This coverage is made possible through a partnership between BPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.
In an effort to combat the increasing threat of floods, a small town in North Carolina is receiving new funds to enhance its natural defenses against such disasters.
Clyde, North Carolina, has historically been vulnerable to severe storms, with the most recent devastation occurring during Hurricane Helene in 2024. Other storms, including Ivan and Francis in 2004 and Fred in 2021, have left significant scars on the community, causing riverbanks to erode and homes and businesses to flood.
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has allocated over $210,000 to restore native vegetation along a section of the stream, aiming to stabilize around five acres adjacent to the Pigeon River. Stuart Brown, who manages DEQ’s flood resiliency initiatives, emphasizes the multifaceted benefits of such natural restoration efforts.
“One of the reasons that we invest in nature-based solutions where it is appropriate is because it can be effective at reducing flooding downstream,” Brown explained. “It can also benefit things like water quality and fishing, wildlife habitat and recreation.”
This initiative is part of the broader Flood Resiliency Blueprint, which tackles flood prevention across North Carolina’s most susceptible areas. The program offers funding for ecological restoration, strategic planning, disaster modeling, and technical assistance. The efforts are concentrated within six watersheds, including the French Broad River, which feeds the Pigeon.
The restoration project, facilitated by the nonprofit Haywood Waterways, will be supported by additional funding to plant hundreds of trees in the newly developed park. Preston Jacobsen, the executive director, acknowledges the cumulative damage past storms have inflicted on the region.
With climate change leading to increased atmospheric moisture, the area is likely to experience more intense storms and resultant flooding. Jacobsen hopes that proactive measures will enhance safety against future severe weather events.
“You’ll see a majority of that tree line along the bank be removed but replanted,” Jacobsen noted, adding that native plants would be favored to prevent debris accumulation during storms like Fred or Helene. The project aims to reinforce eroded riverbanks and restore indigenous plant life to curb floodwaters and minimize debris impact.
This initiative is the second phase of the River’s Edge Park development in Clyde, which previously applied similar flood mitigation techniques. Initially supported by FEMA in response to the 2004 floods, the park serves both as a recreational area and a flood channel, featuring native species like river cane that aid in water retention and soil stabilization. The new plantings will occur on riverbanks affected by Hurricane Fred in 2021.
Clyde has faced significant economic challenges, notably the $2 million loss following the closure of a papermill in nearby Canton. Additionally, storm-related buyouts have reduced available housing, with 40 buyouts occurring in Haywood County post-Fred. Mayor Jim Trantham expressed concern over these buyouts but is optimistic about the Pigeon River project’s potential benefits. “That’ll prevent people from getting so much damage, and in the end, be better for Clyde and its residents,” Trantham stated.
In addition to these efforts, Clyde is exploring new developments on elevated land and collaborating with the Economic Development Administration to raise downtown buildings.
