Infrastructure × Storms
Storms and other extreme weather events – such as heavy thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, cold snaps, ice storms, and blizzards – can be both destructive and costly. While these extreme events are often short-lived, the disruption that accompanies them can result in widespread harm to ecosystems, infrastructure, and residents with long-term consequences. While often unpredictable, extreme weather events are expected to increase in intensity and frequency because of climate change; for example, projections estimate that Massachusetts will see an annual increase in precipitation, but it will occur across fewer events (ResilientMass Plan, 2023, p. 3-10).
Infrastructure damage resulting from extreme weather events has significant consequences. For example, extreme weather can prevent people from gaining access to essential sites like places of work, schools, health care facilities and grocery stores.
Extreme weather also prevents emergency response personnel from being able to
access people needing care. Moreover,
storms frequently lead to an increase in requests for emergency services.
Infrastructure often remains damaged when the weather event has passed, which
can further impede effective emergency response, rebuilding efforts, and delay
a return to normalcy.
Many municipalities
have a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, which can be reviewed for more community
specific hazards and vulnerabilities, as well as relevant information to assist
with the following guided exploration.
Storms and other extreme weather events – such as heavy thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, cold snaps, ice storms, and blizzards – can be both destructive and costly. While these extreme events are often short-lived, the disruption that accompanies them can result in widespread harm to ecosystems, infrastructure, and residents with long-term consequences. While often unpredictable, extreme weather events are expected to increase in intensity and frequency because of climate change; for example, projections estimate that Massachusetts will see an annual increase in precipitation, but it will occur across fewer events (ResilientMass Plan, 2023, p. 3-10).
Infrastructure damage resulting from extreme weather events has significant consequences. For example, extreme weather can prevent people from gaining access to essential sites like places of work, schools, health care facilities and grocery stores.
Extreme weather also prevents emergency response personnel from being able to
access people needing care. Moreover,
storms frequently lead to an increase in requests for emergency services.
Infrastructure often remains damaged when the weather event has passed, which
can further impede effective emergency response, rebuilding efforts, and delay
a return to normalcy.
Many municipalities
have a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, which can be reviewed for more community
specific hazards and vulnerabilities, as well as relevant information to assist
with the following guided exploration.
Questions to Answer
The questions and guided explorations below are designed to assist you with thinking about how storms may impact infrastructure in your community. Use the Infrastructure x Storms worksheet to assist you when answering these questions.
The questions and guided explorations below are designed to assist you with thinking about how storms may impact infrastructure in your community. Use the Infrastructure x Storms worksheet to assist you when answering these questions.
Storms and
other extreme weather events compromise the safety and usability of our
transportation, energy, communication, drinking water, stormwater, and waste
systems. Historically, blizzards have been among the most costly and disruptive
weather events for the Commonwealth. Over the last twenty years, there have
been more than five major snowstorms, some of which are among the top
snowstorms recorded (such as those in 2013, 2015 and 2018) in Massachusetts.
These storms brought approximately 2 feet of snow in less than 24 hours (SHMCAP, 2018, Appendix B p. 11).
Electrical
power outages caused by heavy snow or ice can affect thousands of community
members. The blizzard of 2013 left nearly 400,000 Massachusetts residents without
power (SHMCAP, 2018, Appendix B p. 11), which is especially dangerous for those who can’t
relocate. Power outages can also strain essential facilities like hospitals, elder
facilities, pharmacies, and grocery stores that then must run on generators and
alternative power sources. Flooding caused by the melting of large amounts of
accumulated snow and ice can also cause damage to public and private
infrastructure including roads and bridges, drinking water, stormwater, and
waste systems. This can lead to work and business closures, and more challenges
moving goods and critical supplies.
The North
Atlantic hurricane season has grown longer and more intense (NASA, 2022), as has the probability of general high wind and precipitation
events. High wind events can cause significant infrastructural damage. Coastal
regions experience storm surge, and inland areas experience overtopping of
rivers, lakes, and other water bodies. Wind can result in dangerous airborne
debris, downed trees (which can hit structures and transmission lines on the
way down and obstruct roads), and property destruction.
Guided Exploration:
Through
this guided exploration, consider what kinds of impacts your community
remembers from various types of storms in recent history. (Consider windstorms,
tornados, thunderstorms, hurricanes, and winter storms – and whether you’ve
seen the intensity and frequency of these events change in the past few decades.)
