ENHANCING FLOOD RESILIENCY IN NORTH CAROLINA: A POLICY PROPOSAL FOR EXPANDING THE FLOOD RESILIENCY BLUEPRINT PROGRAM

Inland and mountainous regions can be particularly susceptible to the impacts of flooding because certain flood effects, such as flood velocity, can be amplified by the geography of the region. Western North Carolina residents experienced historic flooding in the fall of 2024 after Hurricane Helene. Adverse health outcomes of the intense flooding brought by Helene include bodily harm and over 100 fatalities. The damage to infrastructure was also dramatic, with the flooding causing an estimated $59 billion worth of damage to the state, exposing a lack of floodplain resilience needed to resist severe economic and health impacts. After conducting a policy analysis, our team finds that it is politically feasible to help municipalities manage flood mitigation by appropriating more funds to the Flood Resiliency Blueprint Program. To sustain the program’s activities and expand its reach statewide, approximately $75 million will go towards staff, floodplain modeling, and flood resilience project grants.