The Carolinas and Florida advance flood resilience during sessions
The Carolinas and Florida continue to take proactive steps to tackle growing flood risks and strengthen resilience. The three states recently passed significant measures aimed at strengthening their flood resilience and recovery efforts, efforts led by state partners and the American Flood Coalition Action (AFCA), the advocacy arm of the American Flood Coalition. North Carolina: […]
Building resilience with flood-smart agriculture
Agriculture is the backbone of rural America and a lifeline that feeds the world. With one in five Americans living in rural areas and nearly half the country’s land used for farming, farmers and other agricultural producers make important decisions every day that shape the health and resilience of entire regions. This is particularly important […]
AI can make disaster response faster, smarter, and fairer — if we let it.
When disaster strikes, communities should be able to count on rapid and effective federal support. But too often, the processes designed to help them recover are delayed by outdated processes and bureaucracy. In the wake of a major flood in South Carolina, one local mayor told us, “It took 4 years and 2 approvals to […]
Six months after Hurricane Helene, Western NC leaders gather in DC elevate need for recovery and resilience resources
The American Flood Coalition (AFC) brought more than a dozen Western North Carolina local leaders to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior leaders from the White House, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Capitol Hill to elevate the region’s ongoing recovery and long-term resilience needs. The trip marked the six-month anniversary since Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic […]
AFC convenes Western NC leaders to launch recovery and resilience partnership
Staff from the American Flood Coalition were on the ground this month in Western North Carolina, supporting communities in their recovery from Hurricane Helene. While there, AFC convened nearly two dozen local leaders to formally launch the WNC Recovery & Resilience Partnership. The Partnership is a regionally led effort to secure financial support, resources, and […]
2024 in review
With historic flooding across the country, including severe storms in the Midwest and devastating hurricanes in the Southeast, 2024 showed the need for flood solutions in every community. Despite these challenges, this year we saw all levels of government build flood resilience: Communities planned flood projects, states invested in resilient infrastructure, and we worked with […]
AFC cohort aims to simplify federal funding process
Note: In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, catastrophic damage, and loss of life across the Carolinas and in two Cohort communities, Pickens County and Canton. AFC is working closely with these communities and across Western North Carolina as they respond to and recover from the storm to support the impacted communities and […]
Where to apply for post-disaster assistance
After a disaster, communities and individuals can be overwhelmed by the amount of information available for recovery. As people worry about immediate needs like food, water, and power, they must also navigate a complex web of federal, state, local, and private resources, most of which involve applications and paperwork. This page is for local leaders […]
Everything you need to know about flood insurance
In the wake of hurricanes and storms, many households face long and costly recoveries. That’s partially because few of those affected by storms are insured against flooding: For example, when Hurricane Helene hit Buncombe County, which comprises Asheville, less than 1% of homes and businesses had flood insurance. While flooding is widespread and destructive — in the […]
Hurricane Milton: Resources for Response & Recovery
As communities in Florida deal with the impacts of Hurricane Milton, our thoughts are with those responding and recovering from the storm. To support leaders during the aftermath of Milton, the American Flood Coalition compiled these resources. Florida assistance details Florida has received a federal disaster declaration for Milton. NOTE: The following information is current as of October 15, […]