A regulatory floodway is a specific area within a floodplain designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It serves a critical purpose in flood management. Here's a breakdown of what it is and why it's important:
Function:
The regulatory floodway is essentially the channel of a river or stream, along with adjacent land areas, that must be kept free of obstructions.
Its primary purpose is to ensure the floodwater from a base flood (1% annual chance flood) can flow freely without causing significant increases in flood heights.
Why it's important:
By keeping the floodway clear, floodwaters can pass through with minimal rise in water levels. This helps to:
Protect communities located further upstream from experiencing even higher floodwaters.
Reduce the overall flood hazard in the area.
Regulations:
Communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are required to regulate development within regulatory floodways. This typically involves restrictions on:
Construction of buildings or structures
Placement of fill material
Any action that could impede floodwater flow
Impact on property owners:
If your property falls within a designated regulatory floodway, there may be limitations on what you can build or modify on your land.
It's important to consult with your local floodplain administrator or building department before undertaking any construction projects to ensure compliance with regulations.
It's no mystery why DuPont State Recreational Forest drew 1.3 million visitors last year, says Kirsten McDonald, the forest's information and education supervisor.
First, she says, the 10,300-acre site in Henderson and Transylvania counties is not far from Interstate 26, making it more accessible than places like Gorges State Park, Nantahala National Forest or Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.
Second, the forest has six spectacular waterfalls. "And you don't have to walk very far to see them," she adds.
"We've got the multi-use trails, so, we've got equestrians, hikers, runners, mountain bikers, and then our hunters and anglers. We've got lakes people can swim in. And it's free."
Being such a popular destination presents challenges, though, so officials have developed a master plan outlining changes and improvements over the coming years to keep the site sustainable and safe. For this week's cover story, I wrote about the plan, which will be presented to the state in June.
It calls for closing little-used trails, improving existing ones and opening new pathways. It also proposes making some footpaths and roads off-limits to mountain bikes or horses — a significant change at a place where the vast majority of trails are now open to all users.
"You're going to have individuals who are upset with one change or another," says Sara Landry, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of DuPont Forest. "Maybe their favorite trail is closing or whatnot. But I think that the feedback that we're getting is, 'Yeah, that's pretty fair and balanced. And more importantly, it protects the forest.'"
NC faces challenge of creating a clean, reliable and affordable energy future
Duke Energy wants to significantly increase its natural gas footprint to replace its dirty coal power plants. But others say there's a better, cheaper way for NC to go green that's just as reliable
Opinion: Physician reflects on sense of shared loss after HCA bought Mission Hospital
I first walked into Mission in 1980 to begin my training at MAHEC as a resident in Family Medicine.
My classmates and I had just taken the Hippocratic oath promising to uphold ethical standards, the art of medicine, and act in our patients' best interest. It called on us to remember that we were now members of society with a special obligation to all our fellow human beings.
Mission was a relatively small community hospital. It was where the indigent or those without choice would go for care. St. Joseph's was a private facility, admissions were generally elective. Mission was a safety net anyone could count on. There was a shared sense of pride in caring for any and all, no questions asked.
Only in the previous 10 years had the community started to attract the very best physicians out of their training programs. There were limited numbers of all the specialists. Every physician or group admitted their own patients, making rounds in the morning before going to the office, often again at the end of the day. Returning after hours and through the night was the norm.
Mission was home away from home for all of us. We were there to meet the community and region's needs. It didn't need to be advocated for. The mission didn't need to be defended.
We were building a medical community defined by trust, collegiality and excellence. Physicians were in leadership roles across the board, working with hospital leadership to prepare for what was around the next corner. We were all committed to providing the best care possible. Our relationships supported that end.
For members of the community, working at Mission or St. Joe's was something to aspire to, a place to have a career, a place to belong, to feel proud of. There was a sense of ownership for them as well.
Mission, over decades, grew in stature and reputation. Physicians from the most prestigious programs in the country wanted to come here. The growth and excellence that resulted was hard earned, built by the commitment and sacrifice of countless physicians, nurses and so many others.
