Southern Pines touts quick response to ‘Chantelle’ storm and publishes stormwater '101' for residents

Southern Pines staff briefed the Town Council on operational and communications lessons from the storm event the town called 'Chantelle,' saying cross‑departmental coordination and staff volunteering helped limit harm and improve response times.

Deputy Chief Horvath and other public‑safety officials said the town had not previously performed swift‑water rescues and described the event as an unusual operational test. Staff held a rapid "tune‑up" meeting within two weeks after the storm to identify strengths and opportunities — using an anonymous sticky‑note exercise to surface candid feedback — and developed a public communications timeline for future storms.

Communications staff said they have produced a two‑page stormwater primer available on the town website and in public buildings. The guide explains what property owners can do (rain barrels, rain gardens, directing downspouts) and what the town and state can regulate; it also lists contact information for NCDOT and county resources where appropriate. Staff said the town remains delegated for erosion‑control review during construction and will continue to work with the state DEQ for appeals or second opinions.

The council praised staff for the "one team, zero blame" approach. The town plans to publish a short video series — "Town Hero Tuesday" — highlighting employees who contributed to the response and to distribute the stormwater primer to citizens and at future meetings.

"It was probably the best emergency event we've ever worked together," one staff member said in the presentation, and council members encouraged staff to broaden public distribution of the timeline and guidance materials.