Northampton Emergency Flood Control Plan

228 Local Emergency Flood Plan A plan of emergency action for the City of Northampton overseen by the Emergency Flood Coordinating Board MEMBERS: Mayor Emergency Manager Fire Department

Management

Department

26 Carlon Drive

Northampton, MA

01060

(413) 587-1032 ext 228

Local Emergency Flood Plan

A plan of emergency action for the City of Northampton overseen by the Emergency Flood Coordinating Board

MEMBERS:

Mayor Emergency Manager Fire Department Representative Police Department Representative

Public Works Director

Original Flood Control Plan- March 19, 1970

Revised- March 18, 1990 April 6, 2001

October 10, 2005

March 10, 2006

*This Plan should be thoroughly read as some actions are required prior to the actual flood stage(s)*

CONNECTICUT AND MILL RIVER FLOOD STAGES FOR

EMERGENCY COORDINATION

BACKGROUND

The flood protection system for the City of Northampton consists of two main parts:

 An earth dike on the eastern part of the City affording protection against high water from the Connecticut River, and

 an earth dike and concrete flood wall in the western part of the City which, together with the Mill River diversion canal, affords protection against flash floods on the Mill River and backwater from the Connecticut River via the

Ox Bow

FAILURE OF EITHER SYSTEM NULLIFIES PROTECTION AFFORDED BY THE OTHER.

The Mill River can flash flood independent of the Connecticut River due to its local watershed while the Connecticut River requires a major Northeast Region (Massachusetts/New Hampshire/Vermont) event to cause flooding

The Wastewater Treatment Facility and Flood Control Facility for the Connecticut River are located off Hockanum Road The Flood Control structure for West Street is part of the West Street bridge over the Mill River

at the intersection West Street (Route 66) and Lower College Lane

EMERGENCY PLAN

Elevation 105 ft

Effect: Connecticut River backs up sewage outfall line to the manhole

invert at Hockanum Road pumping station

1 action Alarm at Flood Control sounds and telephone call list to DPW is

implemented

Phase A: Elevation 105.5 – 106 ft.

Effect: Negligible

1 action Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) closes outfall gate at its

sewage effluent pumping station WWTF effluent is then pumped

to the Connecticut River The sluice gate on the gravity conduit at the Flood Control Pumping Station (located at WWTF) is closed and storm flow is pumped into the flood plain

2 action Director of Public Works (DPW), or designee, initiates a watch and

informs the Mayor, Emergency Manager, Police (NPD) and Fire

Departments (NFD) as increasing flood phase levels are reached Notification can be made through Public Safety Dispatch

3 action Community notification made by established email lists, or other

pre-determined means, to advise of rising water level

Phase B: Elevation 107 ft.

Effect: Connecticut River and Mill River diversion begins flooding Pynchon

Meadows and Manhan Meadows

1 action DPW Flood Control notifies Central Dispatch and DPW Sewer

Department Foreman

2 action Central Dispatch notifies NPD and NFD shift Officer In Charge

(OIC)

3 action DPW closes Pynchon Meadow Road and Old Springfield Road

Phase C: Elevation 112 ft.

Effect: Manhan Meadows starts flooding into South Street interceptor

1 action DPW Flood Control notifies Central Dispatch (and at every

increased Phase.)

2 action Central Dispatch makes the following notifications: (to be made at

every increased Phase from now on)

 NPD and NFD shift OIC’s (call stations)

 Mayor (Flood page)

 Police Chief (pager)

 Fire Chief (Flood page)

 Communications Center Administrator (Flood page)

 Central Services Director

 Building Commissioner

 AMR Shift Supervisor

 Red Cross

 City Councilor James Dostal

3 action DPW inspects gate valve on sanitary sewer outside dike at

Route 5/Mt Tom Road and Fort Hill interceptor

Phase D: Elevation 115 ft.

Effect: Route 5/Mt Tom Road floods near Easthampton Line and/or Island

Road Venturer’s Field Road and Hockanum Road near flooding

1 action DPW closes Venturer’s Field Road and Hockanum Road at dike

2 action DPW begins closing gate valve on storm interceptor at Pomeroy

Terrace outside dike

3 action NPD closes Rt 5/Mt Tom Road just south of Atwood Drive

4 action NPD patrols on Island Road and Ferry Avenue to warn and

evacuate residents

5 action DPW dispatches partial dike patrol

6 action Central Dispatch notifies MassHighway District 2 to close Route

5/Mt Tom Road Notify Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and Easthampton PD of impending road closing

7 action Emergency Management sets up Emergency Operations Center

(EOC) at 26 Carlon Drive: no staffing, precautionary measure only

8 action NPD and NFD evaluate need for pre-placing emergency equipment

near Island Road neighborhood for use if area becomes isolated

by water

Phase E: Elevation 120 ft.