Discuss how your community prepared for, was impacted by, and responded to, the most recent storm events. Keep in mind what kinds of infrastructure (e.g., EMS Dispatch Centers, bridges, etc.) and services assist your community in a storm.
- How might these resources and services be adapted to increase your community’s resilience to storms?
- What services or resources were lacking the last time a storm occurred?
- Think about your community’s infrastructure systems – communication, transportation, energy, drinking water, stormwater, and waste systems. Which were damaged or disrupted during these storms? What were the implications?
- How might these infrastructure systems be more resilient to future storm events? For example:
- Are infrastructure systems in your community designed for higher wind speeds, icing, and increasingly extreme and variable weather conditions?
- Are local zoning, site plan review, or subdivision regulations crafted in such a way that they take a changed climate into consideration?
- What kinds of policies, design standards, or best practices could be implemented to make sure the design of new infrastructure or infrastructure upgrades consider future climate projections?
- How might partnerships with community organizations help prepare community members and households before storms – such as generating emergency kits and preparing cell service backup plans? (Consider social services groups, churches, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), etc.)
- How can community warming and cooling shelters become more self-sufficient during power outages?
- Are there networks of solar and storage systems and other sustainable, resilient forms of power generation that can be expanded?
- Can small-scale microgrids be implemented at key locations (hospital/ schools/libraries) to support critical functions of day-to-day community operations?
- Are there potential locations to prioritize for buried power and internet lines to avoid localized wind damage?
- What kinds of backup systems or alternative options could help create redundancy or adaptability in your community’s infrastructure systems? For example:
- Could a solar and storage system provide backup power?
- Could an on-demand shuttle service provide an alternative transportation option when needed?
Read More About Related Impacts in the Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment:
- Damage to Electric Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure page 64 (top impact Statewide; Berkshires & Hilltowns; Greater Connecticut River Valley; Central; Eastern Inland; North & South Shores; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
- Damage to Coastal Buildings and Ports page A51 (top impact North & South Shores)
- Emergency Service Response Delays and Evacuation Disruptions page 45 (top impact Statewide; Boston Harbor; North & South Shores; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
- Damage to Inland Buildings page 56 (top impact Statewide, Berkshires & Hilltowns, Greater Connecticut River Valley, Eastern Inland)
- Damage to Rails and Loss of Rail/Transit Service page 69 (top impact Statewide, Eastern Inland; Boston Harbor)
Storms and
other extreme weather events compromise the safety and usability of our
transportation, energy, communication, drinking water, stormwater, and waste
systems. Historically, blizzards have been among the most costly and disruptive
weather events for the Commonwealth. Over the last twenty years, there have
been more than five major snowstorms, some of which are among the top
snowstorms recorded (such as those in 2013, 2015 and 2018) in Massachusetts.
These storms brought approximately 2 feet of snow in less than 24 hours (SHMCAP, 2018, Appendix B p. 11).
Electrical
power outages caused by heavy snow or ice can affect thousands of community
members. The blizzard of 2013 left nearly 400,000 Massachusetts residents without
power (SHMCAP, 2018, Appendix B p. 11), which is especially dangerous for those who can’t
relocate. Power outages can also strain essential facilities like hospitals, elder
facilities, pharmacies, and grocery stores that then must run on generators and
alternative power sources. Flooding caused by the melting of large amounts of
accumulated snow and ice can also cause damage to public and private
infrastructure including roads and bridges, drinking water, stormwater, and
waste systems. This can lead to work and business closures, and more challenges
moving goods and critical supplies.
The North
Atlantic hurricane season has grown longer and more intense (NASA, 2022), as has the probability of general high wind and precipitation
events. High wind events can cause significant infrastructural damage. Coastal
regions experience storm surge, and inland areas experience overtopping of
rivers, lakes, and other water bodies. Wind can result in dangerous airborne
debris, downed trees (which can hit structures and transmission lines on the
way down and obstruct roads), and property destruction.
Guided Exploration:
Through
this guided exploration, consider what kinds of impacts your community
remembers from various types of storms in recent history. (Consider windstorms,
tornados, thunderstorms, hurricanes, and winter storms – and whether you’ve
seen the intensity and frequency of these events change in the past few decades.)
Discuss how your community prepared for, was impacted by, and responded to, the most recent storm events. Keep in mind what kinds of infrastructure (e.g., EMS Dispatch Centers, bridges, etc.) and services assist your community in a storm.
