The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint released new advisory floodplain maps and risk data for five river basins in Eastern North Carolina on Apr. 1. The updated mapping covers the Neuse, Lumber, Tar-Pamlico, White Oak, and Cape Fear river basins.
The new maps are intended to help local governments, agencies, and non-governmental partners better plan for flooding by providing more accurate information about flood risks. The online Flood Resiliency Blueprint Tool offers a decision support system to evaluate resilience actions and guide funding priorities.
According to DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson, “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.” Wilson said that recent investments in updated modeling mean residents now have a clearer understanding of their flooding risks.
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.” Ray explained that this effort is part of a multi-year project started in 2022 with contributions from NCEM’s Floodplain Management Program.
The newly released maps use advanced two-dimensional rain-on-grid models that simulate how rainfall moves across landscapes. These nonregulatory maps include areas not previously covered by traditional regulatory mapping and can show flooding far from streams or rivers. Communities can also assess future risks related to stronger storms or sea level rise using these tools.
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.”
The data will be used for developing River Basin Action Strategies aimed at supporting local planning efforts with detailed assessments of risk and vulnerability. These strategies are expected this summer for the five eastern basins; additional mapping for the French Broad River Basin is planned for release this fall.
