North Carolina Executive Order 266 (2022): Updating the North Carolina Uniform Floodplain Management Policy for State Construction

On July 25, 2022, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued Executive Order No. 266, which directed the North Carolina Department of Administration (NCDOA) to update the North Carolina Uniform Floodplain Management Policy. The policy update will aim to improve the resilience of state-owned buildings to flooding.

In the years since 1990, when North Carolina's Uniform Floodplain Management Policy was last updated, the state has experienced an increase in frequency and intensity of storm events and flooding. Additionally, the executive order recognizes that historic floodplain maps may not accurately reflect current and future flood risk resulting from climate change and sea level rise. The executive order aims to holistically assess and combat these increasing risks  in order to minimize damage and potential loss of critical infrastructure during flooding events, minimize cost of repairs, and protect human health and safety.

Within 18 months of the Executive Order, NCDOA with the input of public stakeholders and other state agencies such as the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), must update the Uniform Floodplain Management Policy. EO 266 specifies that the updated policy should aim to assess and mitigate flood risk to state construction, prevent damage to state-owned assets, and "support natural hydrologic conditions and the beneficial services provided by natural infrastructure." The Executive Order lays out several strategies the policy must address in order to achieve these goals, including flood resilient design standards for all state construction, processes for assessing flood risk of potential state construction, methods for reducing construction in the floodplain, and providing options for nature-based infrastructure that reduces flood risk.

In addition to an update of the policy in regard to state-owned construction, EO 266 directs NCDOA to analyze the "legal, financial, environmental, and regulatory implications" of expanding the policy beyond just state-owned construction to include state-funded construction. NCDOA must work with relevant state agencies to develop and publish this analysis within 18 months of the Executive Order.

The updated Uniform Floodplain Management Policy for State Property went into effect on January 25, 2024 as a policy of the Executive Branch of North Carolina. 

 

Publication Date: July 25, 2022

Related Organizations:

  • State of North Carolina
  • North Carolina Office of the Governor

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  • Executive order

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