Charleston, South Carolina — The City of Charleston is taking steps to alleviate the peninsula’s recurring flooding woes following record rains over the last nine weeks. At a city meeting on Thursday, officials talked about ongoing efforts to assess affected neighborhoods and conduct repair measures.
Robert Hauck, the city’s GIS Director, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “Over that time period, all the events, there’s 211 recorded road closures and 57 flooded vehicle responses from our fire department’s data.” He continued, “To get that many in such a short period of time is obviously unique. And I believe it reflects how extreme some of these incidents were.
The city is focusing on regions with severe floods, such as Rosemont, which has been designated as a high-risk zone. Kasey Henneman, a resiliency and nature-based solution engineer, stated, “Here in Rosemont, there was a high EJ flood risk EPA cleaning sites. It’s also an industrial zone. As you can see, it demonstrates why Rosemont is an ideal choice for this project-centered adaption method.”
Project managers are meeting with Rosemont homeowners to discuss alternative solutions, such as installing swales or rain gardens, which may affect parking availability.
Adam Clinch, a coastal engineer at AECOM, underlined the necessity of communication, saying, “If you’re going to develop a swale or a rain garden alongside a specific route, it may take away spots where residents usually park. And that is a crucial topic to talk so that people are aware of it.”
Flood protection strategies include elevating dwellings on stilts, establishing natural barriers such as trees or dunes, and improving stormwater management. Clinch voiced enthusiasm for the plan, saying, “It’s exciting for us and the residents of Rosemont.” And, as Kaylyn mentioned, this would be an excellent repeatable pilot that could be expanded to other basins in the future.”
The city is also looking for public feedback to identify more issue areas. Matthew Fountain, engineering manager for Charleston County Public Works, urged locals to utilize the “TIDEeye app” to provide photographs and damage assessments during large occurrences.
