Assessing Climate-Related. Emergency Response in Barnstable County, A Memo

Official Memo To: Barnstable County Regional Government From: Kasheka Chitkara Date: November 18th, 2023 Subject: Assessing Climate-Related Emergency Response in Barnstable County

The Place: Barnstable County consists of the land on the Cape Cod peninsula on the Southeastern coast of Massachusetts. The county has a total area of 1,306 square miles, 70% of which is water and is the second largest county in Massachusetts in terms of total land area (United States Census, 2020). The towns in the county include: Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, and Yarmouth (Figure 1).

Figure 1 - Barnstable County Towns and Regions

Source: Pretty Picky Properties: https://prettypicky.com/town-map-of-cape-cod/. Date Accessed.

11.19.23

Though each town is distinct, with its own governing bodies, they work hand in hand with the Barnstable County regional government, and the Massachusetts state government as well to serve the year-round community needs of Cape Cod residents.

As of 2022, Barnstable County’s population was just under 230,000 year-round residents (United States Census, 2022). Because of its cultural aesthetics and location in proximity to beautiful beaches, Cape Cod sees an additional influx of over 4 million tourists each year, typical in the warmer months. This contributes over $750 million to the local economy, supporting roughly 6,600 jobs in the area (National Parks Service, 2017). Over one third of the year-round population is over 65, in comparison to Massachusetts as a whole at 18%, making it a popular location for individuals to retire.

On top of its natural resources and other business activities that support tourism activities, the region has a variety of additional capital assets. These include the military presence of the National Guard’s joint base, proiding joint training for the Massachusetts Army, Air National Guard, and U.S Guard. Further, the town of Falmouth is home to several marine science institutions that study the local ecosystems - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Marine Biological Laboratory, and NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center - to name a few.

Framework for Evaluation: Extreme weather conditions have recently seen a significant increase due to climate change and have greatly impacted and challenged urban planning policy and implementation across the world. This is no different for Cape Cod, and the region is even more susceptible to these climate disasters due to its locational land isolation as well as its surrounding ecosystem and presence of the national seashore. Because of its joint infrastructure and ecosystem, it is vital to observe emergency response preparedness for Cape Cod as a whole. The following toolkit will

be implemented to assess emergency response of Barnstable County by reviewing available literature on: 1. Infrastructure: Infrastructural resilience of roads and bridges and their suitability against inclement weather events, including: ○ Current infrastructure ○ Future Infrastructure and Advocacy 2. Policy: Weather emergency response plans and policies, their success, and their relationship to one another at the following governing levels: ○ Local towns/villages ○ County government ○ State and federal 3. Financials: Budget and resource allocation for the purpose of emergency preparedness ○ Current budget allocations at all levels of government Information will be researched and gathered through procedure and policy literature available through government websites, evaluation of historical news coverage on previous emergency response events, as well as through personal observations of myself, an individual who has spent the majority of her life living on Cape Cod and understands cultural community responses and needs. Findings will then be assessed on a scale of 1-10.

Assessment: Infrastructural resilience of roads and bridges and their suitability against inclement weather events.

Current Infrastructure Since 1990, the Cape Cod Commission has been the regional land use planning, economic development, and regulatory agency for the area. After Massachusetts faced a major population boom in the 1980s, the state passed the Cape Cod Commission Act, establishing the agency due to the region’s "unique natural, coastal, historical, cultural, and other values that are threatened by uncoordinated or inappropriate uses of the region's land and other resources'' (Cape Cod Commission, 2018). The establishment of this planning agency was vital for the growth and

protection of Cape Cod, but it is important to note that its establishment is fairly late relative to other planning agencies throughout the Commonwealth and even the United States, which speaks to the current status of Barnstable County’s infrastructure. The Cape Cod Commission works in advocacy for a variety of infrastructural developments in Barnstable County including: ● ● ● ●

Structure Retrofitting for flood mitigation Hurricane Barriers Dune Restoration and Creation Seawalls

Though the Cape has an established planning agency, the infrastructure is relatively old and in desperate need of revitalization in order to protect against inclement weather caused by climate change. The most critical element of these in terms of emergency planning are the assessment of the state of major roads that connect with the Sagamore and Bourne bridges, as well as the bridges themselves. As of today, there are only 3 methods for entering and exiting Cape Cod - over one of two bridges, or by water (Figure 2).

Figure 2 - Barnstable County Bridge Locations

Source: US Army Corps. Date Accessed: 11.23.23 The bridges, both built in 1935, specifically face frequent maintenance and closures which prove to be a significant hindrance in the peak season: “the [Bourne] bridge is considered structurally deficient. Inspections have revealed concerns - deterioration of the concrete beams, deterioration

of gusset plates, and broken anchor bolts at truss expansion bearings. Gusset plates are considered fracture critical members, meaning the failure of one of these elements will likely lead to catastrophic failure of an entire span” (Cape Cod Commission, 2021). Flooding due to inclement weather is a major hazard for emergency evacuation; if individuals can not utilize one or both of the major highways that lead off Cape, it is incredibly dangerous for residents. Current road infrastructure is extremely susceptible to this, due to Barnstable County’s unique natural resources (Figure 3).

