Developing Resilient Optimal Flood Control Portfolios for Low Country Flooding: Charleston, South Carolina

Abstract:

South Carolina’s Coastal Plain faces an additional set of engineering challenges, including flat terrain, a high and tidally influenced groundwater table, growing urbanization, and high annual rainfall. For example, Charleston County, a low country hub that is home to diverse coastal ecosystems, historic locales, and people alike is particularly vulnerable to combined effects of climate change induced sea level rise and extreme storm events. This research seeks to assess how to optimize the implementation of Low Impact Developments (LIDs) in coastal areas of South Carolina. LIDs differ from centralized stormwater management strategies in that they are specifically chosen to imitate their environment’s pre-development runoff conditions. Functional and decentralized, they are potentially both more aesthetically pleasing and cost saving than their traditional counterparts when chosen and applied correctly. Findings regarding preferable LID designs, locations and quantities for Charleston County are accomplished using an integration of EPA’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and Agent-based modelling (ABM). The main goal is to reduce peak flow to mimic pre-existing hydrological conditions, but at the same time minimize economic and life cycle costs and assure public acceptability of solutions. The results of this study will suggest a resilient flood control portfolio for local stakeholders and managers.