Rouzer, Murphy Champion Fifth Annual North Carolina WATERS Summit to Advance Flood Solutions for North Carolina Communities

GREENVILLE, NC - Today, North Carolina Congressmen David Rouzer (R-NC-07) and Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC-03) hosted the fifth annual Water Adaptation to Ensure Regional Success (WATERS) Summit in Greenville, North Carolina. This full day nonpartisan event brought together more than 175 local, state, and federal leaders, academic experts, and flood mitigation professionals to discuss solutions to waterway and flood mitigation challenges in North Carolina. Since the last WATERS Summit, Congressman Rouzer has continued advancing legislation to address water-related challenges, streamline disaster assistance, and improve permitting. “As communities grow in North Carolina, it's more important than ever to build them strong and resilient. That’s why I'm proud to help bring together industry leaders and public officials at the fifth annual WATERS Summit to identify ways to better protect North Carolinians from flooding," said Congressman Rouzer. "By leveraging modern technology and advancing legislative solutions in Congress, we can better prepare our state for future flood risks. I appreciate the partnership with Congressman Greg Murphy and everyone else who makes this a productive and collaborative summit.” "It was a pleasure to host another successful WATERS Summit, convening so many incredible leaders from across North Carolina and our country to collaborate on flood mitigation," said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. "Waterway challenges and storm resiliency are not partisan issues - they are human issues. No recent example is greater than Hurricane Helene, which devastated our mountain neighbors, who we continue to support as they rebuild their lives. North Carolina faces unique challenges as a large state, and improving our infrastructure to withstand flooding is critical to our continued success and the preservation of our way of life." As a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Congressman Rouzer secured several priorities in H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026 . The legislation will help protect families from flooding while strengthening the resilience and durability of the nation’s ports and inland waterways. Through WRDA 2026, Congressman Rouzer secured authorizations for critical infrastructure improvements involving ports, waterways, flood protection, and water infrastructure. These include Surf City’s 50-year federal beach renourishment project, multiple flood risk reduction studies for communities across Southeastern North Carolina, a feasibility study to improve water quality in the Cape Fear River in Cumberland County, and improvements to White Lake’s water infrastructure. Congressman Rouzer is working to strengthen disaster response and improve coordination among federal agencies through H.R. 4669, the FEMA Act of 2025 . Three of his bills were incorporated into the legislation, which advanced out of committee and awaits consideration by the entire House chamber. Congressman Rouzer is also advancing permitting reform through H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act, which passed the House in December 2025. The legislation streamlines permitting under the Clean Water Act, eliminate duplicative regulatory requirements, and provide greater clarity and predictability for infrastructure and energy projects. The 2026 WATERS Summit featured speakers and participants from federal, state, and local government, as well as experts in infrastructure, flood mitigation, environmental quality, and disaster recovery. Speakers included Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07), Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03), U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ted Budd (R-NC) (both participating virtually), Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, Greenville Mayor P.J. Connelly, North Topsail Beach Mayor Richard Grant, NC State Senator Kevin Corbin, co-chair of the Governor’s WNC Recovery Committee, and Greenville City Manager Michael Cowin, among many others. To watch the 2026 WATERS Summit, click here .