The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint announced on Apr. 1 the release of updated advisory floodplain maps and risk data for five river basins in Eastern North Carolina.
The new mapping, developed in partnership with North Carolina Emergency Management’s Floodplain Mapping Program, is intended to help local governments, agencies, and partners better plan for and respond to flooding. The updated maps are available through the online Flood Resiliency Blueprint Tool and cover the Neuse, Lumber, Tar-Pamlico, White Oak, and Cape Fear river basins.
Community engagement was a key part of creating these resources. According to the department’s statement, extensive coordination took place with local leaders, state agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and university researchers. The team also looked at similar programs in Texas and Louisiana to guide their approach.
“Research from UNC Chapel Hill found that more than 90,000 buildings in Eastern North Carolina flooded at least once from 1996-2020, and 43 percent of those buildings were outside the mapped FEMA floodplain,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “The General Assembly’s investment in updated modeling and mapping means that North Carolinians in five river basins now have a more accurate picture of their actual flooding risk.” NC Emergency Management Director Will Ray said: “NC Emergency Management is proud to provide flood mapping support to DEQ which will produce additional flood mapping products to build resilient communities across the state…once again showing the whole-of-community approach to disaster preparedness In North Carolina.”
The new effort uses advanced two-dimensional rain-on-grid models that simulate how precipitation moves across landscapes. These nonregulatory maps cover areas not previously included due to size or distance from streams—sometimes many miles away—and allow communities to assess future risks from changing weather patterns or growth.
Flood Resiliency Blueprint Manager Stuart Brown said: “These new maps…mean that Eastern North Carolinians can make more informed decisions and better investments to build their resilience in the face of more frequent and severe flooding.”
According to information provided by DEQ, these tools will be used as part of developing River Basin Action Strategies this summer for the affected areas. New maps for other regions are expected later this year.
