Milton Community Resilience Building Workshop releases final summary of findings report

Driven by the desire to assess its vulnerabilities, build community resilience, and expand its potential to address hazards caused by climate change, the Town of Milton chose to pursue certification from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program.

In the fall of 2019, the Town received funds to start a town-wide conversation about climate change and its effects on the community. The MVP program provides funding for cities and towns in Massachusetts to plan for climate change resilience and implement priority projects. The state provides communities with funding to complete vulnerability assessments, develop action-oriented resilience plans, as well as other projects.

Communities who complete the MVP Planning Grant program become certified as an MVP community and are eligible for MVP Action Grant funding for priority project implementation. This Summary of Findings Report presents the results from the six-month MVP Planning Grant process.

Observed and predicted changes to the climate in Milton were a large motivator for becoming an MVP- certified town.

Climate changes are taking shape through four primary hazards:

Intense Storms: The frequency and severity of intense storms—including nor’easters, ice storms, hurricanes, windstorms, and heavy precipitation events— are increasing.

Flooding: Caused by increased precipitation and intense storms, and worsened by periods of drought, inland flooding is the prolonged submerging of land by Neponset River at the Baker Chocolate Dam MILTON MVP FINAL REPORT 4 water. Flooding is expected to become more of a problem as intense storms continue to increase. Parts of Milton are prone to coastal flooding as well.

Heat Waves: In Massachusetts, a heat wave is defined as three or more days above 90°F. Both the length and frequency of heat waves are expected to increase in the northeast, along with rising annual average temperatures.

Drought: Periods of abnormally dry weather are expected to become an increasingly prominent issue in Massachusetts and can cause crop damage, water supply shortages, and habitat loss.

Residents are noticing

Residents of Milton are noticing changes to the climate. During the Workshops, participants raised their concerns about these impacts. Anticipated challenges included protection of the town’s vulnerable populations, threats posed to the community’s lifestyle and culture, and disruptions to habitats and ecosystems. Highlights from these discussions are captured below, along with more details on each of the four identified hazards.

Read the full report here: https://www.townofmilton.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif911/f/news/mvp_report.pdf