Louisburg adopts Tar River regional hazard mitigation plan to preserve FEMA funding eligibility

Louisburg adopted the Tar River Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan on Tuesday, a required regional update that preserves the town’s eligibility for federal and state disaster mitigation funding.

Town staff told the council the plan covers Franklin, Warren, Vance and Granville counties and is updated roughly every five years to meet North Carolina Department of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements. "If a disaster ever happens here in Louisburg, we cannot apply for federal funding without adopting this plan," staff said.

The plan profiles hazards and vulnerabilities — including riverine and flash flooding, hurricanes and tropical storms, severe thunderstorms, hail, winter storms, extreme heat, drought, wildfire and dam or levee failure — and outlines mitigation categories such as prevention (planning and zoning), property protection, structural projects and emergency services. Staff described mitigation actions ranging from updating the town’s capability assessment to working with NCDOT Division 5 on localized drainage improvements and applying for mitigation grant programs.

Staff emphasized that adopting the regional plan does not obligate Louisburg to specific projects or immediate spending but is necessary to remain eligible for mitigation funding programs such as FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and resilience grant opportunities. The town moved, seconded and adopted the plan during the meeting.

Council members asked clarifying questions about consolidation of ordinances and code format; staff advised the town’s existing separate code and zoning ordinances remain functional but may be considered for future consolidation.

Next steps: staff will finalize updates to the town’s capability assessment and pursue mitigation project identification and grant applications as appropriate.