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Middletown council adopts Aquinnic Island regional hazard mitigation plan after FEMA approval
Summary
The council voted to adopt the Aquinnic Island Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, a FEMA‑approved regional document that makes the town eligible for pre‑ and post‑disaster mitigation grants and lists local mitigation measures such as culvert replacement and pump‑station upgrades.
Middletown — The Town Council voted to adopt the Aquinnic Island Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan after the town’s planner said FEMA has approved the regional document and the final step is local adoption.
“This is actually a good news story. We finally received FEMA approval of our regional hazard mitigation plan,” the town planner said during the presentation, adding that adoption makes Middletown eligible for mitigation funding both before and after disasters. “By having a FEMA approved hazard mitigation plan, it makes the town eligible for mitigation funding.”
The plan, prepared as a joint effort among the island’s three towns and supported by a FEMA BRIC grant that Portsmouth applied for on behalf of the communities, addresses hazards including hurricanes and nor’easters, flooding, severe winter weather, high‑wind events, drought, extreme heat and cold, and sea‑level rise. The document includes region‑level recommendations — such as creating a regional emergency operations center and consolidating regional sheltering capacity — and town‑specific appendices with local mitigation actions.
Council members asked for clarification on timing and implementation. The planner said the five‑year cycle begins from the date of FEMA approval, which came at the end of last year, and that projects identified in the plan will proceed through Middletown’s capital improvement program and typical local budgeting processes. He cited examples of local measures in the plan, including culvert replacements and flood‑proofing pump stations.
The council’s resolution to adopt the plan was moved and seconded; members noted a corrected typographical error in the resolution (a date in a whereas clause) before approving the measure by voice vote. The motion to adopt was recorded and carried.
Next steps described by staff include annual meetings of the regional hazard mitigation committee to evaluate progress and a five‑year update to the plan. Adoption does not legally compel the town to carry out every listed mitigation action but is required for eligibility for certain mitigation grants, officials said.
