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Groups Focus on Climate, Flood Resilience in Western NC

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Monday, April 10, 2023   

More than 100 people will gather this week in Asheville to brainstorm ways to improve flood resilience in Western North Carolina.

Historically, the state's flood strategies have primarily targeted coastal areas, but its rural, agricultural and mountainous side has also borne the brunt of hurricanes and tropical storms.

Mary Roderick, regional planner for the Land of Sky Regional Council, said landslides are a big concern in Western North Carolina, like the one which worsened Tropical Storm Fred's effects in 2021.

"A landslide occurred, which further backed up the floodwater," Roderick recounted. "It just created a wall of water that wiped out people's homes and took people's lives."

Conference participants will hear from the North Carolina State Climate office about future potential climate risks for the state. The Pew Charitable Trusts is hosting the invitation-only event. Pew estimated for every dollar invested in resilience, $6 are saved in terms of cleanup and other flood recovery costs.

One way the state hopes to address the issues is through the North Carolina Flood Resiliency Blueprint, a $20 million plan to develop risk-management processes and establish a method to prioritize and implement flood-control projects across the state.

Kristiane Huber, officer for The Pew Charitable Trusts' Flood-Prepared Communities Initiative, said conference-goers will explore fresh ideas for tackling such challenges.

"In working with regions like Western North Carolina, really thinking about how those smaller communities have fewer resources and can be so much more impacted by a flood that maybe doesn't make headlines is really key to thinking about that long-term resilience," Huber explained.

The state Office of Recovery and Resilience, and National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center at the University of North Carolina-Asheville are among the participants at this week's conference. In all, more than 1.3 million acres in North Carolina face flood risks, affecting $8 billion in of property and 2,500 miles of roads.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Disclosure: The Pew Charitable Trusts Environmental Group contributes to our fund for reporting on Endangered Species & Wildlife, Environment, and Public Lands/Wilderness. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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