“It has flooded here before but never to this extent;” this is a common quote from homeowners who have experienced flooding. If your home (and the homes of all your neighbors) were to unexpectedly flood tonight, what would you do, who would you turn to? This is the scenario that occurred in 2019 along the Catawba River in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nearly a hundred homes (and families) experienced flooding from a rainfall event two counties away and twenty (20) of those homes were substantially damaged by the flooding (Figure 1). Most of the homes in the area were not required to be built compliant with current floodplain standards due to construction date, but some homes were built (or rebuilt) compliant with current standards. This article compares recovery efforts from a non-compliant home (#1 in Figure 1) and a compliant home (#2 in Figure 1) and explores questions that local governments should consider, the answers to which can make communities floodplain resilient. When it comes to flooding, resiliency can be defined quite simply as the ability of a community to adjust and recover after a flood.

During the flood, the floodplain compliant home (Figure 2) experienced flooding to depths of eight feet. This home was built to local floodplainstandards, which required finished spaces to be elevated two feet above the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) standards. The flooding impacts to the home were limited to an electrical meter being flooded, two propane tanks were dislodged, and the contents of the garage were flooded. The recovery efforts included getting an electrical contractor to replace the electrical meter, having the propane supplier properly secure the propane tanks, and removing the garage contents outdoors to dry, all of which took one to two weeks to complete. One of the most important after-flood facts, the homeowner and his family never had to vacate their home after the flood.

During the flood, the floodplain non-compliant home (Figure 3) experienced flooding to depths of five feet. Due to its age, this home was not built to local floodplain standards or FEMA floodplain standards. As a result, the flooding impacts to the home were numerous:  living spaces flooded, electrical systems damaged, water damage and mold issues to wallboard, insulation, and furniture. The homeowner initially stayed in his home after the flood, but upon inspection, building inspectors considered the structure uninhabitable due to the damage. The homeowner did not have flood insurance and now had to find alternate living arrangements within days.

The homeowner did find temporary living arrangements and rather than demolish the structure, elected to repair, and elevate the existing structure (Figure 4). The repairs were costly and time-consuming. The repairs began in 2019 and due to construction delays and the discovery of an unusable foundation, construction is ongoing as of July 2023. This is a 4-year recovery period for this homeowner. Is this resiliency?