THIS PROOF OF CONCEPT EFFORT IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN NC STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE GROUNDWATER WATER MANAGEMENT BRANCH (GWMB) OF THE NC DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (NCDEQ), A GROUNDWATER RESEARCH ENTITY WITHIN NCDEQ. WE WILL USE EMERGING ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY APPROACHES TO UNDERSTAND THE VULNERABILITY OF NORTH CAROLINA'S COASTAL PLAIN (NCCP) AQUIFERS TO EXTREME RAINFALL AND FLOODS. THIS AREA IS THE PRIMARY REGION FOR FOOD AND FIBER PRODUCTION AND WAS DEVASTATED BY CATASTROPHIC FLOODS FROM HURRICANE FLORENCE.THE NCCP DEPENDS ALMOST ENTIRELY ON AQUIFERS TO PROVIDE POTABLE WATER TO HOUSEHOLD WELLS, MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS, CROP IRRIGATION WELLS, LIVESTOCK CAFOS, AND INDUSTRY. THE LIKELIHOOD OF POST-LANDFALL "STALLING" BEHAVIOR AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL FROM MAJOR STORMS WILL INCREASE BY 50% IN THE FUTURE. GIVEN THE DENSITY OF WELLS IN THIS AREA, AND THEIR VARYING STATES OF INTEGRITY, THERE IS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER BY STORM WATER INTRUSION. TO UNDERSTAND THE RISK AND POTENTIAL THREAT OF GROUNDWATER VULNERABILITY TO EXTREME STORMS REQUIRES CHARACTERIZATIO OF GROUNDWATER BEFORE AND AFTER STORM EVENTS. THIS PROJECT WILL FINGERPRINT GROUNDWATER TO EVALUATE HOW HURRICANE FLORENCE IMPACTED FLOODED WELLS PRE- AND POST FLORENCE. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO CREATE THE FIRST-EVER AQUIFER FINGERPRINTS OF ALL COASTAL NC AQUIFERS TO IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF AQUIFER CONNECTIVITY AND VUNLERABILITY TO SURFACE WATER INTRUSION.