Tewksbury Selectmen Adopt Hazard Mitigation Plan

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Tewksbury selectmen adopted the town's Hazard Mitigation and Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) plans, making the town eligible for state climate resiliency grants.

The town received funding 2019 to update its Hazard Mitigation Plan, which happens every five years. By completing the two plans, it will be eligible for both federal FEMA grants and state MVP grants.

The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to adopt the plan at their Dec. 1 meeting.

The plan lays out 64 action items for climate change resiliency, including the hazard to be addressed, the timeline, the cost estimate and what part of the town government is responsible, Town Planner Anna McGinty explained.

The top hazards in Tewksbury, she said, are:

• Heavy precipitation and flooding
• Severe thunderstorms, wind, Nor'easters and tornados
• Severe snowstorms, ice storms and cold
• Extreme temperatures, droughts and wildfires

According to a survey with 56 respondents, residents are most concerned by precipitation and flooding and least concern about extreme temperatures, droughts and wildfires.

The top three action items are:

• Stormwater infrastructure and culverts
• Elevating certain roads: Route 38, Shawsheen, Bridge, South and other roads that link to Route 495
• Maintaining the basement pumping system at the police station and installing a source of backup power.

The presentation is available here and the Board of Selectmen meeting here. The full plan is here.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.