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Where was Noah when it started raining? By Senator Richard T. Moore October 24, 2005 - In the Bible, we’re told that God spoke to Noah, and commanded him to build a great ark, which would be a refuge for him, his family and many animals so that they could escape the massive flood. For a century, Noah, along with his family, was building the ark and exhorting the people to repent and believe the word of God. Yet no one paid attention to the preaching of Noah. No one really believed what Noah was telling them about the coming flood! While the flooding experienced in our state in recent weeks may not have reached “Biblical proportions,” it certainly created a terrific mess in homes, businesses, and public places, bridges, dams, and roads. Most of us don’t seem to pay any more attention to warnings than Noah’s neighbors when flood plain managers, conservation commissions, emergency management officials, and others tell us to prepare for floods or other natural disasters. Fortunately, in the most recent flooding, no one from our area died. We escaped the level of disaster that our fellow Americans in the Gulf Coast states experienced. If all the publicity about the disasters in Mississippi and Louisiana, and our own experience with river flooding in towns like Northbridge, Southbridge, Milford, and Uxbridge; serves to help us with better planning and emergency preparedness, we will have learned the lesson that Noah’s preaching failed to deliver in its time. We can do a better job of minimizing disasters from flooding. There are many old dams throughout our region in Southern Worcester County that have not been maintained and, in some cases, owners are unknown. There are hundreds of dams in our state that, if any one of them failed, would result in loss of life and major property damage. In 2002, I succeeded in having legislation enacted to improve state dam safety, but lack of action to prepare implementing regulations and shortage of funding has hampered the full benefits of this important reform. Those who own dams are supposed to prepare Emergency Action Plans that would help us prepare if excessive rain swelled the ponds behind those dams adding stress to these key structures. In Massachusetts, only about 14% of dams have such plans. Many towns also lack emergency plans or good evacuation plans. Boston, four years after the 9-11 terrorist attacks, has yet to develop a workable evacuation plan. Developers and local planning and conservation boards need to ensure that flood mitigation is included in any projects being built near rivers or streams. Culverts need to be large enough to accommodate at least the proverbial hundred year flood, and they need to be regularly cleaned so that they don’t become blocked in a heavy rainfall. Those who purchase property near rivers should invest in flood insurance. You can get information from www.floodsmart.gov . The Senate Post Audit and Legislative Oversight Committee is reviewing the state’s performance during the recent flooding, especially with regard to how well the state’s dam safety program is working. It does appear that we need to invest in better inspections and in repairs if we are to minimize the risk of dam failure. We’ll be issuing a report in the coming weeks and working to implement some reforms in the state’s dam safety program. Legislators and municipal leaders need to pay attention when recommendations are made to address dam safety or flood plain management. We’re rather fortunate in New England in many ways. We don’t usually experience the hurricanes that plague Florida and the Gulf Coast. We don’t have many serious earthquakes like California or the terrible forest fires of the Western states. But we do have a lot of water and, of course, we have our blizzards. Every community needs to analyze its risks, check areas of the community that may be especially vulnerable, and develop plans to mitigate disasters. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has taken some lumps in their handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and deservedly so. However, the agency’s web site is full of suggestions of how each of us can be better prepared in our homes or businesses when disaster strikes. Visit www.fema.gov and www.ready.gov for ideas on what to do to prepare for natural and man-made emergencies. I’ve also set up a page on my on web site at www.senatormoore.com/prepare with links to a variety of disaster preparedness information and resources. There’s a lot of wisdom in the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” --------------------- Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge) represents 13 towns in Southern Worcester County and Bellingham in Norfolk County. He is a former Associate Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and currently co-chairs the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Task Force of the National Conference of State Legislatures. |
