15 Members of North Carolina House of Representatives Join in Strong, Bipartisan Commitment to Address Flooding
On four year anniversary of Hurricane Matthew, American Flood Coalition launches statewide effort to tackle challenges caused by flooding and severe storms
Washington, DC—Today, the American Flood Coalition announced that 15 Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives joined its nonpartisan, national alliance of more than 200 elected officials, civic groups, military leaders and cities. The Coalition’s members work together to advance proactive solutions to the challenges posed by more frequent flooding, stronger storms, and rising seas.
Led by North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, the Representatives are the first North Carolina elected officials to join the American Flood Coalition. Their membership signals a shared bipartisan commitment to strengthening North Carolina’s infrastructure, protecting property value, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and saving lives.
In three of the past five years, a major hurricane has hit North Carolina, causing record-level flooding and leaving a lasting, devastating impact on communities across the state. Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, in 2016 and 2018 respectively, caused an estimated $27 billion in economic damage, including nearly $3 billion in agricultural losses across North Carolina. Since 2000, more than 545,000 home and property owners in the state have made flood damage claims through FEMA. New data shows that over the next 30 years, nearly 604,000 inland and coastal properties in North Carolina may be at substantial risk of flooding.
“Today marks a historic opportunity, four years after the landfall of Hurricane Matthew on our coast, to redouble North Carolina’s ongoing commitment to protecting vulnerable lives and infrastructure from severe flooding,” Speaker Moore said. “I appreciate this bipartisan group of House lawmakers joining together to maintain a strong recovery and strategic focus on storm resiliency, while giving voice to the concerns of their communities through the American Flood Coalition.”
“I am excited to welcome this bipartisan and committed group of leaders as we launch the American Flood Coalition’s engagement in North Carolina,” said Melissa Roberts, Executive Director of the American Flood Coalition. “Severe storms and flooding have become a common and increasingly dangerous threat to North Carolina communities in recent years. Each Representative understands first-hand the effects of flooding in their district and the urgent need for leadership and a commitment to finding dynamic solutions to address the harmful impacts of future flooding.”
Joining Speaker Tim Moore (R – District 111) are: Rep. Ted Davis, Jr. (R – District 19); Rep. Ed Goodwin (R – District 1); Rep. Charles Graham (D – District 47); Rep. Bobby Hanig (R – District 6); Rep. Chris Humphrey (R – District 12); Rep. Howard J. Hunter III (D – District 5); Rep. Brenden H. Jones (R – District 46); Rep. Perrin Jones, MD (R – District 9); Rep. Marvin W. Lucas (D – District 42); Rep. Pat McElraft (R – District 13); Rep. William O. Richardson (D – District 44); Rep. Stephen M. Ross (R – District 63); Rep. John Szoka (R – District 45); and Rep. Shelly Willingham (D – District 23).
About the American Flood Coalition
The American Flood Coalition is a nonpartisan group of cities, elected officials, military leaders, businesses, and civic groups that have come together to drive adaptation to the reality of higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding through national solutions that support flood affected communities and protect our nation’s residents, economy, and military installations. The Coalition has over 200 members across 19 states.
Cities, towns, elected officials, businesses, and local leaders wishing to join the American Flood Coalition or read more about the organization’s work can visit the Coalition’s website (www.floodcoalition.org) to find out more.
