LUMBERTON, NC (WBTW) – The Lumberton City Council approved two measures Monday, one to help prevent flooding and the other to assist those impacted by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
According to City Clerk Laney Mitchell-McIntosh, the city approved plans to hire Atkins Global to design a flood gate structure at the opening in the embankment where I-95 crosses over VFW Road and the CSX Railroad tracks. In November of 2018, News13 reported on efforts to fix some flooding in this area.
The City of Lumberton is prone to flooding from the Lumber River and the I-95 embankment provides “incidental flood protection” according to the proposal. That opening in the embankment is “an unprotected flow path for floodwaters to enter Lumberton behind the Lumber River Levee. “
Atkins Global will provide the preliminary and final engineering services as well as construction support in the building of the flood gate structure. The contract with Atkins is for $1,317,922.16 which will be paid by CDBG Disaster Relief and North Carolina Golden Leaf funds.
The other item approved at Monday’s meeting is aimed at helping those still recovering from Hurricanes Mathew and Florence.
The City will purchase some land, outside the 100-year flood plain in order to build new homes for families impacted by the hurricanes, or to replace ‘housing stock and inventory that is no longer deemed decent, safe, sanitary or suitable for residential use’ as a result of the hurricanes. The plan includes spending up to $300,000 for this effort. A majority of these homes will be in the Lumberton Mill Village area in East Lumberton.
This approval also includes supporting local community groups in the form of up to $100,000. This will support organizations that can provide hurricane-related repair or recovery services, and can also include homeowner reimbursements.
Count on News13 as we continue to follow recovery efforts from past hurricanes.
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