COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina has now established an office to marshal the state’s efforts in stemming floodwaters and coordinating recovery and relief efforts after five years filled with unprecedented flooding.
Gov. Henry McMaster held a ceremonial signing Tuesday to commemorate the new law. The act creates an Office of Resilience to handle flood projects and oversee a statewide plan addressing flood risks and mitigation efforts.
Scientists have linked the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather to human-caused climate change, which is causing slower, rainier and more destructive hurricanes.
One study estimates that, by 2045, chronic flooding could inundate more than 16,000 homes along the state’s coast and low-lying areas.
