Post-Hurricane Helene, the state is offering Mecklenburg County residents and businesses in the floodplain, money to elevate their homes or buy them out. There are nearly 2,000 structures located in the county’s floodplain that could be eligible.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already approved $4.6 million for disaster recovery in Mecklenburg County, where floodwaters from Hurricane Helene reached roughly 185 buildings.
Charlotte received about 4 inches of rain during Helene, but heavier downpours farther west led to flooding around Mountain Island Lake, Lake Norman and the Catawba River. The upper Lake Wylie area was hit hardest, with 10 feet of water flooding some homes.
“On those roads, every structure was impacted,” said Jonathan Beller, construction project manager with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services. “Even some of the homes that had elevated were impacted in their finished areas.”
The grants on offer now will pay up to the entire cost of home elevation projects.
This is separate from the county’s Floodplain Buyout and retroFIT Floodproofing programs. The state will manage approved elevation projects, including contracting out the construction. For homeowners who can wait for the state and federal government to approve their application, the grant offers a streamlined option for elevating their home.
Interested applicants do not need insurance to apply, but grant recipients will need to maintain flood insurance after they receive funding.
The county is hosting a three-day information session at 2145 Suttle Avenue, Fourth Floor (Hal Marshall Room), Charlotte, NC, 28208, starting Jan. 7 for interested homeowners. Doors open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.
State staff will walk people who drop in through the application process. Everyone on the deed needs to be present to finish the application.
“So, if it’s a husband and wife jointly, they both have to sign,” Beller said.
All Mecklenburg homes and businesses in the floodplain are eligible, regardless of insurance, but structures impacted by Helene will have priority, as will applications submitted during the information sessions.
The application period will remain open until next December, but Beller strongly recommends interested applicants attend one of the three informational sessions to help them apply.
