How North Carolina Republicans Left Homes Vulnerable to Helene

[BeyondGeography]

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The amount of rain that Tropical Storm Helene unleashed over North Carolina was so intense, no amount of preparation could have entirely prevented the destruction that ensued. But decisions made by state officials in the years leading up to Helene most likely made some of that damage worse, according to experts in building standards and disaster resilience.

Over the past 15 years, North Carolina lawmakers have rejected limits on construction on steep slopes, which might have reduced the number of homes lost to landslides; blocked a rule requiring homes to be elevated above the height of an expected flood; weakened protections for wetlands, increasing the risk of dangerous storm water runoff; and slowed the adoption of updated building codes, making it harder for the state to qualify for federal climate-resilience grants.

Those decisions reflect the influence of North Carolina’s home building industry, which has consistently fought rules forcing its members to construct homes to higher, more expensive standards, according to Kim Wooten, an engineer who serves on the North Carolina Building Code Council, the group that sets home building requirements for the state. “The home builders association has fought every bill that has come before the General Assembly to try to improve life safety,” said Ms. Wooten, who works for Facilities Strategies Group, a company that specializes in building engineering. She said that state lawmakers, many of whom are themselves home builders or have received campaign contributions from the industry, “vote for bills that line their pocketbooks and make home building cheaper.”

…Efforts to weaken building standards in North Carolina picked up steam after Republicans won control of both houses of the state legislature in 2010. In 2011, lawmakers proposed a law that limited the ability of local officials to account for sea-level rise in their planning. The comedian Stephen Colbert panned the change, quipping: “If your science gives you a result you don’t like, pass a law saying the result is illegal. Problem solved.”

Two years later, lawmakers overhauled the way North Carolina updates its building codes. That change attracted far less attention than the sea-level rule — but would be more consequential for Helene. Every three years, the International Code Council, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., issues new model building codes developed by engineers, architects, home builders and local officials. Most states adopt a version of those model codes, which reflect the latest advances in safety and design. But in 2013, the North Carolina legislature decided that the state would update its codes every six years, instead of every three…

More at gift link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/03/climate/north-carolina-homes-helene-building-codes.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PU4.3cg3.jhT-8Sq8z4OX&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb

One more thing: The NC home builders association has contributed $4.3 million to North Carolina politicians over the past three decades, with Republicans receiving nearly twice as much as Democrats (source: Open Secrets). The association gave Roy Cooper $10,500 during his two gubernatorial campaigns.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

1. they call California crazy with all our rules and building restrictions

[rockbluff botanist]

2. Is the legislature liable?

Can the vacation home people sue for gross negligence?

[modrepub]

3. I'd Take "Accountable"

If we had a functioning press corp, then some of these legislators or others who sign off on these things would have a microphone in their face to record how they justify these actions.

[Evolve Dammit]

4. And then demand FEMA bailouts?

[jaxexpat]

5. This is because Republican Gerrymandering legislators have only very short term vision.

Captain Obvious says, "If they had normal or even slightly longer term vision they would be better at legislating the interests of their constituents."