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Southeast North Carolina

North Carolina Resilient Coastal Communities Program

Under the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management’s Resilient Coastal Communities Program, SWCA provided coastal resiliency planning technical assistance to six counties and municipalities.

Details

Completion

2024

Client

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

Additional County

Perquimans County, North Carolina

Additional County

Hertford County, North Carolina

Description

Under the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management’s Resilient Coastal Communities Program, SWCA provided coastal resiliency planning technical assistance to six counties and municipalities in eastern North Carolina. In cooperation with Community Action Teams (CATs) in each community, SWCA conducted a risk and vulnerability assessment, community engagement, and project identification and prioritization. This included synthesizing information regarding all local coastal hazards (e.g., riverine flooding, rainfall-induced inland flooding, storm surge, and sea level rise), facilitating two rounds of public meetings and monthly CAT meetings, and helping CATs agree on a list of high-priority projects to pursue. The final product of this process was a resilience strategy document for each community that included the results of the risk and vulnerability assessment and a prioritized resilience project portfolio, including nature-based solutions.

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Where the Water Goes: Planning Resilient Coastal Communities in North Carolina

Shaped by rivers, sounds, and the Atlantic Ocean, the coastal regions of North Carolina offer thousands of miles of scenic waterfront. Yet, due to the increasing impacts of climate change, these very waterways threaten the livelihood of a coastline dotted with historic towns and millions of residents. Coastal communities are facing intensifying storms, rising sea levels, and high flood risk.

North Carolina launched its N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP) in 2021 as a framework for counties and municipalities to prepare for coastal hazards through technical and financial support. The program equips local governments with the tools necessary to set goals, assess vulnerabilities, prioritize projects, and apply for funding.

Twenty-six communities participated in the first phase of the program and were provided technical assistance and grant process guidance. Since the start of the program, the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management has paired SWCA with six communities in the Northeastern part of the state: Washington County, the town of Creswell, Bertie County, the town of Windsor, Hertford County, and the town of Hertford.

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