New Hanover County completes annual report on floods

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WWAY) – To show the county’s strategies to reduce floodplain hazards, as well as ensure homeowners receive discounted flood insurance rates, New Hanover County has completed its annual progress report on the mitigation efforts related to floodplain management in the Southeastern NC Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan and has submitted it to the Insurance Services Office.

The county’s 2021 progress report, which can be found here, outlines the county’s approach to floodplain management and is part of the annual recertification process for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System.

“NFIP’s Community Rating System is a voluntary incentive program that New Hanover County has participated in since 1991,” said County Manager Chris Coudriet. “We have a great collaborative team that works together with other partners in our region to help ensure we exceed the minimum requirements of the NFIP, meaning that our community benefits from a comprehensive floodplain management approach that helps prevent damage from flooding and disasters, and also saves our citizens money on their insurance premium rates.”

New Hanover County’s participation and good rating of a Class 7 allows eligible homeowners in the unincorporated areas of the county to receive a discount on flood insurance premiums in FEMA designated Special Flood Hazard Areas.

The Southeastern NC Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan undergoes review every five years and was adopted in March 2021. The plan is a collaboration with New Hanover County, the City of Wilmington, Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville beach towns, and Brunswick, Pender, and Onslow counties, and nearly half of the strategies outlined directly relate to floodplain management. Some of those include regular meetings with other local CRS programs to leverage resources and learning opportunities, enforcement of the NC Building Code, stormwater ordinance updates, enforcement of land use and zoning ordinances in flood zones, education of landowners, and capital projects addressing drainage and water egress.

For more information, visit New Hanover County’s Planning and Land Use Department website or call 910-798-7165.