Whiteville staff, residents review stormwater projects and grant limits after heavy rain

City staff and residents addressed the Whiteville City Council about recent intense rainfall, recurring downtown flooding, and the status of grant-funded stormwater projects. The discussion described roughly 7–8 inches of rain during the weekend event, ongoing and planned infrastructure work—including Mollie’s Branch, Canal Street and Call Street projects—and limits that accompany state and federal grants.

The exchange matters because downtown flooding and stormwater management affect public safety, road access and property in Whiteville’s central neighborhoods, and because several major projects rely on outside grants that specify how money may be used. A staff presenter emphasized that grant awards and engineered scopes of work generally must be spent only on the projects for which they were awarded, and that any reallocation requires approval from the grantor agency.

A presenter identified in the meeting as a staff member said the weekend event deposited about “8 inches of rain,” which staff characterized as roughly a 25-year storm for the city based on local recurrence data presented. The presenter showed historic maps of Whiteville from the 1950s through the 1970s and current tax-mapping images to explain how infill and removal of swamp and wetlands around Madison Street and downtown have increased impervious surface and altered runoff patterns.

Staff listed recent and…