Nahant rates risks, threats in planning for disasters

NAHANT – An early draft of an updated FEMA-coordinated Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan identifies seawall repairs at Forty Steps Beach, Tudor Beach and the Town Wharf as being a “high priority” for the town’s efforts to mitigate damages from future natural threats.”We’re hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst,” said Sam Cleaves of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council when he presented the draft plan to selectmen recently.Cleaves did not estimate how much the seawall repairs would cost.The Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires communities to identify the risks it currently faces from natural hazards and make recommendations on how to address these risks in the future, explained Cleaves. The town is under no obligation to complete recommended projects, but a FEMA-approved plan is a prerequisite for state and federal grants, Cleaves said. He specifically mentioned that federal and state grants for seawall repair, although requiring an “onerous” cost-benefit analysis, could assist the town.Selectman Michael Manning said that the proposed seawall repairs consisted of maintenance projects, rather than significant construction. Other high priority projects in the plan included purchasing water pumps and mobile generators.”As budgets get tight, sometimes the regular maintenance gets cut,” Manning said. “This makes sure there’s a level of communication there” about the projects.Selectman Richard Lombard suggested officials examine a plan that the Army Corps of Engineers developed in the 1940s to build a breakwater to protect Tudor Beach.”Every storm we have, that area gets flooded – 25 to 35 houses,” he said. “If the Corps of Engineers has that plan, I would like to see that in this plan.”Town Meeting voters addressed several issues by approving a Master Plan for Short Beach that will mitigate erosion and a dredging project to clear drainage channels. Voters also approved the purchase of a new ladder fire truck, but the measure is dependent on an 80 percent funding grant.Cleaves said he will next seek comments from the Planning Board and then from the public by posting the draft plan on the Nahant website.