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<br /> <br />CASE STUDY: /~~ <br />MECKLENBURG COUNTY FLOOD AUDITS FOR AT- ~ - /-' <br />RISK COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES - A COMMUNITY- - <br />BASED APPROACH TO BUSINESS RISK REDUCTION <br /> <br />Mecklenburg County, a major commercial center including Charlotte, the state's most populous city, has <br />historically been \'lIlnerable to flooding. In 1989, the remnants of Hurricane Hugo caused approximately $1 <br />billion in damages in Charlotte. In 1995, Tropical Storm Jerry dumped 12 inches of rain, and two years later, <br />Hurricane Danny dropped nine inches on Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, causing substantial losses. <br /> <br />On a more routine basis, three types of flooding occur in Mecklenburg County:' <br /> <br />. overbank flooding that affects about 1,500 structures, most built before adopting <br />floodplain management regulations <br /> <br />. local drainage problems affecting up to 10,000 structures <br /> <br />. erosion and channel degradation along urban stream reaches <br /> <br />The good news, Charlotte-Mecklenburg County is home to one of the nation's most progressive floodplain <br />management programs - the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Stom1 \Vater Sef\ices (CMS\VS). <br /> <br />In an effort to galvattize support from the business community for Project Impact and public-private <br />partnerships, the CMS\VS is focusing on flood hazard mitigation for business. The project is goided by the <br />following objectives: <br /> <br />I) To educate business owners on the role of mitigation io business planning and manage- <br />ment. <br /> <br />2) To identifY and implement cost-effective flood-hazard mitigation techniques for select <br />businesses. <br /> <br />3) To select a group of small and medium sized businesses in Charlotte to participate in a <br />floodproofing demonstration project. <br /> <br />4) To utilize the results of the initiative to puhlicize the flood losses that can be prevented <br />through the implementation of floodproofing techniques. <br /> <br />The project, Mecklenburg Count)' Flood Audits for At -Risk Commercial Structures, is a multiphase project <br />that is targeting 23 commercial and industrial facilities in Charlotte. Most are small businesses, including a <br />convenience store, machine shop, restaurant supplier, oil company, phannacy, ink and metal decorating <br />shop, tire company, auto parts distribntor, and a wholesale supplier. <br /> <br />The project has six phases: <br /> <br />I) Business Outreach and Participant Selection; <br /> <br />2) Structure Evaluation and Floodproofing Techniques; <br /> <br />3) Flood Audits; <br />4) Design; <br /> <br />43 <br />