Figure 3 - Barnstable County Flood Hazard Zones

Source: https://slrv.apps.capecodcommission.org/. Date Accessed 11.20.23 Future Infrastructure and Advocacy The Cape Cod Commission has done an exemplary job in advocating for the planning and design of Barnstable County to be rooted in climate resilience and emergency response.

Through the Cape Cod Canal bridges program, extensive research has been completed in a solution for this issue. It was found that the solution that was the most cost-effective and provided the least impact on property values and the environment was the replacement of the current two bridges, with a singular, improved bridge along with significant maintenance on the major roads that would connect to it (Figure 4).

Figure 4 - Proposed Cape Cod Bridges Replacement

Source: Cape Cod Commission. Date Accessed 11.23.23.

State government leaders have shown support for this initiative - in a report tired “Cape Cod Bridges Replacement: An Urgent Need”, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey along with Representative Bill Keating highlight the climate related need for the bridges: “the growing impacts of climate change and increased storm intensity……a delay in upgrading the bridges leaves Cape Cod residents doubly vulnerable to catastrophe, especially if a major hurricane requiring evacuation coincides with a period of bridge closure associated with a major rehabilitation. Coupled with the impact of climate change, concerns regarding evacuation and other emergency planning are exacerbated” (United State Senate, 2023).

Unfortunately, despite this unanimous desperate need for these infrastructural improvements, the budget for the project has yet to be finalized and approved. The total estimated cost for the project is $4.5 billion. The state has allocated $350 million of its budget to these bridge improvements, but is looking to the federal government to cover the majority of the costs. This has proven to be difficult, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps who own the bridge, are actively seeking grants to apply

for and secure funding for the project (Cape Cod Commission, 2022). The further delayed the initiation of this project is, the more dangerous and costly the current bridges of Cape Cod become, and the less resilient Barnstable County is against the impacts of climate change-related inclement weather.

Weather emergency response plans and policies, their success, and their relationship to one another.

Local Level Through evaluating each Barnstable County town’s emergency preparedness resources, it was found that all communities within Barnstable County have some form of dedicated planning resources for weather-related emergency events. The following commonalities were found among each town: 1) Utilization of specific help articles, tailored to local needs for the following weather events a) Hurricanes b) Tornados c) Winter Storms 2) Disaster preparedness guidelines for community members for a) Creating emergency kits b) Preparing their pets 3) Local emergency notification systems communicated via text, tailored to each town 4) Emergency planning committees for each town 5) Emergency contact information for regional utility and phone/internet carriers 6) Local evacuation shelter information and guidelines County Level Barnstable County’s weather related emergency preparedness resources, upon evaluation, provide similar knowledge articles as the towns mentioned previously, but also go a step further.

In addition to these articles, the Barnstable County regional government provides emergency preparedness training, addressing issues at a prevention level. These include facilitating a variety of types of training to both locals and local leaders on topics such as hurricane

preparedness, safety workshops specialized for seniors, and shelter resourcing and utilization.

Further resources provided by this regional governing body include assessment reports during and after inclement weather conditions. These reports are released daily while the inclement weather is occurring, followed by a final report that provides a summary of the event. The content of these reports include all necessary informational updates regarding the weather event: impacts, communications from utility agencies, future weather forecasts, safety information, and additional linked help articles.

State and Federal Level As mentioned previously, Cape Cod’s isolated location, infrastructure, and influx of temporary visitors makes it especially vulnerable in the case of inclement weather events. Not only is Cape Cod surrounded by water, there are only three methods of traveling to the region: 1) by car, via the Bourne Bridge, 2) by car, via the Sagamore Bridge, and 3) by boat. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has developed a comprehensive framework for the mitigation of traffic operations, specifically high volume traffic in the peak tourist season. The Cape Cod Emergency Traffic Plan is a thorough and comprehensive guideline that consists of strategies in the case of inclement weather in three categories - preparation, response, and re-entry (Figure 5). This document provides guidelines and responses for different weather scenarios, and roles of the local, state, and federal agencies in the case of these scenarios. It also highlights transportation direction in the case of these emergencies for residents - providing information regarding road closures and what an individual can expect if the plan is needed to be enacted. Additionally, this plan accounts for the preparedness of its inaction for both during peak season (Summer months), as well as the rest of the year.

