Barriers for Municipalities to Federal Funding for Flood Mitigation

Abstract

In North Carolina, flooding is a significant and costly problem for many counties. Efforts to mitigate flooding damage or incidence take a number of forms, including property buyouts and traditional and natural infrastructure projects, many of which can be costly for counties. There are a number of federal programs designed to fund the range of mitigative measures, dependent on the type of project or assessment of risk for the municipality. Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) wants to know the answer to a key policy question related to flood mitigation: what are the barriers, if any, limiting the utilization by local governments in North Carolina of federally available funds for mitigative projects aimed at preventing flood damage? If so, how should EDF prioritize their partnerships, planning, and resources in providing solutions to lessen these barriers?