Board places Outer Banks regional hazard mitigation plan on consent agenda for adoption

Mary Nunes, Currituck County director of emergency management, briefed the board on the Outer Banks Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan update and said the plan meets federal update requirements under the Disaster Mitigation Act, which requires jurisdictions to update mitigation plans every five years to remain eligible for pre‑ and post‑disaster funding.

Nunes said the plan was prepared jointly with Dare County and WSP and included public outreach (a survey with 475 respondents between April and October 2024) and a committee of county staff and community stakeholders. The plan’s risk assessment rated coastal hazards, hurricanes, floods and severe weather as the highest risks. The plan assigns a moderate overall capability rating and proposes 35 mitigation actions, including directing development away from high‑risk areas, establishing redevelopment standards, retaining vegetation buffers, and improving public outreach and first‑responder training.

Nunes said the plan has a vision statement about maintaining the Outer Banks’ sense of place while improving resilience, and that the plan was placed on the consent agenda for adoption that evening.

Why it matters: Adopting a FEMA‑compliant hazard mitigation plan is a prerequisite for counties to be eligible for federal mitigation grants and positions the county to propose mitigation projects when funding becomes available.

Next steps: The plan will remain on the consent agenda for adoption; staff said the county will implement and periodically revise the plan over the next five years.