This page describes the account of Hurricane Matthew and response of the City of Kinston to the increasing need for disaster resiliency in our region. To learn about the current state of flood resiliency, go to our Flood Information page.

On October 8, 2016, North Carolina experienced the wrath of Hurricane Matthew and twenty-eight citizens lost their lives. Less than a week later, much of eastern NC experienced the worst flooding we have ever seen. Homes were destroyed, business was interrupted, lives were upended, and the recovery and healing process began. However, that story is all too familiar to us since it was the third major flood in the past 21 years. Then in April 2017, the City of Kinston experienced the fourth highest crest for the Neuse River after merely a couple of days of rainfall.

This page is dedicated to providing our citizens, legislators, media, and partners a snapshot of our efforts to address flood prevention. We believe flooding will continue to get worse, not better. And we believe in striking the right balance between man's progress and the environment we love so much. However, we absolutely need our local, state and federal partners on the same page when it comes to flood prevention efforts along the Neuse River Basin.