NC scores well in disaster preparedness

by Tim Buckland, Wilmington Star-News, November 18, 2015.

North Carolina earned high marks for preparedness against the risks posed by extreme changes in weather, according to a report.

The "States at Risk: America's Preparedness Report Card" gave the state a B+ overall for its ability to respond to extreme heat, drought, wildfires and flooding.

While the state scored high in the individual categories for heat, drought and wildfires, it scored a "C" for coastal flooding.

The report comes six weeks after a major rainstorm saw significant flooding throughout Southeastern North Carolina.

Nearly 22 inches of rain fell on parts of the Cape Fear region -- particularly in Brunswick County -- between Oct. 2 and Oct. 5, swamping roads and neighborhoods and damaging beaches and infrastructure.

The report also said North Carolina has more than 120,000 people at risk during a 100-year coastal flood event.

“With reports like this, we are arming ourselves with information," N.C. Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin said in a press conference in Raleigh. "Information is power that we can use to help plan for the future and mitigate risk.”

States that received an overall "A" or "A-" grade include California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania. States that received an overall "F" grade include Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada and Texas.

The report is a collaboration of ICF International, a Durham-based consulting firm, and Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization, and is designed to help provide a benchmark for states to assess risks as well as build and implement action plans to increase their preparedness levels.

The full report is available at http://statesatrisk.org.

Disaster prepardiness for a changing climate

A new report finds North Carolina is relatively well prepared to face the increasing risks posed by changing levels of extreme weather. But one trouble area was the state’s preparedness to deal with flooding -- inland and along the coast.

Overall grade: B+

Extreme heat: B+

Drought: B+

Wildfire: A-

Inland flooding: B-

Coastal flooding: C

Source: statesatrisk.org

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