November 15, 2002

REDUCING YOUR RISK OF FLOODING:
STORM WATER SERVICES EXPLORES THE OPTIONS

Charlotte, NC - Residents of southern Mecklenburg County will have the opportunity to learn about flooding and what can be done to prevent it.  Citizens are invited to a public forum on Tuesday, November 19, 2002, at Candlewyck Baptist Church, 7200 Providence Road.  The forum begins at 6:30 p.m. 

Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services will present the findings of a recent study of the McAlpine, Four Mile and lower Little Sugar watersheds.  Citizens also will have the opportunity to ask questions as it pertains to their property.

There are a number of measures for addressing flooding problems, including levees, bulldozing or more stringent zoning regulations.  But rather than building walls and tearing down houses at random, Mecklenburg County has invested in studies to determine feasible and cost effective actions specific to a particular neighborhood.  To view more information on the studies and the public forum, check the Web site www.stormwaterservices.com and click on "Today in Water & Land."

In 1995, Mecklenburg County began developing the "Floodplain Management Guidance Document" to serve as a guideline for floodplain management regulations and operations. The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners adopted the document in 1997. The Guidance Document identifies the two major objectives of the storm water program:

· Reducing losses to flood damage.
· Restoring the natural and beneficial functions of the floodplains.

It also outlines a variety of strategies for evaluating floodplain management activities and identifying the best measures for solving local flooding problems.