Salem Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment & Action Plan Final Draft 2014 - Vulnerability and Adaption PlanREADY FOR TOMORROW
THE CITY OF SALEM CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT & ADAPTATION PLAN
December 2014
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THE CITY OF SALEM CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND ADAPTATION PLAN
PREPARED FOR:
City of Salem, Massachusetts
Kimberly Driscoll, Mayor
City of Salem
Department of Planning & Community Development
BY:
December 2014
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The City of Salem gratefully acknowledges the participation of the following
individuals in providing valuable input to this Plan. Their involvement will aid
in its implementation to make the City of Salem a more resilient community in
the face of climate change.
The City of Salem also acknowledges our partners at CDM Smith, who
partially sponsored this Plan through their Research and Development
Program.
CITY OFFICIALS:
Jeffrey Elie, Energy and Sustainability Manager, Department of
Planning and Community Development
City Electrician: John Giardi
Conservation Commission: Tom Devine
Department Planning and
Community Development: Lynn Duncan
Dana Menon
Department of Public Works: John Tomasz
Emergency Management, Fire Department: David Cody
Dennis Levasseur
Engineering Department: David Knowlton
Giovanna Zabaleta
Health Department: Larry Ramdin
Inspectional Services: Michael Lutrzykowski
Mayor’s Office: Dominick Pangallo
THE ADVISORY WORKING GROUP:
MA Office of Coastal Zone Management: Julia Knisel
Salem Sound Coastwatch: Barbara Warren
Salem State University: John Hayes
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter from Mayor ..........................................................................................................................4
Definitions ......................................................................................................................................5
1 | Introduction to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning
Role of Local Government in Climate Change Adaptation Planning .....................................................9
Climate Change Adaptation Planning in Salem .....................................................................................9
2 | Climate Change Impacts in Salem, Massachusetts
Introduction to Climate Change ...........................................................................................................14
Climate Change Impacts in Salem, Massachusetts ............................................................................14
3 | Vulnerability Assessment and Prioritization
Vulnerability Assessment .....................................................................................................................18
Prioritizing Vulnerabilities .....................................................................................................................19
The Prioritized Vulnerabilities ..............................................................................................................21
4 | Adaptation Strategies to Address the Priority Vulnerabilities
A: Ineffective Seawalls ........................................................................................27
B: Ineffective Tide Gates and Inadequate Tide Gates at Lafayette Street ...........28
C: Insufficient Capacity and Drainage in the Stormwater System to .................29
Remove Water from Streets and Neighborhoods
D: Flooding and Disrupted Operations of Pump Stations ....................................31
E: Flooding of the Transportation Network Infrastructure from Storm .................32
Drain Overflow and Overwhelmed Seawalls
F: Flooding of Evacuation Routes .......................................................................33
G: Loss of Power at Critical City Buildings...........................................................34
H: Backup Power Failure at Critical City Facilities ...............................................35
I: Downed Power Lines ......................................................................................36
J: Critical Emergency Preparedness Communication.........................................37
K: Poor Air Quality ...............................................................................................38
L: Property Damage or Loss of Emergency and Critical City Facilities ...............39
M: Property Damage or Loss at Salem State University ......................................40
N: Flooding of Emergency Response Facilities ...................................................41
O: Property Damage or Loss of Historic Properties .............................................42
P: Flooding of Residential Areas .........................................................................43
5 | Getting Involved
Getting Involved ...................................................................................................45
4
December 15, 2014
Salem is a City rich with history, vibrant with economic activity, and enlivened by diverse populations of
residents. As much as we known for being one of America’s greatest historical communities, though,
we are also forward-looking.
Critical to that is ensuring that we plan appropriately for the reality of life in a world with a changing
climate. As a coastal city it is even more vital that we identify our most vulnerable assets and take
appropriate actions to mitigate potential threats that will be caused or exacerbated by climate change.
Salem is a designated Green Community and we place a high value on policies and practices that are sustainable and
environmentally sensitive.
Whether it is converting our City street lights to LED fixtures, advancing electricity aggregation for consumers, replacing
our City fleet with more efficient vehicles and increasing the energy efficiency of public buildings, or pursuing solar
opportunities for municipal and private property, Salem is focused on strategies that will reduce our overall carbon
footprint and lessen our community’s role in changing our planet’s climate. Even small strategies like our free bike share
program and curbside composting do their own part to help decrease our impact on the planet and our climate.
But the reality is that overall climate change is happening. And because it is happening, we must be ready for the
consequences that it will ensue.
By planning well today, Salem will be ready for tomorrow.
Kimberley Driscoll
Mayor
City of Salem
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CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
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DEFINITIONS
The following terms are used throughout this document:
• Adaptation: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
definition is “the adjustment in natural or human systems in response to
actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm
or exploits beneficial opportunities.” In Salem, they are the actions the
community may take to make living with climate change easier.
• Adaptive Capacity: The component’s [see definition below] ability to
accommodate the stresses resulting from climate change impacts. It
also considers the ability of the component to return to normalcy after a
disruption. Adaptive Capacity is closely related to resiliency.
• Adaptation Plan: The encompassing document that describes climate
change impacts, an assessment and prioritization of vulnerabilities, and
adaptation strategies to increase Adaptive Capacity of Salem.
• Adaptation Strategies: Projects to decrease the vulnerability of
components to the stresses from climate change impacts.
• Climate Change: The IPCC definition is “a statistically significant
variation in either the mean state of the climate or in its variability,
persisting for an extended period (typically decades or longer). Climate
change may be due to natural internal processes or external forcings, or
to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere
or in land use.” 1
• Climate Change Consequence: The known and estimated impact
due to climate change. In Salem, economic, health and safety, cultural
and historical, and ecological and environmental consequences were
assessed as part of the risk assessment.
• Climate Change Impact: The response to natural systems due to climate
change.
• Climate Change Likelihood: The probability of the climate change
impact occurring based on the IPCC. They are based on the type,
amount, quality, and consistency of evidence that a given climate change
impact will occur. Climate change impacts are categorized with “Level of
Confidence” rankings of virtually certain (99-100%), extremely likely
(95-100%), very likely (90-100%), likely (66-100%), more likely than
not (>50-100%), about as likely as not (33-66%), unlikely (0-33%), very
unlikely (0-10%), extremely unlikely (0-5%), and exceptionally unlikely
(0-1%).1, 2
• Climate Change Risk: A function of the consequences of climate change
times the likelihood of climate change. This is used to prioritize the
vulnerabilities.
• Component: An individual item in a sector [see definition below],
including the infrastructure, policies, and programs that people in the City
use and rely on. They may be owned and operated by the City, or they
may be run by a third party - such as a state agency or private company.
• Evaluation Criteria: A method for prioritizing vulnerable, stressed
components to incorporate Salem’s particular opportunities and concerns
based on alignment with existing plans, policies, or programs, funding
availability, or the City’s control over the implementation.
• Resiliency: The ability of sectors to accommodate climate change
impacts and stresses with minimal potential damage or cost. It is the
ability for human systems to survive and recover quickly from climate
change impacts and risk factors. It is closely related to adaptive capacity.
• Risk Assessment: The determination of the risk of a climate change
impact and stress to the component based on the economic, health
and safety, cultural and historical, and ecological and environmental
consequences to the component and the likelihood that the climate
change impact will occur.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Working Group III: Mitigation. Appendix II: Glossary. Accessed November 5,
2014 at http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg3/index.php?idp=456
2International Panel on Climate Change. 2014. Working Group II. Fifth Assessment Report -Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability
- Summary for Policymakers.
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• Sector: A cohesive system within the City that may be impacted by
climate change. It is made up of many components. In Salem, sectors
included in this Plan are critical building infrastructure, water, energy,
stormwater, transportation, and vulnerable populations.
• Sensitivity: The degree to which a component is directly or indirectly
affected by the stresses resulting from climate change impacts. Sensitivity
is composed of a component’s exposure to the climate change impact and
the known or predicted effects of the impact on the component.
• Stress: A problem arising to a sector or component due to one or more
climate change impacts.
• Vulnerability: The susceptibility of a sector to harm from the stress of a
climate change impact. It is a function of the sensitivity to climate change
and the adaptive capacity to climate changes. A sector component with a
high sensitivity and a low adaptive capacity has a high vulnerability.
• Vulnerability Assessment: The process to determine the sensitivity
and adaptive capacity of components to the stresses of climate change
impacts, and determine the overall vulnerability.
1 | Introduction to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaption Planning
8
The City of Salem, Massachusetts is a coastal city with a rich and vibrant
history. Founded in 1629, it is one of the oldest settlements in the United
States. Throughout the City there are many unique cultural and historic
resources that reflect Salem’s maritime roots, literary importance, and the
infamous witch trials of the late 17th century. Over Salem’s nearly 400 year
history, it has grown from a village to a city – filling in some coastal areas
and wetlands to create more land area. Today, Salem is a diverse home to
over 40,000 people, host to Salem State University, and proud of the many
neighborhoods and businesses. Salem is a destination for tourists year round,
but especially in October during the Haunted Happenings celebrations.
It is Salem’s priority is to remain a vibrant, livable City that has a strong
economy and continues to be a destination for visitors from around the
world. For this reason, Salem recognizes the importance of being prepared
for climate change and has produced this Climate Change Vulnerability
Assessment and Adaptation Plan (Plan). The Plan investigates some of
the most serious climate change impacts, the resulting stresses to different
sectors in the City, and outlines project ideas to address some of the most
critical issues. The goal for this plan is to identify immediate, actionable
adaptation priorities, and incorporate these into existing and future projects
and policies. This will make Salem a more resilient City and a great place to
live, work, and visit for years to come.
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Figure 1. Maps of Salem, Massachusetts: 1872 and today.
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ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLANNING
Climate change adaptation efforts are effective at a regional and community
scale. Impacts from climate change are place-based and typically affect the
infrastructure and services that municipalities are responsible for providing.
