Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2021 – 2026 Municipal Annex for MIDDLEBURY, CT 1212 Whittemore Road Middlebury, CT 06762 MMI #3211-29 Prepared for: Prepared by: NAUGATUCK VALLEY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS SLR CONSULTING 47 Leavenworth Street, 3rd Floor 99 Realty Drive Waterbury, CT 06702 Cheshire, Connecticut 06410 (203) 489-0362 (203) 271-1773 www.nvcogct.org www.slrconsulting.com TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 PURPOSE OF ANNEX .................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 PLANNING PROCESS .................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.3 PHYSICAL SETTING ...................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.4 LAND COVER ............................................................................................................................................. 1-2 1.5 GEOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................. 1-2 1.6 DRAINAGE BASINS AND HYDROLOGY ............................................................................................................... 1-3 1.7 CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE .................................................................................................................... 1-5 1.8 DEVELOPMENT TRENDS ................................................................................................................................ 1-7 1.9 HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES .............................................................................................................. 1-8 1.10 SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX ........................................................................................................................ 1-8 2.0 MUNICIPAL CAPABILITIES ........................................................................................................................ 2-10 2.1 GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE AND CAPABILITIES............................................................................................... 2-10 2.2 INFRASTRUCTURE ...................................................................................................................................... 2-10 2.3 CRITICAL FACILITIES AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE.............................................................................................. 2-12 3.0 FLOODING ............................................................................................................................................... 3-16 3.1 EXISTING CAPABILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 3-16 3.2 VULNERABILITIES AND RISK ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 3-19 4.0 HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS .................................................................................................... 4-24 4.1 EXISTING CAPABILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 4-24 4.2 VULNERABILITIES AND RISK ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 4-25 5.0 SUMMER STORMS AND TORNADOES ..................................................................................................... 5-27 5.1 EXISTING CAPABILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 5-27 5.2 VULNERABILITIES AND RISK ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 5-28 6.0 WINTER STORMS ..................................................................................................................................... 6-29 6.1 EXISTING CAPABILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 6-29 6.2 VULNERABILITIES AND RISK ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 6-30 7.0 GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS ........................................................................................................................... 7-31 7.1 EXISTING CAPABILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 7-31 7.2 VULNERABILITIES AND RISK ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 7-31 8.0 DAM FAILURE .......................................................................................................................................... 8-33 8.1 EXISTING CAPABILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 8-33 8.2 VULNERABILITIES AND RISK ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 8-33 9.0 WILDFIRES ............................................................................................................................................... 9-36 9.1 EXISTING CAPABILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 9-36 9.2 VULNERABILITIES AND RISK ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 9-37 10.0 MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS ............................................................................................... 10-40 10.1 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................... 10-40 10.2 STATUS OF MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS FROM PREVIOUS HMP .......................................................... 10-40 10.3 PRIORITIZATION OF STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS ............................................................................................... 10-43 10.4 MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS IMPLEMENTATION TABLE ...................................................................... 10-43 Municipal Annexes: Middlebury 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose of Annex This Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) annex provides a community-specific hazard risk assessment, capability analysis, and evaluation and prioritization of hazard mitigation measures and projects. Background information and the regional effects of pertinent natural hazards are discussed in the main body of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. This annex is designed to supplement the information presented in the Multi-Jurisdictional HMP with more specific local detail, and is not to be considered a standalone document. The primary goal of this HMP, including this Municipal Annex, is to identify natural hazard risks and mitigation opportunities in order to reduce the loss of or damage to life, property, infrastructure, and natural, cultural, and economic resources. This includes the reduction of public and private damage costs. Limiting losses of and damage to life and property will also reduce the social, emotional, and economic disruption associated with a natural disaster. 1.2 Planning Process A meeting was held with Middlebury representatives on December 09, 2020 for the purposes of initial data collection and review of necessary updates for this document. The meeting was convened by the HMP local coordinator, Ed St. John. Additional input was provided at the two regional municipal staff workshops, held on November 18, 2020, and February 3, 2021. Public input collected at public workshops and through an online survey have also informed development of this HMP update. 1.3 Physical Setting The Town of Middlebury is located in northern New Haven County at the intersection of Routes 64 and 188. It is bordered by the Town of Watertown to the north, The Town of Woodbury to the north and west, the Town of Southbury to the west, the Town of Oxford to the south, the Borough of Naugatuck to the east and south, and the City of Waterbury to the east. Almost the entire east and northeastern section of Middlebury lies within the Hop Brook watershed, while some areas of town are in the Steele Brook, Nonnewaug River, Eightmile Brook, Little River, and Long Meadow Pond Brook watersheds. Hop Brook, the Town's major watercourse, runs north-south before entering Hop Brook Lake and leaving Middlebury through the town of Waterbury and the Borough of Naugatuck. NVCOG Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 1-1 August 2021 Municipal Annexes: Middlebury Lake Quassapaug lies in the northwest section of Town. This section of Middlebury features many hills with steep relief near and extending into the southeastern portion of the Town of Woodbury. Eightmile Brook extends southward from Lake Quassapaug and follows the border between Middlebury and the Towns of Woodbury and Southbury. Long Meadow Pond is orientated northwest-southeast ad extends into