The storms that hit on January 10 and 13 brought rising seas into many built-up areas of Town, as illustrated by the pictures in last week’s edition of the Cricket. High tides combined with strong winds from the south pushed water up and over coastal banks, flooding parks, roads, and parking lots as well as many basements. It was easy to see where the Town is vulnerable to storm surge and the challenges we will face when truly big storms hit.
A few highlights of inundated areas include Raymond Street and Butler Avenue as the waves rolled right over the seawall at Magnolia (Grey) Beach. Ocean Street sustained significant damage as water washed over the barrier beaches it sits on.
Masconomo and Reed Parks were underwater, with water spilling over onto Beach Street, which had to be closed to traffic during the peak of high tide. The parking lot behind Town Hall was completely flooded with water lapping at the sandbags that were placed at the lower doors to Town Hall and the Police Department’s garage door.
Central Pond overtopped its banks, flooding the lower level of the Fire Station. The Rotunda at Tuck’s Point came close to being washed away, but it survived with damage to the railings and the ramp leading to it.
If we needed a reminder about our vulnerabilities, these two storms certainly provided it!
The flooded areas matched those that the modeling done for the Town had predicted. The recently completed Vulnerability Action Plan for the village area prioritizes steps we should take to protect Town Hall, the wastewater plant, and the area around Reed and Masconomo Parks. We have received additional grant funding to begin implementing the recommendations contained in this plan, including installing mechanisms on storm drains that prevent ocean water coming up the wrong way. Soon we will engage the community in a discussion of ways to redesign Masconomo Park that allows it to still function as a park while better handling high water. Water-proofing the sewer plant and Town Hall are also priorities.
Other efforts have included updating and expanding on a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. Chief Fitzgerald, who has burnished his emergency management credentials with recent course work through FEMA and NOAA, has led this effort and will continue to work with our regional partners to ensure we are as prepared as possible for significant events. The Town has recently joined a regional consortium that can provide additional resources should we need them in an emergency.
The recently completed Facilities Master Plan recommends we start down the path of replacing various facilities, including a new home for our public safety operations outside of flood zones.
We are also about to undertake an update to the Town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. This plan addresses a range of possible emergency events, from blizzards and hurricanes and from wildfires to drought, as well as other hazards that can threaten public safety.
Regional studies related to adapting to the impacts of climate change continue with the help of grant funding that the Town has been able to secure. Working with the Cape Ann Climate Coalition, Town Green, and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, we are assembling a wealth of information on a range of topics, including what we can expect to happen should a hurricane hit us, how we can take measures to mitigate the impacts, and how we can improve the health of various ecosystems (forests, salt marshes, urban parks, etc.) to bolster our resilience to a changing climate. New work is about to get underway that will assess the area’s governance structures, financial resources, and community engagement around climate change threats with an eye toward making improvements that allow us to better manage our future given a warmer planet.
The flooding we experienced earlier this month was a strong reminder about what is at stake with climate change. We are rolling up our sleeves and pursuing measures that should help us meet at least some of the challenges.
