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<br />Mitigation Strategy Report <br />FEMA-1134-DR-NC <br /> <br />State of North Carolina <br />Division of Emergency Management <br /> <br />I. Executive Summary <br /> <br />Hurricane Fran, a minimal Category Three hurricane (see Appendix C), struck the coast of North <br />Carolina on September 5th. The coastal area was particularly vulnerable due to heavy dune erosion <br />following Hurricane Bertha, which hit the coast in July. The damage caused by Fran was widespread <br />(see Appendix B). Flash flooding in the mountains, riverine flooding, and a coastal storm surge of up <br />to 12 feet took a heavy toll on residences, businesses, agriculture, and the public sector. High winds <br />caused heavy timber losses and secondary damages to structures. <br /> <br />While Hurricane Fran proved to be the most destructive storm to strike North Carolina in recorded <br />history, it could have been much worse. The State is especially vulnerable to hurricanes, including <br />those of a higher magnitude. Of all major hurricanes, defined as a Category Three or higher, North <br />Carolina ranks fourth among all States in terms of the number of times it has been hit. For North <br />Carolinians, Hurricane Hazel, which struck the coast in 1954, was the previous benchmark from <br />which all storms were measured. Since that time, North Carolina has experienced rapid growth <br />along the coast and other flood-prone areas. Thus, the State's recovery following Hurricanes Bertha <br />and Fran should be viewed as an important window of opportunity for advocating and achieving the <br />use of sound mitigation techniques to beller prepare for the next storm. <br /> <br />In order to reduce damages associated with future hurricanes and other natural hazards, a <br />comprehensive strategy must be developed to address these concerns. Thus, the objective of this <br />report is to provide a tool to assist any community, agency or person to identify structures which are <br />vulnerable to natural hazards and develop viable solutions to lessen or prevent future damages. In <br />addition, issues and opportunities identified by local communities will be incorporated into the State's <br />mitigation efforts, including the North Carolina Hazard Mitigation Plan and the North Carolina Recovery <br />and Redevelopment Plan. Recommendations will be provided to the Federal Emergency Management <br />Agency (FEMA) Regional Director, the Governor's Authorized Representative (GAR), the North <br />Carolina Disaster Recovery Task Force (DRTF), local governments, and other relevant State and <br />Federal agencies (see Appendix D). The recommendations in this report are based on community <br />site visits, discussions with county emergency management personnel, interviews with local public <br />officials, information obtained during State-wide Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Workshops, and <br />information generated by other Federal and State agencies. Mitigation strategy reports following <br />Hurricane Emily (FEMA-1 003-DR-NC), Hurricane Opal (FEMA-1 073-DR-NC), and Hurricane Bertha <br />(FEMA-1127-DR-NC) were reviewed for relevant data and incorporated into this document. <br /> <br />A primary means to fund mitigation measures is the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). <br />Some mitigation actions, such as shuller installation and equipment elevation, can be accomplished <br />by private homeowners with lillle or no financial assistance from governmental sources. Other <br />measures, such as the large-scale acquisition of flood prone properties, will require intergovemmental <br />coordination and partnerships involving the use of multiple funding sources. In both instances, local <br />government commitment is vital. <br /> <br />Page 1 <br />