- How might these resources and services be adapted to increase your community’s resilience to storms?
- What services or resources were lacking the last time a storm occurred?
- Think about your community’s infrastructure systems – communication, transportation, energy, drinking water, stormwater, and waste systems. Which were damaged or disrupted during these storms? What were the implications?
- How might these infrastructure systems be more resilient to future storm events? For example:
- Are infrastructure systems in your community designed for higher wind speeds, icing, and increasingly extreme and variable weather conditions?
- Are local zoning, site plan review, or subdivision regulations crafted in such a way that they take a changed climate into consideration?
- What kinds of policies, design standards, or best practices could be implemented to make sure the design of new infrastructure or infrastructure upgrades consider future climate projections?
- How might partnerships with community organizations help prepare community members and households before storms – such as generating emergency kits and preparing cell service backup plans? (Consider social services groups, churches, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), etc.)
- How can community warming and cooling shelters become more self-sufficient during power outages?
- Are there networks of solar and storage systems and other sustainable, resilient forms of power generation that can be expanded?
- Can small-scale microgrids be implemented at key locations (hospital/ schools/libraries) to support critical functions of day-to-day community operations?
- Are there potential locations to prioritize for buried power and internet lines to avoid localized wind damage?
- What kinds of backup systems or alternative options could help create redundancy or adaptability in your community’s infrastructure systems? For example:
- Could a solar and storage system provide backup power?
- Could an on-demand shuttle service provide an alternative transportation option when needed?
Read More About Related Impacts in the Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment:
- Damage to Electric Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure page 64 (top impact Statewide; Berkshires & Hilltowns; Greater Connecticut River Valley; Central; Eastern Inland; North & South Shores; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
- Damage to Coastal Buildings and Ports page A51 (top impact North & South Shores)
- Emergency Service Response Delays and Evacuation Disruptions page 45 (top impact Statewide; Boston Harbor; North & South Shores; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
- Damage to Inland Buildings page 56 (top impact Statewide, Berkshires & Hilltowns, Greater Connecticut River Valley, Eastern Inland)
- Damage to Rails and Loss of Rail/Transit Service page 69 (top impact Statewide, Eastern Inland; Boston Harbor)
As
infrastructure becomes more prone to damage or failure, we will likely see greater
public safety risks, higher maintenance and replacement costs, and more
frequent transportation interruptions and closures. This affects the ability of
people to access jobs, schools, groceries, healthcare, and other critical
needs. Similarly, reliable access to energy, heating fuel, clean water, and
communication systems is essential. Households and businesses rely on these
systems for everything from cooking to medication storage to working from home.
Environmental justice and socially
vulnerable populations are disproportionately located in areas that are most
vulnerable to damaging flooding (MCCA, 2022, Volume II, p. 60-61). Additionally,
environmental justice populations are more likely to live next to large and
small sources of pollution, waste, or hazardous materials like landfills,
highways, wastewater treatment plants, and fuel terminals (MA EJ Policy, 2021). Therefore, communities in these neighborhoods would be
impacted hardest if toxins are released and carried by flood waters.
Interruptions in public transit will more significantly impact people
who do not have access to a car or who are unable to drive a car, including
youth, older adults, people living with disabilities, and lower income
residents. Studies show that rental housing tends to be less energy-efficient
than owner-occupied housing; therefore, power or gas outages will have a
disproportionate effect on renters, in addition to older adults and people with
disabilities or who rely on electric power for medical devices (Carliner, 2013).
Power
outages and flooding can also lead to a range of health issues and an increase
in requests for emergency services. Impacts tend to fall among people with less
access to backup power, people in areas vulnerable to inland flooding, as well
as low-income, minority, and language isolated people. For example, those
living in combined minority and low-income environmental justice block groups
face 244% more health impacts incurred as a result of road delays for emergency
service calls than any other block groups in the area of the state potentially
affected by high-tide flooding traffic delays (MCCA, Volume II, 2022, p. 49).
As you move
into this next guided exploration, consider if there are any areas of your
community that are more prone to utility disruptions and other storm impacts,
and how these disruptions magnify existing inequities or vulnerability in your
community.
Guided Exploration:
In this
guided exploration, you’ll consider who in your community may be especially
vulnerable to storms, and what their experiences might be like in the face of
storms as well as in the aftermath of storms. When discussing the following
questions, open the Gear Infrastructure Map, select a municipality, and toggle on/off layers in the EJ and Other Priority Populations group to consider how where these residents intersect storm impacts in your area.
