The NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint will hold three in-person public open houses in the French Broad River Basin to gather community feedback on flood resilience approaches, community preferences and regional priorities.

The feedback will inform the French Broad River Basin Action Strategy, which will identify and prioritize locally driven actions, including projects and policies, to reduce long-term flood risk across the basin. The action strategy is also being guided by scientific data and long-term sustainability objectives, ensuring the strategy is both effective and responsive to the basin’s evolving needs.

The French Broad River Basin Action Strategy will be presented to the NC General Assembly (NCGA) in 2027. In 2021, the NCGA directed DEQ to develop the Flood Resiliency Blueprint, which now supports the planning, evaluation and implementation of flood resilience strategies. It is the largest proactive statewide flood mitigation investment in North Carolina history, equipping local governments, the state and supporting organizations with data, tools and processes to better understand flood risk, identify community needs and guide strategic investments to reduce flood risk and strengthen resilience.

Members of the public and program partners, including municipal officials and organizations interested in flood resilience, are encouraged to attend and share their input.