North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency
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| North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency | |
|---|---|
| Name | North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency |
| Formed | 2018 |
| Jurisdiction | North Carolina |
| Headquarters | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Chief1 name | Director |
| Parent agency | Office of the Governor of North Carolina |
North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency is a state agency created to coordinate disaster recovery, hazard mitigation, and resilience planning across North Carolina after major events such as Hurricane Florence (2018), Hurricane Michael, and other coastal storms, supporting communities including Wilmington, North Carolina, New Bern, North Carolina, and Outer Banks. The office integrates federal programs such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery with state initiatives linked to agencies like the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. It works with regional actors including Cape Fear River Basin, tribal entities such as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and academic partners like Duke University and North Carolina State University to guide long-term resilience investments.
History
The office was established in response to the destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew (2016) and Hurricane Florence (2018), building on earlier recovery efforts coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the North Carolina General Assembly. Early leadership drew on personnel from North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and municipal recovery efforts in New Hanover County. Legislative frameworks such as statutes enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly and directives from the Office of the Governor of North Carolina shaped its mandate, while partnerships with organizations like American Red Cross and The Pew Charitable Trusts informed strategy. Over time the office incorporated practices from federal programs including Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act administration and lessons from recovery in places like Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
Mission and Responsibilities
The office's mission centers on coordinating recovery funding, administering hazard mitigation investments, and advancing resilience planning across North Carolina. Responsibilities include managing state allocations from federal sources such as Community Development Block Grant programs, implementing mitigation projects through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and advising policy for coastal communities including the Outer Banks and Cape Fear River Basin. It provides technical assistance to counties such as Brunswick County, North Carolina and municipalities including Raleigh, North Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina, and aligns its work with federal partners like National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and academic research from institutions such as University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Organizational Structure
The office reports administratively to the Office of the Governor of North Carolina and collaborates with the North Carolina Emergency Management division of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Leadership includes a director supported by program managers for recovery, mitigation, planning, and grants administration, who coordinate with regional planners from bodies such as the Eastern Carolina Council and Triangle J Council of Governments. Specialist teams work with legal counsel drawn from the North Carolina Department of Justice and procurement staff who liaise with federal entities such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Transportation.
Programs and Initiatives
Key programs include state-level allocations of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds, the Resilience and Recovery Planning Initiative, and the Hazard Mitigation Program that funds infrastructure projects in counties like Pender County, North Carolina and Carteret County, North Carolina. Initiatives range from buyout and floodplain restoration projects modeled on work in Louisiana and New Jersey to coastal dune and wetland restoration informed by research at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina and collaborations with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The office also administers technical assistance for resilience planning with partners including North Carolina Sea Grant and The Nature Conservancy.
Funding and Budget
Funding streams include federal grants administered through U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, allocations under the Stafford Act, state appropriations from the North Carolina General Assembly, and philanthropic grants from organizations such as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation. Budget priorities focus on buyouts, infrastructure elevation projects, stormwater upgrades in municipalities like Fayetteville, North Carolina, and resilience planning for transportation corridors managed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Oversight involves reporting to the Office of the Governor of North Carolina and audit functions coordinated with the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management.
Partnerships and Coordination
The office coordinates with federal agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; state agencies like the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and North Carolina Department of Transportation; regional councils such as Cape Fear Council of Governments; non-governmental organizations including American Red Cross and The Nature Conservancy; and academic partners like East Carolina University, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It also engages with tribal governments such as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, metropolitan entities like the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, and international resilience networks exemplified by collaborations with programs linked to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Impact and Evaluation
Evaluations of the office reference project outcomes in counties such as New Hanover County, Beaufort County, North Carolina, and Brunswick County, North Carolina, reporting on reduced flood risk after buyouts and infrastructure elevation projects similar to those in Texas and Florida post-storm recovery. Independent reviews by organizations like Pew Charitable Trusts and academic assessments from North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examine cost-benefit results, equity outcomes for affected communities such as Hatteras, North Carolina and Ocracoke, North Carolina, and alignment with federal mitigation standards administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ongoing monitoring uses metrics consistent with frameworks from National Institute of Standards and Technology and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidance for resilience and environmental restoration.