In Brunswick County, an array of Boiling Spring Lakes residents convened at a city council meeting this Tuesday to vocalize their perturbation about recent flood incidents.
“Everybody is pointing fingers but unwilling to shoulder the blame,” states resident Seth Braden, whose home suffered severe damage due to floodwater from Potential Tropical Storm Eight. To understand this, we need to journey back to the onset of this predicament.
When Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight arose, the homes of numerous Boiling Spring Lakes residents were inundated. Some residents reported water levels up to six inches high inside their homes, ruining personal items and requiring gutting of walls and floors. According to some residents, the root cause of this damage points to faulty development, a point of contention brought forward at the Boiling Spring City Hall meeting with Braden.
“They categorized us in ‘Zone X,’ which suggested we only had a 1% chance of flooding. Clearly, that wasn’t the case,” Braden maintains.
On Tuesday night, resident frustrations were palpable as City Hall filled with community members demanding resolution. They seek clarity on the rationale behind development in what residents dub as “wetlands,” and why city officials seemed to be dodging responsibility post-flooding events.
“You voice objections, and they just lead you on a wild goose chase,” lamented Braden.
Mayor Jeff Winecoff counters, stating that these debatable decisions preceded the current board’s tenure.
“We’re making concerted efforts within the city, pushing for rule changes, UDO updates, and actual progress,” Winecoff stated.
While Winecoff acknowledges resident irritation, assuring them of active collaboration with FEMA to facilitate home and infrastructure restoration efforts, Braden and others remain skeptical.
“Someone specifically dug out these ditches, yet there’s no explanation regarding the flawed development of the land,” Braden insists.
As uncertainty lingers, residents like Braden, reduced to living arrangements in campers, contemplate their futures.
“Our homes didn’t just pop up magically. Similarly, these ditches weren’t dug by an invisible force,” Braden concludes.