Mission defined who we were as a community. It was where we shared a sense of meaning, where we had history, a voice, and where we could all strive to be the best we could be.
Sense of loss for physicians, patients, community
There's a deep sense of loss so many of us feel since HCA has taken over. Their corporate-driven changes are not only antithetical to our way of being, they dismantled what we'd worked so hard for. They've erased our institutional memory.
The community and region have experienced a sense of loss, too. Patients have lost experienced providers or services. There's been a loss of confidence and the security of care we'd come to expect. They've erased community memory as well.
The exodus of physicians is one marker of this loss. Practices have been forced to make difficult HCA-driven changes. Physicians employed by Mission have had no choice but to accept the HCA way or leave. The fear of retribution makes it difficult if not impossible for many to advocate or speak up.
Issues related to patient safety and quality of care have been front and center, as they should. Space doesn't allow for these to be recounted. They are well documented.
HCA brought with them a culture that has undermined trust, alienated many and harmed the collaboration and collegiality that's defined who we've been. Their manner has been marked by a lack of respect for the ethic and shared purpose that defined our health care community. We've had what feels like a hostile takeover.
The staff at Mission are doing heroic work and deserve our highest respect. Outstanding care may be more the norm than appears thanks to their dedication. I've witnessed it. The corporate-driven problems are not on them. Please express your gratitude every chance you get.
We should all want stewardship of our health care system to be in the highest service possible to all the residents of Western North Carolina, not to HCA shareholders and executives. We deserve excellence in care across the board supported by the services and resources we once had. Quoting a nurse leader, this is a manufactured crisis. HCA has plenty of money to restore the excellence we'd come to know.
We deserve better than the quality of our health care being publicly traded.
Dr. Bruce Kelly is a retired Family Physician who provided care and served at Mission for over three decades. He completed his 42-year career at the Charles George VA Medical Center.
Best waterfalls in Western NC: See the tallest, falls with short hikes, swimming holes
Memorial Day weekend is often considered the unofficial start of summer; There are plenty of ways to enjoy the warm weather in Western North Carolina, including the area's many waterfalls.
Transylvania County, the so-called "land of waterfalls," has over 250 waterfalls within its borders alone. But waterfalls abound all around the region. From challenging hikes to roadside access, WNC has something for everyone when it comes to waterfall spotting.
Here are a few options for this season, with something for everyone.
At 411 feet, Upper Whitewater Falls in the Cashiers area of the Nantahala National Forest is the tallest waterfall east of the Rockies. The Lower Whitewater Falls, across the border in South Carolina, plummets another 400 feet, if the first view wasn't spectacular enough.
The area, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, is roughly 60 miles southwest of Asheville off N.C. 281. Round-trip, the hike to Upper Whitewater Falls is only a half-mile of paved trail, with observation areas for optimal views. There is a $3 parking fee per vehicle.
But be cautious. Whitewater Falls also has the dubious distinction of being one of the deadliest waterfalls in Western North Carolina, with at least 15 deaths since 1995, according to previous Citizen Times reporting.
Sliding Rock, located on U.S. 276 in Pisgah Forest, is famous for living up to its name. Operated by Naventure, Sliding Rock is a 60-foot natural water slide that ends in a 8-10 foot deep pool of water. The area is open 365 days a year, with lifeguards and restrooms available seven days a week Memorial Day through Labor Day. A daily fee of $5 per person applies.
The Forest Service website provides rules for enjoying the slide:
If you cannot swim, you cannot slide - no exceptions. With cold, fast-moving water up to 10 feet deep, the ability to swim is a must.
Approved personal floatation devices are allowed, but floats, tubes, noodles, etc., are not.
No running.
Sit and scoot into position at the top of the waterfall, and slide in an upright seated position.
Among the many waterfalls in WNC, there are several that require short hikes, and several more that require no hiking at all. Visitors to the 60-foot cascade of Looking Glass Falls can view the waterfall from an observation deck in Pisgah Forest accessible by a staircase from the parking lot on U.S. 276. Similarly, the 12-foot-high Hooker Falls in DuPont Forest is accessible via a short walk from the parking area to the waterfall and swimming area.
