North Carolina’s code policies likely worsened damage caused by Hurricane Helene

The North Carolina Legislature’s rejection of building code updates likely worsened the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, code experts say.

Over the past 15 years, lawmakers rejected limits on construction on steep slopes, which might have reduced the number of homes destroyed by landslides. The legislature also blocked a rule requiring homes to be elevated above the height of an expected flood and weakened protections for wetlands that help the environment absorb stormwater runoff.

Lawmakers have slowed building code updates, making it harder for the state to qualify for federal climate-resilience grants. In 2013, the legislature changed how often North Carolina would update its codes to every six years from every three.

The change proved important. In 2015, the International Code Council added a requirement that new homes in flood zones be built at least one foot above the projected height of a major flood. Instead of adopting that mandate statewide, the legislature left it up to local officials to decide whether to adopt it in their community.