- Who might be disproportionately impacted by storms (in preparation, during, and after)?
- How might their access to emergency services be affected in storms (both during and after)? (Community Components group)
- How might they be disproportionately impacted by utility interruptions (power, drinking water, stormwater, sewer system)? (Power Plants layer)
- How do these people access essential goods and services? How might storm impacts affect traffic patterns and routes to these resources? (Transportation Layers group)
Additionally, consider which infrastructure adaptations are necessary to ensure safety and wellbeing for EJ and Other Priority Populations. Have these groups of people been engaged to discuss their needs in relation to storm impacts? If not, what would that engagement look like? Conversations should cover a broad range of adaptations including protecting infrastructure through green and grey improvements, operational changes and relationship building, policy change, and building systems that support community resilience in advance of a storm. In addition to physical infrastructure (such as energy or stormwater infrastructure), consider community or social infrastructure. These could include mutual aid networks, or community spaces that operate as resilience hubs.
- What types of community networks or community spaces provide support for residents daily?
- How could these be strengthened to better provide support in storm events?
Read More About Related Impacts in the Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment:
- Emergency Service Response Delays and Evacuation Disruptions page 45 (top impact Statewide; Boston Harbor; North & South Shores; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
- Health Effects of Extreme Storms and Power Outages page A21 (top impact Greater Connecticut River Valley; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
- Increase in Demand for State and Municipal Government Services page 122 (top impact Statewide; Berkshires & Hilltowns; Central; Eastern Inland; Boston Harbor; North & South Shores; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
As
infrastructure becomes more prone to damage or failure, we will likely see greater
public safety risks, higher maintenance and replacement costs, and more
frequent transportation interruptions and closures. This affects the ability of
people to access jobs, schools, groceries, healthcare, and other critical
needs. Similarly, reliable access to energy, heating fuel, clean water, and
communication systems is essential. Households and businesses rely on these
systems for everything from cooking to medication storage to working from home.
Environmental justice and socially
vulnerable populations are disproportionately located in areas that are most
vulnerable to damaging flooding (MCCA, 2022, Volume II, p. 60-61). Additionally,
environmental justice populations are more likely to live next to large and
small sources of pollution, waste, or hazardous materials like landfills,
highways, wastewater treatment plants, and fuel terminals (MA EJ Policy, 2021). Therefore, communities in these neighborhoods would be
impacted hardest if toxins are released and carried by flood waters.
Interruptions in public transit will more significantly impact people
who do not have access to a car or who are unable to drive a car, including
youth, older adults, people living with disabilities, and lower income
residents. Studies show that rental housing tends to be less energy-efficient
than owner-occupied housing; therefore, power or gas outages will have a
disproportionate effect on renters, in addition to older adults and people with
disabilities or who rely on electric power for medical devices (Carliner, 2013).
Power
outages and flooding can also lead to a range of health issues and an increase
in requests for emergency services. Impacts tend to fall among people with less
access to backup power, people in areas vulnerable to inland flooding, as well
as low-income, minority, and language isolated people. For example, those
living in combined minority and low-income environmental justice block groups
face 244% more health impacts incurred as a result of road delays for emergency
service calls than any other block groups in the area of the state potentially
affected by high-tide flooding traffic delays (MCCA, Volume II, 2022, p. 49).
As you move
into this next guided exploration, consider if there are any areas of your
community that are more prone to utility disruptions and other storm impacts,
and how these disruptions magnify existing inequities or vulnerability in your
community.
Guided Exploration:
In this
guided exploration, you’ll consider who in your community may be especially
vulnerable to storms, and what their experiences might be like in the face of
storms as well as in the aftermath of storms. When discussing the following
questions, open the Gear Infrastructure Map, select a municipality, and toggle on/off layers in the EJ and Other Priority Populations group to consider how where these residents intersect storm impacts in your area.
- Who might be disproportionately impacted by storms (in preparation, during, and after)?
