DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

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2 SECTION CHAPTER 4: CHARTER OAK STATE COLLEGE TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE NO. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... ES-1 1. INTRODUCTION Charter Oak Campus Overview Campus History City of New Britain, Connecticut Campus Location & Environment Historic Resources Emergency Services Infrastructure & Utilities Campus Development Community Involvement PLANNING PROCESS Planning Team Existing Data & Reports Utilized for the Plan Stakeholder Engagement Campus Kick-Off Meeting Stakeholder Interviews Public Meeting No Loss Estimates and Hazard Mitigation Projects Meeting Presentation of Draft Hazard Mitigation Plan Facilitated Review Meeting Public Meeting No HAZARD PROFILES & RISK ASSESSMENT Campus Key Points Natural Hazards Impacting Campus Coastal Storm/Nor easter Earthquake Flood Drought Winter-Related Hazards Thunderstorm/Lightning Windstorm Tornado Hurricane Dam Failure Wildfire VULNERABILITY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT Asset Inventory Loss of Function Building Vulnerability Assessment CSCU i Woodard & Curran

3 5. MITIGATION ACTIVITIES & ACTION PLAN Mitigation Activities & Action Plan Mitigation Project Prioritization Potential Funding Sources Capabilities Assessment Plan & Program Capability Fiscal Capability Regulatory Environment Next Steps FIGURES Figure 1-1: New Britain, CT Location Map Figure 1-2: Charter Oak Aerial Photograph Figure 2-1: Public Meeting No. 1 Advertising Website Announcement Figure 2-2: Public Meeting No. 1 Advertising Press Release Figure 2-3: Public Meeting No. 2 Advertising Efforts Figure 3-1: Charter Oak Earthquake Specific Building Vulnerability Figure 3-2: Charter Oak Floodplain Map Figure 3-3: U.S. Drought Monitor Connecticut Figure 4-1: Charter Oak Building Vulnerability Assessment Non Hazard-Specific TABLES Table ES-1: Charter Oak Potential Hazard Impacts... ES-1 Table 1-1: Climate Data for New Britain, CT Table 1-2: Charter Oak Campus Building Information Table 2-1: Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning Team Table 2-2: Stakeholders Engaged in Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Plan Table 2-3: Topics Reviewed During the Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Plan Kick-Off Meeting Table 2-4: Charter Oak Interview Topics & Themes Table 2-5: Topics Reviewed During the Charter Oak Loss Estimates & Hazard Mitigation Project Meeting Table 2-6: Topics Reviewed During the Charter Oak Facilitated Review Meeting of the Draft Hazard Mitigation Plan and Charter Oak Chapter Table 3-1: Charter Oak Natural Hazard Susceptibility Table 3-2: Charter Oak Natural Hazard Risk Ranking Summary Table 3-3: Charter Oak Qualitative Risk Assessment Summary Table 3-4: Charter Oak Coastal Storm/Nor easter Susceptibility Table 3-5: Charter Oak Earthquake Susceptibility Table 3-6: Charter Oak Campus Building - Estimated Loss to Structure & Contents Due to Earthquake Table 3-7: Central Connecticut Region Hazus-MH Results for Floods, by Town Table 3-8: Charter Oak Flood Susceptibility Table 3-9: History of Droughts in Connecticut ( ) Table 3-10: Charter Oak Drought Susceptibility Table 3-11: Charter Oak Winter-Related Hazard Susceptibility Table 3-12: Charter Oak Thunderstorm/Lightning Hazard Susceptibility Table 3-13: Charter Oak Windstorm Hazard Susceptibility Table 3-14: Charter Oak Tornado Hazard Susceptibility Table 3-15: HAZUS-MH Results for Hurricanes, by Towns CSCU ii Woodard & Curran

4 Table 3-16: Charter Oak Hurricane Hazard Susceptibility Table 3-17: Class BB, B, and C Dams located in New Britain Table 3-18: Charter Oak Dam Failure Hazard Susceptibility Table 3-19: Charter Oak Wildfire Hazard Susceptibility Table 4-1: Charter Oak Assets Table 4-2: Charter Oak Loss of Function Cost Table 4-3: Charter Oak Building Vulnerability Assessment Table 5-1: Charter Oak Campus Preparedness Projects Table 5-2: Charter Oak Mitigation Projects & STAPLEE Criteria Rankings Table 5-3: Potential Funding Sources Table 5-4: Charter Oak Administrative and Technical Capabilities Table 5-5: Charter Oak Documents Utilized During the Planning Process Table 5-6: Legal and Regulatory Policies Pertaining to Charter Oak Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D: Appendix E: Appendix F: Appendix G: APPENDICES Bibliography of Documents Provided by Charter Oak State College Campus Kick-Off Meeting Materials Interview Questionnaire Public Meeting No. 1 Meeting Materials Loss Estimates and Hazard Mitigation Projects Presentation and Materials Facilitated Draft Hazard Mitigation Plan Review Meeting Materials Public Meeting No. 2 Meeting Materials CSCU iii Woodard & Curran

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2014, the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) began a process to develop a Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan for each of its campuses to fulfill federal, state, and local hazard mitigation planning requirements. The purpose of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan is to minimize the impact of natural hazards on physical assets and operations and human life by reducing or avoiding long-term vulnerabilities to identified natural hazards. The Charter Oak State College (Charter Oak) Chapter addresses hazards, vulnerabilities, and mitigation actions specifically for the Charter Oak campus. Funding for this project was provided by a grant allocated and administered by the State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEMHS) and funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Charter Oak will utilize this Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan and campus specific chapter as a guidance document targeted toward reducing its current and future risk from natural hazards by having resources, risk reduction strategies, responsible entities and historic hazard information centrally located. Charter Oak specifically placed a focus on engaging the campus community and the public during this mitigation planning effort. Public Participation Charter Oak established a planning process for this project, which included designating a member of the campus staff to serve on the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Steering Committee. The Chief Financial and Administrative Officer was selected to serve on this committee and establish the Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning team that included representatives from finance and administration and the information security officer. This team was assembled at various times throughout the planning process to coordinate and discuss key tasks and campus-specific information contributing to the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning team was involved in important aspects of the planning process and data collection activities; however, other campus representatives were also involved to provide additional, important information to the plan. Charter Oak created several opportunities for stakeholder engagement throughout the planning process including a data gathering effort, planning meetings, interviews, conducting a public meeting as well as other opportunities to provide informal input and comment. Natural Hazard Identification Identifying natural hazards for Charter Oak included using FEMA Guidance documentation and current and historical data points such as information from local, regional, and state Hazard Mitigation Plans. Information about each natural hazard was supplemented with anecdotal data points from Charter Oak and ranked as low (L), medium (M), high (H) or severe (S) from an overall risk and operational standpoint as illustrated in Table ES-1. Table ES-1: Charter Oak Potential Hazard Impacts Coastal Storm, Nor easter Earthquake Flood Drought Winter Related Hazards Thunderstorm/ Lightning Windstorm Tornado Hurricane Dam Failure Wildfire Risk Ranking M M M L H M M M H L L Students, Faculty & Staff L L L L H M L L M L L Existing Building M M M L M M M M H L L Future Buildings L L L L M L L L M L L CSCU ES-1 Woodard & Curran

6 Coastal Storm, Nor easter Earthquake Flood Drought Winter Related Hazards Thunderstorm/ Lightning Windstorm Tornado Hurricane Dam Failure Wildfire Operations M M L L H L M M H L L Critical Infrastructure M M M L H M M M H L L Overall Risk Ranking M M M L H M M M H L L While there were no hazards ranked as severe for Charter Oak, winter-related hazards and hurricanes were ranked as high hazards. Both of these hazards could cause extended power outages, and with limited emergency generator availability on campus, a hazard event causing power loss is a primary concern. Charter Oak is an exclusively online college, with programs dependent on the availability of power and internet service. The generator currently on Charter Oak s campus has an inadequate fuel source. In addition, minimizing the impacts of potential hazards that could damage the data center is a priority. Eastern Connecticut State University has a data backup of Charter Oak s files in order to create redundancy. Vulnerability & Impact Assessment The purpose of assessing risks, determining vulnerability, and estimating losses is to determine how Charter Oak s assets may be affected by various hazard events. Charter Oak is an exclusively online college having one campus owned administrative building located on the Central Connecticut State University (Central) campus and one leased building in the Town of Newington close to Central s campus. The vulnerability of the owned was evaluated based on a loss of function and total damage calculation using the FEMA methodology as detailed in the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. The specific calculations were used to identify the cost of damage to the structure and contents if impacted. The administrative building is critical since it houses most of the campus infrastructure and operations. Mitigation Activities & Action Plan Based on the vulnerability and impact assessment and overall goals and objectives identified for the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan, Charter Oak developed a list of mitigation projects and mitigation activities. The action items proposed meet the FEMA STAPLEE criteria and are generally socially acceptable to the community, technically feasible, protective of or beneficial to the environment, backed by legal authority and consistent with current laws, consider economic benefits and costs and include environmental considerations. Each project was given a qualitative high, medium, or low ranking based on these criteria. The highest priority project related to all hazards and involved increasing emergency power generation capability on campus. CSCU ES-2 Woodard & Curran

7 1. INTRODUCTION The Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) embarked on a process to develop a Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan for each of its 17 campuses and System Office. This Chapter along with the introductory sections of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan addresses the Charter Oak State College (Charter Oak) campus. The purpose of this Chapter is to assist Charter Oak in the identification of potential natural hazards that have or may impact the campus, and to reduce the risk associated from applicable hazards through the development of campus-specific mitigation actions. Specifically, this Chapter documents natural hazard rankings, natural hazard event profiles, the overall planning process, vulnerability assessments, loss estimates, campus assets, public participation and outreach and mitigation actions. 1.1 CHARTER OAK CAMPUS OVERVIEW Charter Oak is the state of Connecticut s only public online college. Charter Oak has one owned building, which houses its administrative, admissions, financial aid and academic offices, as well as the data center. The campus is located at 55 Paul J. Manafort Drive in New Britain, CT, approximately halfway between New Haven, CT and Springfield, MA, and is physically situated on the Central Connecticut State University (Central) campus. Charter Oak also leases space about a mile from Central s campus at Alumni Road in the Town of Newington that serves as a testing facility and houses its Business and Informational Technology Offices. Since its inception in 1973, nearly 12,000 students have completed degrees at Charter Oak. The fall 2014 enrollment was 1,929 with 386 full-time students. Charter Oak s student population consists mainly of working students and students with families requiring the flexibility that earning a degree online provides. The Board of Regents for Higher Education governs Charter Oak and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accredits the college. For acceptance into Charter Oak, students must transfer from another college with at least nine transferable credits in order to demonstrate the ability to perform college work. Charter Oak does not accept first time students. Charter Oak accepts most credits from accredited community colleges. Students can earn an associate, bachelor s degree, or credit and non-credit certificates. A master s degree program will be added in the fall of Approximately 70% of the student population pursues a bachelor s degree. Charter Oak offers hundreds of online courses leading to four General Studies Degrees - Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts, and Associate in Science. Within General Studies, Charter Oak offers a multitude of concentrations and fields of study in areas such as Healthcare Administration, Psychology, and Business Administration. Charter Oak employs approximately 90 staff members, 83 core faculty and over 180 teaching faculty. In addition, approximately 50 special assessment faculty are employed who are responsible for completing specialized assessments. Charter Oak offers resources and opportunities for its students and faculty to collaborate through learning management platforms and other technology tools Campus History Charter Oak was established in 1973 to provide a non-traditional means of awarding undergraduate degrees, through credit aggregation. Charter Oak began by offering its students degrees of Associate in Arts and Associate in Science, followed by baccalaureate degrees in In 1992, Charter Oak became a part of the State System of Higher Education and its name was subsequently changed to Charter Oak State College. That same year, Charter Oak offered its first video-based classes and in 1998, Charter Oak began offering online courses. Charter Oak made a strategic move in the early 2000s to emphasize itself as an online institution. In 2009, the campus was granted the authority to offer a master s degree, and in 2011, Charter Oak became part of the CSCU system. CSCU Woodard & Curran

8 1.1.2 City of New Britain, Connecticut The City of New Britain (the City or New Britain) is located in central Connecticut, in Hartford County and is bordered by Newington to the east, Berlin to the south, Southington to the southwest, Plainville to the west, and Farmington to the north (see Figure 1-1). The City s main highway is Route 9. New Britain includes approximately 1,200 acres of parks and open space and numerous bodies of water. Figure 1-1: New Britain, CT Location Map Currently, downtown New Britain is undergoing an economic transformation. Developers are focusing projects on restaurants, retail shops and cultural and art experiences. New Britain is densely populated with approximately 73,206 inhabitants (2010 US Census). New Britain experiences a moderate local climate. On average, the area experiences 43.6 inches of rain annually, which is greater than the U.S. mean precipitation of approximately 37 inches. Average annual snowfall is approximately 43 inches. Winter season temperatures generally average at a low of 21.5 ºF. Table 1-1 presents typical climate data for the New Britain area. Table 1-1: Climate Data for New Britain, CT Jan Feb March April May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Average High (ºF) Average Low (ºF) Average Rainfall (in) Source: NOAA Climate Data for Hartford (Hartford-Brainard Airport) ( ) Campus Location & Environment Charter Oak offers only online classes, and therefore does not have any residential or academic buildings. Charter Oak s Academic Affairs, President s Office, Registrar s office, Admissions, Academic Counseling, Financial Aid, Institutional Effectiveness, Undergraduate Programs, Instructional Design, and Marketing and Public Relations services are all located in its administrative building. Charter Oak is co-located on Central s campus on Paul Manafort Drive, with Stratford Road bordering to the east and south, and Stanley Street to the west. Charter Oak leases a facility, located on Alumni Road in Newington, Connecticut, that houses its Business and Informational Technology Offices. CSCU Woodard & Curran

9 This building was not included in this hazard mitigation planning effort because Charter Oak does not own the Newington facility. Figure 1-2 shows an aerial photograph (the campus map) of Charter Oak. Figure 1-2: Charter Oak Aerial Photograph Table 1-2 provides information regarding Charter Oak s administrative building. Table 1-2: Charter Oak Campus Building Information Name of Building Charter Oak State College Date Construction Completed Gross Square Feet Building Function ,570 President s Office, Academic Affairs, Registrar s office, Admissions, Academic Counseling, Financial Aid, Institutional Effectiveness, Undergraduate Programs, Instructional Design, and Marketing and Public Relations Historic Resources According to the National Register of Historic Places and New Britain s Historical Preservation Commission, no historic districts or properties are situated on the Charter Oak campus Emergency Services 1 As there is not a consistent student population on campus, there is no physical security present. However, Charter Oak s increased technology budget includes funding to meet security and disaster requirements. The budget varies by year depending on the need. This budget has funded the installation of a dry fire suppression system in the data center to reduce risk of fire and encryption software on all laptop computers for security of data. According to the NEASC study, Charter Oak has a disaster storage plan in place to determine steps for data storage recovery in an emergency. 1 Charter Oak State College, New Britain, Connecticut. Fifth Year Report. August CSCU Woodard & Curran

10 1.1.6 Infrastructure & Utilities Charter Oak relies heavily on its technological infrastructure to support its ability to provide online courses to students. As a result, a large portion of its operating budget is devoted to maintaining IT infrastructure. Charter Oak s annual planning and budgeting process includes the evaluation of current physical and technological needs. Charter Oak continues to improve the data center through regular updates and by mitigating risks, such as installing encryption software on all laptop computers. Charter Oak has doubled the size of the data center and expanded power systems to minimize data center down time. Currently over 100,000 students are served through degree programs and partnerships facilitated by our IT infrastructure. Charter Oak has a dry fire suppression system to minimize risk of fire and damage to the data center equipment should the suppression system be activated Campus Development According to Charter Oak s Fifth Year Report, as of 2011, Charter Oak was considering the construction of a new 50,997 square foot building to house their administrative services in one location and to provide additional space. The facility could be located on Central s adjacent property or in downtown Hartford and may, depending on where located, include a new 185-space parking lot. According to campus sources interviewed (see Table 2-2), the new building could be developed within the next few years, either at Central or in Downtown Hartford Community Involvement Charter Oak prides itself on its course offerings, with the intent of preparing students for successful career advancement and contributions to the state of Connecticut. In the past, the campus has promoted community participation through courses free of charge. In 2013, Charter Oak offered two free online courses related to advanced manufacturing and the natural gas industry to demonstrate potential careers in those industries. CSCU Woodard & Curran

11 2. PLANNING PROCESS The planning process for the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan was important to develop a functional plan that was reflective of the campus. This section describes the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan planning process at Charter Oak and stakeholders involved. The planning process included stakeholder engagement completed through a variety of means. Opportunities for involvement consisted of planning meetings, interviews, public meetings, and opportunities to provide feedback made available throughout the planning process. 2.1 PLANNING TEAM The Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Steering Committee representative for Charter Oak was the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. The Chief Financial and Administrative Officer established a group of key advisors who served as the Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning team and included representatives from Finance and Administration and Information Technology. During the planning process, this team coordinated and discussed key tasks and campus-specific information contributing to the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. Since Charter Oak is an online college with only one owned administrative building and leased space in the Town of Newington, its operations and administrative team is small, so the Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning Team and stakeholders involved are limited. Table 2-1 lists the Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning Team. Table 2-1: Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning Team Name Clifford Williams Laurence Wilkinson Eric Zematis Cathy Bergren Les Cropley Title Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Director, Finance and Administration Information Security Officer Director, Service Delivery Call Center Manager The Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning team was involved in important aspects of the planning process and data collection activities; however, other campus representatives were involved to provide additional, important information to the plan. Table 2-2 presents an overview of all of the stakeholders engaged in the Charter Oak Chapter of the Multi- Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. Section 2.2 discusses each of the opportunities for stakeholder engagement. Table 2-2: Stakeholders Engaged in Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Plan Person Title Entity Ahmed Beermann- Ahmed Facilities Management Associate System Office Attended October 23, 2014 Campus Interviews Attended February 18, 2015 Public Meeting #1 X Attended June 9, 2015 Loss Estimate & HMP Meeting Attended November 10, 2015 Presentation of Draft HMP Attended Fall 2015 Public Meeting #2 CSCU Woodard & Curran

12 Person Title Entity Cathy Bergren Chris Dupuis Clifford Williams Devin Leith- Yessian Eric Zematis Lawrence Wilkinson Les Cropley Director of Service Delivery Director, Capital Projects Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Recorder Information Security Officer Administration and Finance Call Center Manager Charter Oak System Office Charter Oak Charter Oak Charter Oak Charter Oak Charter Oak Attended October 23, 2014 Campus Interviews X Attended February 18, 2015 Public Meeting #1 Attended June 9, 2015 Loss Estimate & HMP Meeting X Attended November 10, 2015 Presentation of Draft HMP Attended Fall 2015 Public Meeting #2 X X X X X X X X X X X 2.2 EXISTING DATA & REPORTS UTILIZED FOR THE PLAN At the start of the project, a data request was issued to Charter Oak for existing documentation related to hazard and vulnerability risk assessments, emergency preparedness efforts and campus assets. Appendix A includes a bibliography of the documents that were either provided by Charter Oak or were collected from other publicly available sources and utilized during the planning process. 2.3 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT There were several opportunities provided for stakeholder engagement, including a request to respond to a data gathering effort, planning meetings, interviews, public meetings, and opportunities to provide input and comment outside of formal meetings. Each of the major opportunities for stakeholder engagement is documented in the following sections Campus Kick-Off Meeting On October 23, 2014, a campus kick-off meeting was held at Charter Oak with its Hazard Mitigation Planning Team to initiate stakeholder engagement activities. The representatives in attendance are listed in Table 2-2. The meeting signin sheet and Power Point presentation are provided in Appendix B. The topics reviewed during this meeting are listed in Table 2-3. CSCU Woodard & Curran

13 Table 2-3: Topics Reviewed During the Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Plan Kick-Off Meeting Topic Project overview Hazard Mitigation Planning Approval Process and Requirements Components of Hazard Mitigation Planning Team Roles and Responsibilities Project Schedule Details Reviewed the goals of the project, background of the grant funding and benefits to be achieved by Charter Oak. Introduced the concept of hazard mitigation planning including the planning phases, types of hazards to be included, and recent hazard events that impacted Charter Oak and other CSCU campuses. Reviewed the requirements and expectations of FEMA/DEHMS in order to achieve plan approval. Topics included the importance for documentation, stakeholder engagement, and focus on the importance of the process. FEMA s evaluation criteria were provided as a handout. Reviewed the planning process, hazard identification and risk assessment, mitigation strategy, and plan review, evaluation, and implementation. Roles and responsibilities consisted of participation in meetings, providing relevant documentation, identification, and assessment of hazards, support outreach activities, review, and comment on the draft Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan and support Plan implementation. The project schedule was reviewed with interim and final deadlines. Approval by DEHMS/FEMA is necessary by January 2017 to meet the obligations of the grant. The campus kick-off meeting provided a solid foundation for the Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning Team regarding the project objectives and how the team could work together and support the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Steering Committee. The meeting outlined the expectations and process regarding how to prepare and complete the Charter Oak Chapter of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Stakeholder Interviews On October 23, 2014, stakeholder interviews were completed to discuss hazards that have or could impact the campus, potential vulnerabilities to those hazards, and assets that could be impacted. The interviews were completed on campus and each lasted up to one hour in duration. Woodard & Curran conducted the interviews. Table 2-2 lists the stakeholders interviewed. Interviews were conducted in an open format by one interviewer. An interview questionnaire (Appendix C) was prepared and distributed in advance, however this was intended only to give the interviewees a notion of the types of topics to be addressed as opposed to a list of questions that would be strictly adhered to during the interview. The approach was instead to have the interviewee focus on the areas in which he/she had the most experience and information to share and not to be restrictive in the discussion. As a result of the interviews, a series of themes were identified as outlined in Table 2-4. CSCU Woodard & Curran

14 Table 2-4: Charter Oak Interview Topics & Themes Topic Utilities/Campus Assets Themes Loss of power can be a major issue for students since Charter Oak is exclusively an on-line college. Protection of assets in the Administration & Data Center Building is a top priority. The themes in Table 2-4 were important considerations factoring into the hazard identification and risk assessment process. Interviewees also gave perspectives on hazards that had or could impact the campus and previous damages or campus impacts experienced from hazard events. A brief summary of the specific previous hazard events mentioned by interviewees includes: A major fault located in the area causes periodic earthquakes in the state and can affect students who are strictly on-line. Hurricanes within the state affect power and internet availability. Students and faculty are all remote, thus outages are a significant problem. There has been flooding and drainage issues around the Administration and Data Center Building. In advance of imminent rain, the conference room in this building is sandbagged. Ice dams can be significant at the front entrance of the Administration and Data Center Building. The list above is not meant to be all inclusive of past events experienced or those that could on campus and only represents events mentioned during the interviews. More specific information provided is presented in Section Public Meeting No. 1 On February 18, 2015, the first public meeting regarding this hazard mitigation planning process was held for the Charter Oak campus. The meeting occurred on Central s campus and was a joint meeting for Charter Oak and Central. The meeting was advertised using a variety of venues (see Figure 2-1) including the following. Charter Oak website announcement on the events page, Press release, and Personal invitations sent out by Central CSCU Woodard & Curran

15 Figure 2-1: Public Meeting No. 1 Advertising Website Announcement CSCU Woodard & Curran

16 Figure 2-2: Public Meeting No. 1 Advertising Press Release CSCU Woodard & Curran

17 The format of the public meeting was designed to be casual, informative, and conducive to receiving input. A brief Power Point presentation outlining the project goals and hazard mitigation planning process was presented followed by an open question and answer period. The public meeting was attended by campus, System Office, and Woodard & Curran representatives. While there were process related questions associated with completing a hazard mitigation plan, there were no specific questions or comments associated with Charter Oak s specific hazards or impacts. Public meeting materials are provided in Appendix D Loss Estimates and Hazard Mitigation Projects Meeting On June 9, 2015 a loss estimate and hazard mitigation project identification meeting was held for Charter Oak on the Central campus as a joint meeting. The representatives in attendance are listed in Table 2-2. The meeting agenda, sign-in sheet, and Power Point presentation are provided in Appendix E. The topics reviewed during this meeting are presented in Table 2-5. Table 2-5: Topics Reviewed During the Charter Oak Loss Estimates & Hazard Mitigation Project Meeting Topic Hazard Mitigation Goals and Objectives Building Ratings Loss Estimates Hazard Mitigation Projects Details The hazard mitigation goals developed by the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Steering Committee were reviewed with the stakeholder group. The methodology to assign building critically values was reviewed with the stakeholder group as well as the initial assignment of building critically values. The methodology for developing loss estimates was reviewed and findings associated with both specific hazards and non-hazard specific events were presented. Specific hazard mitigation projects identified to address the various hazards that could impact campus were discussed in relation to the specific hazards addressed and plan goals and objectives. After the meeting, revised hazard mitigation project lists, building criticality assignment and loss estimate calculations were provided to the stakeholder group for further review and comment Presentation of Draft Hazard Mitigation Plan Facilitated Review Meeting On November 10, 2015, Charter Oak participated in a meeting with the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Steering Committee to present the written draft plan. The representative in attendance is listed in Table 2-2. The meeting agenda, sign-in sheet, and Power Point presentation are provided in Appendix F. The written draft was issued prior to the meeting such that stakeholders would have an opportunity to review the draft prior to the meeting. During the meeting, a facilitated review of the draft was provided highlighting key areas to focus upon. Feedback on the draft was solicited and recorded for incorporation into the final version of the Plan. Table 2-6 outlines the topics discussed at the meeting. CSCU Woodard & Curran

18 Table 2-6: Topics Reviewed During the Charter Oak Facilitated Review Meeting of the Draft Hazard Mitigation Plan and Charter Oak Chapter Topic Hazard Mitigation Plan Organization Risk Assessment Mitigation Actions Plan Implementation, Maintenance & Adoption Details The overall organization of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Charter Oak Chapter was reviewed. Risk rankings were reviewed for any additional comments. Additional focus was placed on reviewing rankings for the categories of students, faculty and staff, existing buildings, future buildings, operations and critical infrastructure. Hazard mitigation projects were reviewed for any additional comments. Additional focus was placed on the estimated project cost, responsible party, and project priority ranking. The plan implementation, maintenance and adoption was reviewed so that the hazard mitigation planning team understood the process of plan implementation and the expectations of the team moving forward. No specific comments on the draft Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan were received during the facilitated review meeting. Upon completion of the meeting, the campus stakeholders were encouraged to complete a final review of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan with a specific focus on the areas presented in Table 2-6. On December 11, 2015 the Charter Oak Steering Committee representative met with the Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning Team to review the draft Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. Comments provided by the Hazard Mitigation Planning Team were addressed in the final draft of the Plan Public Meeting No. 2 On, the second public meeting presenting the draft Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan was held for the Charter Oak campus at Central as a joint meeting for both campuses. The meeting was advertised using a variety of venues and consisted of the following (see Figure 2-3): Figure 2-3: Public Meeting No. 2 Advertising Efforts (To be added at a future date) The draft Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan was posted on the Charter Oak web site prior to the meeting to provide the public with an opportunity to review and provide comment if desired. The format of the public meeting was designed to be casual, informative, and conducive to receive input. A brief Power Point presentation highlighting highly ranked hazards, critical assets, and potential mitigation efforts was presented. There were no specific comments received on the draft Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan during the public meeting. All public meeting materials are provided in Appendix G. CSCU Woodard & Curran

19 3. HAZARD PROFILES & RISK ASSESSMENT A natural hazard is an extreme weather event that may pose a risk to people, infrastructure, operations, or resources due to its potentially damaging characteristics, which vary, based on what type of hazard it is. This section identifies the natural hazards that have or could impact Charter Oak, profiles where an event has occurred historically, where it is likely to occur in the future and how substantial the event may be. 3.1 CAMPUS KEY POINTS Charter Oak is most concerned about natural hazards having the potential to result in power loss. As an exclusively online college, Charter Oak students depend on reliable internet service and network connection to fulfill their degree requirements. Power interruptions and network disconnects can hinder campus operations and student work. The current generator serving Charter Oak has a lower than recommended gas pressure. Protection of assets in the administration and data center is a priority. The data center is a major hub of student information. Eastern Connecticut State University has a data backup of Charter Oak files in order to create redundancy. Photo: Charter Oak State College 3.2 NATURAL HAZARDS IMPACTING CAMPUS The natural hazards that have been identified and included in this section received their initial consideration from FEMA Guidance documentation. The hazards were filtered utilizing current and historical data points from various sources including, but not limited to NOAA, US Census, and local and state Hazard Mitigation Plans. The findings of each natural hazard were analyzed and the information was cross-referenced with anecdotal data points from Charter Oak. A list of natural hazards that have and may continue to impact Charter Oak was developed. Of the natural hazards considered for this project, Charter Oak was found to be susceptible to eleven of them (see Table 3-1). A qualitative or quantitative analysis for each hazard was conducted, which is detailed in the sections that follow. Table 3-1: Charter Oak Natural Hazard Susceptibility Natural Hazard Charter Oak Susceptible? Quantitative/Qualitative Coastal Storm/Nor easter Yes Qualitative Dam Failure Yes Qualitative Drought Yes Qualitative Earthquake Yes Quantitative and Qualitative Flood Yes Qualitative Hurricane Yes Qualitative Thunderstorm/Lightning Yes Qualitative Tornado Yes Qualitative Wildfire Yes Qualitative Windstorm Yes Qualitative CSCU Woodard & Curran

20 Natural Hazard Charter Oak Susceptible? Quantitative/Qualitative Winter-Related Hazard (Winter Storm, Ice Storm) Yes Qualitative Tsunami No Not Applicable Urban Fire No Not Applicable Avalanche No Not Applicable Volcano No Not Applicable Landslide No Not Applicable Once the initial list of natural hazards was developed, on campus interviews and a follow up meeting were conducted. The Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning team ranked the natural hazards that have or may continue to impact the campus. (The ranking system is discussed in Section 3.3 of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan.) The ranking given for each natural hazard considered by Charter Oak was based on background research, future development plans, and knowledge of the campus, infrastructure, and past occurrences. In general, hazards with a low estimated frequency, duration, severity, and intensity are expected to have minimal or no impact on the campus. Hazards with a high frequency, duration, severity, and intensity were given a higher mitigation priority. Higher rankings may be more likely to occur on a regular basis or within the next five years and could result in substantial impacts on campus with regard to economic damage, loss of function and operations of the campus, and human injury. Table 3-2 provides a summary of the rankings, which are discussed in more detail in each specific hazard section. Table 3-3 provides a summary of the qualitative risk assessment. The Charter Oak Hazard Mitigation Planning Team reviewed the natural hazards identified in Section 3.6 of the Multi- Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan and ranked each hazard according to the methodology outlined in Section 3.3. Table 3-2 provides a summary of the risk rankings, which will be discussed individually in the subsequent sections. Table 3-2: Charter Oak Natural Hazard Risk Ranking Summary Natural Hazard Frequency 0-5 Duration 0-5 Severity 0-5 Intensity 0-5 Probability F,D,I (40%) Consequence S (60%) Total Ranking L,M,H,S Coastal Storm/Nor easter M Dam Failure L Drought L Earthquake M Flood M Hurricane H Thunderstorm/Lightning M Tornado M Wildfire L Windstorm M Winter Related Hazards H CSCU Woodard & Curran

21 After reviewing the initial ranking of low, medium, high or severe and conducting additional research, consideration was given to how each natural hazard could impact students, faculty and staff, existing buildings, future buildings and development, operations and critical infrastructure. Table 3-3 provides a summary of the risk assessment discussed individually by hazard in upcoming sections. Table 3-3: Charter Oak Qualitative Risk Assessment Summary Coastal Storm, Nor easter Earthquake Flood Drought Winter Related Hazards Thunderstorm, Lightning Windstorm Tornado Hurricane Dam Failure Wildfire Risk Ranking M M M L H M M M H L L Students, Faculty & L L L L H M L L M L L Staff Existing Building M M M L M M M M H L L Future Buildings L L L L M L L L M L L Operations M M L L H L M M H L L Critical Infrastructure M M M L H M M M H L L Overall Risk Ranking M M M L H M M M H L L While none of the hazards were ranked as severe, winter-related hazards and hurricanes were ranked high. The following sections present specifics related to the susceptibility of the campus to natural hazards Coastal Storm/Nor easter In the state of Connecticut, nor easters are expected at least twice in a winter season. The probability of a nor easter impacting Charter Oak is highly likely as defined in Section in the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. A coastal storm/nor easter event can bring substantial amounts of rain or snow resulting in downed power lines, localized flooding, and power outages that could impact Charter Oak Vulnerability to Coastal Storm/Nor easter Hazard Table 3-4 outlines the criteria used to establish a coastal storm/nor easter as a hazard of concern. Such hazard events pose a risk of interrupting college operations through power outage; Charter Oak relies on power to provide online learning for students. According to sources interviewed, Charter Oak does have redundancy of data in case a hazard event compromises their server information, with a data backup kept at Eastern Connecticut State University. CSCU Woodard & Curran

22 Table 3-4: Charter Oak Coastal Storm/Nor easter Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Central Connecticut Region s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (2011) Susceptibility Criteria Identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. CT residents can expect two or more nor'easter weather events per season. Nor'easters were identified as a frequently occurring hazard in the Central Connecticut Region s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, which includes New Britain. Based on background research, future development plans, knowledge of the campus, infrastructure, and past occurrences, a hazard ranking of medium vulnerability to coastal storm/nor easter events was established (see Table 3-2) Future Development Considerations Charter Oak will consider coastal storm/nor easter hazard scenario planning during future development and redevelopment of the campus to mitigate the impact of coastal storm/nor easter occurrences, including: When planning new development, avoid disturbing existing natural features and habitats that may provide protection from natural hazards. Evaluate the existing building roof on campus to ensure its load capacities are appropriate for the potential wind loads. For future buildings, meet or exceed building code standards, as applicable, specifically to verify projected future wind loads are considered. Ensure there are multiple ingress/egress routes available for students, faculty, and staff to be utilized during a coastal storm/nor easter. Establish and continue communication with the appropriate city and/or state officials to coordinate weather and emergency information and instructions. Establish and continue communication with the campus population: o Proactively educate the campus population about preparation and appropriate response to a potential coastal storm/nor easter event. o Coordinate quick and efficient outreach to convey information issued by designated national agencies such as the National Weather Service, about the hazard and instructions on appropriate response and/or preparation. Review and coordinate emergency information with other CSCU campuses to become more familiar with emergency protocol. Specifically, coordination with Central should be considered due to its close proximity to Charter Oak. Ensure backup power is supplied to facilities operationally dependent on power like the data center. Manage campus tree maintenance to aid in mitigating impacts of downed trees. Evaluate coastal storm/nor easter impacts after storm events and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies Earthquake Earthquake events are difficult to predict. However, they are most likely to take place in areas where they have occurred in the past. When mapped, epicenters of past earthquakes on record are located throughout Connecticut. The CSCU Woodard & Curran

23 reoccurrence interval of earthquakes in the regions is relatively long, making the state an area of moderate seismic risk. Given the history of the region, the probability that Charter Oak will experience impacts from an earthquake in the future is likely, as defined by Section in the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. The probability that Charter Oak will experience impacts from an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 or greater, however, is unlikely Vulnerability to Earthquake Hazard Charter Oak is an online college and the impacts students may experience from earthquake can vary. Students enrolled in the college rely on online access, and an earthquake that does not impact Charter Oak may still impact a student s remote access. Table 3-5 indicates details regarding Charter Oak s vulnerability to an earthquake hazard event. Table 3-5: Charter Oak Earthquake Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Central Connecticut Region (2011) Anecdotal Information from Charter Oak State College Stakeholders Susceptibility Criteria Identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. Between 1938 and 2009, CT has experienced 138 earthquakes (according to USGS). All had magnitudes of less than 4.0. Earthquake was given a medium low hazard ranking. Central Connecticut infrequently experiences earthquakes. New Britain would be at the highest risk due to its densely developed buildings and infrastructure (and age of buildings). There is a major fault that causes periodic earthquakes in Connecticut (CT) that can affect students who are strictly on-line. Taking into consideration frequency, duration, severity, intensity, probability, and consequence of an earthquake hazard, the hazard ranking is medium, as demonstrated in Table Loss Estimate Charter Oak s building was quantitatively evaluated to determine the extent of building losses that could occur should an earthquake event take place. To determine cost of losses for Charter Oak, the age of construction and construction material were factored, as well as the PGA zone, following FEMA guidance document Understanding Your Risks Identifying Hazards and Estimating Losses (FEMA 386-2). An in-depth description of the methodology is located in Section of the Hazard Mitigation Plan. Table 3-6 depicts the overall earthquake hazard ranking for Charter Oak s facility. Factoring in the building age, PGA zone, and estimated cost of damage, the overall ranking was determined to be low, with a possible day of operations lost from an earthquake event. Figure 3-1 graphically illustrates the earthquake vulnerability ranking. CSCU Woodard & Curran

24 Table 3-6: Charter Oak Campus Building - Estimated Loss to Structure & Contents Due to Earthquake Existing Buildings Charter Oak State College Date Constructed Insurable Replacement Value Insurable Contents Value PGA Zone Building Damage Ratio (%) Estimated Building Damage Sustained ($) Contents Damage Ratio (%) Estimated Contents Damage Sustained ($) Total Sustained Damage ($) Loss of Function (Days) 1999 $7,000,594 $1,934, % $63, % $8,703 $71,708 1 Low Ranking Note: Utilized FEMA Loss estimation tables by category did not include an educational institution, so for the purposes of this analysis, the Professional Office category was utilized, which is consistent with Code as Business use. Once the category was selected, a PGA value of 0.1 was used to select the appropriate building damage ratio % and loss of function days. CSCU Woodard & Curran

25 Figure 3-1: Charter Oak Earthquake Specific Building Vulnerability CSCU Woodard & Curran

26 Future Development Considerations Charter Oak should consider earthquake hazard scenario planning during the future development endeavors of the campus, in order to help lessen impacts should an event occur. The following items may be considered: Stay familiar with changes to the International Code Council (ICC) building codes (which are published every three years) and the Connecticut State Building Code. In addition, work with the City of New Britain/State officials, as applicable, to stay informed of local/state developments that could impact campus. Establish and continue communication with the appropriate city and/or state officials to coordinate earthquake emergency information and instructions. Establish and continue communication with the campus population: o Proactively educate the campus about appropriate response to a potential earthquake event. o Coordinate quick and efficient outreach to convey information issued by designated national agencies such as USGS or FEMA, about the hazard and instructions on appropriate response and/or preparation. Review and coordinate emergency information with other CSCU campuses to become more familiar with emergency protocol. Specifically, coordination with Central should be considered due to its close proximity to Charter Oak. When and if new development is planned for campus, avoid disturbing existing natural features and habitats that may provide protection from secondary impacts of earthquake hazards. Examples of secondary impacts are rock fall and slope failure. Evaluate impacts after earthquake events and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies Flood The Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Central Connecticut Region Hazard Mitigation Plan notes that flooding is the most common hazard to affect the region, citing 12 significant flooding events from 1996 to The probability of a flood event impacting Charter Oak in the future is highly likely, as defined in Section in the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Vulnerability to Flood Hazard Despite not being located in a flood zone, as indicated by the FEMA FIRMette in Figure 3-2, Charter Oak is still susceptible to future flooding events. CSCU Woodard & Curran

27 Figure 3-2: Charter Oak Floodplain Map Historically, New Britain has experienced frequent flooding events. According to the NCDC Storm Events Database, the most recent flood occurred in September of 2013, inundating several streets with four to eight inches of water. Damage was estimated at $5,000. During the year prior, New Britain experienced three flooding events, the most significant of which occurred in June 2012 and caused $10,000 of damage. In comparison to the six other towns in the Central Connecticut Region, and according to FEMA HAZUS-HM analysis, New Britain is likely to incur some building damage, but much less than areas like Southington and Plainville. Table 3-7 depicts the results from the Central Connecticut Region planning effort with costs of damage as a result of potential flooding. CSCU Woodard & Curran

28 Table 3-7: Central Connecticut Region Hazus-MH Results for Floods, by Town Table 3-8 lists additional flood susceptibility information relevant to Charter Oak. Table 3-8: Charter Oak Flood Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Central Connecticut Region (2011) Anecdotal Information from Charter Oak State College Stakeholders Susceptibility Criteria Historically, flooding has caused the most damage in the State. Identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. Flood was given a high hazard ranking. Flooding was identified as the most frequently occurring hazard in the Central CT region NHMP, which includes New Britain. In 1992, New Britain experienced a tremendous amount of flooding from a rainstorm that exceeded the 100-year storm. The flooding inundated local playing fields and damaged bridges, culverts, and roads. Drainage issues exist around the Administration and Data Center Building. Conference room is sandbagged in advance of imminent rain. The data center is near the flooding that occurs in the conference room making it a concern during these events. Based on background research, future development plans, knowledge of the campus, infrastructure and past occurrences, a hazard ranking of medium for a flood hazard was established (see Table 3-2) Future Development Considerations For future development or redevelopment on the Charter Oak campus, the following items related to flooding hazard mitigation should be considered: Track, evaluate and plan for areas frequently impacted by flooding and consider drainage/engineering solutions to minimize future occurrences. o May require improving mapping and data analysis capabilities, as well as undertaking engineering studies of the existing stormwater drainage systems. CSCU Woodard & Curran

29 Ensure critical infrastructure/generators are located in places on campus with minimum susceptibility for flooding impacts. Retrofit the existing building in areas at risk of flooding to reduce its vulnerability to flood impact. Evaluate structural and nonstructural approaches to maximize flood control. Evaluate green infrastructure techniques that can be implemented to minimize flood occurrences. When planning new development, avoid disturbing existing natural features and habitats that may provide protection from the primary and secondary effects of flood hazards. Consider flood control/mitigation with any future New Britain development and redevelopment plans. All future development shall have the lowest floor, including the basement, elevated to or above the base flood level (100-year flood level). o Explore drainage issues and solutions prior to constructing new infrastructure. o Continue to meet building code, and zoning code related to flooding, as applicable. Stay knowledgeable of the City of New Britain s regulations related to flood hazards. Establish and continue communication with the appropriate city and/or state officials to coordinate flood emergency information and instructions. o Collaborate with City of New Britain officials on emergency procedures should the ingress/egress routes to campus be dramatically impacted by floodwaters. Establish and continue communication with the campus population: o Proactively educate the campus about appropriate response to a potential flood event. o Coordinate quick and efficient outreach to convey information issued by designated national agencies such as the National Weather Service and FEMA, about the hazard and instructions on appropriate response and/or preparation. Review and coordinate emergency information with other CSCU campuses to become more familiar with emergency protocol. Specifically, coordination with Central should be considered due to its close proximity to Charter Oak. Evaluate impacts after flooding events and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies Drought The New England region often experiences ample annual precipitation and typically has sufficient water supply. Nonetheless, certain conditions can cause drought events to occur in the region periodically; the Central Connecticut region has had 17 droughts occur in the past. It is likely that a drought event will impact the Charter Oak campus in the future. Probability is defined in Section of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan, and probability of drought in a County context is described in Section Vulnerability to Drought Hazard Charter Oak is vulnerable to drought. Table 3-9 lists past droughts that have occurred between 1901 and 2003, based on information provided by the Central Connecticut Region s 2011 Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. Table 3-9: History of Droughts in Connecticut ( ) Drought Start Date Jan Nov Apr Sept Jul Drought Duration 2 months 2 months 18 months 6 months 3 months CSCU Woodard & Curran

30 Drought Start Date Sept Apr Nov Nov Oct Apr Nov Jul Sept Mar Jan Feb Drought Duration 4 months 3 months 8 months 18 months 5 months 4 months 3 months 5 months 5 months 20 months 2 months months There are also recent occurrences of drought like conditions. According to U.S. drought monitor, as of July 2015, the Central Connecticut Region is categorized as abnormally dry. Figure 3-3 shows the status of the State of Connecticut as determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Table 3-10 indicates the susceptibility criteria used to determine vulnerability to drought. Figure 3-3: U.S. Drought Monitor Connecticut Table 3-10: Charter Oak Drought Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Susceptibility Criteria Connecticut has a drought preparedness and response plan in place (2003). Identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. Drought was given a medium low hazard ranking. The entire state of CT is vulnerable and susceptible to a drought event. CSCU Woodard & Curran

31 How Susceptibility Was Determined Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Central Connecticut Region (2011) Susceptibility Criteria The Central CT region including New Britain is susceptible to drought. Between 1900 and 2003, the Central CT region has experienced 17 drought events. Taking into consideration frequency, duration, severity, intensity, probability, and consequence of a drought hazard, the hazard ranking for a drought is low, as demonstrated in Table Future Development Considerations Charter Oak should consider drought hazards during future development and redevelopment efforts, including: Ensure adequate fire suppression ability for emergency response activities in drought scenarios. Development of emergency procedures, or a clear understanding of the City of New Britain emergency procedures for back up or interim water supply options and connections should there be inadequate amounts of usable water be deliverable to/available to the campus. Coordinate outreach to the campus population for drought preparation and emergency water conservation. Review and coordinate emergency information with other CSCU campuses to become more familiar with emergency protocol. Specifically, coordination with Central should be considered due to its close proximity to Charter Oak. When planning new development, avoid disturbing existing natural features and habitats that may provide protection from drought hazards. Employ a general policy to support sustainable water-related practices and water-use efficiency as a proactive measure against drought hazards. o Educate the campus population about droughts and water scarcity. Encourage the adoption of water conservation habits. o Explore building options such as incorporating water recycling/ gray water technologies into building designs. o Explore capturing and reusing rainwater on campus for a variety of purposes like irrigation and gray water. o Require the use of water efficient plumbing fixtures (such as those recommended by EPA s WaterSense Standards) in all future development/redevelopment. o Utilize greenscaping practices. Select plants that are compatible with the local environment to minimize the need for watering. Evaluate impacts drought events and plan for recovery once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response Policies Winter-Related Hazards The probability of a winter-related hazard, such as a winter storm, ice storm, or blizzard, impacting Charter Oak in the future is highly likely, as defined in Section in the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Vulnerability to Winter-Related Hazards Winter related storms pose a significant hazard through power outages, impediment of access to the campus, and extreme cold temperatures. Winter-related events are of particular concern because of the possibility of power outages leading to lack of internet service. In order to provide its students with an educational experience, there must be access to the tools needed to complete coursework. Charter Oak continues to be vulnerable to these types of impacts based on the history of winter-related events in Hartford County. Three Presidential Disaster Declarations were announced for Hartford County in 1996, 2011, and 2013 respectively. Additional details on the events are noted in Section CSCU Woodard & Curran

32 of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. Table 3-11 provides a summary of susceptibility information for Charter Oak. Table 3-11: Charter Oak Winter-Related Hazard Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Central Connecticut Region (2011) Anecdotal Information from Charter Oak State College Stakeholders Susceptibility Criteria Ice storm was identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. Ice storm was given a high hazard ranking. Identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. Winter storm was given a high hazard ranking. CT will experience two or more severe winter weather events per season. Winter storms are one of the biggest challenges for New Britain. The Administration and Data Center is equipped with a natural gas fired generator. The natural gas feed is about 30% below required pressure. Ice dams are significant at the front entrance of the building. Ice storms within the state affect power and internet availability. Students and faculty are all remote, thus outages are a concern. Winter-related hazards were ranked as high for Charter Oak, based on frequency, duration, severity, intensity, probability, and consequence (see Table 3-2) Future Development Considerations Charter Oak should continue to include winter-related hazard scenario planning during the future development endeavors of the campus. Additional measures may be considered to positively position the campus to further address this hazard, including: Establish and continue communication with the appropriate city and/or state officials to coordinate winter-related hazard emergency information and instructions. Establish and continue communication with the campus population: o Proactively educate the campus about preparation and appropriate response to a potential winter-related hazard. o Coordinate quick and efficient outreach to convey information issued by designated national agencies such as the National Weather Service about the hazard and instructions on appropriate response and/or preparation. Review and coordinate emergency information with other CSCU campuses to become more familiar with emergency protocol. Specifically, coordination with Central should be considered due to its close proximity to Charter Oak. Ensure backup power is supplied to facilities operationally dependent on power such as the data center. Manage campus tree maintenance to aid in mitigating impacts of downed trees. CSCU Woodard & Curran

33 Evaluate the existing campus building s roof to ensure its load capacities are appropriate for the projected future snow and wind loads. For future buildings, meet or exceed City of New Britain/State building code standards, as applicable. Specifically verify that projected future snow and wind loads are considered. Evaluate impacts after winter-related hazard events and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies Thunderstorm/Lightning The probability of thunderstorm/lightning impacting Charter Oak in the future is likely, as defined in Section of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. Discussion around the probability of a thunderstorm event is also presented in Section of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Vulnerability to Thunderstorm/Lightning Hazard Charter Oak is vulnerable to heavy rains, building damage, and power surges from thunderstorm/lightning events. These hazards can also cause supplementary natural events such as flooding and hail that can further impact the campus. The Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan presents recent examples, as of January 2010, of thunderstorm/lightning events in New Britain. Table 3-12 gives specific details about event history and concerns for the campus related to thunderstorm/ lightning impacts. Table 3-12: Charter Oak Thunderstorm/Lightning Hazard Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Anecdotal Information from Charter Oak State College Stakeholders Susceptibility Criteria Identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. Thunderstorm/lightning was given a high hazard ranking. Drainage issues exist around the Administration and Data Center Building. Conference room is sandbagged in advance of imminent rain. Data center is near the flooding that occurs in the conference room making it a concern during these events. The hazard ranking for a thunderstorm/lightning event was determined to be medium (see Table 3-2) Future Development Considerations Charter Oak should consider including thunderstorm/lightning hazard scenario planning during the future development endeavors of the campus. Some considerations include: Establish and continue communication with the appropriate city and/or state officials to coordinate thunderstorm/lightning emergency information and instructions. Establish and continue communication with the campus population: o Proactively educate the campus about preparation and appropriate response to a potential thunderstorm/lightning hazard. o Coordinate quick and efficient outreach to convey information issued by designated national agencies such as the National Weather Service, about the hazard and instructions on appropriate response and/or preparation. CSCU Woodard & Curran

34 Review and coordinate emergency information with other CSCU campuses to become more familiar with emergency protocol. Specifically, coordination with Central should be considered due to its close proximity to Charter Oak. Ensure backup power is supplied to facilities operationally dependent on power such as laboratories, data centers, and public safety buildings. Ensure adequate lightning protection is installed in existing and future buildings having valuable or sensitive equipment and/or data. For existing and future buildings where lightning protection upgrades are not feasible, establish a response protocol that includes properly depowering sensitive equipment prior to the start of a predicted lightning hazard. Evaluate thunderstorm/lightning impacts after storm events and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies Windstorm While windstorms are defined as a standalone event, severe wind is also associated with other natural hazards such as hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and winter storms. As a result, the probability of a windstorm impacting the City of New Britain and Charter Oak is highly likely as defined in Section in the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Vulnerability to Windstorm Hazard Windstorms typically occur over a broad area, and are documented Countywide by NOAA in the NCDC Storm Events database. Between January 1, 2010 and March 2015, 10 wind events impacted Hartford County resulting in $1.765 million of damage. Section presents examples of times in which a high or strong wind impacted Hartford County. The susceptibility of Charter Oak to windstorm is shown in Table Table 3-13: Charter Oak Windstorm Hazard Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Anecdotal Information from Charter Oak State College Stakeholders Susceptibility Criteria Between 1955 and 2012, there were 2,470 wind events recorded in the NCDC database for CT - an average of 42.6 per year. CT will continue to experience windstorm events and have a high probability of future occurrences. Windstorm was given a moderate/high hazard ranking. Power outage is a concern. A ranking of medium was determined for a windstorm hazard when taking into consideration frequency, duration, severity, intensity, probability, and consequence of a thunderstorm/lightning hazard, as presented in Table Future Development Considerations Charter Oak should include windstorm hazard scenario planning during its future development and redevelopment efforts. Possible considerations and measures include: Manage campus tree maintenance to avoid or aid in mitigating impacts of downed trees. Any future development should be constructed or updated with regard to the most updated local/state building codes, as applicable. Specifically verify projected future wind loads are considered. CSCU Woodard & Curran

35 Evaluate the existing building roof on campus to ensure its load capacities are appropriate for the projected wind loads. Establish and continue communication with the appropriate city and/or state officials to coordinate windstorm hazard emergency information and instructions. Establish and continue communication with the campus population: o Proactively educate the campus about preparation and appropriate response to a windstorm hazard. o Coordinate quick and efficient outreach to convey information issued by designated national agencies such as the National Weather Service, about the hazard and instructions on appropriate response and/or preparation. Review and coordinate emergency information with other CSCU campuses to become more familiar with emergency protocol. Specifically, coordination with Central should be considered due to its close proximity to Charter Oak. Evaluate windstorm impacts after storm events and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies Tornado Three tornado touchdowns have occurred in the Central Connecticut Region in the last 60 years, according to its Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. Based on the frequency of historic events, the probability of a tornado hazard occurring in Hartford County where Charter Oak is located is likely, as defined in Section in the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan Vulnerability to Tornado Hazard Table 3-14 details the susceptibility of Charter Oak to tornado hazards. According to the NCDC Storm Events Database, of the 19 tornadoes that occurred in Hartford County, one was rated as having a magnitude of F3 in 1962, and one was a F4 in However, in the future, larger intensity events could occur and impact the Charter Oak. Table 3-14: Charter Oak Tornado Hazard Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Central Connecticut Region (2011) Susceptibility Criteria Identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. Between 1950 and 2013, there have been 95 tornadoes in CT. Connecticut averages three tornadoes every 2 years. According to the state plan, they are expected to continue most frequently in western and northwestern CT. Tornado was given a high hazard ranking. Between 1951 and 2013, there have been 19 Tornadoes in Hartford County (none have directly impacted New Britain). Taking into consideration frequency, duration, severity, intensity, probability, and consequence of the hazard, the hazard ranking for a tornado is medium, demonstrated in Table 3-2. CSCU Woodard & Curran

36 Future Development Considerations Charter Oak should consider tornado hazards during future development and redevelopment efforts, including: Establish and continue communication with the appropriate city and/or state officials to coordinate tornado hazard emergency information and instructions. Establish and continue communication with the campus population: o Proactively educate the campus about preparation and appropriate response to a tornado hazard. o Coordinate quick and efficient outreach to convey information issued by designated national agencies such as the National Weather Service, about the hazard and instructions on appropriate response and/or preparation. Review and coordinate emergency information with other CSCU campuses to become more familiar with emergency protocol. Specifically, coordination with Central should be considered due to its close proximity to Charter Oak. Evaluate tornado impacts after storm events and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies Hurricane According to the Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, a Category 1 Atlantic hurricane may occur in/near Connecticut or make landfall once every 10 to 15 years. Based on the definition of probability in Section of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan, it is likely that hurricane events will continue to occur and potentially impact Charter Oak Vulnerability to Hurricane Hazard The Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Central Connecticut Region utilized FEMA s HAZUS-MH analysis tool to understand the amount of damage a hurricane may have on its surrounding vicinity. From the analysis, it was determined that New Britain would suffer the largest building damage out of all the other towns in the regions, as shown in Table Table 3-15: HAZUS-MH Results for Hurricanes, by Towns CSCU Woodard & Curran

37 Table 3-16 displays further supporting supplementary information on Charter Oak s vulnerability. The table documents an additional campus history of hurricane events and Charter Oak s susceptibility. Table 3-16: Charter Oak Hurricane Hazard Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Anecdotal Information from Charter Oak State College Stakeholders Susceptibility Criteria Identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. The entire state of CT is a hurricane susceptible region. Hurricane was given a medium hazard ranking. Hurricanes within the state affect power and internet availability. Students and faculty are all remote; thus, outages are of concern. Based on background research, future development plans, knowledge of the campus, infrastructure, and past occurrences, a hazard ranking of high to future hurricane hazards was established (see Table 3-2) Future Development Considerations Charter Oak should consider hurricane hazards during future development and redevelopment efforts. Considerations include: When planning new development, avoid disturbing existing natural features and habitats that may provide protection from natural hazards. Continue enforcement of local, state, and federal regulations that address building structural criteria and flooding, as applicable. Implement building code requirements in building rehabilitations or new construction that relate to FEMA policies and guidelines. Manage campus tree maintenance to aid in mitigating impacts of downed trees. Establish and continue communication with the appropriate city and/or state officials to coordinate hurricane hazard emergency information and instructions. Establish and continue communication with the campus population: o Proactively educate the campus about preparation and appropriate response to a potential hurricane hazard. o Coordinate quick and efficient outreach to convey information issued by designated national agencies such as the National Weather Service, about the hazard and instructions on appropriate response and/or preparation. Review and coordinate emergency information with other CSCU campuses to become more familiar with emergency protocol. Specifically, coordination with Central should be considered due to its close proximity to Charter Oak. Evaluate hurricane impacts after storm events and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies (which include instructions for sheltering in place for the campus population) Dam Failure While dam failure has occurred in the past in neighboring Berlin, the probability of a dam failure event impacting the City of New Britain and Charter Oak is unlikely as defined in Section in the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. CSCU Woodard & Curran