Local governments also have the tools to begin the adaptation processes
as they are responsible for planning, codes, standards, and emergency
responses. In addition, local governments invest in capital projects and
programs that will serve the community over the long term. Incorporating
climate change into these local government actions may also save money in
the long term. An independent study found that for every $1 spent on hazard
mitigation by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it saves
$4 in future spending for disaster recovery.3 These findings may reflect the
magnitude of savings a local government could realize by proactively planning
for climate change rather than reactively responding after an event.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLANNING IN SALEM
Climate change adaptation planning is a relatively new field that pulls from
the traditions of asset management, risk assessments, and scenario-based
decision making. It is based on the latest climate science available. ICLEI -
Local Governments for Sustainability have been on the forefront of climate
change adaptation planning for governments of all sizes. This Plan is informed
by the ICLEI approach in Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for
Local, Regional, and State Governments.4 The general steps of Salem’s Plan
are the following:
1. Determine Future Climate Change Impacts: Based on the latest
scientific information, identify potential future climate change
scenarios, specific climate change impacts that are likely for Salem,
and how far into the future the City will plan for each impact.
2. Identify Affected Sectors: Identify the sectors to include in the Plan
and gather information on the existing conditions and operations.
3. Conduct Vulnerability Assessment: Determine the sensitivity and
adaptive capacity of components to the stresses from climate change
impacts, and determine the overall vulnerability.
4. Prioritize Vulnerabilities: The purpose is to prioritize the
vulnerabilities to inform future actions. There are two steps to this
process, 1) conduct a risk assessment and 2) prioritize based on
evaluation criteria that incorporate the City’s particular opportunities
and concerns.
5. Develop Adaptation Strategies: Adaptation strategies are projects to
decrease the vulnerability of components to the stresses from climate
change impacts. They are designed to be incorporated within existing
and future projects to decrease the vulnerability of Salem to climate
change. They are created for priority vulnerabilities.
6. Publish Adaptation Plan: Publish the findings of the first five steps
so it may be incorporated into existing and future projects and plans.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3 National Institute of Building Sciences. 2005. Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: An Independent Study to Assess the Future Savings
from Mitigation Activities. Accessed November 10, 2014 at http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/publications/v.php?id=1087
4ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability. 2007. Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional, and State
Governments. Accessed November 10, 2014 at: http://www.icleiusa.org/action-center/planning/adaptation-guidebook
10
Stakeholder engagement occurs at each step to create a strong Plan. More
information on each of these steps is included throughout this Plan and in the
attached Appendices.
A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan was
directed by the Department of Planning and Community Development and
included an Advisory Working Group committee that was involved in the
decision making process. The Working Group members represented some
key organizations that are already involved in environmental efforts in
Salem. In addition, a team of subject matter experts comprised of climate
scientists, engineers, and planners executed the technical work involved in
creating this Plan.
During each major step of the development of the Plan, representatives
from different City departments were consulted. The input they provided
was invaluable, especially for conducting the vulnerability assessment and
prioritizing the vulnerabilities. These members of City staff will be crucial to
implementing this Plan, with the support from the City Council and the Mayor.
This work was also presented to the public on December 15, 2014 at the
Salem Five Community Room. The City welcomes input from its citizens and
businesses as elements of this Plan are incorporated into existing and future
projects and policies.
Figure 2. Flowchart of Salem’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan Process.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Determine Future
Climate Change
Impacts
Identify Affected
Sectors
Conduct
Vulnerability
Assessment
Prioritize
Vulnerabilities
Develop
Adaptation
Strategies
Publish
Adaptation Plan
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A FOCUSED EFFORT
The scope of any climate change adaptation plan has the potential to be vast
given the number of possible climate change impacts and their wide reaching
effects throughout a city. This Plan is intentionally designed to focus on four
of the most critical climate change impacts on six sectors in the City, and to
prioritize the vulnerabilities to help inform which actions will give the greatest
benefit for Salem. The four key climate change impacts are extreme heat
events, extreme precipitation events,
sea level rise, and storm surge,
and were decided upon by
the City of Salem and
the Working Group.
They are described
further in the
following sections
of this Plan and in
Appendix A.
The six sectors
assessed in this
Plan are critical
building infrastructure,
water, energy,
stormwater, transportation,
and vulnerable populations.
The components of each sector are
shown in more detail in Table 1.
Some of these components are outside of the control of the City and may
require coordination and partnerships with other towns, utilities, state
agencies, organizations, and the private sector. However, it is important to
identify vulnerable, stressed components as part of this Plan because climate
change will affect all aspects in these sectors, not only those the City has full
control over. Practical coordination and partnerships are specifically noted
in the vulnerability assessment (Appendix B) and the adaptation strategies
(Appendix C), and are a key piece of any adaptation plan.
SECTOR COMPONENTS (ITEMS WITHIN A SECTOR)
Critical Building
Infrastructure
• Critical City Facilities: Department of Public Works facility,
South Essex Sewerage District, City Hall, recreational facilities
• Emergency Facilities: Police, fire, hospitals, schools,
• Historical and culturally significant buildings and areas
• Salem State University
• Seawalls
• Tide gates
Water • Plants, pumping stations, supply, distribution
Energy • Electricity supply, transmission and distribution equipment,
power lines, substations
• Natural gas supply, transmission and distribution lines
• Liquefied natural gas storage (LNG)
• Renewable energy installations
• Emergency back-up power
• Streetlights
Stormwater • Stormwater pipes, drainage areas, pump stations, discharge
locations
Transportation • Roadways, rail, bus lines, ferry service, sidewalks, bike paths
Vulnerable
Populations
• Disproportionally impacted people within the City, including:
elderly, children, low-income, homeless, disabled, non-native
English speakers
Table 1. Sectors Included in the Vulnerability Assessment
and Adaptation Plan
EXTREME HEAT EV E N T S
S TO RM SURGESEA
L
E
V
EL RISE
EXTREME PRE
CIPIT
A
T
I
ON EVENTS
2 | Climate Change Impacts in Salem, Massachusetts
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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
The City focused on key climate change impacts that are considered most
likely to have significant consequences for Salem. Today, many areas
in Salem are prone to serious flooding and the City invests heavily in
management of flood risks. There have been six major flooding events since
1996. However, only one of the City’s flood hazard management initiatives
to date has considered the impacts of climate change. When climate change
is taken into account, flooding in the City is expected to get worse. For this
reason, extreme precipitation events, sea level rise, and storm surge were
chosen as key climate change impacts to incorporate into this Plan. In
addition, extreme heat events were included as a key climate change impact
because many areas in the Northeast are not currently equipped to handle
frequent temperatures of this degree and scientists are confident that these
events will occur more often.
The magnitude of these climate change impacts were determined using a
technical approach that incorporates elements of the MA Report, the IPCC
Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports, and several other climate change
reports, plans, and scientific papers. The methodology was designed to
be consistent with the leading regional and international standards, while
incorporating the latest scientific research. The detailed methodology may be
found in Appendix A to this report.
Scientists present climate change impacts in ranges of low to high projections.
They are reflective of the potential concentration of greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions in the atmosphere, based on different social, economic,
and technical trends. This Plan focuses on the mid-range climate change
projections; however the high and low projections are also included in
Appendix A to provide context for users of this Plan. This is a practical
approach for planning purposes. The details of the key climate change
impacts for Salem, MA are below:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2013. Summary for Policymakers. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science
Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the International Panel on Climate Change.
6Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. 2011. Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report.
INTRODUCTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate scientists around the world agree that the earth’s climate system is
warming at an unprecedented rate. Globally, this will result in warming air
and water temperatures, rising sea levels, changes in precipitation patterns,
changes in storm intensity and frequency. Climate change is a global issue,
but the effects of it are experienced differently in each region5.
As a consequence of climate change, planning for the future using historical
observations may no longer be valid. Therefore, the approach presented here
focuses on quantifying the future changes in climate, as projected by the best
available science, to provide for more robust planning decision support.
In Massachusetts, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’
Climate Change Adaptation Report (MA Report) summarizes the projected
climate change impacts in the Commonwealth. These include increased
annual and seasonal temperatures; changes in annual and seasonal
precipitation; more frequent droughts; increases in intensity, duration, and
frequency of extreme storms; sea level rise, and changes in the timing of peak
stream flow.6 The MA report is considered by policy-makers to be the current
standard for planning-level climate change projections in the Commonwealth.
It uses data from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and
other peer-reviewed scientific climate change projections while employing the
standard practice of comparing current conditions to a range of both mid-
century conditions and end of century conditions5. The MA report serves as a
benchmark for our Salem-specific analyses.
15
Extreme Heat Events: Extreme
heat events are defined as days
in which the daily maximum
temperature is equal to or above
90˚F. The mid-range predictions
from the climate models show
that Salem may experience
about 18 days per year by 2050,
an increase of 11 days per year.
These conditions will place a
high demand on the electricity
utilities, risking more frequent power outages. There are also air quality
implications leading to health concerns for the people of Salem.
Extreme Precipitation Events:
Today’s 100-year 24-hour
storm – a storm has a one
percent chance of occurring
in any given year – is a storm
that produces 8.76 inches of
precipitation over a 24-hour
period in Salem. It is known to
cause flooding in the City today.
With climate change, the mid-
range predictions show that this
magnitude of storm is expected to occur more frequently, making it a 77-year
storm by 2050. While this magnitude of storm has been selected to represent
extreme precipitation events for this Plan, precipitation events in general will
increase in the City.
READY FOR TOMORROWSEA LEVEL RISESEA LEVELS9WILL BEOVERFEETBY THE YEAR 2100EXTREME PRECIPITATION100 YEARWILLBESTORM30%MORE LIKELY TOHAPPEN
EXTREME HEATNUMBER OF
OVERDAYS90O
BY 157%WILL INCREASESTORM SURGESTORM SURGE13WILL BEOVERFEETBY THE YEAR 2100
SEA LEVEL RISESEA LEVELS
9
WILL BEOVERFEET
BY THE YEAR 2100EXTREME PRECIPITATION100 YEAR
WILLBE
STORM30%
MORE LIKELY TOHAPPEN
EXTREME HEATNUMBER OF
OVERDAYS90O
BY 157%WILL INCREASESTORM SURGESTORM SURGE
13
WILL BEOVER
FEETBY THE YEAR 2100
MORE EVENTS LIKE THE MOTHER’S DAY
STORM AND WINTER STORM NEMO
The Mother’s Day Storm in 2006 dumped more than
10 inches of rain over three days in Salem and caused
serious, localized flooding. This storm is considered a
3-day “100-year storm”, which does not mean that it will
occur once in 100 years, but rather, have a one percent
chance of occurring in any given year.
