As North Carolina faces stronger storms and more frequent flooding, Rep. Harrigan commits to leading on solutions that advance flood resilience and strengthen disaster preparedness for communities across the state.
WASHINGTON, DC — August 11, 2026 — The American Flood Coalition (AFC) today recognized Representative Pat Harrigan (NC) as a Federal Champion for his leadership, public service, and commitment to finding solutions to challenges posed by flooding.
“North Carolina is resilient, but Hurricane Helene tested that resilience like nothing in recent memory, leaving roads washed out, families displaced, and entire mountain communities waiting for help that took too long to arrive,” said Representative Harrigan. “As a Federal Champion, I am proud to work with the American Flood Coalition to make sure we deliver smarter, proactive investment that saves lives, livelihoods, and taxpayer dollars, while reforming the federal post-disaster process to work better for North Carolinians and communities across the country.”
Representative Harrigan joins 57 bipartisan AFC Federal Champions, those members of Congress dedicated to combatting the effects of stronger storms and more frequent flooding. As the 10th Federal Champion from North Carolina, Rep. Harrigan joins Reps. McDowell, Edwards, Rouzer, Davis, Murphy, Moore, and Foxx, as well as Sens. Budd and Tillis in representing the Tar Heel State.
“Rep. Harrigan has been a consistent presence in Western North Carolina since Hurricane Helene devastated the region, and has remained focused on the recovery and resilience of the communities he represents,” said Melissa Roberts, AFC Founder and Executive Director. “His commitment to pushing for faster federal action, ensuring relief reaches the communities that need it most, and leading policy efforts to help smaller and harder-to-reach communities make proactive resilience investments makes him exactly the kind of leader flood-impacted communities deserve in Congress.”
Since taking office in January 2025, Rep. Harrigan has championed more effective disaster recovery as well as stronger, proactive flood resilience strategies for North Carolina and the nation. For example, Rep. Harrigan introduced a bipartisan proposal to strengthen FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program by reducing program complexity and empowering states to steer investment toward high-impact risk reduction projects, while ensuring that rural, Tribal, and U.S. territorial governments have access to resources for flood resilience.
Rep. Harrigan has also been an active ally for Western North Carolina communities hit by Hurricane Helene. Among other efforts, he joined a bipartisan coalition of North Carolina representatives calling for accelerated delivery of relief funds to affected communities, and his office participated in a roundtable with the American Flood Coalition’s Western North Carolina Recovery and Resilience Partnership on federal disaster policy reform.
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About the American Flood Coalition
The American Flood Coalition is a nonpartisan group that brings together cities, elected officials, military leaders, businesses, and civic groups to drive adaptation to higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding. The Coalition advances solutions that support flood-affected communities and protect our nation’s residents, economy, and military installations. AFC has over 500 members across more than 20 states, and over 50 Federal Champions. For more on the organization’s work or how to become a member, visit floodcoalition.org.
About Federal Champions
The American Flood Coalition is an IRS Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The American Flood Coalition is not a Congressional Member Organization, nothing on this website shall be read to imply official sponsorship by either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate or any of their respective Members, and Federal Champions have no membership obligations or fiduciary responsibilities with respect to the American Flood Coalition. Federal Champion is an honorary title awarded by the American Flood Coalition to recognize Members of Congress who have come together to drive adaptation to the reality of higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding.
