A metal staircase leads up to the finished floor of the Hannah Ferry pump station. Outside the station, a long metal plaque adorns the concrete foundation below the floor. Someone had etched what looked like the marks proud parents make on the first day of school into the plaque. The date Feb. 23, 2003, sat at knee height. April 26, 1987, had been etched near eye level. I had to crane my head back to read March 21, 2003.
“These are historic flood events at this station,” said Jason Wilson, director of Salisbury-Rowan Utilities. “You notice the most recent ones aren’t on here because they exceed the tool.”
Early this month, FEMA announced plans to cancel a suite of grants to help communities combat flooding, known as BRIC — Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities. In North Carolina, many municipalities have already invested millions to start the projects, but none have received a federal dime…