- How might their access to emergency services be affected in storms (both during and after)? (Community Components group)
- How might they be disproportionately impacted by utility interruptions (power, drinking water, stormwater, sewer system)? (Power Plants layer)
- How do these people access essential goods and services? How might storm impacts affect traffic patterns and routes to these resources? (Transportation Layers group)
Additionally, consider which infrastructure adaptations are necessary to ensure safety and wellbeing for EJ and Other Priority Populations. Have these groups of people been engaged to discuss their needs in relation to storm impacts? If not, what would that engagement look like? Conversations should cover a broad range of adaptations including protecting infrastructure through green and grey improvements, operational changes and relationship building, policy change, and building systems that support community resilience in advance of a storm. In addition to physical infrastructure (such as energy or stormwater infrastructure), consider community or social infrastructure. These could include mutual aid networks, or community spaces that operate as resilience hubs.
- What types of community networks or community spaces provide support for residents daily?
- How could these be strengthened to better provide support in storm events?
Read More About Related Impacts in the Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment:
- Emergency Service Response Delays and Evacuation Disruptions page 45 (top impact Statewide; Boston Harbor; North & South Shores; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
- Health Effects of Extreme Storms and Power Outages page A21 (top impact Greater Connecticut River Valley; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
- Increase in Demand for State and Municipal Government Services page 122 (top impact Statewide; Berkshires & Hilltowns; Central; Eastern Inland; Boston Harbor; North & South Shores; Cape, Islands, & South Coast)
Investigate GEAR Map Data Layers
Explore the Infrastructure map to learn more about how storms may impact infrastructure in your community. The list at the right provides an overview of select data layers included in the map, as well as a detailed description of each layer.
Explore the Infrastructure map to learn more about how storms may impact infrastructure in your community. The list at the right provides an overview of select data layers included in the map, as well as a detailed description of each layer.
The National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) dataset represents the current effective flood risk data for those parts of the country where maps have been modernized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The FEMA Q3 layer identifies areas that have historically been at risk of flooding - this data is from flood insurance rate paper maps (FRMs) where no NFHL data exists. The data should be used to identify areas of uncertainty and areas with possible flood risk.
As sea levels rise, communities can benefit from understanding when, where, and how coastal flooding from sea level rise and storm surge may occur. This layer provides extents of flooding for the 1% annual exceedance probability for 2030, 2050, and 2070 (i.e. the extent that floodwaters will reach during a 1 in 100 chance for any given storm event).
As
sea levels rise, communities can benefit from understanding when, where, and
how coastal flooding from sea level rise and storm surge may occur. This layer
provides extents of flooding for the 0.1% annual exceedance probability for
2030, 2050, and 2070 (i.e. the extent that flood waters will reach during a
0.1% event, or a 1 in 1000 chance for any given storm event).
As hurricanes become more intense, communities can benefit
from understanding how storms could inundate their coastlines. This layer
represents worst-case Hurricane Surge Inundation areas for Category 1 through 4
hurricanes striking the coast of Massachusetts, based on thousands of modeled
combinations of hurricane intensity (Category 1-4), forward speed, track or
direction, and other factors not including sea level rise. NOAA’s National
Hurricane Center, in partnership with the United States Army Corps of
Engineers, uses the Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH)
model to calculate the storm surge heights and map coastal areas with the
highest degree of exposure.
Town and City Halls are primary municipal executive offices in Massachusetts. They can provide many essential social services and play essential roles in furthering resilience planning and resilience building actions for their communities.
Childcare Centers provide care and educational services for their clients, but can also provide essential resources and information. For example, parents and guardians may rely on services which provide their child with social and emotional wellness, meals, and child supervision during work hours. This layer displays information from MassGIS.
Schools attended by students from
pre-kindergarten through high school provide educational services for those
students, but also provide essential resources and information. For example,
caregivers may rely on services which provide their child with social and
emotional wellness, meals, and before- and after-school care. Schools often
have a strong understanding of food insecurity and other challenges among their
student body. They may also play a role in emergency response.
Institutions of higher education are centers of
research and innovation, many of which have a strong connection to nearby
communities. Colleges and universities may play an essential role in
disseminating information, and may also serve as major employers in the
community.
Libraries can provide many services for communities,
including free access to computers and the internet. People access and attend
important resources and events at libraries, including tutoring support,
college preparatory support, job training support, accessibility tools, and
cultural events. Libraries often play a role in emergency response, such as serving
as cooling centers during heatwaves.
Places of worship, such as mosques, synagogues,
and churches, are important community centers that foster connection and
belonging. They may address housing insecurity and food insecurity (among
other challenges) for their congregants and other community members. Places of
worship often play a role in emergency response, such as serving as cooling
centers during heatwaves.
Fire stations are part of the network of critical infrastructure, particularly for emergency response. This MassGIS layer includes the location of 789 stations in the Commonwealth.
