West Newbury: Climate Change Vulnerability Survey

In recent years, West Newbury has experienced a significant number of emergency situations caused by severe weather and climate conditions. These have included water shortages caused by drought; numerous power outages caused by severe storms and unusually heavy winds; heat waves; roof collapses due to very heavy, wet snowfall; flooding due to significant and intense rainfall; and outbreaks of vector-borne diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and Lyme. These emergency situations highlight our town’s vulnerabilities to natural hazards, and these natural hazards are expected to become more severe and more common in the coming years and decades.

Consider the impacts of such a severe event on your personal situation. For instance,

Home systems: water well pump, septic pumping, sump pump, heat & hot water, cooking, cold food storage, lighting, etc.

Transportation and communication: work, church, family, food and other shopping, calling for help, repairs, etc.

Medical: medical devices, refrigeration of medicines, doctor consults, regular appointments, sensitivity to heat or cold, etc.

The purpose of this survey is to gather information from our West Newbury community regarding the vulnerabilities of our residents to these increasingly severe and frequent natural hazards. We are particularly interested in our community members’ vulnerabilities to extended power outages, since that is something that we have experienced quite often.

Thank you for your contribution to our understanding!

The West Newbury Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Working Group

Question Title

* 1. Which of the following vulnerabilities do you think poses the biggest challenge to West Newbury right now?

Choose 4:

Excessive heat

Flooding

Impassable roads

Severe winter storms, Nor'easters

Insect/animal-borne diseases affecting humans (e.g. Lyme, EEE)

Damage to municipal water supply wells, reservoirs, etc.

Water shortages

Power outages

Contamination of rivers, streams, ponds (e.g. combined sewer overflows, stormwater, cyanobacteria)

Wind damage

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 2. Which of the following actions should West Newbury be focused on to reduce our vulnerabilities?

Choose 4:

Enhance town-wide storm water management

Examine/modify roads, bridges, and culverts to reduce flooding and flood damage

Re-evaluate/strengthen wetlands protection regulation

Re-examine siting, flood protection and other regulations for new structures

Enhance plans/measures to address insect/animal-borne disease

Acquire land that can absorb rain and reduce flood damage elsewhere

Establish a dedicated backup power supply for the municipal campus (Town Offices, Fire and Police Departments, and Senior Housing)

Perform a detailed risk evaluation and vulnerability assessment in town

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. What steps have you taken in anticipation of severe weather events?

Choose all that apply:

Maintain a cache of critical information, stored food, medicine, water, etc. for sheltering in place.

Maintain a “go-bag” with medicine, important documents, essentials in case of evacuation.

Have a generator or alternative means to address power loss.

Have a central family meet-up place in the event of evacuation or blocked access to home.

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 4. What back-up power sources do you have in case of a power outage?

Choose all that apply:

A backup generator or alternate source of electricity at home.

Share a generator with my neighbor.

Flashlights, extra batteries, or portable chargers at home.

No emergency power sources.

Question Title

* 5. If you have a backup generator/alternate source of electricity, how long would it operate with the fuel supply that you have on hand?

Select one:

Up to 3 days

Up to a week

More than a week

Indefinitely (e.g. generator with solar + battery, or generator fueled by natural gas assuming uninterrupted supplies)

Don't know

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 6. Taking into consideration any backup power you may have, in the case of a severe weather event, which of these statements best describes you?

Choose all that apply:

I am dependent on other for care or assistance.

I have dependents outside my household who would require care or assistance from me.

I have dependents inside my household who would require care or assistance from me.

I am independent and do not need to check on anyone outside of my household.

Question Title

* 7. Where would you and members of your household go in the event of a prolonged (e.g., 3+ days) power outage (assuming that roads were passable and there was no other damage to your home)?

I/we would stay home.

I/we would go to a family or friend's home.

I/we would go to a hotel.

I/we would go to a community shelter.

I don't know where I/we would go.

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 8. Does anyone in your household require power for medical reasons (e.g., for special medical equipment, air conditioning, heat) or other reasons that would create a medical emergency in the event of a power outage of more than 24 hours?

Select one:

Yes, we would require power to avoid a medical emergency.

No, we would not require power to avoid a medical emergency.

Question Title

* 9. Consider a disastrous event like Hurricane Sandy (with weeks of power outages and limited if any gasoline/propane availability) and the medical or other needs in your household. Taking into consideration any backup power you may have, how long are you and your household prepared to stay at home without power?

Select one:

Less than 1 day

Up to 3 days

Up to 1 week

Indefinitely

Question Title

* 10. Do you believe you would personally benefit from backup power at Town Offices, Fire and Police Department, and Senior Housing to serve as a warming and cooling shelter and as a source of electricity?

Yes

West Newbury: Climate Change Vulnerability Survey

Question Title

* 1. Which of the following vulnerabilities do you think poses the biggest challenge to West Newbury right now?Choose 4:

Question Title

* 2. Which of the following actions should West Newbury be focused on to reduce our vulnerabilities?Choose 4:

Question Title

* 3. What steps have you taken in anticipation of severe weather events?Choose all that apply:

Question Title

* 4. What back-up power sources do you have in case of a power outage?Choose all that apply:

Question Title

* 5. If you have a backup generator/alternate source of electricity, how long would it operate with the fuel supply that you have on hand?Select one:

Question Title

* 6. Taking into consideration any backup power you may have, in the case of a severe weather event, which of these statements best describes you?Choose all that apply:

Question Title

* 7. Where would you and members of your household go in the event of a prolonged (e.g., 3+ days) power outage (assuming that roads were passable and there was no other damage to your home)?

Question Title

* 8. Does anyone in your household require power for medical reasons (e.g., for special medical equipment, air conditioning, heat) or other reasons that would create a medical emergency in the event of a power outage of more than 24 hours?Select one:

Question Title

Question Title

* 10. Do you believe you would personally benefit from backup power at Town Offices, Fire and Police Department, and Senior Housing to serve as a warming and cooling shelter and as a source of electricity?

* 1. Which of the following vulnerabilities do you think poses the biggest challenge to West Newbury right now?

Choose 4:

* 2. Which of the following actions should West Newbury be focused on to reduce our vulnerabilities?

Choose 4:

* 3. What steps have you taken in anticipation of severe weather events?

Choose all that apply:

* 4. What back-up power sources do you have in case of a power outage?

Choose all that apply:

* 5. If you have a backup generator/alternate source of electricity, how long would it operate with the fuel supply that you have on hand?

Select one:

* 6. Taking into consideration any backup power you may have, in the case of a severe weather event, which of these statements best describes you?

Choose all that apply:

* 8. Does anyone in your household require power for medical reasons (e.g., for special medical equipment, air conditioning, heat) or other reasons that would create a medical emergency in the event of a power outage of more than 24 hours?

Select one: