FLOOD RELATED ZONING REGULATIONS

FLOOD PLAIN PROPERTIES – ZONING

Unified Development Bylaws – Updated Floodplain Section – 2024

EMERGENCY PREPARATION

Signing up for the Hardwick Alert Notification Email – 2024

HISTORIC STRUCTURES IN THE FLOOD PLAIN

Guidelines on Flood Adaptation for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings – 2021

Guidelines for Reducing Flood Risk to Residential Buildings that cannot be elevated – 2015

AFTER A FLOOD

Prioritize Your Health and Safety – 2024 (Neighbor to Neighbor)

Guide for Cleaning up Mold After a Flood – 2015 (FEMA)

Four Ways to Reduce Flood Insurance Costs (FEMA)

Flood Resistant Materials for Rebuilding After a Flood – 2024 (State of Vermont)

Repairing Your Flooded Home – 2010 (FEMA)

Protecting Building Utility Systems from Flood Damage – 2017 (FEMA)

Flood Damage Resistant Materials – 2008 (FEMA)

Post Flooding Technical Assistance Toolkit for Agriculture – 2024 (State of Vermont)

FLOOD RELATED PLANNING DOCUMENTS

Recommended Actions to Improve the Safety of Vermonters During Major Flooding Events – UVM – 2024

Lamoille River Tactical Basin Plan – 2021

Basin 7 Lamoille Assessment Report -2016

A Strategy to Protect Communities and Ensure Clean Water by Mike Kline – 2016

Notes from the Draft Tactical Basin Plan – 2016

Upper Lamoille River Geomorphic Assessment – 2009

River Recovery in the Wake of Large Floods – 2024 (Jordan Fields at Trout Unlimited) (YouTube Video)

JACKSON DAM

Hardwick Lake Dam 2019 Visual Inspection

Hardwick Lake Today and Tomorrow by the Northern Rivers Land Trust – 2013

Report on the Jackson Bridge Dam by the Vermont Natural Resources Council – 2001

FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECTS

TOWN-WIDE INITIATIVES

1.) EDA grant for Flood Models of the Lamoille River and the Cooper Brook. The Engineering firm has been retained and the work will be done by December 2025

2.) A Local Emergency Management Plan is under construction – four new local categories are being designed: Emergency Volunteer Mobilization, Emergency Communications, Emergency Shelter, and the Supply and Support Center. A draft version will be available by Town Meeting.

3.) The Neighbor to Neighbor Supply Center will become a sustainable and ready-to-go element of emergency response.

4.) The Town Flood Resilience Website pages at Hardwickvt.gov have been updated and have more information for the public.

5.) The Hardwick Unified Development Bylaws were updated in September 2024 and the Flood Hazard Area Overlay rules now match the requirements from the State of Vermont and FEMA and will be ready for the anticipated update to the Floodplain maps.

6.) A Long-Term Recovery Plan is in progress.

7.) Six bridges will have engineering under way for permanent replacements/upgrades by 2026.

8.) Eleven damaged roads will have updated culverts by the end of 2025. Additional mitigation projects are ongoing on all roads in town.

9.) An Emergency Alert notification system (Text My Gov) and a physical emergency sire warning system will be implemented in early 2025.

FLOOD AREA SPECIFIC INITIATIVES

Downtown Hardwick (Lamoille River) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:

• Mill Street restoration project – Former Inn by the River Site (RIVER & HMGP)
• EWP 2024 – 3 projects
• Scoping study for the Downtown section (RIVER)
• 3 Buyouts
• Retaining wall restoration (FEMA)

Route 14 South (Cooper Brook) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:

• 2-3 elevations
• 2 buyouts
• Restoration project after two buyouts finalized (NRCD)
• 1 EWP 2024
• 1-2 proposed EDA projects
• 2 Lift stations for WWTF (FEMA)

Wolcott Street Commercial (Lamoille River) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:

• Wastewater Treatment Facility Plant – elevation or removal (FEMA)
• Jackson Dam Feasibility Study
• 7 buyouts (Sawmill Park – Future concept)
• 1-2 proposed EDA projects
• Floodproofing Concept (Additional EDA)

East Hardwick (Lamoille River) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:

• Better Connections Stormwater Overview
• 2 proposed EDA projects
• 2 FRCF buyouts in 2025
• EWP 2023 – 1 historic property
• 1 FRCF buyout (complete) in 2023-2024
• School Street Bank Stabilization (FEMA)

Granite Street Historic District (Cooper Brook and Lamoille River) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:

• 1 elevation
• Fire Station removal from the Floodplain (FEMA & MTAP)
• Future mitigation project at the Fire Station site
• Municipal Planning Grant for Flood Resiliency in 2025 (Application in process)

Hardwick Floodplain Acquisitions – 2023 and 2024 – December 2024

Hardwick Projects from 2023 and 2024 – October 30, 2024

Hardwick Projects from 2023 and 2024 – August 13, 2024

Hardwick Projects from 2023 and 2024 – August 1, 2024

Hardwick Projects from 2023 and 2024 – July 26, 2024

Community Meeting – 9-16-24 – Slides

HELPFUL LINKS

Neighbor to Neighbor – Hardwick Area Neighbor to Neighbor – Need anything? Want to help? Get in touch. Call or text 802-441-3301 or hardwickneighbors@gmail.com

New England 511 – State Road closures and construction information

Vermont.gov/flood – Vermont Flood Resources