Arlington Working To Upgrade Hazard Mitigation Plan

ARLINGTON, MA — The town has hired a consulting firm to help update its hazard mitigation plan, a document meant to guide how the town prepares for natural hazards and protects residents, property, and public infrastructure.

The update will be developed with help from Horsley Witten Group, Inc. The project follows a $60,000 Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities grant award, according to the town.

A committee made up of town staff, local nonprofits, academics and community members will advise the creation of the 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. The town said the plan will identify risks and vulnerabilities connected to natural hazards and outline long-term strategies for reducing damage from future events.

The plan also affects Arlington’s eligibility for federal aid. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires communities to continue the planning process and seek approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to remain eligible for certain financial assistance.

The town said the update will be built around four main areas: public outreach and stakeholder coordination, risk assessment, mitigation strategy, and plan maintenance. Those categories include identifying hazards, estimating potential losses, developing actions to reduce risk, and setting up a process for evaluating and revising the plan over time.

The release did not identify specific hazards, neighborhoods or infrastructure projects that will be prioritized in the update.

David Morgan, Arlington’s environmental planner and conservation agent, is listed as the town contact for the project. Craig Pereira, a project manager with Horsley Witten Group, is listed as the consultant contact.

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