In February of 2013, Winter Storm Nemo dropped over
two feet of snow and produced hurricane-force winds.
Nemo effectively shut down the Commonwealth, including
Salem, for days.
By 2050, with climate change, Salem will likely
experience rain or snowfall like these more often.
Sea Level Rise: Sea level rise is
caused by local coastal subsidence
(sinking of the land) coupled with the
expansion of ocean water caused
by increased temperatures and the
melting of land ice in places such
as Greenland and Antarctica. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) currently
reports Mean Higher High Water
(MHHW) for the Boston7 station as 4.76 feet NAVD88. With the mid-range
climate change, MHHW is expected to be 9.03 feet NAVD88 by 2100. This is
an increase of 4.23 feet NAVD88 from the 1998 baseline.
Storm Surge: Storm surge is the
rise of water above tide levels that
occurs during storms. Higher sea
levels can increase the severity
of coastal inundation on a regular
basis and during storms. To
evaluate the potential risk to Salem
under storm conditions, the return
period stillwater elevations from a
100-year storm event (one percent
annual chance event) were considered. These are today’s storm surge
events, but coupled with the predicted mid-range sea level rise scenario,
storm surge is expected to be 13.03 feet NAVD88 by 2100.
Extreme precipitation events and extreme heat events estimates were
determined for the year 2050, consistent with the MA Report, and reflecting
the City of Salem’s desire for this Plan to identify immediate, actionable
adaptation priorities. However, it was found that climate model projections for
sea level rise and storm surge are more useful for a 2100 planning year. This
is because the models show very similar projections in the nearer term and
show more pronounced ranges further out in time.SEA LEVEL RISESEA LEVELS
9
WILL BEOVERFEET
BY THE YEAR 2100EXTREME PRECIPITATION100 YEARWILLBESTORM30%MORE LIKELY TOHAPPEN
EXTREME HEATNUMBER OF
OVERDAYS90O
BY 157%WILL INCREASESTORM SURGESTORM SURGE
13
WILL BEOVER
FEETBY THE YEAR 2100SEA LEVEL RISESEA LEVELS
9
WILL BEOVERFEET
BY THE YEAR 2100EXTREME PRECIPITATION100 YEARWILLBESTORM30%MORE LIKELY TOHAPPEN
EXTREME HEATNUMBER OF
OVERDAYS90O
BY 157%WILL INCREASESTORM SURGESTORM SURGE
13
WILL BEOVER
FEETBY THE YEAR 2100
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7The City of Salem lacks established tidal datums - or recording stations - by NOAA,
and the closest established tidal datums are for Boston (Station 8443970)
WHAT IS “SEA LEVEL”?
The level of the ocean changes daily as the tide comes in and goes out.
Everyone is familiar with the twice daily high-tides and low-tides. The
height of these tides changes throughout year with moon cycles and can
become higher than normal during a storm. Salem already experiences
some tidal flooding, so how can we measure how high the ocean will be in
2100 in Salem after sea level rise and during a storm event?
In this Plan, Mean Higher High Water (MHHW) and storm surge are
adjusted to future sea level rise in 2100. MHHW is the average of the
higher of the two high water levels of each tidal day over a 19-year period
as established by the NOAA. When sea level rise is added to the current
MHHW, it means that Salem could expect to see a high tide of over nine
feet NAVD88 once per day. During a storm event at high tide, the ocean
level could be over 13 feet NAVD888. This is an increase in sea levels of
four feet NAVD88 from what is seen today in Salem.
8NAVD88 is the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. It is a fixed vertical reference
elevation determined by the U.S. Geological Survey to establish a common base point for
measuring the height. It is used for many measurements, including sea levels and mountain
heights. The sea level rise and storm surge maps in Appendix D show the MHHW based on
NAVD88 expected in 2100.
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3 | Vulnerability Assessment and Prioritization Methodology
18
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
The purpose of the vulnerability assessment and
prioritization is to determine the top vulnerabilities
for the City and to inform decision making around
priority adaptation strategies for implementation. Once
the sectors and the climate change impacts were
established by the City and the Working Group, the next
step was to determine what the vulnerable, stressed
components are within each sector. There are two main
sources that informed the vulnerability assessment:
1) interviews with City staff to gather institutional
knowledge and 2) maps of the components and the
climate change impacts.
INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE
The City staff have a wealth of institutional knowledge
and work every day to ensure the components in
each of the sectors they are responsible for work as
they should to keep the City functioning effectively.
As such, City staff are the logical starting point to
understand how different sectors may be impacted by
climate change. City staff from multiple departments
participated in a workshop to discuss stresses they are
already observing on City components, the seasonal
variability of the stresses, and how the future climate
change impacts may change those stresses. Staff were
also asked about how well the components responded
to current stresses and how capable they may be to
respond to future climate change impacts.
MAPPING THE SECTOR COMPONENTS
AND THE FUTURE FLOODING LEVELS
The second step is to show geographically where
future flooding levels may be within Salem. There are
three separate types of maps to show future flooding
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levels due to 1) extreme precipitation events, 2) sea level rise, and 3) storm
surge (including sea level rise). A map for each of these climate change
impacts overlaid onto the components of each sector located in Salem –
with the exception of vulnerable populations – who may be found throughout
the City.
DETERMINING THE VULNERABILITY
Technical experts in each sector from CDM Smith used the information from
City staff interviews and the maps to conduct the vulnerability assessment.
“Vulnerability” is the susceptibility of the sector being studied to harm from
the stress of a climate change impact. It is a function of the sensitivity to
climate change and the adaptive capacity to climate changes. For Salem,
the sensitivity and adaptive capacity of each component is ranked on a five
point scale from low (1) to high (5). A “high” sensitivity score indicates that the
component is very susceptible a climate change impact. Conversely, a “high”
adaptive capacity score indicates that the component is not susceptible, but is
resilient, to a climate change impact. This concept is shown in Figure 3 below.
The results of
the vulnerability
assessment show
that there are 104
vulnerable, stressed
components in the
City of Salem. One
third of these have
a high or medium-
high vulnerability to
the climate change
impact. There are a number of common themes throughout the sectors and
impacts, most notably flooding. As a result, there is much overlap because
two or more different climate change impacts often yield the same types of
stresses impacting the same component. For example, extreme precipitation
and storm surge both can cause flooding that stresses the stormwater
drainage system. The full vulnerability assessment is available in Appendix B.
Figure 3. Representation of the
Vulnerability Determination
19READY FOR TOMORROW
PRIORITIZING VULNERABILITIES
Multiple adaptation strategies may be developed for any given vulnerability
to increase the adaptive capacity. For this reason, the City chose to prioritize
which vulnerabilities to develop adaptation strategies for in order to keep this
Plan focused and meaningful. There two ways that a vulnerable, stressed
component may become prioritized: 1) based on the results of a risk
assessment, it has a high risk and high vulnerability to the climate change
impact or 2) it is aligned with specific evaluation criteria that incorporates
the City’s particular opportunities and concerns. The prioritization process is
graphically represented below in Figure 4.
High
Sensitivity
Low
Adaptive
Capacity
High
Vulnerability
Low
Sensitivity
High
Adaptive
Capacity
Low
Vulnerability
Figure 4. Representation of the Priority Vulnerability Determination
Economic
Ecological &
Environmental
Health &
Safety
Cultural &
Historical
Likelihood
Consequence
Alignment with existing plans,
policies, or programs
Funding availability
City control over implementation
Adaptation
Strategies
Risk
Evaluation
Criteria
Prioritized
Vulnerabilities
20 READY FOR TOMORROW
RISK ASSESSMENT
The risk of a climate change impact and stress to the
component is based on the economic, health and safety,
cultural and historical, and ecological and environmental
consequences as well as the likelihood that the climate
change impact will occur.
CONSEQUENCE
Each of the four types of consequences is ranked
on a five point scale from low (1) to high (5) using the
following definitions to provide a general scope of
the consequences:
• Economic: the known and estimated consequences
both to the City government’s finances and city-wide
economic consequences. On the City government
side, they include changes to city-owned
property, tax base/income, and costs for capital
and maintenance projects. City-wide economic
consequences include change in business revenues,
private property capital and maintenance projects,
and changes in tourism spending.
• Health and Safety: the known and estimated
impacts to the well-being of the people who live,
work, and visit Salem in both day-to-day public
health and emergency situations.
• Cultural and Historical: the known and estimated
impacts to buildings and areas that hold cultural
or historical significance; these are the areas that
define Salem’s identity.
• Ecological and Environmental: the known and
estimated consequences that cause alterations to
natural resources, habitats, organisms, and open
spaces.
LIKELIHOOD
The likelihood is the probability of the climate change
impact occurring, based on the latest IPCC report2. It
includes the type, amount, quality, and consistency of
evidence that a given climate change impact will occur.
There are ten IPCC “Level of Confidence” rankings
that a given climate change impact will occur, so for
the purposes of the risk assessment, each of the four
climate change impact occurrence probabilities are
scored on a ten point scale from extremely unlikely to
occur (1) to virtually certain to occur (10).
If the stress to the component has both a high
vulnerability score and a high risk score, it is considered
a priority vulnerability. This concept is show in Figure
5 below. A highly vulnerable and high risk situation
indicates that addressing that particular issue may be
critical to increasing the resiliency of the City. The full
risk assessment is available in Appendix B.
Figure 5. Representation of High Vulnerability
and High Risk to Climate Change
1 Low 5 High4 Medium- High
3 Medium2 Medium- Low
VULNERABILITY SCORERISK SCORE10W
High
40
80
120
Priority
Vulnerabilities:
High Risk
and High
Vulnerabilities
21
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The second method for prioritizing vulnerabilities
is applying the City’s particular opportunities and
concerns – also known as the evaluation criteria. If a
particular vulnerability is not ranked as high risk and
high vulnerability, but instead meets the evaluation
criteria below, it is considered priority vulnerability. The
evaluation criteria for Salem are:
• Alignment with existing plans, policies, or programs:
the City has current plans, policies, or programs
related to the vulnerable component, and a related
adaptation strategy would further existing City goals.
