One Year Later: Lessons from Chantal Are Building a More Resilient Orange County

On July 6,2025, the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal changed Orange County in a matter of hours.

Historic rainfall flooded neighborhoods, washed out roads, damaged homes and businesses, disrupted critical infrastructure, and displaced residents across the county. To this day, some residents remain displaced. Emergency responders, county staff, municipal partners, nonprofit and mutual aid organizations and volunteers worked around the clock to protect lives and begin the long road to recovery.

Today, Orange County is focused on becoming a stronger and more prepared and responsive community by applying the lessons learned during Chantal.

Following the storm, Orange County prepared a comprehensive after-action report that evaluated every phase of the response. The report highlighted many strengths—including successful rescue operations, emergency sheltering, strong partnerships, and the dedication of first responders—while also identifying opportunities to strengthen preparedness for future disasters.

Over the past year, the county has made significant investments in technology, planning, training and regional partnerships to strengthen its ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from future emergencies. In addition, the county has heard from community members and those directly impacted by Chantal about ways to enhance communication and responsiveness.

"Tropical Storm Chantal tested our community in ways we never imagined, but it also revealed the very best of Orange County," said Orange County Board of Commissioners Chair Jean Hamilton. "Neighbors helped neighbors, local government employees and volunteers worked tirelessly, and our local governments, nonprofit partners and businesses came together to support those in need. As we reflect one year later, we remain committed not only to recovering from Chantal, but to building a more resilient Orange County that is better prepared for whatever comes next."

Better Flood Detection

One of the most significant findings from the after-action report was the need for improved flood monitoring. During Chantal, existing river gauges proved inadequate, limiting emergency officials' ability to monitor changing conditions and provide advance warning as waterways rose rapidly.

To help address that need, Orange County received a $23,000 Duke Energy Foundation grant to expand its real-time flood monitoring network. The county is increasing the number of AWARE flood sensors from three to six, providing emergency officials with more accurate and timely information about changing water conditions.

The long-term goal is to use this data to improve situational awareness and eventually support more automated emergency alerts when flooding threatens residents.

Clearer Emergency Alerts

Emergency information is most effective when residents immediately understand what they should do.

To make emergency messaging clearer and more consistent, Orange County partnered with the towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough to adopt the nationally recognized Ready, Set, Go emergency notification model.

The system provides simple, action-oriented guidance before and during emergencies:

• Get Ready – Prepare now by making a plan, gathering emergency supplies and staying informed.
• Get Set – Be prepared to leave. Monitor conditions closely and finalize preparations.
• Go – Take immediate protective action or evacuate when directed by emergency officials.

The county is also strengthening procedures for public alerts and information sharing while continuing to encourage residents to sign up for OC Alerts to receive emergency notifications.

Stronger Coordination During Emergencies

One of Chantal's biggest lessons was the importance of seamless coordination among responding agencies.

Orange County continues to work closely with OWASA, the towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, state agencies and community organizations to strengthen emergency coordination before disasters occur.

The county is expanding the use of WebEOC, its crisis management platform, to improve situational awareness, resource tracking and information sharing among agencies during emergency responses.

Emergency Services is also expanding training for staff involved in emergency response.

Supporting Recovery Through Community Partnerships

Recovery from Tropical Storm Chantal has been a collaborative effort involving Orange County, local municipalities, nonprofit organizations, businesses and residents working together to meet both immediate and long-term needs.

Beginning July 11, Orange County partnered with the Town of Chapel Hill to provide hotel accommodations for residents displaced by the storm while they searched for stable housing. The Town of Chapel Hill contributed $100,000 in emergency housing funding to help prevent homelessness, while Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) provided case management and housing coordination with support from the Orange County Housing Department to help families transition into permanent housing.

As recovery efforts continued, the Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the transfer of $20,000 from the County's Social Justice Reserve to DSS on Aug. 26. Those funds helped extend temporary housing for displaced residents and provided additional assistance as families worked to secure permanent housing.

The spirit of partnership extended beyond government. Orange County and the towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough established the Tropical Storm Chantal Community Giving Fund, which raised nearly $128,000 through donations from residents, businesses and community organizations.

The collaborative effort was created to help meet critical unmet needs that remained after insurance and other assistance programs were exhausted.

More than $65,000 was distributed to help with housing, food, clothing, appliances, utility deposits and other essential needs and recovery efforts for residents impacted by the storm. Additionally, the Long-Term Recovery Group approved a $60,000 reimbursement to the Town of Chapel Hill for emergency hotel costs the town incurred while housing families displaced from two public housing neighborhoods. Ten families remain displaced and this funding helps ensure that families in need have safe, stable shelter as they transition to permanent housing.

