By Hawley Truax, Southeast regional director of the Environmental Defense Fund
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With recent hurricanes and storms, all of us in North Carolina have experienced a new normal in rainfall and extreme weather. Hurricane Florence is the most recent, devastating example. As [Gov. Roy Cooper] said in his testimony, “When storms are becoming more destructive, it’s not enough to pick up the pieces. We must take action to prevent this kind of devastation in the future.”
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The first priority is protecting human life and infrastructure. The most cost-effective way of reducing loss of property and, in many cases, loss of life, in flood-prone areas is for the state or federal government to implement voluntary buyouts. After Hurricane Floyd, North Carolina invested heavily in buyout programs. We should implement a program of buyouts that protects people, communities, and our rural economy.
The second priority requires new approaches to mitigate flooding impacts by using natural defenses. We’ve altered nature, removing much of its ability to protect us from storms. Wetlands act as big sponges, absorbing flood waters. Floodplains allow for rivers to spread beyond their banks during high water times. Naturally flowing streams also have the capacity to control flood waters. That’s why restoring and protecting wetlands, floodplains streams and barrier islands are important to helping prevent future disasters such as Florence.
As we move forward, durable solutions to this region’s challenges must come from the people who live in the most affected communities. These are often the people who have been marginalized in the past. Thus, the third priority demands we engage and build the capacity of those residents to help develop inclusive solutions and reduce threats from future environmental disasters.
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