The 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially began on June first, and while we hope our coast will be safe from any storms, we know how important it is to remain prepared. Hurricane Florence devastated the state in 2018, littering the coast with marine debris and causing catastrophic damage. The Coastal Federation recognized a critical gap in disaster response, the need to remove the massive amounts of debris generated by Florence, and even smaller storms. So since 2019, we’ve had crews working out on the water nonstop to help pull debris like wood from docks and piers, abandoned boats, and other large-scale debris from our coastal waters.

Now, at the beginning of another hurricane season, we’re asking you to tie it down. This simple reminder can apply to several items in and around your property. Ensure your boat is properly tied down from bow to stern if you’re unable to remove it from the water. Take any items that could get pulled out of your boat during heavy rain and wind, such as life jackets, ropes, and even bimini tops.

If you have a dock, take a moment to make sure there are no loose boards and that the dock is properly secured to the pilings, and bring in any coolers or chairs. 

In your yard, it’s important to tie down or bring in your trash cans, secure any lawn furniture, and if you have any home improvement projects that are ongoing, be sure to tie down any lumber and bring in all tools and equipment. Our marine debris experts say it can help if you visualize what items on your property would be affected by four feet of flood water, and secure or remove those items.

Learn more about the damaging effects of marine debris and what you can do to prevent it during huricane season, here. 

This month the Federation was awarded $1.6 million from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund Flood Risk Reduction Program to design and implement the restoration of 1,100 acres of ditched and drained timberland to wetlands within the Newport River watershed. The land which totals 1,400 acres was recently purchased by the N.C. Coastal Land Trust and will be transferred to the Federation later this year. The tract includes 1,100 acres of timberland and 300 acres of high-quality wetland habitat.

The restoration will include blocking the flow from the drainage ditches to decrease the amount of water moving to the river during a storm. The project will also restore the floodplain area along the tributary running through the center of the property to allow for floodwater storage.

Once the work is complete, it’s estimated that the property should be able to retain approximately 165 million gallons of runoff during a large storm! This will significantly reduce the volume and flow of polluted runoff entering the Newport River following each heavy rain.

Recently Coastal Review Editor Mark Hibbs joined PBS NC’s ‘Sci-NC’ host Frank Graff along with several others for a special screening of State of Change to discuss the show’s focus on natural solutions to climate change with a specific look at carbon sequestration.

We hope you will take a moment and tune into this important discussion, here.