Tales of the Flooded: Susan L., Charleston
A South Carolina resident shares her experience with flooding in the Charleston area.
Susan L. is a Charleston area resident who lives on a picturesque street, a few blocks away from Ashley River and Colonial Lake. She is one of many area residents that has experienced increased flooding since first moving into her home.
In addition to the emotional toll that it has taken on her, she has felt the financial impact of significant water damage to her property caused by floods. We asked her to share her story on how flooding has impacted her life.
There was no flooding at the time
Susan has lived in her home for 15 years. In 2004, when she purchased the house, the Charleston area was experiencing a brief dry spell. With no apparent flooding at the time, she had no idea how severe flooding issues in her area could be.
“I don’t believe I would have bought the house had I understood the threat of major flooding,” said Susan. “The house is in a flood zone. I do have flood insurance. When a storm is predicted, I clear the yard, and in one case, removed my 1st floor rugs and valuables (antique clock, etc.) to a higher floor.”
Now, while she has not yet had water inside her home, her property floods regularly. Nuisance flooding on her street occurs often; at least once a month, or more when there’s rain that lasts for more than an hour, or when King Tides occur. Flooding around Susan’s home varies from storm to storm, depending on the season and the tides.
“The frequency has most definitely increased in the past several years,” she said. “And the last three have brought major, destructive flooding, even though we were not hit directly by a hurricane.”
A costly price for water damage
With frequent and severe flooding, sometimes removing her valuables and preparing for the worst isn’t enough. Susan has suffered major monetary expenses and losses due to the flooding in and around her home. The crawl space in her home has flooded and her yard was inundated with just over three feet of water for 3 years in a row. Susan has spent approximately $50,000 over what her flood insurance covered to replace ductwork, a sump pump, and a large portion of her beautifully landscaped garden.
“The floor and walls of a shed I have in back are ruined. I also have had to re-treat my house each year for termite protection,” said Susan. “I did garage my car each time, in an elevated public lot, but it has rusted underneath because of all the brackish water on the streets much of the time.”
Even though home values haven’t dropped drastically due to flooding yet, some people in Susan’s neighborhood have tried to sell their homes and faced issues doing so. She feels that if major flood events continue to happen, it will be hard to sell property in the area.
The local government can help
When asked what she felt the city could do to help, Susan said that city officials need to prioritize flooding and come up with immediate solutions, such as funding temporary flood barriers for specific neighborhoods until permanent solutions can be installed.
“We need pumps, barriers, hard structures, natural berms, and good planning,” she said. “And, of course, money to do this. Zoning in flood plains also needs to be changed to prevent further unwise development.”
Susan is not alone, as many residents in the Charleston area suffer from the same flooding issues that she experiences. But if local governments come together to work proactively and find solutions that will mitigate the effects of sea level rise, flood damages can be reduced and neighborhoods can be saved.
