A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the Cambridge Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E Community Development Department IRAM FAROOQ Assistant City Manager for Community Development SANDRA CLARKE Deputy Director Chief of Administration 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Voice: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] www.cambridgema.gov To: Yi-An Huang, City Manager From: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Date: December 7, 2023 Re: Cambridge Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Please find attached the final Cambridge Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) Update for the City Council’s review and approval. Also included is a set of summary slides from the presentation to the Health and Environment Committee earlier this week. Additional information, including plan appendices, are available at https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/climateandenergy/hazardmitigationplan The HMP builds upon our prior climate work and outlines Cambridge’s vulnerability to and impacts from natural hazards including climate change. It also describes what actions the City will take to prepare for and respond to natural hazards. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires an up-to-date HMP for municipalities to remain eligible for certain types of FEMA funding. Cambridge’s prior HMP expired in 2021. Completing and adopting this plan means that Cambridge will be eligible to apply for these sources of funding to implement the mitigation and resiliency actions detailed in the plan. The development of the HMP was guided by a cross-departmental steering committee, with consultant support from Weston & Sampson. The project team and steering committee have been working since February 2023 to identify Cambridge’s vulnerability to natural hazards, think through their impact on the city’s people and assets, and then create and prioritize mitigation actions aligned with the HMP goals, guided by public input. Community and stakeholder engagement is a comprehensive part of the FEMA framework for HMP updates. The Hazard Mitigation Planning Team, comprised of representatives from universities, Cambridge city staff, neighboring city staff, neighborhood groups, private sector, and state agencies, shared their expertise over three workshops. In addition, we hosted three public meetings to share updates on the plan and request feedback on the content. There have also been two public surveys. Community engagement teams at DHSP, CDD and the Public Health Department led engagement throughout the process, informing residents about opportunities to participate. We respectfully submit the proposed plan for the City Council’s consideration and adoption. Once adopted by the Council, we will submit the HMP to the Massachusetts

Page 2 of 2 Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and then to FEMA for review and final approval.