Decades ago, homes and buildings were often built in floodplains in Charlotte and across the nation. That’s because:

• water was easily available for drinking or commercial uses
• floodplain land is often flat and easier to develop than hilly land.

Since the late 1970’s, building in local floodplains has been restricted. Protecting floodplains from additional development can reduce flood losses and improve the environment.

 This floodplain is along Little Sugar Creek
in Hidden Valley

 

Floodplain maps show land along major creeks with a 1% chance of flooding in any given year. That’s sometimes called a 100-year flood. Even inside the mapped, regulated floodplain, flood risks vary. Some parts of the floodplain have a 50% chance of flooding every year. And the highest-risk sections of the floodplain have nearly a 100% chance of flooding every year. 
 
Remember: Flooding also happens outside of the mapped floodplain. Flooding can occur in any lower-lying area, regardless of how close that land is to a creek or river.