Effect: Old Ferry Road, Fair Street Extension and Walnut Trees Path starts

flooding Mill River at West Street begins flood stages

1 action Mayor decides whether to call the Emergency Flood Coordinating

Board to a meeting in the EOC (26 Carlon Drive)

2 action DPW closes Old Ferry Road at Route 91 underpass and Fair Street

Extension and Walnut Trees Path

3 action Police patrol on Fair Street Extension and Walnut Trees Path to

warn and evacuate residents

4 action DPW dispatches full dike patrol

5 action Emergency Manager orders B&M Railroad main closed

6 action DPW notifies B&M Railroad and MassHighway District 2 Install

center uprights for stop log structures at Route 5/Mt Tom Road and B&M Railroad main Readies sand bags and stop log structure materials

7 action Police Department stations traffic police on Mt Tom Road near

dike

8 action DPW opens fence at Riverbank Road and Rt 9 for vehicular traffic and notifies MassHighway and MSP due to proximity to Rt 91

9 action EOC staffed at minimal level (2-3 people) Begin planning for food

and accommodations for evacuated residents

10 action DPW closes flap valve on Mill River concrete wall off West Street

(south of bridge) DPW readies West Street pumping station Pumping as required

Phase F: Elevation 124 ft.

Effect: Sill of stop log structure at Route 5/Mt Tom Road begins flooding

Sill of stop log structure at B&M Railroad main line is within one foot

of flooding

Riverbank Road is within one foot of flooding

Mill River at West Street flood control activities commence

1 action DPW erects full stop log structures, Route 5/Mt Tom Road and

B&M Railroad main line

2 action DPW distributes sandbags to critical locations along Connecticut

River dikes

3 action Install center uprights for stop log structures at Mill River at West

Street Readies sand bags and stop log structure materials

4 action Emergency Management locates 30 additional workers to assist

DPW with emergency stand-by

5 action Begin water rescue operations with assistance of NPD and NFD

6 action Increase EOC staffing level up to maximum (to be determined by

Emergency Manager)

7 action Central Dispatch notifies MSP and MassHighway request for Rt 91

exit 18 ramps be closed Notify Easthampton PD of closing

Phase G: Elevation 127 ft.

Effect: Connecticut River flood level within three feet of top of concrete

wall flood control facility at WWTF Mill River at West Street nears flood levels Portions of South Street/Route 10 (Mill River east) start flooding

1 action DPW erects full stop logs structures on West Street DPW

distributes sandbags to critical locations along Mill River dikes

2 action Police patrol on Earle Street, Paquette Avenue, South Street/Route

10 (Mill River east), Texas Road and West Street (Mill River east to Earle Street) to warn and evacuate residents

3 action Mayor of Northampton requests Governor to declare State of

Emergency

4 action Consider relocating EOC to DPW Board Room (125 Locust Street)

Phase H: Elevation 130 ft.

Effect: Flood level is at top of concrete wall of Flood Control Facility

Connecticut River starts to over run into City property

1 action Flood Control and WWTF personnel evacuate facilities

2 action Mayor and Emergency Manager are in a command situation - order

all residents to evacuate areas of City under elevation of 135 ft

Phase I: Elevation 131 ft.

Effect: Sill of stop log structure at West Street begins flooding

1 action Place sandbags at old railroad bridge (south of West Street)

opening This bridge opening is now the Northampton to Easthampton Rail Trail

Phase J: Elevation 132 ft.

Effect: Flood level is at top of Connecticut River dikes Connecticut River

ready to over run into city property along the entire Connecticut River dike system

1 action Continued evacuation of City under elevation of 135 feet

Phase K: Elevation 137 ft.

Effect: Mill River is at top of old railroad bridge opening south (below) of

West Street Portions of Lovefield Street begin flooding Mill River flood control system starts flooding City (direct link to downtown) via old Mill River bed (formerly railroad, now a bicycle rail trail)

1 action Mayor and Emergency Manager are in a command situation- order

all residents to evacuate areas of City under elevation of 145 ft

Phase L: Elevation 140 ft.

Effect: Mill River is at top of flood control structure south (below) of West

Street

1 action Mayor and Emergency Manager are in a command situation- order

all residents to evacuate areas of City under elevation of 150 ft

Phase M: Elevation 145 ft.

Effect: Mill River is at top of flood control structure north (above) of West

Street

Original Flood Control Documents Deleted or Amended

DELETED

1 West Street Dike - Close gate in Propper-McCallum Building (now the

Smith College Physical Plant); Elevation 120.0 Inspection of building in

2005 with Smith College shows that this piping is no longer connected inside building It is not know when this disconnect was made or by

whom The 1’ x 1’ opening in the flood wall still exists at elevation 119.9 Two (2) high water events in 2005 showed no effect.

AMENDED

1 Connecticut River Dike – Close gate valve in chamber east of Eastern Avenue; Elevation 107.0

The Flood Control staff has historically shut this gate at elevation 115.0 It

is unknown why this inconsistency exists

2 Connecticut River Dike – Close gate valve in chamber west of Highway

Route5; Elevation 112.0

This gate was on an old sanitary collection trunk line for South Street This sanitary collection line was replaced in 1981 with a different

horizontal alignment and locking (watertight) covers The Mt Tom Road (Route 5) sewer still passes through this gate but also has locking

(watertight) covers.