01-04-2025
Mecklenburg County leaders consider buyout for flood-prone properties impacted by Hurricane Helene
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners is set to vote Tuesday on final approval for accepting offers to buy several properties near Mountain Island Lake impacted by flooding after Hurricane Helene.
The proposals are part of the county's voluntary Floodplain Buyout Program, to which Storm Water Services allocated $8.5 million to the program.
The properties listed on the meeting's consent agenda include lots on Riverside Drive, Harwood Lane, Lake Drive, and Riverhaven Drive, all of which sit among one of the hardest hit areas of Mecklenburg County after the storm.
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Commissioners approved several buyout grants in November to help cover the cost of demolition or elevating a home to prevent more flooding in the low-lying area.
County officials say around 170 structures in the Catawba River Floodplain took on damage last September.
Grant totals awarded to each owner will vary based on property value, federal assistance offered, and private insurance. Properties eligible must be at risk of flooding again or pose a risk to human life.
On the state level, lawmakers in Raleigh are considering a bill to lessen restrictions on rebuilding in floodplains.
Senate Bill 266 removes state and local floodplain requirements if the building was destroyed in a '200-year flood event' and has less than a 0.5% probability of flooding again.
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