38 Vulnerability to Dam Failure Hazard New Britain is home to eight dams, two of which are classified as C class, meaning they pose a high hazard their failure would result in large economic loss and probable loss of life. These dams are listed in Table As Class A dams pose a small risk to their surroundings, they were not accounted for in the table. Table 3-17: Class BB, B, and C Dams located in New Britain Dam Name Pond Name Hazard Class Owner Name Dam # Stanley Pond Dam Stanley Pond BB City of New Britain 8904 Lower Pond Dam Lower Pond BB City of New Britain 8906 Shultz Pond Dam Shultz Pond BB Jill Denver 8905 Mason Pond Dam BB Shuttle Meadow Club 8903 Stanley Quarter Park Stanley Quarter B City of New Britain 8902 Pond Park Pond Shuttle Meadow Shuttle Meadow C City of New Britain 8901 Reservoir Dam Reservoir Batterson Park Pond Dike Batterson Park Pond C City of Hartford 8910 Source: Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), Listing of High, Significant, and Moderate Hazard Dam Owners and Dams in Connecticut, last updated 12/30/ Hazard Class: BB = Moderate. Inspection frequency is 7 years. B = Significant. Inspection frequency is 5 years. C = High. Inspection frequency is 2 years. New Britain has not experienced a dam failure in its past, however, Berlin, the neighboring town to its south, had a Class C dam failure in 1987 during a reconstruction effort. Eighty million gallons of water inundated homes and businesses and caused significant damage to a golf course. The event resulted in $187,000 (1987 dollars) of damage. Considering the amount of damage a class C dam can cause, the event was fortunately not catastrophic, and there was no loss of life. A hazard to the City of New Britain is the Shuttle Meadow Reservoir dam in Southington. Although the dam is not located in the City, it overlooks the community and has the potential to cause extensive damage. Table 3-18 details the susceptibility of Charter Oak to dam failures. Table 3-18: Charter Oak Dam Failure Hazard Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Susceptibility Criteria Dam failure was given a medium hazard ranking. Based on historical information, CT has a medium/low probability of future dam failure events. CT has experienced dam failures throughout the state in the past. CSCU Woodard & Curran

39 How Susceptibility Was Determined Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Central Connecticut Region (2011) Susceptibility Criteria New Britain has eight dams, two are considered high hazard. Plan specifically notes if the Shuttle Meadow Reservoir Dam in New Britain were to collapse, it would do major damage due to the fact that is looks over a densely developed area. Taking into consideration frequency, duration, severity, intensity, probability, and consequence of a dam failure hazard, the hazard ranking for a dam failure is low, demonstrated in Table Future Development Considerations Charter Oak designated campus staff should continue to communicate regularly with city officials regarding the dams located in the campus vicinity. Staying informed about dam condition, inspections and any maintenance work will be helpful to monitor for any potential impacts to the campus. If a dam failure event occurs, Charter Oak should evaluate impacts and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies Wildfire On rare occasions, wildfires have previously impacted the Central Connecticut region. Based on the definition of probability in Section of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan, it is unlikely wildfire events will impact Charter Oak in the future Vulnerability to Wildfire Hazard Three of the wildfire events the Central Connecticut area experienced within the last 30 years were described in the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Central Connecticut Region: September 1995: A wildfire occurred during a drought in Southington, burning over 25 acres in 3 days. August 1999: A forest fire, suspected to originate from a campfire, burned over 18 acres of woodland along the Berlin/Meriden border. It took seven days to extinguish the fire. No infrastructure was affected. November 1999: 110 acres of land were burned in Burlington and Harwington on water company land over two days. No homes or businesses were affected. Table 3-19 details the susceptibility of Charter Oak to wildfire hazards. Table 3-19: Charter Oak Wildfire Hazard Susceptibility How Susceptibility Was Determined Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan Update (2014) Susceptibility Criteria Identified in the State plan and determined to have a significant impact on the population and built environment in CT. Wildfire was given a medium low hazard ranking. Only one wildfire in CT in the past 15 years has burned more than 300 acres - the majority of the 5,415 reported events between 1991 and 2013 have burned less than five acres in area. CT typically experiences high forest fire danger between March-May. CSCU Woodard & Curran

40 Taking into consideration frequency, duration, severity, intensity, probability, and consequence of a wildfire hazard, the hazard ranking for a wildfire is low, demonstrated in Table Future Development Considerations Charter Oak should establish certain practices to help mitigate the impacts of a future wildfire occurrence. If Charter Oak makes development and/or redevelopment plans in the future, wildfire hazard scenario will be included as part of its planning efforts. Specifically the campus should ensure that its building(s) are up to date and abide by the most current fire codes. Charter Oak should coordinate emergency information and instructions with city and/or state officials. If a wildfire event occurs, the Charter Oak should evaluate impacts and plan for recovery and redevelopment once existing conditions are known, including updating and revising Emergency Response & Evacuation Policies. CSCU Woodard & Curran

41 4. VULNERABILITY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT Evaluating the potential impact various hazard events may have on Charter Oak s assets involves assessing risks, determining vulnerability and estimating losses. Charter Oak assessed building vulnerability based on the FEMA methodology using a loss of function and total damage calculation. An explanation of the methodology was included in Section 3.5 of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. 4.1 ASSET INVENTORY Table 4-1 summarizes information about Charter Oak s owned campus building evaluated during the mitigation planning process. Existing Buildings Charter Oak State College Loss of Function Table 4-1: Charter Oak Assets Date Construction Gross Square Feet Completed ,570 A discussion on the methodology of the Loss of Function Calculation can be found in Section 3.5 of the Multi-Campus Hazard Mitigation Plan. Table 4-2 presents data for a non-hazard-specific loss of function cost to the Charter Oak s administration building. The building provides a critical role by housing Charter Oak s data center, which is imperative to smooth online operation and therefore has a criticality value of five. Table 4-2: Charter Oak Loss of Function Cost The calculated cost of loss of function per hazard for Charter Oak s asset was nearly $3 million Building Vulnerability Assessment Using the Loss of Function cost per hazard, a non-hazard-specific Building Vulnerability Assessment was prepared that included utilizing additional information such as Insurable Replacement Value and Insurable Contents Value for buildings. A Total Damage amount was calculated and a building vulnerability ranking of high was assigned based on the total amount of potential damage (see Table 4-3). The ranking was based on the following scale: Existing Buildings Date Constructed Gross Square Feet Low: Less than $5 million Medium: $5 million to $10 million Building Criticality Value Factored Square Footage Building/Total Campus Square Footage Per Day Loss of Function Cost Estimated Hazard Specific Loss of Function Days Loss of Function Cost Per Hazard Charter Oak State College , , $426,800 7 $2,987,602 Total 14,570 CSCU Woodard & Curran

42 High: Greater than $10 million Table 4-3: Charter Oak Building Vulnerability Assessment Existing Buildings Insurable Replacement Value Insurable Contents Value Loss of Function Per Hazard Figure 4-1 graphically illustrates Charter Oak s Building Vulnerability Ranking. Total Damage Building Vulnerability Ranking Charter Oak State College $7,000,594 $1,934,030 $2,987,602 $11,922,226 High Note: Building Vulnerability Ranking is based on Replacement Value + Insurable Contents Value + Loss of Function Value CSCU Woodard & Curran

43 Figure 4-1: Charter Oak Building Vulnerability Assessment Non Hazard-Specific CSCU Woodard & Curran