The Towns of Abington, East Bridgewater, Easton, and Stoughton are collaborating with residents and stakeholders on an update of the towns’ Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). This effort relies on stakeholder and public input to come up with local strategies to mitigate natural hazards, reduce vulnerability and adapt to our changing climate. The results of this planning process will inform future town spending on hazard mitigation and climate adaptation.

This survey is an opportunity for you to share your concerns about natural hazards and their impact on your Towns, and what you think your Towns should do to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change.

Please respond by December 31, 2022.

If you have additional input, questions, or barriers to participating, please contact a representative from your town:
Liz Shea, Abington Assistant Town Planner, LShea@abingtonma.gov
Charlie Seelig, East Bridgewater Town Administrator, cseelig@eastbridgewaterma.gov
Stephanie Danielson, Easton Planning and Economic Development, sdanielson@easton.ma.us
Chief Michael Carroll, Stoughton Fire Department, mcarroll@stoughton-ma.gov

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* 1. Tell us about yourself. You are a (choose one):

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* 2. Many natural hazards may affect these towns, as listed below. How concerning are each of these natural hazards to you? Rank your concern about these hazards as High, Moderate, or Low.

  Ranking of Concern
Intense winter storms (blizzards/ice storms)
Intense wind (tree damage/power outages)
Flooding and intense rainstorms
Extreme heat / Heat waves
Drought / Brushfires

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* 3. Natural hazards can negatively impact the town’s infrastructure, its people, and its natural resources. Rank the potential impact of a natural hazard on each of these three categories as High, Moderate, or Low impact.

  Potential Level of Impact
Infrastructure impacts (transportation, energy, communications, water)
Societal impacts (public health, vulnerable populations, social resilience)
Natural resources impacts (wetlands, rivers, streams, urban trees, wildlife)

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* 4. Which of the following infrastructural assets and services in your town are most vulnerable to natural hazards? Please choose High, Moderate, or Low vulnerability for each. 

  Level of Vulnerability
Transportation assets including roads, transit system, sidewalk, pedestrian, bicycle facilities
Energy assets including electric power outages, delivery of heating oil, natural gas distribution
Water supply and wastewater services including water shortages, pollution, sewer overflows
Communications services and facilities including cell phone service, internet connection, cable, telephone

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* 5. Which of the following groups of people in your town are most vulnerable to natural hazards? Please choose High, Moderate, or Low vulnerability for each.  

  Level Of Vulnerability
Senior citizens
People who live alone
Low-income residents / public housing residents
People with health problems (asthma, reliance on medical devices)
People who speak limited English

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* 6. Which of the following natural resources in your town are most vulnerable to natural hazards? Please choose High, Moderate, or Low vulnerability for each.

  Level of Vulnerability
Wetlands, rivers and streams (floods, droughts, pollution, recreation areas)
Urban trees, parks and open space (tree diseases, pests, invasive species)
Air quality (pollution, unhealthy air quality, asthma)
Wildlife (loss of wildlife habitat, reduced wildlife diversity and populations)

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* 7. Which of the following services, businesses, and municipal operations in your town are most vulnerable to natural hazards? Please choose High, Moderate, or Low vulnerability for each.

  Level of Vulnerability
Emergency services and first responders
School and daycare
Local businesses
Municipal and social services (Town government and offices)
Local medical services

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* 8. Are there any specific locations, facilities, or resources in your town that you are most concerned about being impacted by natural hazards? Please type your answer in the space below.

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* 9. How concerned are you about the impacts of climate change for your town as a whole? Please choose one.

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* 10. What do you think the most important thing your Town should do to help residents and businesses prepare for and reduce vulnerabilities to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change? Under “Level of Importance,” please choose Very important, Moderately important, or Not at all important. 

  Level of Importance for the Town
Gather emergency supplies
Create emergency plans
Provide information about flood insurance
Distribute preparedness information
Set aside money for emergencies
Host a workshop on emergency preparedness and personal resilience

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* 11. Is your property located in a FEMA designated floodplain?

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* 12. Are there any areas on your Town where you’ve noticed repeated flooding events? Please type your answer in the space below.

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* 13. Which of the following natural hazard preparedness measures have you taken for your home or business? Please check any that apply.

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* 14. What do you think the most important thing your Town should do to reduce future damages from natural hazards? Please type your answer in the space below.

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* 15. Are there any other issues regarding the reduction of risk associated with natural hazards that are important to you? Please type your answer in the space below.

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