Governor Cooper Proclaims Resiliency Week in North Carolina

(RALEIGH, NC – Oct. 8, 2019) On Monday Gov. Roy Cooper proclaimed October 6-12, 2019, North Carolina Resiliency Week. This announcement highlights the state’s ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, Michael and Dorian. It recognizes important policies and programs implemented since those disasters, including the creation of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, the state’s first-ever Chief Resiliency Officer, and Executive Order 80, which established the North Carolina Climate Change Interagency Council. Gov. Cooper’s proclamation focuses on resiliency and notes that rebuilding smarter and stronger will require North Carolinians to proactively prepare for impacts from more intense storms. Studies show that every dollar spent to reduce the risk of future natural disasters saves $6 in disaster response and recovery.

North Carolina Resiliency Week also champions natural strategies, such as restored floodplains, marshes and wetlands, to minimize future flood risk. Importantly, public and private sector expertise already exist in North Carolina to restore ecosystems and keep floodwaters away from communities, farms and infrastructure.

“We applaud Gov. Cooper for recognizing the use of nature-based strategies to slow and retain floodwaters. These solutions can be readily implemented in ways that keep farms productive and infrastructure protected,” said Will McDow, director of sustainable landscapes for Environmental Defense Fund. “These approaches have the added benefit of improving water quality, recharging groundwater, and providing habitat for wildlife.

“As North Carolina continues to recover, Gov. Cooper’s announcement demonstrates the importance of keeping resilience at the forefront of rebuilding efforts. We look forward to working with the Governor, agency staff, farmers, residents and the private sector to ensure that resilience, including the role of nature-based strategies, is embedded as a defining trait of North Carolina going forward.”