• Funding availability: known outside funding is
available (especially through grants) at the time of
the evaluation.
• City control over implementation: the City has a high
level (if not total control) over the component, and
therefore can implement an adaptation strategy with
fewer institutional barriers.
THE PRIORITIZED VULNERABILITIES
The results of the risk assessment and the application
of the evaluation criteria show there are 17 priority
vulnerabilities. These vulnerable, stressed components
are considered the most critical for Salem to address
to increase the City’s resiliency to climate change.
Adaptation strategies for these 17 are included in this
Plan or are currently underway.
READY FOR TOMORROW
22 READY FOR TOMORROW
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
SECTOR
IMPACTED
VULNERABLE, STRESSED COMPONENTS
A: Ineffective seawalls
B: Ineffective tide gates, inadequate tide gates at Lafayette Street
C: Insufficient capacity and drainage in the stormwater system to remove water from streets and neighborhoods
D: Flooding and disrupted operation of pump stations
E: Flooding of the transportation network infrastructure from storm drain overflow and overwhelmed seawalls
F: Flooding of evacuation routes
G: Loss of power at critical City buildings
H: Backup (emergency) power failure at critical City facilities
I: Downed power lines
J: Critical emergency preparedness communication
K: Poor air quality
L: Property damage or loss of emergency and critical City facilities
M: Property damage or loss at Salem State University
N: Flooding of emergency response facilities
O: Property damage or loss of historic properties
P: Flooding of residential areas
Q: Overtopping of Rosie's Pond9
Table 2. List of the Prioritized Vulnerabilities
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9Salem has begun a climate change adaptation project to address the flooding issues at Rosie’s Pond. See the Case Study on page 24.
The details of this methodology and the results of the risk assessment and evaluation criteria may be found in Appendix B.
Critical Building Infrastructure
Stormwater
Transportation
Vulnerable Populations
Water
Energy
4 | Adaptation Strategies to Address the Priority Vulnerabilities
24 READY FOR TOMORROW
As with the vulnerability assessment, there is much overlap in the adaptation
strategies because one strategy may address several of the vulnerable,
stressed components within the City. For this plan, 43 strategies were
developed to address 16 of the prioritized vulnerabilities9. They are designed
to be incorporated within existing and future projects to decrease the
vulnerability of Salem to climate change. The following sections summarize
each of the prioritized vulnerabilities from Table 2 and outlines the adaptation
strategies that may help alleviate the vulnerable, stressed components.
The full details for the 43 adaptation strategies are included in Appendix C.
They give a description of the adaptation strategy and show the Primary
City Department(s) or Staff that may be responsible for planning and
implementing these strategies within existing and future projects. Each
strategy will require the support from the Mayor’s Office and City Council
to move forward. In addition, these adaptation strategies may be most
effectively implemented with additional partnerships. These partnerships are
identified for each strategy, but may include: hospitals, the fire department,
the police department, FEMA, MEMA, neighboring cities, EPA, DEP, DOER,
MAPC, MBTA, CZM, National Grid, Salem Sound Coastwatch, North Shore
Community Development Coalition, Salem Alliance for the Environment,
private property owners, the Conservation Commission, and others.
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
IN ACTION AT ROSIE’S POND
The City of Salem was awarded $200,000 in grant funding from the MA
Office of Coastal Zone Management for the design and permitting of a
flood control project for the Rosie’s Pond neighborhood. The redesign
will account for the climate
change impact projections to
increase the neighborhood’s
ability to endure stresses
associated flooding from
extreme precipitation events,
sea level rise, and storm
surge. The project is expected
to provide protection to 12.5
acres of residential property, 40
residential structures, and four
roads. Salem Sound Coastwatch
is a partner for this project, and
will be providing public outreach,
including StormSmart workshop
presentations.
25READY FOR TOMORROWIneffective seawalls Ineffective tide gates, Inadequate tide gates at Lafayette StreetInsufficient capacity and drainage in the stormwater system to remove water from streets and neighborhoodsFlooding and disrupted operation of pump stations Flooding of the transportation network infrastructure from storm drain overflow and overwhelmed seawallsFlooding of evacuation routesLoss of power at critical city buildingsBackup power failure at critical city facilitiesDowned power lines Critical emergency preparedness communication Poor air qualityProperty damage or loss of emergency and critical city facilitiesProperty damage or loss at Salem State UniversityFlooding of emergency response facilitiesProperty damage or loss of historic propertiesFlooding of residential areasOvertopping of Rosie's Pond*A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q
1 Seawall Repair: Installation of Drainage Features
2 Seawall Repair: Increase Crest/Top of Structure Height
3 Seawall Repair: Installation of Structural Toe Protection
4 Seawall Repair: Installation of Recurved Cap Systems
5 Seawall Repair: Bulkhead Materials
6 Seawall Repair: Living Shorelines
7 Seawall Repair: Beach Nourishment
8 Installation/Upgrades of Tide Gates
9 Tide Gate Alternative: Duckbill/Tide Flex
10 Tide Gate Alternative: Buoyant or Self-Regulating Structures
11 Water Level Monitoring and Alert System
12 Conduct a Drainage Study
13 Enlarging and Supplementing the Drainage System
14 Installation of Above Ground or Subsurface Stormwater Storage Systems
15 Installation/Upgrade of Pump Stations
16 Installation of Deployable Floodwalls
17 Green Infrastructure - Bioretention/Street Planters
18 Green Infrastructure - Green Roofs
19 Green Infrastructure - Permeable Pavements
20 Infrastructure Design and Materials in the Transportation Network
21 Elevate or Relocate Transportation Infrastructure
Table 3. Adaptation Strategies and the Prioritized
Vulnerabilities they Address
Indicates that the adaptation strategy addresses the prioritized vulnerability
* Salem is already undertaking climate change adaptation measures at Rosie’s PondPRIORITY VULNERABILITIESADAPTATION STRATEGIES
26 READY FOR TOMORROW Ineffective seawalls Ineffective tide gates, Inadequate tide gates at Lafayette StreetInsufficient capacity and drainage in the stormwater system to remove water from streets and neighborhoodsFlooding and disrupted operation of pump stations Flooding of the transportation network infrastructure from storm drain overflow and overwhelmed seawallsFlooding of evacuation routesLoss of power at critical city buildingsBackup power failure at critical city facilitiesDowned power lines Critical emergency preparedness communication Poor air qualityProperty damage or loss of emergency and critical city facilitiesProperty damage or loss at Salem State UniversityFlooding of emergency response facilitiesProperty damage or loss of historic propertiesFlooding of residential areasOvertopping of Rosie's Pond*A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q
22 Increase Energy Efficiency in Critical City Buildings
23 Install and Elevate Backup Power Sources
24 Install Renewable Energy Backup Power Sources
25 Bury the Electrical Distribution System
26 Maintain Overhead Distribution System
27 Improve Utility and City Communication
28 Increase Awareness of Climate Change Risks and Safety
29 Assist Vulnerable Populations
30 Community Health Impact Assessment and Public Outreach during Poor Air Quality Events
31 Redundancy of Evacuation Routes
32 Review Local Public Health Care Sectors Readiness
33 Promote and Expand Urban Forestry
34 Evaluation of Buildings for Flood Proofing Opportunities
35 Development of New Critical Use Facilities Outside Future Flooding Levels
36 Re-Development Existing Facilities Outside Future Flooding Levels
37 Elevate the Building
38 Elevate a Building's Critical Uses
39 Adopt and Enforce Updated Building Codes
40 Limit or Restrict Development in Future Flooding Areas
41 Improve Land Use Planning and Regulations
42 Flood Proof Buildings
43 Perform Wharf Area Water Study
Table 3. Adaptation Strategies and the Prioritized
Vulnerabilities they Address (contined)
Indicates that the adaptation strategy addresses the prioritized vulnerability
* Salem is already undertaking climate change adaptation measures at Rosie’s PondPRIORITY VULNERABILITIESADAPTATION STRATEGIES
27READY FOR TOMORROW
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
1 | Installation of drainage features to prevent structural damage to seawalls from stormwater. If the area
is subject to ponding caused by stormwater runoff and/or soil erosion at the top of the structure, consider
improving drainage systems to alleviate hydrostatic pressure landward of the structure.
2 | Increase the crest or top of the structure height if the seawalls or revetment systems are “ineffective”
because the crest elevation (or top) of the coastal structure is too low to resist storm surge inundation to
upland areas. A variable crest height along the seawall system may make areas with lower crest heights
vulnerable to flooding.
3 | Installation of structural toe protection to stabilize the seawall where there is wave action or erosion.
The stabilization depends on its total weight in cross-section, location seaward of the shoreline, cap
elevation, underlying geology, and the degree to which it is used to retain the upland bluff or bank. Adding
a robust toe stone and/or stone aprons to prevent sliding and sediment removal at the bottom of the
structure.
4 | Installation of recurved cap systems for seawalls and the revetments in coastal areas to minimize
overtopping. Potential waves impacting the structure may cause an upward force on the structure and
proper design of the foundation and footing is equally important.
5 | Use bulkhead materials to repair seawalls. Deteriorating and corroding bulkheads may be replaced with
marine-grade fiber-reinforced polymer sheeting for steel bulkheads. The appropriate design should be
considered for mooring piles, capping, patching, coating, or other protective measures of the bulkhead to
prevent any degradation of the structure.
The seawalls that protect the coast of Salem are aging and some have significant damage. They currently overtop at
some locations in the City. Sea level rise and storm surge will only further the damage and the seawalls will become
inadequate in the future. Improvements to the seawalls are necessary to prevent flooding in the surrounding areas.
A | Ineffective Seawalls
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
Recurved seawall and toe scour protection at Deer
Island WWTP, Winthrop, MA.
