1958
Flooding damaged homes and forced some families to evacuate from Myers Park and along Westfield Road.
1965
US Army Corps of Engineers studied local flooding problems and recommended channelization of 7.6 miles of Little Sugar and Briar Creeks.
1972
Local flood prevention ordinance adopted.
1973
50-year flood on Little Sugar Creek; several homes damaged.
1975
Three separate floods caused $12 million in damages in Charlotte. County began program of stabilizing eroding stream banks with rip-rap (rock).
1976
25-year flood on Irwin and Sugar Creeks. Many homes in Pineville severely damaged. It's the second time in two years that Irwin Creek has at least a 25-year flood.
1978
City of Charlotte adopted Floodplain Ordinance and first floodplain maps.
1979
25-year flood damaged some homes along McAlpine Creek near Sardis Road.
Subdivision ordinances require floodplains to be delineated for smaller, non-FEMA streams; County's first greenway park opened along McAlpine Creek.
1982
US Army Corps of Engineers conducted large-scale flood control study for Sugar Creek Basin, which recommended removing many flood-prone buildings and channelization.
30-year flood in McMullen Creek and 25-year flood on Irwin Creek.
1985
Property damage was caused by 25-year floods on Little Sugar Creek and Little Hope Creek.
1993
Charlotte Storm Water Services created.
1994
Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services created.
1995
100-year flood in August caused by Tropical Storm Jerry.
USGS rain gages record 9.37" of rain. Flooding in the Briar, McMullen and McAlpine watersheds resulted in $4 million in flood insurance claims and an additional $1 million in loans to repair property damage. Flood stage records were set for McMullen and McAlpine Creeks, with McAlpine at 19.40 feet.
USGS Report - Effects of August 1995 and July 1997 Storms in the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
1997
100-year flood in July from the remnants of Hurricane Danny caused $60 million in property damage. The maximum total rainfall recorded at USGS gaging stations was 13.11" inches over a 36-hour period. Flood stage record set for Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drive at 15.06 feet. A railroad trestle collapsed, sending a CSX locomotive into Little Sugar Creek. Three people died in the floodwater: a man died in a car accident related to the storm, a woman drowned in her car on a flooded Charlotte street, and a child was swept away while playing near a flooded creek.
USGS Report - Effects of August 1995 and July 1997 Storms in the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
1999
An unusual January thunderstorm dumped 1.5 inches of rain in Central Charlotte in one hour. A man drowned after stepping into a storm drain and being washed into a creek.
An extensive floodplain re-mapping project was initiated by local government.
2000
The hydrologic data collection network operated by US Geological Survey, in cooperation with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services, created a network of 50 rain gauges and 25 stream flow gauging stations.
2001
More than 100 flood-prone homes were bought and removed from the floodplain; residents relocated to higher ground.
2002
Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services, along with other city and county agencies, developed a Flood Response Plan and Master Greenway Plan.
2003
Heavy rainfall in March caused flash flooding and $2 million worth of damage.
Many buildings flooded along Briar Creek and its tributary, Campbell Creek, in June. A large sinkhole developed in hotel parking lot near Independence Boulevard.
Flood Information Notification System (FINS) became operational using the USGS stream gauge and rain gauge network to provide early warning to emergency responders during flood events.
2004
FEMA adopted Mecklenburg County's newest floodplain maps.
Remnants of Hurricane Frances dumped more than 20 inches of rain in the upper reaches of the Catawba River watershed in September. Rainfall in the mountains was greater than the flood of 1916. The resulting runoff caused significant flooding along the Catawba River below Mountain Island Lake dam. In Mecklenburg County, more than forty houses were flooded and eight were destroyed, with damages totaling approximately $1.5 million. Mecklenburg County is included in a Federal Disaster Declaration issued by President George W. Bush.
2005
Thunderstorms caused flooding along Briar and Little Hope Creeks with some damage to buildings.
2006
Summer thunderstorms caused flooding in various parts of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Stewart Creek flooded twice in a four week period. The July 22nd event was greater than a 100-year flood with about 150-people forced to evacuate homes and apartments. In August, flooding damaged buildings and prompted evacuations near Little Sugar, Briar and Steele Creeks. Minor flooding occurred near Four Mile Creek.
2008
Downpours from Tropical Storm Fay flooded more than 600 structures in the early morning hours of August 27th. Dozens of people were evacuated, including 20 swift-water rescues made by the Charlotte Fire Department. 90% of the flooding was in the Briar Creek Watershed. A federal Disaster Declaration was issued. Rainfall in a 24-hour period in northeastern Mecklenburg County exceeded 11-inches. Stream gauges measuring how deep the water is in local creeks set 19 new records, exceeding the 100-year flood level in some areas.
Two weeks later, thunderstorms sent Little Sugar Creek over its banks. During afternoon rush-hour on Sept. 10th, fire crews used inflatable rafts to make 22 rescues from flooded buildings and from vehicles on flooded streets. More than five inches of rain fell in less than three hours in the headwaters of Little Sugar Creek.
2009
An afternoon thunderstorm on May 5 dropped 4.4 inches of rain in two hours, causing street flooding and pushing several creeks out of their banks. Floodwater entered the living space of about 10 homes an businesses. Another 85 buildings had water in crawl spaces or damage to air conditioners. And 80 unoccupied units of the Doral Apartments flooded. Damage was in the McMullen, Briar, and Little Sugar Creek Watersheds.
Flash flooding closed Freedom Park and prompted the evacuation of apartments on Wakefield Drive on August 16, 2009. Rainfall totaled four inches in an hour in a small section of the Little Sugar Creek Watershed.
