StormSmart Coasts 2009-2011 Pilot Project - Hull
Freeboard Incentive and Storm Surge Visualization

Hull is a narrow, low-lying peninsula located 12 miles south of Boston. This town of approximately 11,000 residents covers 33 miles of densely developed shoreline separating Hingham Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The community experiences regular damages and flood claims from northeasters and is also vulnerable to hurricanes.

Project Goal

To address current and future storm damage impacts, the town sought to improve standards guiding development and redevelopment and to enhance education and outreach regarding the risks associated with coastal storms and sea level rise.

Approach and Results

The Hull StormSmart Coasts pilot project resulted in the development of two innovative tools that can be used as models in other coastal communities:

• Freeboard Incentive: In September 2009, the Hull Board of Selectman unanimously passed the state's first freeboard incentive program to encourage elevating buildings above currently predicted floodwater levels to account for future storm events and sea level rise. Hull's Conservation Agent worked with CZM and the town's Building Commissioner to develop the freeboard incentive (PDF, 33 KB), which enables the Building Department to offer a $500 credit for permit fees to builders and homeowners who elevate new and renovated structures at least two feet above the highest federal or state requirement.
• Storm Surge Visualization Tool: The StormSmart Coasts team also developed a three-dimensional (3D) visualization tool to improve local understanding of the impacts of flood events and sea level rise. Through a contract with Applied Science Associates, photorealistic 3D models were developed for seven Hull facilities that are critical to public safety, health, and welfare. High-resolution topographic data were used to create the 3D models of five flooding scenarios at seven critical facilities. The flooding scenarios defined by the StormSmart Coasts team include:
  1. Base Flood Elevation (BFE) determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps
  2. BFE + current sea level trend (0.3 meter [m] or 1.0 feet [ft])
  3. BFE + low rate of sea level rise (0.5 m or 1.6 ft)
  4. BFE + moderate rate of sea level rise (1.0 m or 3.3 ft)
  5. BFE + high rate of sea level rise (3.0 m or 9.8 ft)
  The 3D models depict current and possible future storm-event water levels around the most important infrastructure, including an emergency shelter and the wastewater treatment plant. The project technical report provides details on the methodology and includes images of Hull's critical facilities under the varying flooding scenarios. These images are being used by town officials and facility managers to evaluate options to protect these services as well as the residents and businesses using them. Google Earth served as the platform for this product for ease of viewing and sharing.

The Town of Hull received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2010 Walter B. Jones Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Government for their innovative work on this project and their outstanding efforts at local management of coastal hazards.

See Using Freeboard to Elevate Structures above Predicted Floodwaters for related information on freeboard. For more on storm surge visualization, see the NOAA Coastal Services Center Digital Coast website.