Recent reports indicate that climate change is warming the Northeast faster than most other regions in the Northern Hemisphere, and research released by UMass Amherst notes that the Northeast has heated by 3.6 degrees over the past century due in part to the increasing temperature of the Atlantic Ocean.
This warming is already having an enormous impact in the region. According to the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit for the Northeast, among other resources, climate change impacts here include extreme precipitation events (both rain and snow), sea level rise, coastal and river flooding, and severe weather such as high wind events and heat waves, all of which are challenging our environmental, social and economic systems.
Flooding, both coastal and inland, is a major concern. Most Massachusetts counties can expect a 10% to 20% increase in flooding between 2020 and 2050, with an average annual loss increase of more than $5 million over the same period, according to a Jan. 31 article in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Municipal governments that do not build sufficient climate resilience may experience increased climate-related losses, risk of credit rating reductions, and higher borrowing costs, as well as a loss of public trust.
What’s being done
The UMass Northeast Center for Coastal Resilience surveyed Massachusetts communities on their climate resilience, and the results, published last November, demonstrate that municipalities across Massachusetts are taking some proactive steps to mitigate climate change in their communities.
A large majority of respondents (89%) indicated that climate adaptation and resilience planning are a priority in their planning documents, while 80% have completed a vulnerability/risk assessment.
Strategies that municipalities most frequently reported wanting to adopt in the future include weatherization and retrofitting of buildings (64%), and improvement or expansion of stormwater drainage systems (61%).
MIIA is working with the Massachusetts Facilities Administrators Association to identify ways to better share property best practices among communities while supporting efforts to build climate resilience into municipal properties. MFAA members and the MIIA Risk Management Team recently met to continue these discussions and received positive feedback on some of the MIIA Risk Management programs such as the Hartford Steam Boiler Sensor Program, which helps to identify, prevent, and mitigate property losses.
What you can do now
One idea for a city- or town-wide climate risk mitigation strategy, from Risk & Insurance magazine, is to install smart surfaces. Reflective and porous pavements and roads, solar PV on cool or green roofs, and trees provide cost-effective ways to manage sun and rain to reduce temperature and flooding risks.
The potential for prolonged power outages from more frequent and damaging storms can mean pipe bursts in the winter and the buildup of humidity and mold in the summer, so municipal officials are advised to consider back-up energy storage from clean generation in order to keep critical systems working and prevent property damage.
Water and temperature detection systems in municipal buildings can provide an early alert to potential issues. Low-temperature sensors and alarms can provide an immediate alert to potential freezing and prevent pipe bursts. Thermographic imaging cameras can be used to identify areas of inadequate insulation, cold spots, and other causes of pipe vulnerability, providing the data needed to and take measures to improve the building envelope.
Building audits and maintenance should be scheduled and conducted regularly. Rain and humidity will increase as we move into the spring and summer seasons. HVAC systems must be programmed to work based upon a certain heat load from staff, students, lights, computers, etc. Maintaining proper humidity will mitigate the risk of environmental contamination and development of mold.
HVAC systems should be inspected for dust buildup, and air conditioning units should be checked to ensure proper working condition. Winter dirt and sludge accumulation can lead to degradation or failure of HVAC units.
As storms increase and grow in severity, any hole in a building, no matter how small, can allow rain and snow to get in or wind to erode, wreaking havoc that leads to significant repair costs and potential insurance rate increases. Municipal officials are advised to inspect buildings and landscaping, and take note of any foundation cracks or missing roof shingles, separations or erosion of siding and masonry, and broken, cracked or leaking windows — and schedule repairs.
Losses from insured climate-related risks continue to increase. Flooding risks, including from rising bodies of water, sewer backups and basement flooding, and mold-related costs and illness are typically excluded from insurance policies. Municipal officials should check with their insurer to determine what coverage they have for flooding and wind damage, and then determine what may be needed.
This is just the start of climate mitigation measures that a community can take. Over the next several months, MIIA will publish additional articles on how communities can manage their climate risks.
Best Practices for a Sewer System Emergency Response Plan
By Stephen Batchelder, MIIA’s VP of Claims Operations and Risk Management
Every sewer system owner should prepare, and regularly review and revise, an emergency response plan. The plan should be developed to assure that applicable personnel are prepared to take timely and efficient action in the case of a sewer incident.
At a minimum, sewer system emergency response plans should include the following:
In addition to general information relating to any type of emergency that might be experienced in the sewer system, every municipality should include sewer-related topics within its municipal Hazard Mitigation Plan and expand upon specific procedures for responding to sewer system backups and overflows.
