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McMaster Addresses Coastal Flooding

Featured Image Credit: Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP

There are so many wonderful aspects to living in the Lowcountry, however, we can all agree that flooding is not one of them.

Unfortunately, this issue is only going to become exacerbated over the next couple of decades. The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that nearly 8,000 homes in Charleston County would flood at least 26 times a year if the sea level rises by just 2 feet.

Recently, Governor Henry McMaster addressed this threat and the importance of protecting our coastline during the last gubernatorial debate – in his own unique manner of speaking.

The key takeaways from Governor McMaster’s statement highlight a very serious – and ever-growing – concern for the Holy City: “I know water’s coming up in Charleston … It’s a real threat to us. We’ve got to be very careful with the coast and got to protect our economic engine.”

South Carolina ranks fifth in the nation for most homes at risk in 2045, with properties such as 29928, Hilton Head, and 29455, Johns island being among the top zip codes threatened by frequent flooding. At this rate, roughly around 24,000 people living there today could be displaced and with sink property values decreasing, this would cause large-scale problems for the housing market and the tourism economy.

What used to be known as a nuisance to any Charleston local, flooding is no longer just a minor annoyance but a major issue that needs to be addressed before it’s ‘too little, too late.’ We’re hoping that Governor McMaster follows up his rhetoric with decisive action that makes the issue of sea level rise a top priority.

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Recent Poll Shows Huge Support For Charleston Carriage Horse Industry

Featured Image Credit: Charleston CARES

Charleston C.A.R.E.S recently conducted a poll with the citizens of Charleston regarding the local horse carriage industry downtown. The results? Exactly what they should be: overwhelming support for the carriage industry!

According to the results, the majority of Charlestonians, 65 percent to be exact, support the carriage rides and 67 percent oppose efforts to ban these rides downtown.

When it comes to the care given to the horses, 85 percent rated the care either as excellent, good or OK as opposed to the mere 8 percent who rated the care as poor or cruel.

And when asked what the biggest issue facing downtown Charleston was, only ONE PERCENT responded that it is the horse-drawn carriage industry.

In fact, 52 percent responded that they would be less likely to support a city council member who was for a ban on horse carriage rides in Charleston, opposed to only 18 percent who would be more likely to support a city council member who advocated for a ban.

A much larger 71 percent think that the City Council should spend more time fighting the new development of hotels downtown as opposed to spending further time regulating the horse carriage industry.

To check out the full results of the poll, click here.

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New Study Proves Charleston’s Flooding Problem Is Only Going To Get Worse

ventuallyFeatured Image Credit: Youtube

Although flooding has been an issue since the founding of Charleston, a recent study shows that it’s only going to get worse over the next three decades.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, nearly 8,000 homes in Charleston County could flood at least twenty-six times per year in the next three decades if the sea level rises by just two feet.

According to Kristina Dahl, Senior Climate Scientist for the nonprofit, the study highlights the near-term threat to properties and it puts 29928, Hilton Head, and 29455, Johns Island, among top zip codes nationally for the highest number of homes that will frequently flood by 2045. Charleston’s lower peninsula is right behind these two areas and will also see a large number of routinely flooded properties.

Within 30 years Johns Island, Seabrook, Kiawah and the lower peninsula could see a total of 3,088 homes flooded, possibly making them eventually unsellable.

The flooding would be detrimental to the Charleston area, and as a senior analyst for the Climate & Energy Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists Erika Spanger-Siegfried, pointed out, there are only three ways to approach a rising sea level.

The increased flooding would displace roughly 24,000 people, drastically decrease property values and possibly lead to huge problems for the housing market and tourism economy.

As residents continue to experience increasingly worse flooding from recent storms a push for a solution becomes critical. Elizabeth Boineau, whose lower peninsula home received 8 inches of water from Tropical Storm Irma, the home’s third time flooding in three years, said the flooding has been an enormous drain emotionally.

Charleston Resiliency Director, Mark Wilbert is heading up the search for a solution, and while West Ashley and Johns Island officials don’t have a specific plan yet, there are meetings in place to discuss strategies. As Wilbert put it, “Do we have definite plans yet for each of these unique areas? No, we don’t. But I can honestly say we’re meeting with people to work in those directions.”

One thing this study does not address is the monumental problems flooding will cause to an already stressed infrastructure system. What Charleston also needs is new road designs that will be resilient to this issue of sea level rise. Lockwood Blvd., Main Road, Central Park Road, Morrison Drive and Murray Blvd are all heavily impacted when it floods in the Holy City. The real solution is that these streets need to eventually be elevated.

Plans are already in place for areas along the Ashley River with large pumping stations being installed at the edge, and along the Battery where the seawall is being rebuilt on the southern edge.

Learn more from our source.

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Charleston Ranked Fourth On America’s Best Small Cities For 2018

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

Charleston is ranked number four on Resonance Consultancy’s America’s Best Small Cities for 2018. “For more than a decade, Resonance has created place-branding strategies, tourism and economic development plans and trend reports for city, tourism and economic development organizations,” says Resonance President and CEO Chris Fair. “We do this to empower cities with new tools and perspectives on the key factors that shape a city’s competitive identity, community well-being, and future prosperity.”

