DUKE ENERGY & TIGER DAM FLOOD PROTECTION

On October 8th, 2016, Hurricane Matthew, a category 1 hurricane, made its final landfall over the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge near McClellanville, South Carolina. Afterward, Matthew re-emerged into the Atlantic and eventually transitioned into a tropical storm as it moved away from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on October 9th. The aftermath of Hurricane Matthew brought about widespread devastation and extensive power outages across several states.

In Florida alone, over 1 million residents lost power as the storm passed to the east, while both Georgia and South Carolina experienced power outages affecting 478,000 individuals. North Carolina also saw 890,000 residents without power. Some of these outages in the Carolinas were attributed to floodwaters submerging electrical equipment within transmission substations.

In response to the substation flooding events associated with Hurricane Matthew, Duke Energy formed a team of transmission personnel to assess ten substation sites that had previously experienced flooding during both Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Floyd. The team evaluated these sites based on the likelihood of flooding occurring and its potential impact.

After identifying the stations and conducting the risk assessment, the team was tasked with evaluating and recommending temporary flood control solutions for these substations. Considering a list of product interests, the team invited five flood mitigation product vendors to showcase their products during a vendor demonstration day held in Raleigh, NC. Each vendor presented their product information, allowing the team to engage with the products through hands-on exercises.

Upon reviewing the information and results from the demonstration day, the team decided to assess the potential flood mitigation effectiveness of the Tiger Dam system. One particular area of interest was the storage requirements for the Tiger Dam system. Duke Energy also purchased US Flood Control's SERT (Standard Emergency Response Trailer) trailers to house the Tiger Dam systems and associated equipment. These trailers were designed to accommodate individual Tiger Dam units, hoses, pumps, and other necessary equipment for deployment events.

With engineering and design processes underway, work planning, material procurement, and construction are being coordinated according to funding schedules. An essential aspect of this process involves early coordination with regulatory authorities. Floodplains and floodways are subject to strict regulations imposed by local, state, and federal agencies. Wetlands often overlap with floodplain areas, further complicating permitting and regulatory considerations. Effective coordination with the relevant agencies and a thorough understanding of all requirements are crucial in minimizing disruptions.