Our communities have experienced severe storms and dangerous flooding, and as many continue to work to provide the resources and recovery services for those affected by this flooding, as leaders we want to continue to explore solutions and ways to mitigate flooding while continuing to ask for federal funding and resources to build resilient communities.
Mayor Olivia Dawson was elected as mayor of Burgaw in 2021. She is the Tourism Director Pender County and serves as the current chair of the Pender County Long-Term Recovery Group focused on disaster recovery. The Town of Burgaw, the county seat of Pender County, North Carolina, has a population of over 4100. In 2010, the town participated in a multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan developed by Pender County, which included the assessment of flooding and hurricane hazards. In 2016, Burgaw received over $900,000 in grants to remedy stormwater infrastructure problems. To aid in its ongoing efforts to mitigate the damage of flooding, the town has adopted a Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance and participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Burgaw also benefits from the more than $6.5 million approved by FEMA to eliminate flood risks in Pender County.
