The Sand Has Disappeared

Shoreline residents know the effects of rising seas and climate change — the sand is disappearing and storms are becoming fiercer.

“I see water at the sea walls where there used to be beach,” said Branford Town Engineer Janice Plaziak, who is spearheading an effort to develop a Coastal Resilience Plan.

Branford is developing the resiliency plan to identify areas at risk for storm surge, erosion and flooding. The federally funded study will identify options and plans to help make the town more resilient to long-term coastal risks.

Plaziak is pictured here with David Murphy, of Milone & MacBroom, one of the engineers working on the plan.

“We’re looking for a lot of comments and input,” Plaziak said as she spoke to the crowd of about 60 people who attended a recent workshop held at fire headquarters. Many people asked questions and several recalled their experiences during Tropical Storm Irene and Superstorm Sandy.

The map at top compares Branford’s flooding during Superstorm Sandy to projected flooding in 2020 from a Category 2 Hurricane, and projected effects of daily high tides in 2080.

“There’s no question the tide is higher,” said James Goggin, a Linden Avenue resident who is a member of the Inlands Wetlands Commission.

Linden Avenue was hit hard during storm Irene when the only road leading to the well-populated peninsula was nearly wiped out by the storm surge. Click here to read about the road collapse.

The above map compares flooding and projected flooding along Linden Avenue.

Short Beach Concerns

“The sand has disappeared and it really didn’t return after Sandy,” said Short Beach resident Frazier Bronson. His home was hit hard by storm Irene, when surging water and winds destroyed the top half of his sea wall, the deck and much of the first floor of his home. Click here to read about his comments during a Shoreline Preservation Task Force meeting in July 2012.

Bronson said Wednesday that he and his wife evacuated before storms Irene and Sandy, and had difficulty returning because of flooding and downed trees and power lines.

Bronson later told the Eagle he was pleased with the turnout Wednesday for the resiliency workshop. ​“This is what the community has to do,” he said.

Branford at the Crossroads

“Branford is at a crossroads,” Murphy said during a PowerPoint presentation. He is compiling the resiliency plan along with Scott Choquette and Sarah Hamm, both of CFM Dewberry.

The planning team is looking at the vulnerability of Branford’s buildings, utilities, roads, bridges, electric grids, and communications. Murphy said if vulnerabilities are decreased, then risks can be reduced.

“Resiliency is the ability to bounce back,” Murphy said as he talked about the ability to prepare for storms and adapt to changing climate conditions. ​“The goal of resiliency is to reduce the recovery time,” he said.

Murphy said more meetings will be scheduled before the plan is finalized. ​“We will leave the town with a menu of things that can be funded in the future,” he said.

Jack Ahern, the former fire chief who is now the third selectman, asked what steps officials can take to seek funding.

Choquette said identifying and prioritizing projects is the first step, and the next step is identifying possible funding sources. Those issues will be discussed at future workshops.

A PowerPoint presentation of their initial findings will be available on the town’s website.

A Good Start

“This is a really good start,” one resident said. She asked that the next presentation be available on the town website before the meeting so residents can read it and come to the meeting prepared for discussion.

“It sounds like people are really interested in what the solution is, in addition to what the problem is,” she said.

Plaziak said Wednesday’s presentation dealt with the ​“science side” of identifying the vulnerable areas. She said the next session will deal with solving the problems and making the town more resilient. ​“The real interesting stuff is how we solve the problems,” Plaziak said.

Another man asked what is being done to protect the town’s electrical substations which are at sea level. ​“The town has very, very low tolerance for being without electricity,” he said.

Plaziak said Eversource is looking at options to make the substations more secure, such as building seawalls.

Resident Jonathan Clark asked what resources are available to homeowners to shore up their homes.

Plaziak said she addresses homeowners’ concerns in her position as floodplain manager. She said those duties have increased over the years. ​“I’ve been working with a lot of people,” she said.

Plaziak said people can e‑mail or call her with questions or comments. She can be reached at [email protected] or at Town Hall at 203 – 315-0606.

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