Stormwater, Flood Map Meeting

On Friday, October 8, Wake County residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and comment on the County's proposed approach to meet new federally mandated stormwater management requirements and on preliminary new flood insurance rate maps.

The public meeting will take place 8:30-11:00 a.m. at the Lake Wheeler Park conference room, located at 6404 Lake Wheeler Road, Raleigh. The Wake County Water Quality Committee is hosting the meeting.

The new stormwater management proposals by Wake County Government are in response to federal and state requirements that apply to the state's largest cities and to 33 counties and 123 smaller cities. Each county and city subject to the requirements must make stormwater management proposals to the State Division of Water Quality and secure a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination, Phase II, Permit (NPDES II). The public has the right to comment on stormwater proposals before they receive state approval. The proposals are available on the Internet at www.wakegov.com/general/environment/water/npdesphaseII.htm

The new flood insurance rate maps, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State of North Carolina, will show residents whether their homes or businesses are in flood-prone areas. Homes and businesses not previously shown in flood-prone areas may be shown in flood-prone areas on the new maps. The new maps are available on the Internet at www.ncfloodmaps.com. Local governments are having a series of meetings to answer questions and hear residents' comments before the maps are finalized. Working together, Wake County, the state and cities have already held meetings for County residents to review the flood maps at Wendell, Holly Springs, Wake Forest and Raleigh. Meetings will also be held September 30 in Garner and October 5 in Cary.

The public meeting at Lake Wheeler Park is the last meeting scheduled by Wake County to hear comments on flood maps and is the only meeting scheduled so far for residents to comment on stormwater proposals. For more information regarding this public meeting, please call Wake County Environmental Services at 856-2641.