Ocracoke/Hyde County has received a Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP) grant and a public meeting about the program is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, in the Ocracoke Community Center.
Hyde is one of 25 North Carolina communities that received a grant from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) for technical assistance to help communities be more prepared to withstand, respond to, and recover from weather or other disruptions.
Hyde received the gift of engineering services in the amount of $30,000 to do initial Phase 1 planning, Sara Teaster, Hyde County grant administrator, explained.
“Out of this planning process the Community Action Team (CAT) will select up to five projects to move forward for additional planning, engineering schematics and funding through grants,” she said.
One of the projects the team has selected already is to address the drainage issues within the village.
“Climate change will bring sea level rise, water table rising and additional heavy rainfall to our area,” Teaster said. “Addressing some of the storm water management issues will help the village be more resilient to these coming changes.”
Hyde County is asking for all Ocracoke residents, property owners, and other stakeholders to complete a short questionnaire as part of the study. To complete the form online, click here (or scan the QR code below) or you can download and print the form here and return it.
A total of $675,000 will be made available for the completion of Phases 1 and 2 of the new N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP). DCM will contract directly with selected contractors to provide direct technical assistance services to localities.
For more information on the RCCP, click here.
Residents can attend virtually via Zoom, click here to join (you can also scan the QR code below).
