Flooding ranks as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area's biggest natural threat, and Mecklenburg County is urging Ballantyne residents to check their risk before the next storm arrives.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management Office published an advisory Monday, Aug. 31, marking the start of National Preparedness Month in September. The office outlined three steps for residents: check flood risk, build an emergency kit and sign up for alerts.

Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30. Heavy rainfall and flooding can strike year-round, but tropical systems raise the odds, the emergency management office said.

Check your flood risk

Residents can look up their property on the county's 3-D Floodzone Map, an interactive tool that shows whether a home is in a floodplain and outlines ways to reduce risk. The tool goes beyond showing who must buy flood insurance. It can also flag additional requirements for buying, building or renovating properties in a floodplain.

Build a three-day kit

The emergency management office recommends keeping basic supplies on hand. Its minimum list includes water and a three-day supply of nonperishable food, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first-aid kit, cellphone chargers with a backup battery, local maps, basic sanitation supplies, a manual can opener, a whistle and a wrench or pliers to shut off utilities.

Sign up for CharMeck Alerts

The office sends emergency information, including flooding updates, through the CharMeck Alerts Notification System. Residents can choose to receive alerts by voice call, text, push notification or email. The alerts are geographically targeted, so users get notifications relevant to their neighborhood.

The advisory comes less than a year after Hurricane Helene caused significant flood damage across the region. FEMA announced more than $34 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding to help North Carolina acquire nearly 80 flood-prone properties damaged by Helene in six counties, including Mecklenburg, 828 News Now reported. Those properties are to be converted to permanent open space.