Anne Herbst, the conservation agent for Hull, was selected as one of five national recipients of the 2010 Walter B. Jones Memorial Awards for Excellence in Local Government. Anne was given this competitive award for having raised the bar of local management of coastal hazards. Throughout Hull’s participation in the StormSmart Coasts program Anne has […]
Author Archive | Daniella Hirschfeld
Storm Recovery Difficult, But There is Help
Posted on May 17, 2010
Although the floods were more than two months ago, some in Massachusetts are still dealing with the after math. There are citizens who still cannot move back into their homes and others who must live amongst the ongoing repairs. Several agencies are doing their best to help. All citizens – even if they have not […]
Texas Town Tightens Development Rules
Posted on May 12, 2010
The City Council of Galveston, Texas recently approved new beach-front construction regulations. The new rules push new development 75 feet back from the north toe of dunes, or 350 feet from the mean high-water line, whichever line is farther landward. They are seen locally as a compromise with some wanting stricter regulations while others did […]
StormSmart Coast Community Adopts New Floodplain Bylaw
Posted on May 5, 2010
Oak Bluffs, one of the Massachusetts StormSmart Coasts communities, voted on May 4th to adopt a new floodplain overlay district bylaw. An overwhelming majority of voters were in favor of the changes. The new bylaw will prohibit new residential development and expansion of existing development in the most hazardous flood zones—those designated as V, VE, […]
StormSmart Coasts Community Proposing Regulatory Changes
Posted on February 5, 2010
The Vineyard Gazette published an article today about one of Massachusetts’ StormSmart Coasts communities, Oak Bluffs. The article discusses the risks that Oak Bluffs and the rest of Martha’s Vineyard face from sea level rise and describes the regulatory changes the town is proposing. These changes, which would affect a limited number of homeowners, aim to […]
Do you live behind a levee? ASCE provides homeowners with real scoop on their risk.
Posted on December 4, 2009
Living near a lake or a river means you very well may live near a levee and if you do, you may or may not be adequately protected. This new public education booklet from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) provides homeowners and local officials with key information on levees. It addresses the risks […]
Funding Available! FEMA's Unified Hazard Mitigation Grant Period Begins
Posted on June 9, 2009
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant program provides funding for eligible mitigation activities that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disaster damages. In the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) co-administer these grants, and to assist sub-applicants they will be hosting briefings […]
NOAA's New Institute Advances National Climate Service
Posted on May 29, 2009
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced yesterday that U.S. government and university scientists are partnering to form a new institute that will use satellite observations to detect, monitor and forecast climate change and its impact on the environment. The Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites is part of NOAA’s effort to create a […]
Rising Sea Levels: Survival Tips from 5000 BC
Posted on May 26, 2009
Recent research has shown that sites in the Caribbean dating back to 5000 BC experienced sea level rise that was “just as bad as anything we are expecting.” Not only did these civilizations survive a changing coastline and more storm surges, but also they stayed put and successfully adapted to the changing world. Ongoing reseach […]
Blueprint for Coastal Resiliency Released
Posted on April 27, 2009
The Heinz Center and Ceres have released Resilient Coasts: A Blueprint for Action, which outlines policy changes and common sense actions that could reduce economic, ecological and social losses from future storms and rising sea levels along U.S. coastlines. Specific recommendations include: enable planning for climate impacts by providing the necessary science and decision-making tools; […]