The Community Giving Fund is a testament to the power of partnership. By working together, local governments, residents, businesses and dedicated community organizations provided meaningful support to neighbors during one of Orange County's most challenging times.

Restoring Community Through the Arts

Tropical Storm Chantal also dealt a devastating blow to Orange County's arts community. Floodwater heavily damaged the Eno Arts Mill in Hillsborough, home to the Orange County Arts Commission, artist studios and community gathering spaces. Despite the loss of its facility, the Arts Commission continued serving the community by relocating programs, supporting artists and moving forward with signature events, including the Uproar Festival of Public Art. The organization also distributed nearly $100,000 in relief funding to artists affected by the storm and is using the rebuilding process to create new opportunities, including expanded arts programming and a ceramics studio.

This recovery reflects the same resilience demonstrated across Orange County—turning adversity into an opportunity to rebuild stronger while preserving the creativity and sense of community that make Orange County unique.

Supporting Residents Beyond the Storm

Orange County's recovery efforts extended beyond repairing damaged infrastructure. Department of Social Services staff, in close collaboration with Housing staff, worked one-on-one with displaced residents to assess their needs and connect them with critical resources. Through partnerships with healthcare providers, crisis providers, nonprofit organizations and community agencies, residents received assistance with food, transportation, medical care, housing, replacement identification documents, hygiene supplies, financial assistance and emotional support as they worked to rebuild their lives.

Better Prepared for the Next Emergency

Orange County is finalizing updates to its Comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan, incorporating lessons learned from Chantal and strengthening the county's preparedness for future emergencies.

The county is enhancing plans for emergency sheltering, temporary housing and long-term recovery assistance while continuing to evaluate ways to improve communication and services for residents affected by disasters.

Preparedness is not a one-time effort. It is an ongoing commitment to learning, improving and strengthening the systems that protect our community.

Stronger Together

The lessons learned from Tropical Storm Chantal continue to shape how Orange County prepares for future emergencies. Every improvement made over the past year has been built through collaboration—between county departments, municipalities, OWASA, nonprofit organizations, state and federal partners, businesses, volunteers and residents.

From expanding flood monitoring technology and improving emergency alerts to strengthening emergency response coordination and supporting families through the Community Giving Fund, Orange County has transformed the challenges of Chantal into opportunities to build a safer and more resilient community.

"Every emergency teaches us something," said Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders. "Tropical Storm Chantal tested our community in unprecedented ways, but it also made us stronger. The storm reinforced the importance of planning, communication and collaboration, and we've used those lessons to strengthen our preparedness and better protect our residents when future emergencies arise."

As hurricane season continues, Orange County encourages all residents to develop an emergency plan, build an emergency supply kit, sign up for OC Alerts, and stay informed before severe weather threatens.

Chantal by the Numbers

• Up to 10 inches of rain fell in parts of Orange County.
• 7,953 calls were received by Orange County 911.
• 2,054 emergency incidents were dispatched.
• 1 death was attributed to the storm in Orange County, with an additional 14 injured. 
• A total of 448 homes were reported as impacted by the storm. Two were destroyed, 244 suffered major damage, 72 suffered minor damage, and 130 were affected. 
• Approximately 190 residents were displaced.
• A total of 116 businesses were reported as impacted by the storm, totaling almost $27 million in estimated costs. 44 suffered major damage, 67 suffered minor damage, and five were affected. 
• A shelter was opened at Smith Middle School on July 7 that provided services to approximately 23 displaced people over the six days that it was in operation. The shelter closed on July 12, at 7 p.m. Many of the shelter occupants were placed in hotel rooms. 
• $87,981 was donated through the Tropical Storm Chantal Community Giving Fund; Bank of America donated $40,000 through its Charitable Gift Fund. The Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG) reviewed unmet recovery needs on a case-by-case basis rather than using fixed eligibility criteria. All funding was awarded to trusted partner organizations and existing programs, leveraging their established eligibility requirements and service delivery systems.
• The Town of Chapel Hill contributed $100,000 in emergency housing funding to help prevent homelessness, while Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) provided case management and housing coordination with support from the Orange County Housing Department to help families transition into permanent housing.
• The Orange County Board of Commissioners approved the transfer of $20,000 from the County's Social Justice Reserve to DSS. Those funds helped extend temporary housing for displaced residents and provided additional assistance as families worked to secure permanent housing.
• Estimated public assistance costs totaled approximately $24.5 million.