storm surge in Northern Massachusetts
residential economic vulnerability analysis
Juanita Halim, Shaler Campbell,
Ipshita Karmakar
_________________________________________
2022
residential economic vulnerability analysis
Juanita Halim, Shaler Campbell,
Ipshita Karmakar
_________________________________________
2022
Storm surges are an imminent threat to the future and security of vulnerable economies in Northern Massachusetts. Our research aims to spatially identify these vulnerable residential parcels along the coastline, tabulate their vulnerability, and isolate high-priority cities/towns based on residential economic loss. In addition, we aim to quantify significant economic loss based on the differential between assessed property value and the rebuild value post-flooding.
Area of Analysis
The Massachusetts coastline North of Boston is the principal area of investigation for this proposal. This area has not been studied as extensively as Boston or some portions of Southern Massachusetts. Therefore it would benefit greatly by understanding which towns will be most affected and of the most affected towns, which are the most economically vulnerable.
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Area of Analysis
The Massachusetts coastline North of Boston is the principal area of investigation for this proposal. This area has not been studied as extensively as Boston or some portions of Southern Massachusetts. Therefore it would benefit greatly by understanding which towns will be most affected and of the most affected towns, which are the most economically vulnerable.
Methodology
Quantifying Residential Economic Loss
Aggregated Residential Economic Loss per Town
Research Findings
Policy Implications
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Making additions or amendments to the City Master plan 2020 of selected towns to include hazards and mitigation of flood risk (phase-wise).
- Factoring in flood hazard and mitigation in City Economic Development Plans of the selected towns (at five-year intervals).
- Creating a city-level GIS plan using the same spatial analysis model with additional attributes to define socio-economic flood risk in addition to property value-based flood risk alone.
- Creating future Land Use Maps with zoning and resilience ordinances to restrict development in highrise areas within the selected towns.
- Updating FEMA FIRM maps to include low-income, historically disadvantaged homeowners and subsidizing National Flood Insurance Premiums for those areas.
- Using RISAH to ask high-value homeowners to fund collective resilience infrastructure.
- Help locate and direct Ex Ante and Post Ante Reconstruction Funds to the high priority areas recognized by this mapping exercise- Using policies such as Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP), Hazards Mitigation Grant Program, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), etc.
- Creating advocacy plans and information dissemination programs in high-risk, vulnerable towns and communities.
©juanitahalim 2024