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New Bedford is updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan and is looking for public input and feedback.
The HMP is updated every five years and is required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to be eligible for millions in federal grants, and our climate and its impacts on our city have changed in the last five years for sure.
Traditionally, the HMP has included common weather hazards to our coastal community, such as hurricanes, windstorms and nor’easters. Now, for the first time, we are including excessive heat, sea level rise, pandemics, and heavy precipitation. Additionally, we are including secondary hazards that these weather events bring, such as vector-borne diseases carried by insects that we now see in greater numbers year-round.
The city is looking to hear more about residents’ concerns and what they see in their neighborhoods. We are also hoping to learn from those who have experienced these impacts in other locations, like those who have come to New Bedford from other climates where the events that are “newer” to us were common occurrences.
The city is working to equitably reach all communities through neighborhood-based organizations, social media, and on public transit, as well as traditional neighborhood meetings.
The packed New Bedford Art Museum presentation by expert panelists and The New Bedford Light on Feb. 28 shows the overwhelming interest in climate change in New Bedford and indicates that we have more voices to hear from. We hope that more community members will take the time to fill out this HMP survey, available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The New Bedford HMP will use this data to evaluate critical infrastructure and services, and explore ways we can make our city a more resilient place to live, work, and raise a family.
For more information or to participate in the survey, visit our HMP Tile on the NB Resilient Dashboard.
Michele Paul is the director of resilience and environmental stewardship for the city of New Bedford.