Seawall protecting a coastal highway (Florida
Highway A1A, Flagler Beach)
28 READY FOR TOMORROW
6 | Living Shoreline installation to increase the resilience of seawalls to undermining and failure after
episodes of storm surge and long-term effects of sea level rise. They are alternatives or in some cases,
an enhancement, to bulkheads, seawalls, or revetments that provide for a stable shoreline resistant
to erosion. As a “hybrid” or “blended” approach, living shorelines may be hardened structures that are
rehabilitated to introduce a naturalized edge. Living shorelines use plants, sand/soil, and the limited use
of hard structures to provide shoreline protection. They preserve, create, or enhance coastal habitats and
improve water quality, and reduce sedimentation.
7 | Beach nourishment and rehabilitation as a replacement for failing seawalls, where applicable. It could
be used to maintain a range of beach widths to prevent overtopping of seawalls and near shore beach
erosion.
Fish Pier, City of Newburyport, 2014.
Winthrop Beach, MA after beach nourishment.
ENHANCING SALEM’S NATURAL RESOURCES
On December 1st, 2014, the City was awarded by the Office of Coastal Zone Management a $75,000 grant
to conduct a site assessment and an engineering study for coastal green infrastructure implementation
in Salem. The project will explore and research green infrastructure implementation as a whole in Salem.
This effort will further identify key areas that experience flooding or degradation to vulnerable property and
infrastructure. Salem Sound Coastwatch and an engineering firm will assist with the project.
Potential green infrastructure strategies that will be assessed for feasibility include: 1) fringing tidal marsh
restoration, 2) natural oyster or mussel reef creation, enhancement, or restoration; 3) engineering with coir
rolls, natural fiber blankets, and other organic, biodegradable materials combined with planting/re-vegetation;
and 4) natural enhancement of existing coastal structures.
A | Ineffective Seawalls (continued)
29READY FOR TOMORROW
B | Ineffective Tide Gates and Inadequate Tide Gates at Lafayette Street
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
8 | Installation or updates of tide gates to seal a pipe at the end of the gate and prevent water from flowing backwards
through the drainage system, while still allowing water to drain. Tide gates may be added to outfalls to prevent high tides,
sea level rise and storm surges from entering the drainage system.
9 | Duckbill/tide flex design as a tide gate alternative. The duck bill technology, or tide flex, operates automatically based on
the flow or water level. Duckbill tide gates are self-cleaning when debris is caught in the opening. This design is considered
to be reliable and low maintenance.
10 | Buoyant or self-regulation structures as a tide gate alternative. The buoyant front flap tide gate operates automatically
based on the flow or water level. These tide gate solutions allow for self-regulation of flow in and out of low-lying areas.
The floats at the top of the self-regulating tide gate may be adjusted in height to fit site-specific conditions, which could be
closed during daily tides, during extreme events, or as a managed adaptation to sea level rise.
11 | Water level monitoring and alert system are tide-gate sensors that enable real-time operations and field adjustments
as needed. The tide gate sensors and tide gages provide real-time data, in the form of an early warning system for flood
prediction and alert facilities, municipalities, and the public if water levels reach a certain elevation. This measure is also
effective in alerting engineers or the public works department to target certain areas for flood proofing measures (sand bags,
etc.).
The tide gates at the South and Forrest Rivers and Lafayette Street are structures that prevent backflow of tidal water
or storm surge into creeks, rivers, and drainage systems. Tide gates close during incoming tides to prevent water from
traveling into low-lying areas, but they also keep flood water from draining into the harbor or ocean. The tide gates are
aging and in need of repair; they are generally ineffective at preventing flooding. Today at Lafayette Street, high tides
coupled with significant precipitation events results in flooding, so the tide gate is closed prior to storms. The Forest
River tide gate is operated manually and long-term reliability of the tide gates is in question. With climate change, the
tide gates will need to be used more frequently, resulting in more maintenance and damage.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
NJ Meadowlands Research
Institute water level alert
website.
30 READY FOR TOMORROW
The existing drainage system cannot accommodate extreme precipitation events coupled with a storm surge. It could
result in flooding in several of the neighborhoods along the coast and the rivers. In the future, the storm surge will
extend further into neighborhoods and commercial areas in the City. When coupled with an extreme precipitation event,
even more localized flooding is possible because the stormwater cannot be conveyed to the ocean.
C | Insufficient Capacity and Drainage in the Stormwater System to Remove Water from Streets and Neighborhoods
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
8 | Installation or updates of tide gates to seal a pipe at the end of the gate and prevent water from flowing
backwards through the drainage system, while still allowing water to drain. Tide gates may be added to outfalls to
prevent high tides, sea level rise and storm surges from entering the drainage system.
9 | Duckbill/tide flex design as a tide gate alternative. The duck bill technology, or tide flex, operates automatically
based on the flow or water level. Duckbill tide gates are self-cleaning when debris is caught in the opening. This
design is considered to be reliable and low maintenance.
10 | Buoyant or self-regulation structures as a tide gate alternative. The buoyant front flap tide gate operates
automatically based on the flow or water level. These tide gate solutions allow for self-regulation of flow in and out
of low-lying areas. The floats at the top of the self-regulating tide gate may be adjusted in height to fit site-specific
conditions, which could be closed during daily tides, during extreme events, or as a managed adaptation to sea
level rise.
11 | Conduct a drainage study to assess existing and future conditions and to determine which drainage mitigation
measure may work best to reduce flooding in the City. The model for existing drainage system would determine
the current capacity of the stormwater system for extreme precipitation events, sea level rise, and storm surge
conditions and identify the extent and degree of flooding in the City.
13 | Enlarging and supplementing the drainage system. Replacing undersized pipes with those that have more
capacity allows better flow of water to discharge points. Another option is to add additional pipes parallel to the
existing drainage system to provide additional capacity in the system. The appropriate size of these pipes is best
determined from future conditions modeling performed in a drainage study.
14 | Installation of above ground or subsurface stormwater storage systems for the excess water flows that
undersized pipes cannot handle. Water is stored and then released at a later point in time, when the precipitation
event has passed.
15 | Installation or upgrade of pump stations to pump stormwater from areas where it may not be conveyed to the
outfalls by gravity flow (generally low-lying areas).
An enlarged stormwater drainage system.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
Rendering of subsurface storage in
Worcester, MA.
31READY FOR TOMORROW
16 | Installation of deployable floodwalls, which are temporary floodwalls that may quickly be erected
at the sign of an impending storm. They consist of moveable posts and panels which are attached to
permanent, in-ground foundations during storms for which flooding is a concern.
17 | Install bioretention areas or street planters, especially in highly impervious areas. A bioretention
area is a shallow, vegetated basin that collects and absorbs runoff from rooftops, sidewalks, and
streets, and may be installed in any unpaved space. A street planter box is a bioretention area with
vertical walls and open or closed bottoms that collect and absorb runoff from sidewalks, parking
lots, and streets. This is a “green infrastructure” option that is designed to mimic natural systems by
absorbing and storing water; they are designed to manage the first inch of rainfall.
18 | Convert to green roofs, which are roofs that are covered with vegetation. They enable rainfall
infiltration and evapotranspiration of stored water. Thus, they reduce the amount of runoff that a
conventional stormwater system would be required to handle. This is a “green infrastructure” option
that is designed to mimic natural systems by absorbing and storing water; they are designed to
manage the first inch of rainfall.
19 | Use permeable pavements rather than traditional pavements. Permeable pavements are
paved surfaces that infiltrate, treat, and/or store rainwater where it falls. Permeable pavements
include pervious concrete, porous asphalt, and permeable interlocking pavers. This is a “green
infrastructure” option that is designed to mimic natural systems by absorbing and storing water and
to manage the first inch of rainfall.
20 | Improve infrastructure design and materials in the transportation network and use nonerodible
and permeable base materials to prevent failure or collapse. Using these types of materials may
protect the structural integrity of the roadways, bridges, and railbed support structures. Nonerodible
materials include lean concrete base and cement treated base. Permeable materials include porous
asphalt, pervious concrete, impermeable interlocking concrete pavement, grass and gravel pavers
and may naturally treat stormwater
21 | Elevate or relocate transportation infrastructure to protect it from flooding. Elevating the
infrastructure to avoid flooding may extend its service life. Relocating it out of flooding areas may
maintain the structural integrity of the roadways, bridges, and railbed support structures. This may be
particularly important for evacuation routes.
A green roof in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
A green infrastructure containing a bioretention area.
C | Insufficient Capacity and Drainage in the Stormwater System to Remove Water... (continued)
32 READY FOR TOMORROW
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
8 | Installation or updates of tide gates to seal a pipe at the end of the gate and prevent water from
flowing backwards through the drainage system, while still allowing water to drain. Tide gates may
be added to outfalls to prevent high tides, sea level rise and storm surges from entering the drainage
system.
9 | Duckbill/tide flex design as a tide gate alternative. The duck bill technology, or tide flex, operates
automatically based on the flow or water level. Duckbill tide gates are self-cleaning when debris is
caught in the opening. This design is considered to be reliable and low maintenance.
10 | Buoyant or self-regulation structures as a tide gate alternative. The buoyant front flap tide gate
operates automatically based on the flow or water level. These tide gate solutions allow for self-
regulation of flow in and out of low-lying areas. The floats at the top of the self-regulating tide gate
may be adjusted in height to fit site-specific conditions, which could be closed during daily tides, during
extreme events, or as a managed adaptation to sea level rise.
12 | Conduct a drainage study to assess existing and future conditions and to determine which drainage mitigation measure may work best to reduce
flooding in the City. The model for existing drainage system would determine the current capacity of the stormwater system for extreme precipitation
events, sea level rise, and storm surge conditions and identify the extent and degree of flooding in the City.
14 | Installation of above ground or subsurface stormwater storage systems for the excess water flows that undersized pipes cannot handle. Water is
stored and then released at a later point in time, when the precipitation event has passed.
15 | Installation or upgrade of pump stations to pump stormwater from areas where it may not be conveyed to the outfalls by gravity flow (generally low-
lying areas).
16 | Installation of deployable floodwalls, which are temporary floodwalls that may quickly be erected at the sign of an impending storm. They consist of
moveable posts and panels which are attached to permanent, in-ground foundations during storms for which flooding is a concern.
