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Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 19, 2024 Regional Saugus River Floodgate Project “The threat is real and is happening now” (Editor’s Note: The following document was prepared by Robert Hunt, who worked for 33 years as a project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was heavily involved with the Regional Saugus River Floodgate Project, which focuses on the communities of Revere, Lynn, Saugus, Malden and Everett. Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian included this document with a letter addressed to the Saugus Board of Selectmen, which he requested to be discussed at Tuesday night’s Board meeting along with the Jan. 13 flooding in Saugus. Manoogian is urging selectmen to endorse the Saugus River Floodgate Project and to communicate such action to state and federal political leaders.) January 13, 2024 On February 6 and 7, 1978, a major northeaster hit the New England coast, a 100year storm. The Blizzard of ’78, as it came to be called, caused widespread damage to coastal communities and residents. The Saugus River Watershed was particularly hard hit, with extensive damage in Revere, Lynn, Saugus, Malden, and Everett, MA. Flooding over much of the lower watershed was 4 to 7 ft deep and up to 3-feet higher in elevation than tide levels at the Boston gauge because of normal high tide, storm surge, and storm-driven waves. These flood waters damaged over 3,100 buildings, affected 10,000 residents and 20,000 employees, and cut off transportation for 400,000 commuters. Homes were without heat, electricity or means of evacuation. Two homes burned because roads were impassable. Damages were estimated at $72 million in 1978 dollars, equivalent to $332 million in 2023 dollars. Since then, things have only gotten worse with significant flooding every few years, twice in 2018, a record high in Boston, and three in 2024, 4th & 6th highest of record! Also alarming, by 2030/34 with a 1+ foot rise in sea level: most properties around the estuary will see flooding twice a month during high spring tides; a 10-year storm becomes an annual event; and the Blizzard of ’78 storm tide becomes a 10-year event, and by 2050, a 2-year storm. The Standard Project Northeaster (or SPN), the worst storm likely to occur, would add at least two feet to the ’78 tide level, and accelerated sea level rise (SLR) by 2050 would add another 2.5 feet according to the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Office. This would cause a potential depth of 10 feet over many of the low-lying areas of the five communities lasting several days to weeks. This Celebrating Our 52nd Year Dan - 1972 We Sell Cigars & Accessories! 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Driven by the affected municipalities, the Commonwealth and the Federal government began seeking methods to reduce these potential damages. The Regional Saugus River Floodgate Project was planned and designed over eight (8) years (1985-1993) at a cost of $8.6 million ($20 million at todays’ dollars) by the Army Corps of Engineers with the help of Citizen Steering Committees from Lynn, Malden, ReFLOODGATE | FROM PAGE 1 derstand that several Board members may want the time to learn more or to hear back from what comes out of the latter suggestion. I have attached an updated brochure describing the current state of the project. Hopefully this will be sufficient information for the Board to make an informed decision to move forward.” Saugus is one of five North Shore communities that would benefit from the Regional Saugus River Floodgate Project. The cites of Everett, Lynn, Malden and Revere – communities that were hit hard by the Blizzard of 1978 – are also involved. Flood waters damaged over 3,100 buildings, affected 10,000 residents and 20,000 employees and cut off transportation for 400,000 commuters, according to Robert Hunt, a retired federal official who worked for 33 years as a project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Damages were estimated at $72 million – the equivalent of $332 million in 2023 dollars. In his retirement, Hunt continues to work with Manoogian and a handful of other officials across the region who continue to lobby the federal government and Massachusetts to update the vere, and Saugus and a Technical Group of Federal and state agencies and private environmental interests to reduce coastal flood damages from storms such as the Blizzard of ’78 and larger storms, while protecting the estuary. Three major alternatives were considered: Option #1, Local Protection Plans which relied on 10 miles of walls up to 8 feet high above yards and roads surrounding flood-prone areas. This plan, while economically feasible, blocked views for many residences; Option #2, Nonstructural Measures examined raising or floodproofing individual structures. Only 240 buildings (7%) were found suitable for this approach and no protection could be provided for transportation and other infrastructure. These plans were unacceptable to all participating communities; and, PROJECT| SEE PAGE 4 project’s planning and ultimately fund the project. Panetta told The Saugus Advocate on Wednesday (Jan. 17) that she requested Manoogian’s letter to be included on the agenda for next Tuesday night’s meeting and that board members would be discussing it. “The floodgate project will be on the agenda at the next Board of Selectmen meeting under correspondence. We will discuss the project and how to move forward,” Panetta said. Panetta is president of the Saugus River Watershed Council, which has been a strong advocate for the floodgate project. “The Saugus River Watershed Council would like to see the floodgate project fully funded,” Panetta said this week. “It has been very successful in other high risk communities, like New Bedford, for example. The more people we can get to attend community meetings, the stronger voice we will have,” she said. Panetta, a lifelong Saugus resident who has been active in her hometown’s local government for more than three decades, welcomed a public discussion of the recent flooding. “This was the worst that I’ve ever seen flooding in Saugus,” PaFLOODGATE | SEE PAGE 6

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