Cumulative Final Public Notice

Cumulative Final Public Notice

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hereby gives notice to the public of its intent to reimburse eligible applicants for eligible costs to repair or replace structures and facilities serviced under their authority and jurisdiction damaged as a result of Tropical Storm Helene, incident period of September 25 through December 18, 2024, and under the major disaster declaration FEMA-4827-DR-NC, signed by the President on September 28, 2024; and North Carolina Potential Cyclone Eight (PTC 8), incident period of September 16 through September 20, 2024, and under the major disaster declaration FEMA-4837-DR-NC, signed by the President on October 19, 2024.

An initial disaster-wide Public Notice was published on October 5, 2024, for DR-4827 Tropical storm Helene; and on October 25, 2024 for DR-4837 PTC 8. Comments and other information received were considered by FEMA along with evaluation of social, economic, environmental, and safety considerations.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990, FEMA is required to evaluate the potential effects of any actions it may take in a floodplain or wetland. 44 CFR § 9 sets forth the policy, procedure, and responsibilities to implement and enforce the aforementioned EOs, including to avoid long- and short-term adverse impacts to or from occupancy and modification of floodplains or wetlands, as well as reduce the risk of flood loss. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

This notice serves as a cumulative final notice for actions in the floodplain, or wetland, or both funded by FEMA under the Public Assistance (PA) Program implemented under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. § 5121-5207. This notice is to inform the public of FEMA’s intent to allocate grant funds to State, local, and Tribal governments, as well as non-profit organizations for the repair or replacement of facilities within designated areas susceptible to flooding. These flood zones include A-Zones, which are areas susceptible to a 1% annual chance of flooding up to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE); V-Zones, which are the areas susceptible to a 1% annual chance of flooding with high velocity wave-action; and regulatory floodways, which are areas regulated to provide for the discharge of the base flood. Shaded X-Zones, which are areas susceptible to 0.2% annual chance of flooding, are considered with respect to critical actions (actions for which even the slightest chance of flooding is too great). In all cases, FEMA has evaluated the funding actions in accordance with the process described in 44 CFR § 9 to determine the overall effect of actions within these areas and this notice shall only pertain to projects which the function is not otherwise served by a more practicable alternative. For these types of projects, relocation or abandonment of the facilities would cause adverse social or economic impacts to the local community. Flood risk to or within the floodplain or wetland will be minimized by all practicable means, the action would not adversely affect the floodplain or wetlands, and nature-based solutions will be integrated where appropriate.

This cumulative public notice hereby fulfills the requirements of EO’s 11988 and 11990 as codified in 44 CFR § 9.12 to provide final notice of Federal funding for those projects under the PA Program as described above.

Funding for the proposed projects will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.  These actions comply with the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

This notice also does not apply to critical actions, as defined by 44 CFR § 9.4, located in an A-Zone, V-Zone, or regulatory floodway. 

For such projects which this notice is not applicable, a project-specific final public notice will be published, and without good cause shown, will allow the public at least 15 days to comment upon those proposed projects in the floodplain or wetland, as prescribed in 44 CFR § 9.12.

This will serve as the final public notice regarding the above-described applicable actions funded by the FEMA PA program. Interested persons may submit comments, questions, or request a map of this specific project by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341 or by emailing FEMA-R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing with the subject line “NC-4827-4837 Cumulative Final Public Notice” at the above address within 15 days of the date of this notice.