Pump stations along the North River frequently flood and cause disruption. This is expected to increase with more
extreme precipitation events, sea level rise, and storm surge. An increased frequency of flooding will require more
maintenance and repair. Localized flooding will be exacerbated. Pump stations need to be “hardened” to minimize the
risk of their flooding.
D | Flooding and Disrupted Operation of Pump Stations
Twin tide gates Galilee Salt Marsh Restoration,
Narragansett, RI.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
33READY FOR TOMORROW
E | Flooding of the Transportation Network Infrastructure from Storm Drain Overflow and Overwhelmed Seawalls
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
12 | Conduct a drainage study to assess existing and future conditions and to determine which
drainage mitigation measure may work best to reduce flooding in the City. The model for existing
drainage system would determine the current capacity of the stormwater system for extreme
precipitation events, sea level rise, and storm surge conditions and identify the extent and degree of
flooding in the City.
13 | Enlarging and supplementing the drainage system. Replacing undersized pipes with those that
have more capacity allows better conveys the flow of water to discharge points. Another option is
to add additional pipes parallel to the existing drainage system to provide additional capacity in the
system. The appropriate size of these pipes is best determined from future conditions modeling
performed in a drainage study.
14 | Installation of above ground or subsurface stormwater storage systems for the excess water
flows that undersized pipes cannot handle. Water is stored and then released at a later point in time,
when the precipitation event has passed.
15 | Installation or upgrade of pump stations to pump stormwater from areas where it may not be
conveyed to the outfalls by gravity flow (generally low-lying areas).
16 | Installation of deployable floodwalls which are temporary floodwalls that may quickly be erected at the sign of an impending storm. They consist of
moveable posts and panels which are attached to permanent, in-ground foundations during storms for which flooding is a concern.
17 | Install bioretention areas or street planters, especially in highly impervious areas. A bioretention area is a shallow, vegetated basin that collects and
absorbs runoff from rooftops, sidewalks, and streets, and may be installed in any unpaved space. A street planter box is a bioretention area with vertical walls
and open or closed bottoms that collect and absorb runoff from sidewalks, parking lots, and streets. This is a “green infrastructure” option that is designed to
mimic natural systems by absorbing and storing water; they are designed to manage the first inch of rainfall.
18 | Convert to green roofs, which are roofs that are covered with vegetation. They enable rainfall infiltration and evapotranspiration of stored water. Thus, they
reduce the amount of runoff that a conventional stormwater system would be required to handle. This is a “green infrastructure” option that is designed to
mimic natural systems by absorbing and storing water; they are designed to manage the first inch of rainfall.
Flooding from storm drain overflow and overwhelmed seawalls currently undermines the transportation network
infrastructure. In the past, extreme snow and rain events have led to flooding of City streets and tunnels and the
commuter rail. More frequent extreme precipitation events and storm surge exacerbate flooding in these areas and
overwhelm the pumping capacity for tunnels. Access to Route 128 will be limited more frequently.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
A view from the McCormack POCH’s green roof.
34 READY FOR TOMORROW
19 | Use permeable pavements rather than traditional pavement. Permeable pavements are paved
surfaces that infiltrate, treat, and/or store rainwater where it falls. Permeable pavements include
pervious concrete, porous asphalt, and permeable interlocking pavers. This is a “green infrastructure”
option that is designed to mimic natural systems by absorbing and storing water and to manage the
first inch of rainfall.
20 | Improve infrastructure design and materials in the transportation network and use nonerodible
and permeable base materials to prevent failure or collapse. Using these types of materials may
protect the structural integrity of the roadways, bridges, and railbed support structures. Nonerodible
materials include lean concrete base and cement treated base. Permeable materials include porous
asphalt, pervious concrete, impermeable interlocking concrete pavement, grass and gravel pavers and
may naturally treat stormwater.
21 | Elevate or relocate transportation infrastructure to protect it from flooding. Elevating the
infrastructure to avoid flooding may extend its service life. Relocating it out of flooding areas may
maintain the structural integrity of the roadways, bridges, and railbed support structures. This may be
particularly important for evacuation routes.
Permeable pavement and porous concrete sidewalks at
the capital building in Harford CT.
E | Flooding of the Transportation Network Infrastructure from Storm Drain Overflow... (continued)
King Tide at Juniper Cove, October 2011
35READY FOR TOMORROW
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
20 | Improve infrastructure design and materials in the transportation network and use nonerodible
and permeable base materials to prevent failure or collapse. Using these types of materials may
protect the structural integrity of the roadways, bridges, and railbed support structures. Nonerodible
materials include lean concrete base and cement treated base. Permeable materials include porous
asphalt, pervious concrete, impermeable interlocking concrete pavement, grass and gravel pavers
and may naturally treat stormwater
21 | Elevate or relocate transportation infrastructure to protect it from flooding. Elevating the
infrastructure to avoid flooding may extend its service life. Relocating it out of flooding areas may
maintain the structural integrity of the roadways, bridges, and railbed support structures.
31 | Increase the redundancy of evacuation routes within the transportation network in and around
Salem. Redundancy allows the transportation network to compensate for losses by ensuring the
functionality remains even when network segments are damaged or destroyed. Identifying and
addressing transportation bottlenecks within the system is critical.
Several major streets out of Salem experience flooding during major storm events, including Route 1A, Lafayette Street,
and Kernwood Street. These areas may expect an increase in flooding due to climate change. While some evacuation
routes are not expected flood, they may experience increased congestion, causing evacuation delays.
F | Flooding of Evacuation Routes
Ross Sterling Avenue was raised to protect the MSB to
the level of the base flood.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
36 READY FOR TOMORROW
G | Loss of Power at Critical City Buildings
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
22 | Increase energy efficiency in critical buildings to reduce the risk of power outages during events that cause grid power failure. This may also reduce
the energy demand on the grid to begin to reduce the risk of power failure in the first place.
23 | Install and elevate backup power sources to maintain some level of power during events that could cause grid power failure at critical City facilities.
A backup generator with properly rated distribution equipment and installed above future flooding elevation is recommended to maintain power at critical
facilities. One possible location is to install the equipment, such as generators, above future flooding elevation is on the roof of these buildings. Fuel pumps
could be installed to allow for easy refilling of the generators and all equipment could be properly rated for use outdoors.
24 | Install renewable energy backup power sources to maintain some level of power during events that could cause grid power failure at critical City
facilities. The use of renewable energy sources may be evaluated for both feasibility and practicality. In order for a renewable energy source to be a viable
option as a means for back up generation, a large battery room would need to be built to store the energy from the renewable source. This strategy may
increase the overall reliability of the facilities as well eliminate their reliance on outside power sources.
27 | Improve utility and City communication during a power outage event. The City and National Grid could benefit from having a designated individual
handle all utility issues during power outage events. Outages are stressful times for both the City and National Grid. By having a specific point person
that handles and delegates all of Salem’s needs on National Grid’s end, efficiency would improve by reducing the need to re-explain the City’s needs to
multiple people and avoid confusion.
Extreme heat events will increase the frequency of brown-outs and black-outs in the City, resulting in the inability to
operate critical City buildings and facilities. It will also result in more frequent and lengthy power losses for residents
and businesses. If a brown-outs or black-outs if coincides with a storm event, public health may be even more at risk.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
37READY FOR TOMORROW
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
23 | Install and elevate backup power sources to maintain some level of power during events that
could cause grid power failure at critical City facilities. A backup generator with properly rated
distribution equipment and installed above future flooding elevation is recommended to maintain
power at critical facilities. One possible location is to install the equipment, such as generators, above
future flooding elevation is on the roof of these buildings. Fuel pumps could be installed to allow for
easy refilling of the generators and all equipment could be properly rated for use outdoors.
24 | Install renewable energy backup power sources to maintain some level of power during events
that could cause grid power failure at critical City facilities. The use of renewable energy sources may
be evaluated for both feasibility and practicality. In order for a renewable energy source to be a viable
option as a means for back up generation, a large battery room would need to be built to store the
energy from the renewable source. This strategy may increase the overall reliability of the facilities as
well eliminate their reliance on outside power sources.
Diesel-fired emergency generators are located at two of the fire stations, the Department of Public Works, and at
the schools. Those located at the fire stations and schools are at street-level or in basements, which are the most
vulnerable to flooding. The Department of Public Works generator is raised on a pad above ground level. If emergency
power is flooded, it presents a public safety risk and may make emergency shelters inoperable.
H | Backup Power Failure at Critical City Facilities
Emergency generator elevated above flood levels.
Installation of photovoltaic panels.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
38 READY FOR TOMORROW
I | Downed Power Lines
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
25 | Bury the electrical distribution system to reduce the risk of power outages during events that
could cause grid power failure. Underground distribution may solve many of the problems that
extreme precipitation events cause. New electrical distribution equipment rated to be submerged in
water for extended periods of time have been developed and makes this type of distribution even
more reliable. The underground lines are protected from high winds and downed trees, increasing the
grids reliability.
26 | Maintain the overhead distribution system to prevent outages from high winds during extreme
precipitation events. Upgrades and more preventative maintenance to the existing overhead
distribution may increase the reliability of existing distribution. Replacing existing overhead wires with
more durable cable and replacing poles that do not pass inspection are examples of upgrades that
could help reliability.
27 | Improve utility and City communication during a power outage event. The City and National Grid
could benefit from having a designated individual handle all utility issues during power outage events.
Outages are stressful times for both the City and National Grid. By having a specific point person
that handles and delegates all of Salem’s needs on National Grid’s end, efficiency would improve by
reducing the need to re-explain the City’s needs to multiple people and avoid confusion.
Currently, there is infrequent power loss due to downed power lines with the exception of some areas in North
Salem. The frequency of downed power lines and outages is expected to increase due to high winds from extreme
precipitation events. This is expected to result in more frequent and lengthy power losses for residents and businesses.
Electrical crew repairs damaged electrical distribution
system after a storm.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
39READY FOR TOMORROW
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
28 | Increase awareness of climate change risks and safety to protect public health. The impacts
of climate change on public health may be lessened if citizens know how to prepare and protect
themselves. This may be done through educational campaigns, producing and distribution
emergency preparedness information, and outreach programs.
