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Emergency

Management
Department
26 Carlon Drive
Northampton, MA
01060
(413) 587-1032 ext. 228

Local Emergency Flood Plan


A plan of emergency action for the City of Northampton
overseen by the Emergency Flood Coordinating Board

MEMBERS:

Mayor
Emergency Manager
Fire Department Representative
Police Department Representative
Public Works Director

Original Flood Control Plan- March 19, 1970


Revised- March 18, 1990
April 6, 2001
October 10, 2005
March 10, 2006

*This Plan should be thoroughly read as some actions are required prior to the actual flood stage(s)*

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CONNECTICUT AND MILL RIVER FLOOD STAGES FOR
EMERGENCY COORDINATION

BACKGROUND
The flood protection system for the City of Northampton consists of two main
parts:
• An earth dike on the eastern part of the City affording protection against
high water from the Connecticut River, and
• an earth dike and concrete flood wall in the western part of the City which,
together with the Mill River diversion canal, affords protection against flash
floods on the Mill River and backwater from the Connecticut River via the
Ox Bow.

FAILURE OF EITHER SYSTEM NULLIFIES PROTECTION


AFFORDED BY THE OTHER.

The Mill River can flash flood independent of the Connecticut River due to its
local watershed while the Connecticut River requires a major Northeast Region
(Massachusetts/New Hampshire/Vermont) event to cause flooding.

The Wastewater Treatment Facility and Flood Control Facility for the
Connecticut River are located off Hockanum Road. The Flood Control
structure for West Street is part of the West Street bridge over the Mill
River at the intersection West Street (Route 66) and Lower College Lane.

EMERGENCY PLAN
Elevation 105 ft.

Effect: Connecticut River backs up sewage outfall line to the manhole invert at
Hockanum Road pumping station.

1. action Alarm at Flood Control sounds and telephone call list to DPW is
implemented.

Phase A: Elevation 105.5 – 106 ft.

Effect: Negligible.

1. action Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) closes outfall gate at its


sewage effluent pumping station. WWTF effluent is then pumped
to the Connecticut River. The sluice gate on the gravity conduit at
the Flood Control Pumping Station (located at WWTF) is closed
and storm flow is pumped into the flood plain.
2. action Director of Public Works (DPW), or designee, initiates a watch and
informs the Mayor, Emergency Manager, Police (NPD) and Fire

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Departments (NFD) as increasing flood phase levels are reached.
Notification can be made through Public Safety Dispatch.
3. action Community notification made by established email lists, or other
pre-determined means, to advise of rising water level.

Phase B: Elevation 107 ft.

Effect: Connecticut River and Mill River diversion begins flooding Pynchon
Meadows and Manhan Meadows.

1. action DPW Flood Control notifies Central Dispatch and DPW Sewer
Department Foreman.
2. action Central Dispatch notifies NPD and NFD shift Officer In Charge
(OIC).
3. action DPW closes Pynchon Meadow Road and Old Springfield Road.

Phase C: Elevation 112 ft.

Effect: Manhan Meadows starts flooding into South Street interceptor.

1. action DPW Flood Control notifies Central Dispatch (and at every


increased Phase.)
2. action Central Dispatch makes the following notifications: (to be made at
every increased Phase from now on).
• NPD and NFD shift OIC’s (call stations)
• Mayor (Flood page)
• Police Chief (pager)
• Fire Chief (Flood page)
• Communications Center Administrator (Flood page)
• Central Services Director
• Building Commissioner
• AMR Shift Supervisor
• Red Cross
• City Councilor James Dostal

3. action DPW inspects gate valve on sanitary sewer outside dike at Route
5/Mt. Tom Road and Fort Hill interceptor.

Phase D: Elevation 115 ft.

Effect: Route 5/Mt. Tom Road floods near Easthampton Line and/or Island Road.
Venturer’s Field Road and Hockanum Road near flooding.

1. action DPW closes Venturer’s Field Road and Hockanum Road at dike.
2. action DPW begins closing gate valve on storm interceptor at Pomeroy
Terrace outside dike.

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3. action NPD closes Rt. 5/Mt. Tom Road just south of Atwood Drive.
4. action NPD patrols on Island Road and Ferry Avenue to warn and
evacuate residents.
5. action DPW dispatches partial dike patrol.
6. action Central Dispatch notifies MassHighway District 2 to close Route
5/Mt. Tom Road. Notify Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and
Easthampton PD of impending road closing
7. action Emergency Management sets up Emergency Operations Center
(EOC) at 26 Carlon Drive: no staffing, precautionary measure only.
8. action NPD and NFD evaluate need for pre-placing emergency equipment
near Island Road. neighborhood for use if area becomes isolated
by water.

Phase E: Elevation 120 ft.

Effect: Old Ferry Road, Fair Street Extension and Walnut Trees Path starts
flooding. Mill River at West Street begins flood stages.

