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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Storm surge, tidal flooding, rainfall and river flooding are some of the types of floods the city will be taking a look at as it plans for a future with climate change in mind.
Dale Morris, Charleston’s chief resiliency officer, says a new 25-year comprehensive integrated water plan would help city leaders develop policies and determine where the city should invest to combat floods.
He also says this is the first time in Charleston’s history that a city-wide study will be created to combat all sources of flooding.
The recommendation for this study came in 2019 after the Dutch Dialogues, a collection of water experts, presented their final findings.
Morris says the city is dedicating its staff to come up with the plan, but they also need outside help to accomplish it.
“It will be complementary to all of the other investigations that the city is doing on drainage, on tidal mitigation, across the entire city, so not just the peninsula, not just West Ashley or James Island, but across the city,” Morris said. “We will look at flood risk – current flood risk – and future flood risk across all neighborhoods and then across all hydrologic or flood plain basins.”
Morris hopes to hire these experts and start working on this plan in the summer, which would take around 15 months to complete.
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