Resonance Consultancy has come to understand that traditional indicators for economic, social and livability factors used in most rankings don’t reveal the whole story for each city and their tourism and economic development agencies.

As a result, the Resonance Consultancy  Best Cities ranking analyze and compare 28 factors in six key categories: a combination of core statistics measure that traditional economic, social and livability factors, as well as user-generated ratings and reviews to benchmark the experiential qualities of each city. The six categories are:

Place: Based on the city’s natural and built environments, including the subcategories of Air Quality, Weather, Crime Rate, Neighborhoods & Landmarks, Parks & Outdoor Activities, and Commute Time to Work.

Product: Based on city’s key institutions, attractions, and infrastructure, including the subcategories of University Rankings, Airport Connectivity, Convention Center Size, Entertainment, Museums, Sports Teams, and Housing Affordability.

Programming: Based on the city’s arts, culture, entertainment and culinary scene in a city, including the subcategories of Shopping, Culture, Culinary, and Nightlife

People: Based on the city’s immigration rate and diversity of a city, including the subcategories of Education, Foreign-born Residents, and Languages Spoken at Home.

Prosperity: Based on the city’s employment, GDP per capita and corporate head offices, including the subcategories of Unemployment, Household Income, and Fortune 500 Companies.

Promotion: Based on the city’s quantity of stories, references and recommendations shared online about a city, including the subcategories of Google Search Results, Google Trends, Facebook Check-ins, Instagram Hashtags and TripAdvisor Reviews.

An average of the city’s rankings in each of the categories is used to determine the overall Best Small Cities in America.

Best Small Cities in America (Population Under 1 Million)

  1. Honolulu, Hawaii
  2. Omaha, Nebraska
  3. Albuquerque, New Mexico
  4. Charleston, South Carolina
  5. El Paso, Texas
  6. Reno, Nevada
  7. Tulsa, Oklahoma
  8. Madison, Wisconsin
  9. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
  10. Asheville, North Carolina

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Local Carriage Companies Donate $3,000 In Support Of L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue

Featured Image Credit: C.A.R.E.S.

Today, Charleston Carriage Association for Responsible Equine Safety (C.A.R.E.S.) announced its three member companies, Palmetto Carriage Works, Charleston Carriage Works, and Old South Carriage Company, will donate the $3,000 necessary to save the two malnourished horses in the care of Livestock and Equine Awareness and Rescue Network Horse Rescue (L.E.A.R.N.) in Meggett, South Carolina.

L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue cares for over 30 horses and has recently added two more to their population, Spirit and Bailey. These horses were found starving and in severe condition in Hampton County. In need of financial support, L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue sent out a request to the Charleston Animal Society, despite the several denials they have previously endured, in hopes of receiving funds to properly nourish the animals back to health.

After being denied once again, L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue was crushed. Morgan Hiott, a longtime member of L.E.A.R.N. said, “It’s understood that [Charleston Animal Society] has received a six-figure grant for rural animals…” In response, the member companies of Charleston C.A.R.E.S. stepped up, donating $3,000 to save Spirit and Bailey. “Our companies are made of people who love horses,” said Tommy Doyle president of Charleston C.A.R.E.S. “When we saw the devastating condition of Spirit and Bailey and then heard they were getting no local support, we knew we had to step up. It’s the right thing to do.”

This isn’t the first time these carriage companies stepped up in a big way to support the animals they care so much about. Back in August 2017, the same three carriage companies came together to help raise money to donate to abused and retired horses. $1 from every ticket sold on a Saturday was donated to local foundations. Palmetto Carriage Works, Charleston Carriage Work, and Old South Carriage Company raised a total of $2,000 dollars for this great cause.

On the contrary, there were around 55 protesters that came out to hold signs that went against the carriage company’s goals for the day. The people protesting were part of Charleston Carriage Horse Advocates, who disagree with carriage tours and believe these horses are provided inadequate working conditions.

Palmetto Carriage Works, Charleston Carriage Works, and Old South Carriage Company formed the group to promote and advocate for the highest standards of care for horses and mules in the Charleston area. With their main concern being the safety, health, and well-being of the horses and mules, they enforce strict standards of care that exceed the federal, state, and local protection laws.