29 | Assist vulnerable populations to ensure they are prepared for climate change and remain safe
during a climate change event. This may be done through outreach programs, identifying where the
vulnerable individuals are located, and creating social media and neighborhood campaigns to check
on or assist their neighbors.
More extreme heat events, extreme precipitation events, and storm surges will result in the need to communicate with
and protect vulnerable populations more frequently. Current systems for communication are in place, but may need to
be augmented. The City is already taking some alternative communication measures such as developing picture-based
signage for emergency response.
J | Critical Emergency Preparedness Communication
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
40 READY FOR TOMORROW
K | Poor Air Quality
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
30 | Conduct a community health impact assessment and public outreach during poor air quality
events. A community health impact assessment may be designed to specifically understand the
relationship between the health risk and poor air quality with a focus on the extent of the health risk
specifically to the vulnerable populations. The public outreach program may be used to educate the
vulnerable groups and their caregivers to detect these signs and symptoms of respiratory illness
during an event. To alert the populations of the air quality risks during extreme heat events, the health
department may integrate EPA’s pre-existing air quality alert program (EnviroFlash). This may enable
vulnerable population to take appropriate measures to protect themselves.
32 | Review local public health care sector readiness to understand the capacity and available
resources of local health care providers to handle poor air quality-related diseases and aliments.
The goal is to ensure there are sufficient clinics or hospitals available to care for people during poor
air quality events and that the people have the ability to access them. It is also possible to integrate
the emergency medical response mechanism with EPA’s pre-existing air quality alert program
(EnviroFlash) to provide a timely response to high risk groups.
33 | Promote and expand urban forestry. Urban forestry helps improve air quality. Trees have
the ability to absorb air pollutants to improve local air quality. In addition, urban forests provide
economic benefits, aesthetic value, sequester carbon dioxide, improve water quality, provide
health benefits, and wildlife habitats. The City may increase tree planning activities and consider
partnership with local or regional agencies to coordinate tree planting in areas with populations
sensitive to poor air quality.
Air pollutant concentrations increase during more extreme hot and humid days, resulting in poor air quality. Poor air
quality may adversely affect the health of many people, with a disproportionate disease burden among vulnerable
populations. The most common ailments are respiratory issues. With more extreme heat events, there is an increased
public health risk for people with respiratory illness, especially among vulnerable populations.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
41READY FOR TOMORROW
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
34 | Evaluation of buildings for flood proofing opportunities. Evaluating the utilities and critical operations in the building is key to determining if they are at risk for
flooding. An evaluation may include: assessing the building strength to determine if it may withstand flooding-forces; Understanding the likely flooding characteristics,
such as the length of time a building is expected to flood; Determining the building location within established or future flooding areas; Operational and maintenance
initiatives that would to ensure flood proofing options are kept in working order.
35 | Development of new critical use facilities outside future flooding levels. Critical use buildings are those essential to a community’s resiliency and sustainability. In
some cases, relocating a critical public service or use into an area that is not expected to flood in the future, could be more cost effective than to design or modify such
a facility located in flood prone area.
36 | Re-development of existing facilities outside future flooding levels, especially small structures or historic properties. By relocating properties into future non-flood
areas, the City may avoid the extreme alterations required to protect the structure, risking loss of significant historic character. This strategy is to be considered for
smaller structures due to the significant constraints and engineering considerations necessary to move a structure.
37 | Elevate the building so it is raised and out of risk of flooding. Modifications may be made to resist all flood-related loads and conditions, including hydrostatic loads,
break wave action debris impact, and rapid rise and drawdown of water. Foundation systems for consideration include open foundations, fill, pilings, columns, stem wall
or slabs.
38 | Elevate a building’s critical uses within the building. In existing buildings, utility equipment that is critical for functionality may be relocated to higher floors or elevated
additions. Most building systems may be divided into two components: 1) main equipment and 2) distribution. One strategy is to strap or bolt equipment so it is designed
to withstand wind and other forces. Elevating supporting distribution systems (ducts, supply lines, and piping) within the facilities may also help prevent flooding.
39 | Adopt and enforce updated building codes. Stricter building codes for new construction and existing facilities may help the City protect its building stock from
flooding as well as wind, and prolonged power outages. Targeted strategies include building code legislation changes, adjustments to zoning regulations, incentive
programs, and best practices guides.
40 | Limit or restrict development in future flooding areas. The first step is to review the existing regulations and zoning ordinance, review historical flood events and
insurance claims, review future flooding levels, and determine implications to tax base and private property rights. Coastal erosion setbacks, sea level rise, increased
coastal flood and surge elevations, and building elevations are examples of what may be considered in flood-related ordinances.
41 | Improve land use planning and regulations to prevent or manage flooding. Land uses may be planned and regulated to minimize the impact of storm surge and
mitigate future losses resulting from extreme precipitation events and sea level rise.
42 | Flood proof buildings to protect the existing buildings, critical systems and equipment. There are two techniques for flood proofing a building: “dry flood proofing” and
“wet flood proofing”. “Dry flood proofing” is applied to building entrances, windows and surrounding equipment rooms located within the flood prone area to ensure the
area remains watertight. “Wet flood proofing” is another method were water is allowed to enter into the structure intentionally, but remains structurally sound and repairs
are relatively easy to make.
43 | Perform wharf area water study and field investigation. This will include the review of public and private water piping systems in the wharf area to update the GIS data
and mapping. The benefit of creating more accurate mapping will allow staff to more quickly locate and operate key valves in the system during a storm surge event or
emergency. The study will allow staff to evaluate the wharf area piping systems and recommend the most appropriate location for any new emergency shutdown gate
valves, protecting against a wider water distribution system failure or potential contamination, in the event of a wharf water piping failure.
The emergency and critical facilities in Salem continue to provide services during flooding events. Flooding may
become more severe at these critical facilities due to extreme precipitation events, sea level rise, and storm surge.
Additional facilities may flood or be damaged by erosion. Providing the needed level of service to the community will
become impaired, putting public safety at risk.
L | Property Damage or Loss of Emergency and Critical City Facilities
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
42 READY FOR TOMORROW
M | Property Damage or Loss at Salem State University
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
34 | Evaluation of buildings for flood proofing opportunities. Evaluating the utilities and critical operations in the building is key to determining if they are
at risk for flooding. An evaluation may include: assessing the building strength to determine if it may withstand flooding-forces; Understanding the likely
flooding characteristics, such as the length of time a building is expected to flood; Determining the building location within established or future flooding areas;
Operational and maintenance initiatives that would to ensure flood proofing options are kept in working order.
35 | Development of new critical use facilities outside future flooding levels. Critical use buildings are those essential to a community’s resiliency and
sustainability. In some cases, relocating a critical public service or use into an area that is not expected to flood in the future, could be more cost effective than
to design or modify such a facility located in flood prone area.
36 | Re-development of existing facilities outside future flooding levels, especially small structures or historic properties. By relocating properties into future
non-flood areas, the City may avoid the extreme alterations required to protect the structure, risking loss of significant historic character. This strategy is to be
considered for smaller structures due to the significant constraints and engineering considerations necessary to move a structure.
37 | Elevate the building so it is raised and out of risk of flooding. Modifications may be made to resist all flood-related loads and conditions, including hydrostatic
loads, break wave action debris impact, and rapid rise and drawdown of water. Foundation systems for consideration include open foundations, fill, pilings,
columns, stem wall or slabs.
38 | Elevate a building’s critical uses within the building. In existing buildings, utility equipment that is critical for functionality may be relocated to higher floors
or elevated additions. Most building systems may be divided into two components: 1) main equipment and 2) distribution. One strategy is to strap or bolt
equipment so it is designed to withstand wind and other forces. Elevating supporting distribution systems (ducts, supply lines, and piping) within the facilities
may also help prevent flooding.
39 | Adopt and enforce updated building codes. Stricter building codes for new construction and existing facilities may help the City protect its building stock
from flooding as well as wind, and prolonged power outages. Targeted strategies include building code legislation changes, adjustments to zoning regulations,
incentive programs, and best practices guides.
40 | Limit or restrict development in future flooding areas. The first step is to review the existing regulations and zoning ordinance, review historical flood
events and insurance claims, review future flooding levels, and determine implications to tax base and private property rights. Coastal erosion setbacks, sea
level rise, increased coastal flood and surge elevations, and building elevations are examples of what may be considered in flood-related ordinances.
41 | Improve land use planning and regulations to prevent or manage flooding. Land uses may be planned and regulated to minimize the impact of storm surge
and mitigate future losses resulting from extreme precipitation events and sea level rise.
42 | Flood proof buildings to protect the existing buildings, critical systems and equipment. There are two techniques for flood proofing a building: “dry flood
proofing” and “wet flood proofing”. “Dry flood proofing” is applied to building entrances, windows and surrounding equipment rooms located within the flood
prone area to ensure the area remains watertight. “Wet flood proofing” is another method were water is allowed to enter into the structure intentionally, but
remains structurally sound and repairs are relatively easy to make.
The Central Campus and O’Keefe Center at Salem State University may experience severe flooding damage from
storm surge flooding. Flooding may also occur at the North and South campuses. This may impact emergency shelters
for students and staff and result in lost school days if the buildings are sufficiently damaged.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
43READY FOR TOMORROW
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
34 | Evaluation of buildings for flood proofing opportunities. Evaluating the utilities and critical operations in the building is key to determining if they are
at risk for flooding. An evaluation may include: assessing the building strength to determine if it may withstand flooding-forces; Understanding the likely
flooding characteristics, such as the length of time a building is expected to flood; Determining the building location within established or future flooding areas;
Operational and maintenance initiatives that would to ensure flood proofing options are kept in working order.
35 | Development of new critical use facilities outside future flooding levels. Critical use buildings are those essential to a community’s resiliency and
sustainability. In some cases, relocating a critical public service or use into an area that is not expected to flood in the future, could be more cost effective than
to design or modify such a facility located in flood prone area.
36 | Re-development of existing facilities outside future flooding levels, especially small structures or historic properties. By relocating properties into future
non-flood areas, the City may avoid the extreme alterations required to protect the structure, risking loss of significant historic character. This strategy is to be
considered for smaller structures due to the significant constraints and engineering considerations necessary to move a structure.
