The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted comments Oct. 23 to a commission tasked with offering the governor recommendations on how to reduce the state’s flood risk. South Carolina has experienced recurring floods in the past few years. Torrential rainfall from Hurricane Florence in 2018 battered the state, displacing thousands of people from their homes, causing hundreds of miles of highways to close, and resulting in an estimated $600 million in losses.
In response, Governor Henry McMaster created the South Carolina Floodwater Commission. Pew worked closely with the task force, which consists of elected officials, business leaders, and nonprofit and academic experts. In its comments, Pew encouraged the group to prioritize nature-based solutions, such as planting or restoring vegetated marshes along South Carolina’s coastline, to help reduce the state’s flood risk.