This layer shows the locations of
law enforcement and sheriff offices in Massachusetts, covering local, county
and state jurisdictions.
This layer represents operable electric
generating plants with a capacity of 1 MW or more, and indicates the energy
source. This includes plants that are operating, on standby, or short- or
long-term out of service. Power stations are important because they help meet
rising energy demands, and impacts to power stations from climate hazards such
as flooding and extreme wind events could result in damage and service
interruptions.
Transportation
infrastructure is critical to the economy and social well-being of a region,
including a region's ability to respond in emergencies and recover from
disaster. Airports are particularly vulnerable to climate hazards such as
storms and high wind events.
This layer indicates ferry routes along the Massachusetts coast. Community members may rely on the routes for transportation to and from work, private property, and/or recreational opportunities. Areas near ferry stops may rely on consistent flow of passengers to support the local economy.
Travel by bike is a sustainable method of
transportation that can be utilized with appropriate bike lane infrastructure.
Some community members may rely on bicycle travel for work and other essential
activities, while others may engage with bicycle infrastructure for
recreational purposes.
This layer represents a
subset of the 'Trains' layer, focusing specifically on active freight routes,
which are essential to transporting goods around the Commonwealth.
This layer indicates rail infrastructure for MBTA trains. Communities rely on trains for transportation to work and recreation, and the transport of goods.
This layer represents a
subset of the 'Trains' layer, focusing on the rail linework for non-MBTA
passenger trains (AMTRAK and local recreational rides). These link passengers
through and beyond Commonwealth borders, or may be important for local
economies.
This layer represents bus
routes and stops within the MBTA public transit system. Transit routes allow
for affordable transportation to various sites and events, including health
care services, work, and social gatherings. Bus routes may experience
interruptions or cancellations in service as a result of climate hazards such
as extreme storm and heat events. Those who rely on bus routes would then face
significant transportation challenges. Bus stops in areas that experience urban
heat island effect pose health challenges for riders who experience long wait
times and/or are especially susceptible to the health impacts of high heat.
This layer contains all of
Massachusetts' Regional Transit Authority bus routes with the exception of the
MBTA. Transit routes allow for affordable transportation to various sites and
events, including health care services, work, and social gatherings. Bus routes
may experience interruptions or cancellations in service as a result of climate
hazards such as extreme storm and heat events as well as flooding. Those who
rely on bus routes would then face significant transportation challenges.
This layer represents all the public and many of the
private roadways in Massachusetts and includes designations for Interstate,
U.S. and State routes. Overlaying this information with layers that represent
where community members live can demonstrate what kinds of road access
different populations have; overlaying this information with layers that
provide projections of climate risks can demonstrate which roads might be most
vulnerable to impacts from flooding and other hazards.
Environmental justice (EJ) populations, i.e., block groups are defined in Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021 and the 2021 EEA EJ Policy. EJ populations are those segments of the population that EEA has determined to be most at risk of being unaware of or unable to participate in environmental decision-making or to gain access to state environmental resources or are especially vulnerable. 2020 block groups, updated in Nov 2022.
Actions to Consider
Communities can take a number of steps to build resilient infrastructure. Some actions may include:
Communities can take a number of steps to build resilient infrastructure. Some actions may include:
Develop a resilient power plan by identifying critical facilities (or clusters of facilities) in your community that could most benefit from backup power. Prioritize locations based on their ability to safeguard health and safety, and on their potential to protect or benefit residents who may be most significantly impacted by climate change - including environmental justice and other priority populations. Commission an engineering assessment to identify clean energy technology options, needed facilities upgrades (i.e. elevating electrical panel out of flood-prone basement), ownership models, and financing structures to meet those needs.
Explore the "Energy" section (pg. 33) of Gloucester's MVP-funded 2022 Climate and Action Resilience Plan to learn more about developing resilient clean power plans. Additionally, the MVP 2.0 "Pursuing Resilient & Equitable Power" Seed Project one-pager contains more details and ideas around this action.
