such as regulations and bylaws, to prevent flooding. Local planning and mitigation efforts allow communities to reduce or eliminate the loss of life and property damage resulting from natural hazards. The Town of Wareham produced this Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan for the entire Town with the goal of providing sustained actions to reduce or eliminate risk to human life and property damage from a natural hazard event. Objectives of this plan are as follows: • Describe the planning process; • Identify relevant background information about the Town, including geography, What is a Hazard climate, land use, and infrastructure; Mitigation Plan? • Identify natural hazard risks and areas in town most likely to be impacted; Natural hazard mitigation • Complete a risk assessment to profile planning is the process of hazard events, inventory assets, and reducing or eliminating the loss estimate potential losses; of life and property damage • Identify existing disaster mitigation resulting from natural hazards measures already in place; such as floods, earthquakes, and • Develop proposed mitigation measures hurricanes through long-term and a mitigation strategy based on the strategies, including planning, risk assessment; and policy changes, programs, • Design a mechanism to keep the plan projects, and other activities. updated to reflect current conditions and establish a schedule