37 | Elevate the building so it is raised and out of risk of flooding. Modifications may be made to resist all flood-related loads and conditions, including hydrostatic
loads, break wave action debris impact, and rapid rise and drawdown of water. Foundation systems for consideration include open foundations, fill, pilings,
columns, stem wall or slabs.
38 | Elevate a building’s critical uses within the building. In existing buildings, utility equipment that is critical for functionality may be relocated to higher floors
or elevated additions. Most building systems may be divided into two components: 1) main equipment and 2) distribution. One strategy is to strap or bolt
equipment so it is designed to withstand wind and other forces. Elevating supporting distribution systems (ducts, supply lines, and piping) within the facilities
may also help prevent flooding.
39 | Adopt and enforce updated building codes. Stricter building codes for new construction and existing facilities may help the City protect its building stock
from flooding as well as wind, and prolonged power outages. Targeted strategies include building code legislation changes, adjustments to zoning regulations,
incentive programs, and best practices guides.
40 | Limit or restrict development in future flooding areas. The first step is to review the existing regulations and zoning ordinance, review historical flood
events and insurance claims, review future flooding levels, and determine implications to tax base and private property rights. Coastal erosion setbacks, sea
level rise, increased coastal flood and surge elevations, and building elevations are examples of what may be considered in flood-related ordinances.
41 | Improve land use planning and regulations to prevent or manage flooding. Land uses may be planned and regulated to minimize the impact of storm surge
and mitigate future losses resulting from extreme precipitation events and sea level rise.
42 | Flood proof buildings to protect the existing buildings, critical systems and equipment. There are two techniques for flood proofing a building: “dry flood
proofing” and “wet flood proofing”. “Dry flood proofing” is applied to building entrances, windows and surrounding equipment rooms located within the flood
prone area to ensure the area remains watertight. “Wet flood proofing” is another method were water is allowed to enter into the structure intentionally, but
remains structurally sound and repairs are relatively easy to make.
Flooding of police and fire station headquarters may occur more frequently and become more intense. Emergency
response may be impaired during and immediately after storms. Emergency vehicles are capable of movement in
extreme conditions, but operations may be affected as the level of flood waters rise. Some emergency response centers
may experience flooding during storms, limiting their ability to respond to the needs of the community.
N | Flooding of Emergency Response Facilities
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
44 READY FOR TOMORROW
O | Property Damage or Loss of Historic Properties
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
34 | Evaluation of buildings for flood proofing opportunities. Evaluating the utilities and critical
operations in the building is key to determining if they are at risk for flooding. An evaluation
may include: assessing the building strength to determine if it may withstand flooding-forces;
Understanding the likely flooding characteristics, such as the length of time a building is expected to
flood; Determining the building location within established or future flooding areas; Operational and
maintenance initiatives that would to ensure flood proofing options are kept in working order.
36 | Re-Site existing facilities outside future flooding levels, especially small structures or historic
properties. By relocating properties into future non-flood areas, the City may avoid the extreme
alterations required to protect the structure, risking loss of significant historic character. This
strategy is to be considered for smaller structures due to the significant constraints and engineering
considerations necessary to move a structure.
38 | Elevate a building’s critical uses within the building. In existing buildings, utility equipment that
is critical for functionality may be relocated to higher floors or elevated additions. Most building
systems may be divided into two components: 1) main equipment and 2) distribution. One strategy
is to strap or bolt equipment so it is designed to withstand wind and other forces. Elevating
supporting distribution systems (ducts, supply lines, and piping) within the facilities may also help
prevent flooding.
42 | Flood proof buildings to protect the existing buildings, critical systems and equipment. There are
two techniques for flood proofing a building: “dry flood proofing” and “wet flood proofing”. “Dry flood
proofing” is applied to building entrances, windows and surrounding equipment rooms located within
the flood prone area to ensure the area remains watertight. “Wet flood proofing” is another method
were water is allowed to enter into the structure intentionally, but remains structurally sound and
repairs are relatively easy to make.
Flooding currently occurs in the historic areas of Willows near Fort Lee, Emerton and Forester Streets, Derby Wharf/
Maritime Historic Site, and Bridge Street. Flooding from storm surge may flood these areas more severely and
frequently and may flood additional historically or culturally significant properties in the future. These are important
assets for economic development and tourism.
Commercial structure mitigated using a combination of
wet and dry floodproofing techniques.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
Non-residential structure retrofitted with flood openings.
45READY FOR TOMORROW
Today, high tide flooding occurs anywhere between the canals and the ocean. Sea level rise and storm surge will result
in greater flooding in these at-risk areas. Residents may be at greater risk for loss of property and safety during storms.
P | Flooding of Residential Areas
APPLICABLE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
34 | Evaluation of buildings for flood proofing opportunities. Evaluating the utilities and critical
operations in the building is key to determining if they are at risk for flooding. An evaluation
may include: assessing the building strength to determine if it may withstand flooding-forces;
Understanding the likely flooding characteristics, such as the length of time a building is expected to
flood; Determining the building location within established or future flooding areas; Operational and
maintenance initiatives that would to ensure flood proofing options are kept in working order.
35 | Development of new critical use facilities outside future flooding levels. Critical use buildings
are those essential to a community’s resiliency and sustainability. In some cases, relocating a critical
public service or use into an area that is not expected to flood in the future, could be more cost
effective than to design or modify such a facility located in flood prone area.
36 | Re-development of existing facilities outside future flooding levels, especially small structures
or historic properties. By relocating properties into future non-flood areas, the City may avoid the
extreme alterations required to protect the structure, risking loss of significant historic character. This
strategy is to be considered for smaller structures due to the significant constraints and engineering
considerations necessary to move a structure.
37 | Elevate the building so it is raised and out of risk of flooding. Modifications may be made to resist all
flood-related loads and conditions, including hydrostatic loads, break wave action debris impact, and
rapid rise and drawdown of water. Foundation systems for consideration include open foundations, fill,
pilings, columns, stem wall or slabs.
38 | Elevate a building’s critical uses within the building. In existing buildings, utility equipment that
is critical for functionality may be relocated to higher floors or elevated additions. Most building
systems may be divided into two components: 1) main equipment and 2) distribution. One strategy is
to strap or bolt equipment so it is designed to withstand wind and other forces. Elevating supporting
distribution systems (ducts, supply lines, and piping) within the facilities may also help prevent
flooding.
39 | Adopt and enforce updated building codes. Stricter building codes for new construction and
existing facilities may help the City protect its building stock from flooding as well as wind, and
prolonged power outages. Targeted strategies include building code legislation changes, adjustments
to zoning regulations, incentive programs, and best practices guides.
CLIMATE IMPACT(S)
Three sets of stairs that provide building egress during
the design flood event, but still allow normal
use of the building.
46 READY FOR TOMORROW
40 | Limit or restrict development in future flooding areas. The first step is to review the existing
regulations and zoning ordinance, review historical flood events and insurance claims, review future
flooding levels, and determine implications to tax base and private property rights. Coastal erosion
setbacks, sea level rise, increased coastal flood and surge elevations, and building elevations are
examples of what may be considered in flood-related ordinances.
41 | Improve land use planning and regulations to prevent or manage flooding. Land uses may be
planned and regulated to minimize the impact of storm surge and mitigate future losses resulting from
extreme precipitation events and sea level rise.
42 | Flood proof buildings to protect the existing buildings, critical systems and equipment. There are
two techniques for flood proofing a building: “dry flood proofing” and “wet flood proofing”. “Dry flood
proofing” is applied to building entrances, windows and surrounding equipment rooms located within
the flood prone area to ensure the area remains watertight. “Wet flood proofing” is another method
were water is allowed to enter into the structure intentionally, but remains structurally sound and
repairs are relatively easy to make.
Equipment room with watertight door.
Rear of retrofit dry floodproofed building with
permanently installed flood shield.
O | Property Damage or Loss of Historic Properties (continued)
5 | Getting Involved
48 READY FOR TOMORROW
GETTING INVOLVED
This Plan investigated some of the most serious climate change impacts, the
resulting stresses to different sectors in the City, and outlines project ideas
to address some of the most serious issues. City staff now have guidance
on how to approach climate change and how to incorporate it into existing
and future projects and policies that may serve the City for decades to
come. As the City implements this Plan, it will be continuously reevaluated to
see if the climate change impacts have become more or less severe, if the
vulnerabilities have changed, or if there are additional adaptation strategies
that should be included.
If you are interested in providing comments or developing a partnership
please contact: Jeffrey Elie, Energy and Sustainability Manager, City of Salem
Department of Planning and Community Development, at (978) 619-5693 or
jelie@salem.com.
The City has released this Plan
with the hope that others who
have a stake in the future of Salem
are called to action. There are
opportunities to create or strengthen
alliances to work together – from
neighboring towns, utilities, state
agencies, non-profit organizations,
businesses, and neighbors.
Implementing this Plan and working
collaboratively together will make
Salem a more resilient City and a
great place to live, work, and visit
for years to come.
Flooding at Derby Wharf Light Station after
Winter Storm Nemo, February 2013
Photos provided by the City of Salem:
Susan Plutsky: Front Cover, Page 14, Appendix Covers
Jared Charney: Pages 10, 21
Cristina Muraca: Page 13
Stanley J. Slysz: Page 20
Peabody Essex Museum: Page 21
Linda J. Orlomoski: Page 23
Lori Costa: Page 24
Kate Fox: Page 24
S. Jean Johnson: Page 24
Destination Salem: Page 48
Dorthy Moerlein: Page 48
Photos provided by government sources:
U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration, by S. Douglass: Page 27
City of Newburyport, MA: Page 28
Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management: Page 28
New Jersey Meadowlands Commission: Page 29
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Pages 31, 33
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Page 32
U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency: Pages 35, 37, 44, 45, 46
Photos used with permission:
Salem Sound Coastwatch, by Lindley Hansen: Page 15
Google: Page 24
Frances Bui: Page 27
Salem Sound Coastwatch: Pages 34, 48
WWW.SALEM.COM