The City of Southport is asking the community to play a central role in shaping a new set of resilience projects aimed at reducing the town’s exposure to flooding, severe storms, coastal hazards and other future risks.
Grant-funded programme seeks local knowledge
The Community Resilience Project Portfolio is being developed with support from a grant awarded by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ). City leaders say the work will rely heavily on local knowledge to identify the places, services and assets that matter most and to prioritise the projects that will best protect them.
To gather that local knowledge the council is holding a public meeting on Wednesday 2 September. The event will run from 5pm to 8pm at the Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay Street, and it will operate on a drop-in basis so people can attend at any time during the three-hour window.
| What | When | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Community Resilience Project Portfolio public meeting (drop-in) | Wednesday 2 September, 5–8pm | Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay Street |
What residents will be asked to do
Officials say the session will be interactive. Attendees can expect to be invited to:
- Identify the places, services and community assets they most want protected;
- Share concerns about flooding, storms and coastal hazards;
- Discuss current challenges and those the community may face in coming years;
- Provide input on potential resilience projects and investments to be included in the portfolio.
"The goal is to use local knowledge and community priorities to help develop projects that can strengthen Southport’s ability to withstand hazards and adapt to future challenges."
The city is explicitly encouraging everyone connected to Southport to take part — full-time and part-time residents, business owners and employees, property owners, visitors and other community members. That breadth of input is designed to ensure the portfolio reflects both day-to-day needs and the seasonal realities of a coastal town.
Why it matters for Southport
Southport’s coastal location brings obvious benefits — but also clear risks. Flooding from heavy rain, storm surge and rising water levels can threaten homes, businesses, transport links and emergency services. A resilience portfolio is intended to produce a list of projects that can be taken forward for funding, design and construction — projects that could include physical defences, natural flood management, infrastructure upgrades, or work to protect critical community assets.
Because the programme is grant-funded by NCDEQ, the early stage of community engagement matters: priorities identified now will influence which projects are considered for investment and how limited public resources are allocated. In short, attendance at the meeting could shape the town’s risk profile and financial priorities for years to come.
How to take part if you can’t attend
The public meeting is the primary opportunity for face-to-face input, but the city has signalled that it wants broad participation from the wider community. Residents who cannot attend on 2 September should check the city’s communications channels for further opportunities to contribute, including future meetings or online feedback methods. The council has not published additional dates yet.
For a town that depends heavily on its waterfront and seasonal visitors, the stakes are tangible. This is a chance for Southport people to point out the assets they value, the vulnerabilities they see and the solutions they believe will keep the town safe and prosperous.
Attendance details: Wednesday 2 September, 5–8pm at the Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay Street. The format is drop-in; attendees can arrive at any time during the three-hour slot.
