Flood Retrofit of Coastal Residential Structures: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Abstract

After Hurricane Emily struck the Outer Banks of North Carolina in August 1993, approximately 50 homeowners in the towns of Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras, N.C., elected to superelevate their houses to reduce the future risk of flooding. Insurance payments served as at least a partial source of funds in most cases. A survey of 30 homeowners from this group was performed in 1995 to determine the motivations, methods, and benefits of the floodproofing retrofits. Half of the homeowners had been flooded at least twice prior to taking action. Homeowners typically made decisions based on memory of prior flood events or advice from others, rather than predictions of flood elevations. Retrofit costs were typically $10,000–$14,000 (in 1993 dollars), representing roughly 15% of the mean assessed house value for the survey. Results question the adequacy of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps for the area and reveal costs and motivations for flood retrofits of existing residential structures in a coastal barrier island setting.