If you're looking for a hike rather than a walk across a parking lot, there are plenty of options including Triple Falls in DuPont State Recreational Forest in Henderson and Transylvania counties and Big Laurel Falls near the Appalachian Trail at Standing Indian near Franklin. Both hikes are around 1 mile round-trips.
There are several swimming holes in the WNC area including Hooker Falls and Sliding Rock.
Upper Creek Falls in the Jonas Ridge area of Burke County is one option; A 0.8 mile hike leads to the cascade, an area which is popular among swimmers, sunbathers and anglers. The 30-foot Silver Run Falls pours into another mountain swimming hole, with a similarly short, easy trail leading to the area.
"Waterfalls are not amusement park rides that were designed for your safety," Lovelace said. "We're so used to things being designed for our safety that we're just not thinking. And if you look at all of our wonderful safety tips, none of them are really complicated or surprising, but simple things like keeping your eyes on your kids and pets at all times."
The campaign provides the following simple guidelines for waterfall visitors to follow:
Observe all posted signs leading to waterfall areas.
Do not swim or wade upstream near a waterfall.
Watch for slick rocks around waterfalls.
Do not jump off waterfalls or dive into pools.
Do not climb on rocks above waist height.
Watch your children and pets at all times.
Stay on marked trails and observation areas.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
From: Georgia Warren | The Guardian <info@email.theguardian.com> Date: May 23, 2024 at 12:53:31 PM EDT To: peteandtess@gmail.com Subject:Do you believe we're in a recession? Reply-To: gnm.no.reply@theguardian.com
The Guardian
What the surprising results of a Guardian poll tell us about American economic anxiety
• 56% of us think the US is in a recession right now – though we're not • 49% believe that unemployment is at a 50-year high – though it's at a near 50-year low • 72% think inflation is still increasing – but it's falling • 49% believe the stock market is down for the year – but it's up
Of course, politics and partisanship play a large role in determining our impressions of the economy. As you would expect, Republicans are far more likely to be pessimistic about a Biden-led economy, with 81% believing we're in a recession – but more surprisingly, according to our poll, so do 61% of Democrats.
What accounts for this discrepancy between economic fact and feeling? Guardian US deputy business editor Callum Jones said in part it's because these stats don't reflect many Americans' real-world experiences: "When you pick up groceries right now, and it's still so much more expensive than it was a few years ago, you don't really think about official data showing GDP expanding and inflation fading from its peak. You think: 'How the heck did I just spend that much?'"
Guardian US labor reporter Michael Sainato wrote a fascinating piece this week exploring how economic concerns link to electoral ones in the minds of voters (Inflation, election lies and racial tension weigh on voters in Georgia swing county). Michael traveled to Peach county, Georgia – a rural county about 100 miles south of Atlanta – and told me that "the people I spoke to were frustrated, because they hear the economy is doing well and stocks are doing really well, and yes, perhaps even their own wages have risen – but when they go to the grocery store or pay bills it seems like those gains are getting taken away".
What Michael says he noticed in these conversations "is that people used that economic anxiety to reaffirm their political beliefs, each reinforcing and amplifying the other. It's not based in reality, but people are whipping themselves into tornadoes around the idea that everything is bad".
Do you feel you have a stronger handle on how the economy is actually doing? You can test your own knowledge by taking our quiz. I would also welcome hearing about your experiences: though you know we're not in a recession, does it feel to you like we are in one? Do your cost-of-living expenses run counter to the economic facts? Tell me what you are seeing in your lives and communities by emailing me: membershipeditorialus@theguardian.com.
Finally, thank you to the more than 12,000 of you who have already completed our annual reader survey. We are closing it tomorrow at 2pm ET, so last call for those who would be kind enough to give us some feedback by answering a few questions.
With thanks as ever for your readership and support, Georgia
Georgia Warren Interim membership editor Guardian US
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