By Jonathan Hinkle
From the coast to the mountains, communities across North Carolina face flooding challenges year in and year out. Our state experienced more than $22 billion in damage just from Hurricanes Matthew and Florence alone.
Last year was the second wettest year on record in North Carolina, and storms are growing more severe and more frequent across the state. This translates to increased stress on our critical infrastructure, more devastation, and costly repairs left in the wake of these storms. In Eastern North Carolina, we have faced many extreme weather events over the past decade.
Data from the NC State Climate Office collected at the Kinston Research Station shows that recent years have had more days with rainfall in excess of 1 inch than past years. This pattern shift is stressing our critical infrastructure in an abundance of ways: flooding in yards, driveways, and homes; additional road
Number of Days Per Calendar Year with Precipitation ≥ 1.0 inches for Station KINS (Lower Coastal Plain Tobacco Research Station)
closures; infiltration within sewer systems; and increased erosion within our channels. It is changing our need for infrastructure. Recently I was on a call with other stormwater engineering industry leaders, where we considered the need to update the design criteria for our state’s infrastructure. It was discussed that to ensure our designs are better prepared for the future, the standard precipitation depths should be adjusted to include an additional 50% before being used to determine infrastructure sizing and capacity. This update would ensure the resilience of critical infrastructure as well as potentially relieve some of the stresses our infrastructure is exerting on our natural systems (creeks, rivers, wetlands, and estuaries).
The fact is clear – our state needs a coordinated, comprehensive flood resilience plan to assess flood risks and find the right solutions. This will identify shared vulnerabilities and the best projects to address flooding. It will help state and local governments design the infrastructure that we rely on to handle future storms and extreme rainfall. These solutions will benefit the communities that need them the most while positioning North Carolina to better compete for federal funding.
The more that we invest in flood resilience upfront, the greater our returns will be over time. Every $1 that we invest now will save an estimated $6 and reduce our recovery needs in the future. As we invest in flood resilience, an important strategy to immediately and affordably address flood risk is incorporating natural and nature-based approaches, from protecting floodplains to installing rain gardens.
Not only does implementing a flood resilience initiative make sense financially for our state, but it is supported by most North Carolinians. In a recent poll by The Nature Conservancy, a majority of the North Carolina voters surveyed support increased funding to better manage flooding in high-risk areas. In addition, most constituents, both Democrats and Republicans, say they favor the protection and restoration of natural areas to provide nature-based solutions to reduce flooding.
These issues have broad bipartisan support spanning all regions of the state. North Carolinians see and live the reality of extreme weather every year. Thankfully, our leaders in Raleigh, including Sen. Jim Perry and Rep. Chris Humphrey representing my district, are acting on this important issue. The House of Representatives’ budget includes a historic investment of close to $1 billion in flood risk mitigation funds. I encourage all members in the North Carolina General Assembly to support nature-based solutions and flood resilience planning in the upcoming weeks as you finalize the House and Senate Budgets.
This is a critical moment to put North Carolina on the right track to flood resilience. By acting now, we avoid the consequences of the next big storm that blocks roadways, shuts down schools, damages homes and businesses, and who knows what else. We are counting on our leaders to support long-term solutions to reduce flood risk for communities and economies throughout the entire state.
Jonathan Hinkle is a resident of Lenoir County and works in GPI’s Kinston office.
