Charleston Currents

Post Tagged with: "flood"

FOCUS, Palm: Much more work needed on flood-prone areas

By Fred Palm, contributing editor | The City of Charleston is required to identify severely flood-damaged properties so that if the damage is extensive, the properties are removed from the floodplain and, if not, they are brought up to a higher level of resilience to better survive the next flood event.

This is a long-term, common-sense strategy to correct past planning and building decisions that did not work with increases in flood events and to lessen the replacement cost borne by all taxpayers. This also is a “common good” policy offering transition. Carried out over decades, owners are to be compensated for their losses, at-risk housing is removed from the floodplain, and we get to live in a more resilient community.

Unfortunately, the sensible policy is not being done well enough and treated more on a par with sloppy housekeeping by the city. …

by Fred Palm · 07/07/2019 · Comments are Disabled · Common Good, Focus, Good news, Views

FOCUS, Palm: Moving flood control beyond more trees

By Fred Palm, contributing editor | The Post and Courier editorial team (April 27, 2018) advocated that the City of Charleston plant trees to start to address flooding. That is a start. Here is what got left out.

We know that the outer lands, when properly employed to protect ourselves, buffer, reduce inundation and wave height that flood the inner uplands. We also know the flooding follows the rivers and floodplains going inland to Goose Creek and Mount Pleasant to the Francis Marion National Forest and other parts of the lowlands. This is a threat going well beyond the city of Charleston and addressed well beyond planting trees, though it helps. It could also be a way to have the Dutch dialogue that the P&C editorial writers endorsed recently.

Flooding is a coastal threat. Comprehensive plan funding is needed by all the S.C. state coastal counties and cities; and where the lion’s share of state revenue is drawn. We urgently need the state to act by funding a statewide plan including the coastal waters’ edges and upland rivers.

by Fred Palm · 05/07/2018 · Comments are Disabled · Common Good, Focus, Views

FOCUS: Helping S.C.’s flood victims over the holidays

By Steve Skardon | The circumstances of many destitute South Carolinians this holiday season are among the most distressing since Hurricane Hugo. The aftermath of massive flooding, broken dams, and swollen rivers has left thousands in the Midlands and Lowcountry displaced and in chaos as they face the holiday season.

Assistance from both government and non-profit agencies is slow, and many of these families cannot expect to be in back in their own stable living situations for another six to eight months.

The effects of this netherworld weigh heavily on children, especially with Christmas only weeks away. Many of them have been forced to leave their friends and neighborhoods and sleep on the floors of generous family members, while their parents struggle to make ends meet.

by Charleston Currents · 12/07/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

10/26 issue: Festival of Lights; on deadlines; more

Inside Charleston Currents, Oct. 26, 2015:
PHOTO: Spooky.
FOCUS: Holiday Festival of Lights on the way
BRACK: On deadlines, new state senator
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Charleston RiverDogs
GOOD NEWS: From flood recovery to offshore drilling, more
FEEDBACK: Send us your letters
CALENDAR, Oct. 26+: Mayoral history to spooky times
REVIEW: Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz
MYSTERY: Ironwork
BROADUS: Charleston Strong
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Walterboro, S.C.

by Charleston Currents · 10/26/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Full issue

Debris lines Screven Street in Kingstree, S.C. Photo by Linda W. Brown.

NEWS BRIEFS: Flood recovery to take months

In news briefs: Flood recovery to take months; Remembering Ken Burger; Remember to vote; Parris Island celebrates; Wheel of Time Companion to debut here.

by Charleston Currents · 10/26/2015 · Comments are Disabled · News briefs

HISTORY: Granby, S.C.

S.C. Encyclopedia | Situated at the head of navigation of the Congaree River, Granby was among the first important trading posts in the South Carolina interior. The town originated as a large Indian village on Congaree Creek.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 10/12/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Features, S.C. Encyclopedia

10/12, full issue: Helping flood victims, not shortchanging S.C.

In the Oct. 12, 2015, issue of Charleston Currents:
FOCUS, Tim Ervolina: Ways to help victims of the Great Flood of 2015
BRACK: Stop shortchanging South Carolina
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Charleston Green Commercial
REAL ESTATE, Doug Holmes: Traditional sellers face competition
GOOD NEWS: Big check to chase away cancer, more
FEEDBACK: Send us your letters
CALENDAR, Oct. 12+: A musical, block party and Greek Fest
REVIEW: Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
MYSTERY: Ring our bell on this one
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Granby, S.C.

by Charleston Currents · 10/12/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Full issue

FOCUS: Helping victims of the Great Flood of 2015

By Tim Ervolina, president, United Way Association of South Carolina | This flood has a thousand stories.

I could tell you about the disaster response volunteer from Danville, Virginia, who called in the midst of the deluge to offer tractor-trailers full of relief supplies, along with trained volunteers to pass them out.

I could tell you the community health worker who was looking for infant formula for a Hispanic mother of a fragile baby. When we got it to her, we found that the worker had been in a shelter since her own evacuation days ago.

I could tell you about the faith communities, the first responders, the medical staff, the animal shelter volunteers and the ordinary people who opened their hearts, their homes and their wallets to their neighbors and to total strangers.

by Charleston Currents · 10/12/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news

Photo courtesy of Nelson Aerial Productions.

BRACK: Stop shortchanging South Carolina

By Andy Brack | South Carolinians have to get over the cheapskate model of democracy. To do otherwise is to continue to fail our future.

Billions of dollars of underinvestment in roads, bridges and health care over recent years leaves the state at the mercy of disasters of one sort or another.

Just witness the 11 trillion gallons of rain over the last week that flooded rivers, burst dams, destroyed homes, upended lives and killed at least 17 people.

by Andy Brack · 10/12/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views

FOCUS, photo essay: Rain, rain go away

Photo essay: Dale Poulnot of Charleston wanted to know what Charleston harbor looked like around high tide during Saturday’s deluge of rain. So she stepped outside, walked to the Battery and snapped this photo. “I thought it was scary spectacular!” she told us. “Wasn’t surprised since it was a strong east wind and high tide. Sure made me glad that Hugo came at low tide!” For getting out in the storm and taking a striking photo of something familiar, she’s top winner of our first (and we hope last) Rain Photo Contest. Her prize: A can of beef stew!

by Charleston Currents · 10/05/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Photos