On Wednesday, Mecklenburg County Commissioners approved a floodplain buyout program to purchase properties severely damaged by Hurricane Helene.
It’s been a month and a half since Helene swept through the Carolinas. While much of Western North Carolina was hit hard, parts of Mecklenburg County were also affected by the storm.
During Wednesday night’s Mecklenburg county commissioners meeting, the board adopted new guidelines for a floodplain buyout program. Roughly 170 structures near the Catawba River were damaged by the storm, 46 too badly to repair.
To be eligible for the buyout, the property must be deemed substantially damaged by county officials. The county has allocated $8.5 million to the program.
Homeowners can also apply for a RetroFit grant option, to elevate a home above future flooding. The grant amount can not be more than 75% of the building tax value or the building value as of September 24th.
