Substantial damage assessments completed

The Town of Black Mountain is extremely grateful for the hard work and dedication of the twelve volunteer inspectors who worked diligently over the past week to complete Substantial Damage Assessments in the floodplain due to Hurricane Helene.

Substantial Damage Assessment is required to evaluate the extent of damage sustained by each structure in the 100-year floodplain before floodplain development permits can be issued and before repairs can begin. If the inspection of a structure reveals what is classified as “Substantial Damage” (cost of repairs needed to restore the structure to pre-damage condition equals 50% or more of the structure’s pre-damage market value), the Town's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (FDPO) requires that the entire structure must be brought into compliance with current floodplain management regulations, which may include elevating the building or other measures to reduce future flood risk.

If your property is determined to have substantial damage, you will be contacted with additional information about the requirements for repair or reconstruction.

National Flood Insurance Program

The Town has adopted the FDPO to be able to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Participation allows the Town to access disaster assistance for our residents and allows Town residents to access federally backed flood insurance.

CLICK HERE to learn more about how you can benefit from the National Flood Insurance Program.

What’s Next

Now that the required substantial damage assessments have been completed, the Town's Floodplain Administrator can begin the process of reviewing and issuing Floodplain Development permits.

If you have any questions about floodplain regulations in the Town of Black Mountain, please contact the Town's Floodplain Administrator, Anne Phillip, at anne.phillip@tobm.org or 828-419-9374.

Thank You

THANK YOU to all the volunteer Substantial Damage inspectors, including those pictured above:

• Curtis McLawhorn, PE, McLawhorn Engineering, PLLC

• Fred Mussler, PE, Smith Gardner Inc.

• Gary Hartong, PE, FACEC, President, The Wooten Company

• Ginny White, PE, Retired

• Jerry Pierce, PE, National Society of Professional Engineers, NC Section

• Mike Brinchek, PE, Smith Gardner Inc.

• R. Todd Fisher, PE, Principal/ Director of Civil Engineering Bolton & Menk, Inc.

• Sam Spencer, Network Engineer, Smith Gardner Inc.

• Simon Betsalel, Capital Projects Manager, Port of San Francisco

• Stacey Smith, PE, President, Smith Gardner Inc.

• Stephen Julka, CFM, Fernleaf

• Ted Sharrod, PE, Retired

The process of assessing damage of all structures in the floodplain was a huge task. We are very grateful for the work of the inspectors who helped us complete this critical requirement and move forward in our recovery process.