1. action Mayor decides whether to call the Emergency Flood Coordinating


Board to a meeting in the EOC (26 Carlon Drive).
2. action DPW closes Old Ferry Road at Route 91 underpass and Fair Street
Extension and Walnut Trees Path.
3. action Police patrol on Fair Street Extension and Walnut Trees Path to
warn and evacuate residents.
4. action DPW dispatches full dike patrol.
5. action Emergency Manager orders B&M Railroad main closed.
6. action DPW notifies B&M Railroad and MassHighway District 2. Install
center uprights for stop log structures at Route 5/Mt. Tom Road and
B&M Railroad main. Readies sand bags and stop log structure
materials.
7. action Police Department stations traffic police on Mt. Tom Road near
dike.
8. action DPW opens fence at Riverbank Road and Rt. 9 for vehicular traffic
and notifies MassHighway and MSP due to proximity to Rt. 91.
9. action EOC staffed at minimal level (2-3 people). Begin planning for food
and accommodations for evacuated residents.
10. action DPW closes flap valve on Mill River concrete wall off West Street
(south of bridge). DPW readies West Street pumping station.
Pumping as required.

Phase F: Elevation 124 ft.

Effect: Sill of stop log structure at Route 5/Mt. Tom Road begins flooding.
Sill of stop log structure at B&M Railroad main line is within one foot of
flooding.
Riverbank Road is within one foot of flooding.

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Mill River at West Street flood control activities commence.

1. action DPW erects full stop log structures, Route 5/Mt. Tom Road and
B&M Railroad main line.
2. action DPW distributes sandbags to critical locations along Connecticut
River dikes.
3. action Install center uprights for stop log structures at Mill River at West
Street. Readies sand bags and stop log structure materials.
4. action Emergency Management locates 30 additional workers to assist
DPW with emergency stand-by.
5. action Begin water rescue operations with assistance of NPD and NFD.
6. action Increase EOC staffing level up to maximum (to be determined by
Emergency Manager).
7. action Central Dispatch notifies MSP and MassHighway request for Rt. 91
exit 18 ramps be closed. Notify Easthampton PD of closing.

Phase G: Elevation 127 ft.

Effect: Connecticut River flood level within three feet of top of concrete wall flood
control facility at WWTF. Mill River at West Street nears flood
levels. Portions of South Street/Route 10 (Mill River east) start
flooding.

1. action DPW erects full stop logs structures on West Street. DPW
distributes sandbags to critical locations along Mill River dikes.
2. action Police patrol on Earle Street, Paquette Avenue, South Street/Route
10 (Mill River east), Texas Road and West Street (Mill River east to
Earle Street) to warn and evacuate residents.
3. action Mayor of Northampton requests Governor to declare State of
Emergency.
4. action Consider relocating EOC to DPW Board Room (125 Locust Street)

Phase H: Elevation 130 ft.

Effect: Flood level is at top of concrete wall of Flood Control Facility.


Connecticut River starts to over run into City property.

1. action Flood Control and WWTF personnel evacuate facilities.

2. action Mayor and Emergency Manager are in a command situation - order


all residents to evacuate areas of City under elevation of 135 ft.

Phase I: Elevation 131 ft.

Effect: Sill of stop log structure at West Street begins flooding.

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1. action Place sandbags at old railroad bridge (south of West Street)
opening. This bridge opening is now the Northampton to
Easthampton Rail Trail.

Phase J: Elevation 132 ft.

Effect: Flood level is at top of Connecticut River dikes. Connecticut River ready
to over run into city property along the entire Connecticut River dike
system.
1. action Continued evacuation of City under elevation of 135 feet.

Phase K: Elevation 137 ft.

Effect: Mill River is at top of old railroad bridge opening south (below) of West
Street. Portions of Lovefield Street begin flooding. Mill River flood
control system starts flooding City (direct link to downtown) via old
Mill River bed (formerly railroad, now a bicycle rail trail).

1. action Mayor and Emergency Manager are in a command situation- order


all residents to evacuate areas of City under elevation of 145 ft.

Phase L: Elevation 140 ft.

Effect: Mill River is at top of flood control structure south (below) of West Street.

1. action Mayor and Emergency Manager are in a command situation- order


all residents to evacuate areas of City under elevation of 150 ft.

Phase M: Elevation 145 ft.

Effect: Mill River is at top of flood control structure north (above) of West Street.

Original Flood Control Documents Deleted or Amended

DELETED
1. West Street Dike - Close gate in Propper-McCallum Building (now the
Smith College Physical Plant); Elevation 120.0. Inspection of building in
2005 with Smith College shows that this piping is no longer connected
inside building. It is not know when this disconnect was made or by
whom. The 1’ x 1’ opening in the flood wall still exists at elevation 119.9.
Two (2) high water events in 2005 showed no effect.

AMENDED

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1. Connecticut River Dike – Close gate valve in chamber east of
Eastern Avenue; Elevation 107.0
The Flood Control staff has historically shut this gate at elevation 115.0. It
is unknown why this inconsistency exists.

2. Connecticut River Dike – Close gate valve in chamber west of Highway


Route5; Elevation 112.0
This gate was on an old sanitary collection trunk line for South Street.
This sanitary collection line was replaced in 1981 with a different
horizontal alignment and locking (watertight) covers. The Mt. Tom Road
(Route 5) sewer still passes through this gate but also has locking
(watertight) covers.

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