FLOOD06186

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: North Carolina Mitigation Strategy Report
• Date: 2/1/1997
• Prepared For: North Carolina
• Prepared By: FEMA
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

Mitigation Strategy Report
FEMA-1134-DR-NC

State of North Carolina
Division of Emergency Management

EM personnel, specifically those responsible for the administration of the HMGP and PA, should
implement a coordinated system that quickly directs identified mitigation projects to appropriate funding
sources. The early identification of projects begins during Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs)
conducted immediately following a natural disaster. In order to more effectively capture all possible
mitigation opportunities it is necessary to improve PDA data gathering techniques and information
sharing. (Case in point: some PDA team members viewed the identification of mitigation opportunities
as "a waste of time.") Therefore, FEMA and EM should adopt a standard operating procedure (SOP)
describing the role of mitigation specialists in the field. Furthermore, this SOP should contain language
that creates autonomous PDA mitigation teams. These would reduce the amount of time spent by
both parties on activities that were not directly related to their mission.

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. Mitigation of Historic Properties

Figure 14: Damaged Historic Property

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Hurricane force
winds and
flooding often
wreak havoc on
historic prop-
erties. Historic
properties may
include buildings,
structures,
objects, districts,
and archeological
sites. Numerous
properties that
were damaged
and listed in the
National Register
of Historic Places
have been
identified in the
disaster area. The
National Historic
Preservation Act
of 1966 requires
that every
Federal agency
consider the
impact of its
actions on historic properties. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) also requires that proposed
projects be reviewed for adverse environmental impacts. Environmental assessments may be required
before restoration measures can be implemented. The State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)
and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation must be consulted prior to the funding of any mitigation
projects involving historic properties. A Programmatic Agreement for PA and the HMGP was ratified
on November 5,1996, between the EM, State Historic Preservation Office, FEMA, and the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation. The terms of the agreement should be included in all mitigation
activities that affect historic properties. Local communities should include a historic preservation
element in their hazard mitigation and redevelopment plan. A primary component of this element is
a comprehensive inventory of historic properties that includes a list of property owners, basic
construction materials used, the structures existing condition, and their location with the community.
When completed, preparedness and mitigation techniques sensitive to the unique nature of historic
properties should be discussed and implemented.

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