Title
Receive a presentation and demonstration on the new GIS Flooding Application
Abstract
Introduction & Background: At the October 20, 2025 meeting the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, staff received direction to develop a new community reporting application for flooding. This was pursuant to a recommendation by the Chatham County Environmental Review Advisory Committee to ‘develop online tools for community (flood) reporting.’
This new application accomplishes this direction and will be utilized by several departments to enhance knowledge and understanding of flooding across Chatham County.
Discussion & Analysis: This application provides a centralized and user-friendly way for residents to report flooding and drainage concerns across the county. The application is designed to support coordination across departments, including Emergency Management, Public Works, Planning, and GIS, and will serve as an additional data source to complement existing flood mapping and storm event response efforts. Over time, the collected data will help build a more complete understanding of flood prone areas and support more proactive decision making.
How does this relate to the Comprehensive Plan: This effort supports several focus areas of Plan Chatham, most directly:
• Resiliency - by improving the County’s ability to prepare for and respond to flooding events and reduce long term risk associated with storm impacts
• Natural Resources - through better identification and protection of water resources, floodplains, and environmentally sensitive areas, including SCM management and flood prevention.
• Land Use - by supporting more informed development decisions in areas prone to flooding and helping guide future growth away from high risk locations
More broadly, this application advances Plan Chatham’s emphasis on coordinated, data driven planning and strengthens the County’s ability to incorporate real world conditions into long term decision making.
Budgetary Impact: None at this time.
Recommendation/Motion: Receive a presentation and demonstration of the application.