Old North News

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released an update on its Flood Resiliency Blueprint, a project managed by the Division of Mitigation Services. The report, titled "More Resilient by Design: North Carolina’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint," outlines significant achievements and progress in enhancing flood resilience across the state.

Key developments include the allocation of $22 million for flood resilience projects within six priority river basins. The DEQ has also completed a draft of the Flood Resiliency Blueprint and released a Draft Neuse River Basin Action Strategy. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to reduce the impact, disruption, and costs associated with future floods in North Carolina.

"We must raise our sights beyond immediate recovery and focus on rebuilding more resiliently because we know these storms will keep coming," stated DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. He emphasized that through strategic planning and implementation, DEQ aims to ensure long-term prosperity for North Carolinians.

In 2024, partnerships were established with state agencies and local governments to initiate projects meeting Blueprint criteria. The program supports ongoing work in six authorized priority basins as directed by the North Carolina General Assembly.

The early investments have led to 54 projects worth over $40 million while costing $22 million from the Blueprint program itself. An additional $56 million has been committed to further flood resilience initiatives.

"One of the critical missions of the Blueprint was to develop a targeted approach to flood resiliency investments," said DMS Director Marc Recktenwald. He noted that these projects represent initial targeted state investments leveraging local government and agency efforts.

Several initiatives are advancing under the Blueprint's guidance:

- Enhancing existing flood modeling tools for better risk assessment.

- Developing a decision support tool for informed decision-making among stakeholders.

- Creating River Basin Action Strategies based on robust data for all six priority basins: Cape Fear, Lumber, Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, White Oak, and French Broad.

The ultimate aim is to expand this program statewide across all 17 river basins in North Carolina.

Established in 2021 by direction from the North Carolina General Assembly, the Flood Resiliency Blueprint serves as NC's foundational plan for addressing flooding challenges using science-based strategies and stakeholder engagement. Its goal is not only to mitigate flooding impacts but also to enhance community recovery capabilities and limit future risks through effective planning and resource allocation.