Flood waters threaten USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial Site
SPECTRUM AND THE WRAL APP ON
YOUR TV OR STREAMING DEVICE.
>> MOST NORTH CAROLINIANS HAVE
HEARD OF OR BEEN TO THE USS
NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM IN
WILMINGTON. THE PROJECT GROUND
BROKE GROUND TODAY, RATHER TO
PROTECT THE DECOMMISSIONED
BATTLESHIP FROM FLOODING.
WRAL, SHELLEY JACKSON REPORTS
ON THE EFFORT TO KEEP THE
MEMORIAL AFLOAT.
>> THIS IS THE PARKING LOT OF
THE U.S.
IT'S INCREASING BEING OVERRUN
BY FLOOD WATERS. YOU CAN SEE
SOME OF THE WATER AND THEN
THIS IS STRAINING THE SEAMS
ABILITY TO TAKE ITS THAT
ULTIMATELY STAY OPEN. THIS AREA
HERE WILL REFER TO AS THE
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS. CAPTAIN
TERRY BRAGG HAS SPENT HIS LIFE
ON THE SEA.
>> HE SERVED 30 YEARS IN THE
NAVY IN THE PAST 15 AS THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
BATTLESHIP NORTH CAROLINA
MEMORIAL BRAGG SAYS REGULAR
FLOODING AT THE SITE STARTED
9 YEARS AGO. WE STARTED LOSING
THE PARKING LOT FOR HOURS AT A
TIME IN 2022, THE SITE SAW 200
DAYS OF FLOODING AND IT WAS
IMPACTING OPERATIONS AT THE
BATTLESHIP. THE MEMORIAL DOES
NOT RECEIVE ANY GOVERNMENT
FUNDING. SO IT RELIES ON TICKET
SALES AND DONATIONS. SO IF I
CAN SELL TICKETS AND I CAN TO
HAVE A PLACE FOR VISITORS TO
PARK.
>> THEN THE BATTLESHIP, WHICH
IS INDEPENDENT.
>> TO GO BROKE HIGH TIDE
FLOODING ALSO CALLED NUISANCE
OR SUNNY DAY FLOODING. IT'S
HAPPENING MORE OFTEN AS SEA
LEVELS RISE ACCORDING TO THE
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND
ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION OR
SHE WITH UNC, WILMINGTON,
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND OCEAN
SCIENCES SAYS THE BATTLESHIPS
LOCATION IS ESPECIALLY
VULNERABLE. WE ALL ARE. HE GOES
OUT. IT'S PRETTY LIGHT.
>> SO WHATEVER YOU GET, THE
HIGH TIDES COMING UP, THEN THAT
WATER CAN SPILL OUT OF THE
RIVER ONTO THE LAND IN 2018
HISTORIC SITE LAUNCHED A LIVING
WITH WATER PROJECT THAT USES
NATURE BASED INFRASTRUCTURE
TO MANAGE FLOOD WATERS FROM THE
CAPE FEAR RIVER. IF YOU LOOK
AT THE FLAGS, THIS IS WHERE
THE LIVING SHORELINE WILL BE.
THIS PART OF THE PARKING LOT.
THE FLOODS WILL BE TURNED INTO
WETLANDS AND A TITLE CREEK.
>> AND THE REMAINING PARKING
LOT WILL BE RACED 2 TO 3 FEET.
BRAGG SAYS IN NATURE BASED
MITIGATION STRATEGY MADE MORE
SENSE THAN A WALL. AND THEN IF
WE NEED TO CHANGE COURSE,
>> AT DIFFERENT PLANT LIFE,
RAISE THE ELEVATION. IT'S A
CHEAP FACTS. AND WE DON'T HAVE
TO WORRY ABOUT THAT HORRENDOUS
AND FOR A STRUCTURE COST TO
REBUILD THE METAL LAW FOR BRAGG
SAVING THE SITE IS ABOUT
PRESERVING HISTORY. THE
BATTLESHIP NORTH CAROLINA IS
NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
IT IS A MEMORIAL.
>> TO THE 11,000 NORTH
CAROLINIANS ARE SERVED AND
DIED. IT WILL TAKE 8 MONTHS TO
COMPLETE THE LIVING WITH WATER
PROJECT. SHELLEY JACKSON, WRAL
NEWS, WILMINGTON.