Extreme rainfall events have resulted in extensive road flooding and structure washouts. There were 1186 washouts during Hurricanes Matthew & Florence alone. And additional washouts occurred during extreme flooding that took place in 2020. Road overtopping and washout and failure of hydraulic structures pose a significant threat to human life, and these incidents are likely to increase with climate change. More ‘sustainable’ or resilient transportation infrastructure could reduce our vulnerabilities to these extreme events. However, NC DOT maintains 80,483 miles of roadway, so making all transportation infrastructure resilient to extreme events is not financially feasible. It is therefore imperative that a strategic system-based approach that applies risk assessment and geospatial
optimization methods be applied to maximize investments in highway infrastructure.