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Sixteen Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Charleston

Featured Image Credit: unsplash.com

  1. Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality in Charleston. Years ago, sea captains would announce their arrival and invite people into their homes to hear their story by sticking a pineapple prominently outside their homes.
  2. All of American theatre history began in Charleston at the Dock Street Theatre, which is also the very first theatre built in the country.
  3. The first flag considered to be an American flag contains no red. The Moultrie flag, flown at the battle on Sullivan’s Island, is navy blue with a white crescent emblazoned with the word “Liberty.”
  4. The College of Charleston is the oldest city-sponsored college in the country. And is also the 13th oldest college in the country. Three of its founders helped found our country (Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward).
  5. The show “Army Wives” had an actual fake town constructed in North Charleston for filming purposes.
  6. Charleston likes to call itself the “Holy City” thanks to the crazy number of steeples making up most of the skyline.
  7. Not only is it the most expensive structure in Charleston (at nearly $700,000,000), but The Arthur J. Ravenel bridge is the longest cable-sustained bridge in the country (at precisely 1,546 feet).
  8. The first time the game of golf was played in America was played in Charleston.
  9. Charleston has been a victim of nearly every natural disaster: Hurricane Hugo, the earthquake in 1886, the decade of fire at the turn of the century, the catastrophic flooding in 2015, and a tornado in 1938.
  10. All of the homes in Charleston have verandahs that face either south or west because it is the direction of prevailing wind, and we all know what life would be like without AC in the summer.
  11. The official craft of the state and one that Charleston is known for is the art of sweetgrass basket weaving.
  12. Travel & Leisure named Charleston the Friendliest City in America in 2011 and Conde Nast Traveler has given Charleston the same honor for many years.
  13. It wasn’t always Charles-TON. It was originally Charles Towne, named for King Charles II, but in 1783 they dropped the ‘w’ and the ‘e.’
  14. Charleston is located exactly halfway down the South Carolina coast.
  15. The very first museum instituted was The Charleston Museum in 1773.
  16. When the British first saw what would now be Charleston, a mess of white oysters was seen where the Battery now is, hence the name White Point.

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Innovative Solutions Will Protect Holy City From Sea Level Rise

Featured Image Credit: Wall Street Journal

Since Charleston’s founding in 1670, our city’s rich culture, thriving economy, and beautiful scenery have drawn millions of visitors from every corner of the world to our coast for generations. Still, today in 2018, Charleston is a vacation destination, and enjoys unprecedented levels of growth, as any resident is well aware.

With growth though comes growing pains, and there are many issues Charleston faces that we should address. One direct threat to the Holy City in both the short and long-term is sea level rise. Throughout the previous two decades in South Carolina, tidal flooding has increased by 300 percent, with the sea level rising 10 inches on our coast since 1950. If that doesn’t worry you, this should: the rate of sea level rise has tripled in the last 10 years alone, with the water rising an inch every two to three years.

At this point, it is obvious to all of us the risk sea level rise poses to our city. With flooding comes more difficult commutes, damage to our roads and bridges, and destruction of our world-class beaches. Ultimately, this negatively impacts the Charleston economy by hampering tourism and increasing costs and living expenses on Charlestonians through higher taxes to pay for emergency management and infrastructure repairs.

What is being done to combat this growing problem? Fortunately, at the national level, there is growing awareness in Congress from both Democrats and Republicans that the issue of rising sea levels must be addressed. For example, Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo (FL-26) and Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06) are working together to build bipartisan support for their new legislation, The Flood Protection Act.

In Charleston, our city and her citizens have taken the danger of sea level rise to heart. Since the 1980s, Charleston has implemented an effective flood mitigation system that drains floodwater into local rivers.

While the flood mitigation plan is a good first step, the problem of sea level rise is only going to get worse without further action. We must all encourage leaders like Sen. Tim Scott, Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, and State Senator Chip Campsen to make the issue of sea level rise a top priority, both at the national, state, and local levels. We need them to work together to find solutions that will keep Charleston a thriving and growing city for generations to come.

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Coastal Flooding: A Major Concern For The Lowcountry

Featured Image Credit: Time

Did you know that about 175 years ago, the mayor of Charleston offered a $100 gold medal to whoever could solve the city’s issue of coastal flooding?

Yep, it’s true.

We’re now in 2018. No medal was ever awarded, which means the problem was never solved. Now today we are a city full of development and rising sea levels that have near-daily consequences. Tidal flooding has increased over 200% in the last 20 years and the sea level has risen over 6 inches nationally since 1950.

Image Credit: Charles Merry via Charleston City Paper

The Charleston peninsula that sticks out towards the Atlantic Ocean has largely expanded by filling in creeks and marshes. This leaves the streets susceptible because the water has nowhere else to go. Even on the sunniest days, the streets of Charleston can be flooded due to high tides.

Over the next 15 to 30 years, more severe storms, tidal flooding, and higher tides are expected to get worse. This means that a city like Charleston that is already prone to severe flooding is in some serious trouble.

While tidal floods are often just a foot or two deep, they can stop traffic, swamp homes, damage cars, kill lawns and forests, and poison wells with salt.

Image Credit: College of Charleston

“There are three basic approaches to sea level rise,” said Erika Spanger-Siegfried, a senior analyst for the Climate & Energy Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists. “You can defend against the water with walls to keep it out. You accommodate the water by living with it and elevating buildings and creating channels. Or you retreat.”

 

Charleston is taking the threat of coastal flooding and rising sea levels seriously, but there is no doubt that more needs to be done about this issue.