Portfolio Hurricane Damage Repair & Stormwater Services

• Comprehensive Stormwater Solutions: WithersRavenel provided hurricane damage repairs and stormwater services for the Town of Maxton. The work addressed critical infrastructure needs after Hurricane Florence in 2018.
• Expert Project Management: Worked with FEMA and local stakeholders to deliver projects on time and in compliance. Managed work from the first damage assessment to final close-out documents.
• Advanced Technical Services: Provided hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, environmental permits, and construction observation to improve the Town’s stormwater system. This work reduced future flood risk.

Maxton’s stormwater system repaired after hurricane damage

The Town of Maxton’s stormwater conveyance system sustained damage in multiple places during Hurricane Florence in September 2018. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) identified the following areas for repair:

1. Kincaid Street Damaged Road Culvert — Repairing and armoring of the downstream embankment of the culvert crossing
2. Ditch Repair — Removal of deposited sediment from a stormwater drainage ditch
3. Malloy Street Culvert — Replacement of asphalt roadway and curb and repair of culvert crossing embankments
4. Town Drainage Culvert — Repair of seven sinkholes along a drainage culvert

What services did WithersRavenel provide?

WithersRavenel provided consulting services to aid in the repair, including:

• Supplemental field survey
• Subsurface utility exploration
• FEMA coordination
• Design
• Environmental permitting
• Informal bidding services
• Construction administration services

We began the project by walking the site with Town staff and reviewed damage to the stormwater conveyance system. We also discussed the project approach, timelines, permitting, and stakeholder engagement.

WithersRavenel also reviewed apparent variances in the scope of work approved by FEMA under the disaster relief grant versus the repairs/improvements deemed necessary by the Town to not just restore the conveyance system but mitigate future flooding-related issues.

WithersRavenel’s geomatics team collected field survey information and completed subsurface utility engineering (SUE) within the project area, including utility designation, vacuum excavation, and video pipe inspection.WithersRavenel’s natural resource team delineated jurisdictional streams, wetlands, and riparian buffers.

We then completed a hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) analysis to assess the performance of the conveyance system in its pre-disaster state and used the analysis to recommend mitigation, such as widening a drainage ditch to provide more capacity and armoring roadway embankments to increase protection from higher frequency storms.

WithersRavenel prepared conceptual plans illustrating the proposed improvements. The team also prepared the H&H analysis report and scope of work revision request, which were approved by FEMA. Additionally, WithersRavenel prepared Final Plans of the proposed repairs and improvements along with a Project Manual.

What permits were obtained?

Permits obtained for completion included environmental permitting through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ).

WithersRavenel assisted the Town with bidding on the project and provided construction administration and observation tasks. Our firm also assisted the Town by reviewing payment applications and change order requests submitted by the contractor.