LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — Lexington County's Land Development Division has just released its 2023 Floodplain Management progress report. This report outlines the progress made in mitigating the potential flooding hazards throughout the county.
The report lists 19 action items identified by county officials and residents that were published in the 2023 Floodplain Management Plan as important steps in addressing how the County will prepare for future potential flooding events, like the one experienced in October 2015.
"Those action items are there to be acted upon so to speak so that mitigation can take place and we can lessen the occurrence of future flooding," said Chris Stone, Lexington County floodplain manager.
Chris Stone is Lexington County's floodplain manager. He tells News 19 that FEMA requires the county to report on these 19 items in a progress report each year so that public and council have a chance to see what's been accomplished and what's still being worked on.
He adds FEMA also requires that the county's entire 260 page Floodplain Management Plan be updated every five years.
So what is a floodplain?
"A natural area that dissipates the power of that water you were talking about and so what happens over the years and before we had FEMA regulated floodplains, we built a lot in those and now we're paying the price for that with houses that are built way too low, built way too close to creeks," Stone said.
Within this year's progress report, it explains that Lexington County has acquired six of the 19 FEMA-identified repetitive loss properties and returned the land to its natural state. Stone explains this allows the floodplains to dissipate waters downstream.
In addition to this the County also tells News 19 they've started on improvements to five roads that are constantly impacted by flooding events.
County council also approved funds for the replacement of three deteriorating bridges: One already completed and two are scheduled for bid later this year.
Lexington County explains they're looking at a phased approach to create space for runoff to address issues with the Kinley Creek watershed. And over along Rawls Creek, County staff add they consistently respond to flooding issues. They tell News 19 they're looking into capital project funding for this area.
"Lexington County is one of the fastest growing counties in South Carolina and we continue our efforts to protect our county from all potential disasters," Lexington County Council Chairwoman Beth Carrigg said. "The 2015 floods and the catastrophic damage they left behind is a constant reminder that we are not immune from natural disasters in Lexington County. Partnering with all stakeholders, investing in state-of-the-art equipment, rapid response times, and a fully educated community is the best defense against the unexpected."
"I feel confident we have performed our due diligence and are prepared to answer the call if necessary," Chairwoman Carrigg said.
If you’d like to see the full report, you can find it here.
The County's land development department explains they will be working with public works and SCDOT to add "No Dumping" signs along streams and creeks like Rawls Creek.