Figure 5 - Cape Cod Emergency Traffic Plan

Source: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/cape-cod-emergency-traffic-plan. Date Accessed 11.19.23 Budget and Resource Allocation of Emergency Preparedness As of 2023, no individual municipalities in Barnstable County allocate specific funds to emergency response. There are, however, local agencies that aim to bridge this gap at the community level - such as budgets at the County level and the Cape Cod Foundation’s Strategic Emergency Response fund. The Barnstable County government budget for emergency-related facilities for Fiscal Year 2021 was $ 75,000, and though a small number, it was a 25% increase from the previous fiscal budget in 2019. The Cape Cod Foundation has distributed over $4 million to supporting programs for Cape residents and programs in need (Cape Cod Foundation, 2023). At the State level, MEMA’s 2023 budget consists of $4 million to the effective emergency response in the event of an inclement weather event in the Commonwealth. Further, state sponsored grants such as the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program, or the Coastal Resilience Grant Program, have similar missions in supporting local areas, like Barnstable County, in climate change response and mitigation:

“The Coastal Resilience Grant Program to provide financial and technical support for local and regional efforts to increase community understanding of coastal storm and climate impacts, evaluate vulnerabilities, conduct adaptation planning, redesign and retrofit vulnerable public facilities and infrastructure, and restore shorelines to enhance natural resources and provide storm damage protection.” (Mass.Gov) Conclusion: In evaluation of Barnstable County’s resilience against climate change-related inclement weather, it was found that the most important element of focus for this region is the advocacy in urging infrastructural improvements. There is a dire need to address issues with the current bridges and secure funding for their improvements, and the longer the process takes, the more susceptible the region is to inclement weather related economic and community losses. Further, it is important to account for times of crisis for both during and outside of peak-season, as needs will differ drastically. For the infrastructural assessment, Barnstable County receives a 5/10.

While assessing informational resources for the region, it was found that, though most towns were well resourced in terms of emergency weather condition preparedness communications, there were clear disparities in relation to one another. Despite each town’s close proximity to one another, certain towns provided extensive information on response guidelines in the case of a weather emergency, while others did not. Further, with weather becoming more and more unpredictable due to the impacts of climate change, the range of topics on even the most informationally resourced towns was still limited. For example, there was very little information found regarding response to heat wave-related weather emergencies, including locations of cooling centers. For information resources, Barnstable county receives a 7/10.

In terms of budgeting, as climate change worsens, the need for specific funds to be allocated for emergency response will only grow. Though there are current financial mitigations for this response, Barnstable County’s specific allocation is not substantial enough for adequate response. For budgeting, this region receives a 6/10.

In total, this region scored an 18/30. There is room for much improvement - It is my recommendation that Barnstable County and towns on an individual level work together in presenting as a united front in terms of emergency preparedness. This would consist of unanimous support for the bridge replacements, updated risk assessments to account for climate change-related impacts, as well as a one, cohesive emergency response resource center. The resource center would need to provide response policies for each town, as well as common communication regarding all possible weather related incidents. It is vital that the resources cover a diverse number of inclement weather topics, such as heat waves, and response preparedness for during and outside of peak-season. As climate change worsens, the wider variety of emergency issues regarding weather will occur. There could also be greater utilization of interactive maps for users to understand concepts such as evacuation routes and shelter locations better. Social Media is a cost- effective communication method that Barnstable County could leverage effective emergency messaging to all of Cape Cod. Lastly, it is recommended that leaders at all government levels work together to create emergency plans with the assumption that the bridges are not accessible in the event inclement weather or climate change limits their use, as well as make these plans publicly available.

Administrative boundaries of Cape Cod, though necessary for a variety of reasons, may prove to be a hindrance in regards to emergency response planning. All residents of the Cape face similar issues when it comes to climate change, and as mentioned before, these will only worsen as these inclement weather events become more impactful and harder to predict. The Barnstable County Government urgently needs to prioritize their emergency response now, while it is still possible to do so.

Works Cited Warren, Elizabeth et. al (2023, Cape Cod Bridges Replacement: An Urgent Need. United States Senate https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Final%20Cape%20Cod%20Bridges%20Report.p df Census, United States (2020), Barnstable County Profile. United States Census https://data.census.gov/profile/Barnstable_County,_Massachusetts?g=050XX00US25001 Commission, C. C. (2023). Cape Cod Commission. Cape Cod Canal Bridges Program https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/cape-cod-canal-study-resources/ Commission, C. C. (2023). Cape Cod Commission. Cape Cod Climate Initiative. https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/topic/climate/ Foundation, C.C. (2023), Strategic Emergency Response Fund. Cape Cod Foundation. ​https://www.capecodfoundation.org/strategic-emergency-response-fund/#:~:text=THE%20STRA TEGIC%20EMERGENCY%20RESPONSE%20FUND,Foundation%20Strategic%20Emergency %20Response%20Fund.

MEMA, Mass. G. (2022). Cape Cod Emergency Traffic Plan. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/cape-cod-emergency-traffic-plan National Parks Service. (2017). Cape Cod National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service). https://www.nps.gov/caco/index.htm Pretty Picky Properties. (2023, October 9). Town Map of Cape Cod. Pretty Picky Home Rentals. https://prettypicky.com/town-map-of-cape-cod/ US Army Corps of Engineers. (2020). Cape Cod Canal Bridges Major Rehabilitation Study.

New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-Topics/Cape-Cod-Canal-Bridges-Major-Reha bilitation-Study/