Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services won a first-place national award for a flood preparedness campaign that reached 650,294 residents for just over $1,000.

The National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA) recognized the team in its Public Awareness of Flooding and Emergency Preparedness category for the weeklong Severe Weather Preparedness Week campaign held in March. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water tied for first with King County Flood Control District in Washington state, according to a Mecklenburg County news release published Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The campaign reached roughly 60% of Charlotte's population. To keep costs low, staff translated and designed materials in-house, used a county-owned electronic billboard at no cost and repurposed outreach materials already on hand.

The team also used GIS floodplain and economic vulnerability data to identify two priority ZIP codes for additional outreach. Staff hand-delivered 100 flood preparedness kits to Mecklenburg County Community Resource Centers in those areas. The county has not disclosed which ZIP codes were targeted.

The award comes days before severe thunderstorms hit the Charlotte region on Friday, Aug. 28, knocking out power to more than 7,000 Duke Energy customers and prompting a National Weather Service severe thunderstorm warning for Mecklenburg County, WBTV reported. Wind gusts reached 60 mph.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management called flooding "our community's greatest threat" in a March 2 post on X during the preparedness week.

Charlotte holds a Class 2 rating under FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS), a designation the city says saves residents an estimated $1 million or more per year in flood insurance premiums. Homeowners in the Special Flood Hazard Area qualify for up to a 40% discount on premiums. Properties outside that zone may receive a 10% discount.

The county's news release said the award shows how data-driven planning and creative use of limited resources can deliver lifesaving information to residents.

Residents with questions about flood preparedness can contact Charlotte Storm Water Services spokesperson Janice Mukhia at 980-475-9710.