CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Riverside Drive in northwest Charlotte is no stranger to Mother Nature. In fact, it's become part of the Catawba River at times.
Thursday's heavy rain that led to historic flooding in Charlotte also caused flooding along the Catawba River Friday. A voluntary evacuation order was issued Friday morning as the river swelled and threatened homes and property. Now, some residents are selling their homes to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services.
“It’s a beautiful place," said John Wendel, communications director for Storm Water Services.
Besides how quickly the water level rises, the fact is floods shouldn't be a surprise for anyone who lives on Riverside Drive. It's a flood zone.
“We offer, they don’t want it, and it happens,” said Wendel.
He's talking about buyouts. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services has spent years trying to buy these riverfront properties that rest in floodplains.
“By buying them out, we take that home out of the floodplain, make it safe for those folks, and then by not having that home in the floodplain, there are no flood costs anymore,” Wendell said.
So far, their nationally praised buyout program has purchased more than 450 homes in Mecklenburg County. The county has spent $64 million buying those homes, some of which came from a sliver of Storm Water service fees.
The program has saved $25 million in losses and could soon avoid an estimated $300 million in losses.
“You’re kind of spinning around in circles, you don’t even know what to do,” said David Bragg in 2019 after devastating floods swept through the same road.
In total, 11 homes have been bought out in the area of Riverside Drive since the June 2019 floods, but Wendel said many people chose to stay.
"That's their little piece of heaven, so there's nothing wrong with that," Wendel said.