Communications

Sea Level Rise Strategy Report

The City of Charleston's multi-disciplinary staff task force has developed a comprehensive inventory of initiatives to provide an overall strategy and guiding framework to make the City more resilient to sea level rise and recurrent flooding. A full copy of the report (PDF) can be found.

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant

The city has begun work to complete the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant application which will be directed towards the buyout of certain repetitive flood loss properties on behalf of property owners. The pre-application is due in April this year, and final applications are due in October. Then there will be a period of review before grants are awarded. We are confident that our grant request will be successful, but it is going to take time to get through the multi-step process. 

At the appropriate time, the city will solicit input from residents about how the buyout process is structured. No action by residents is required at this time. Additional information on the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program may be found on their website. We hope that this information is helpful.

Church Creek Drainage Basin

A meeting was jointly held by the city of Charleston and Charleston County on December 10, 2015 regarding drainage in the Church Creek drainage basin. During the meeting there were a number of questions that were asked by attendees, and since that time we have had a request to provide a written response to the questions and answers that were voiced at the meeting. Several months have passed since the meeting, and efforts at the city have been focused on meeting relatively short deadlines to apply for grants that will enable the city to buy out properties with repetitive flooding in locations where natural conditions prevent other physical alternatives that would lower flood elevations. The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant application was submitted to the state who must review it and then make a recommendation to FEMA. 

The FMA grant will cover properties that had a flood insurance policy in place. The city will also submit a request for funds under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) which is due in October. Properties that flood repetitively and did not have a flood policy in place at the time of the event may be covered by this program. The questions and answers are posted (PDF). If we receive questions which need clarification, we will update the document on the website.