Being a more resilient community involves transitioning information from the individual process participants and formalizing it into how your municipality functions. Climate change touches every area of our lives, both directly and indirectly. Determining the ways each municipality can incorporate social resiliency into how it conducts everyday business, which includes having robust community engagement become the norm, will not only build a more adaptable community, but will broaden the pool of who is participating in municipal government. Consider the following actions to create more resilient communities:
- Develop an equity-centering checklist to be used by different town boards and committees in their decision-making process
- Institutionalize the core team as a new town committee
- Institutionalize new municipal wide community engagement best practices
Building social connectedness and resilience can help people withstand disasters and other climate change events (see Building Social Resilience for Public Health). Work with community-based organizations, community health workers, and others representing environmental justice and priority populations to understand how climate change is impacting the communities they work with, as well as what is needed to strengthen social connectedness and resilience. Work with these communities to develop an action plan for meeting the identified needs. Explore these resources to learn more about fostering social resilience:
- Resilient Together: A partnership between Beverly and Salem, MA to collaboratively address climate impacts in their communities
- Oregon Health Authority's Climate Change and Social Resilience Report
- Mutual Aid and Disaster Justice: We Keep Us Safe
For municipal-controlled infrastructure, municipalities can opt to go beyond existing codes to build long-term resilience and minimize the effects of storms and climate change on their communities. Engage municipal infrastructure managers, community stakeholders, and appropriate engineering and environmental professionals to develop low-impact and climate resilient development standards for municipal infrastructure projects including municipal buildings, roads, and water, waste, and stormwater infrastructure. This may include locating new developments and projects out of floodplains, working with natural systems and historical drainage flow ways, placing utilities underground and building structures and fixtures to higher wind loads, installing blue or green roofs, and planting climate adapted landscapes. The learning and examples created through municipal action can then be expanded to commercial and residential projects. Learn more about low-impact and climate resilient development standards:
- Credit Valley (Canada) Conservation's Low Impact Development Program
- Policy Options for Climate Resilient Infrastructure
- Coastal Stormwater Management through Green Infrastructure: A Handbook for Municipalities
Explore MVP Projects
Explore the MVP-funded projects below:
Explore the MVP-funded projects below:
FY22 Action Grant
$173,843
Award
This
Phase II project is a comprehensive, locally driven CAP for the 7 towns
that make up Dukes County. These communities are island communities that are
particularly exposed to sea level rise and storm events, and have a seasonal,
visitor-based economy that relies on vulnerable transportation infrastructure,
such as the ferry. The CAP addresses six critical regional climate impact
themes. The final products include a plan, an interactive dashboard website, and
an implementation strategy. The process was inclusive of EJ and other priority
populations and focused on community engagement and nature-based solutions.
Project websites: Climate Action Plan | The Vineyard Way; Cuttyhunk Climate Action Network
Case study: Dukes County FY22 MV and Gosnold Climate Action Plans
FY22 Action Grant
$173,843
Award
This
Phase II project is a comprehensive, locally driven CAP for the 7 towns
that make up Dukes County. These communities are island communities that are
particularly exposed to sea level rise and storm events, and have a seasonal,
visitor-based economy that relies on vulnerable transportation infrastructure,
such as the ferry. The CAP addresses six critical regional climate impact
themes. The final products include a plan, an interactive dashboard website, and
an implementation strategy. The process was inclusive of EJ and other priority
populations and focused on community engagement and nature-based solutions.
Project websites: Climate Action Plan | The Vineyard Way; Cuttyhunk Climate Action Network
Case study: Dukes County FY22 MV and Gosnold Climate Action Plans
FY20 Action Grant
$123,972
Award
This project conducted a regional assessment of the vulnerabilities of rural dirt roads due to climate change impacts. Once assessments and recommendations are made, they will be incorporated into a pilot project that will apply nature-based solutions to a rural dirt roadway, Weatogue Road, in Sheffield. This project included community outreach on the lessons learned across the three subject communities.
Project website: MVP Dirt Roads
Recommendations report: Rural Dirt Roads Assessment & Recommendations Report
Case study: Sheffield, New Marlborough, & Sandisfield FY20 Rural Dirt Road Vulnerability Assessment
FY20 Action Grant
$123,972
Award
This project conducted a regional assessment of the vulnerabilities of rural dirt roads due to climate change impacts. Once assessments and recommendations are made, they will be incorporated into a pilot project that will apply nature-based solutions to a rural dirt roadway, Weatogue Road, in Sheffield. This project included community outreach on the lessons learned across the three subject communities.
Project website: MVP Dirt Roads
Recommendations report: Rural Dirt Roads Assessment & Recommendations Report
Case study: Sheffield, New Marlborough, & Sandisfield FY20 Rural Dirt Road Vulnerability Assessment
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