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Residents tell Beaufort County board severe flooding is worsening; officials outline potential buyouts and interim fixes
Summary
Multiple residents described yards and homes repeatedly underwater on Ladies Island and nearby neighborhoods and pressed the board for testing, ditch-cleaning and buyout options; staff said immediate fixes are limited but committed to further engineering and community meetings.
Several residents told the Beaufort County Stormwater Management Utility Board on Friday that chronic flooding on Ladies Island and nearby neighborhoods is worsening and that county follow-up has been inadequate.
"I would like to know who is responsible if a child or an adult drowns in my yard. Can anybody give me that answer right now? I need an answer," said Carol White, a resident of Needle Rush Road, describing 1.79 acres of property with roughly 1.5 acres underwater at high water.
Kirk Chapman, a resident and emergency-response professional, told the board he was not included in a published drainage survey, accused the county of long-term inaction and warned of legal exposure. "The upshot of the report is 25 years of inaction on the part of the county... that's treble damages," Chapman said.
Taylor Brewer, stormwater program manager, said staff and the director of public works have visited affected sites and that there is "no easy fix." Brewer described the limits of the current drainage study and said staff plan RFQs for stamped engineering plans and immediate ditch-cleaning where feasible.
Jeff Stoner and other attendees reported clogged inlets and argued that development and impervious surfaces on Bridal Road are worsening downstream flooding. "They are dumping the water off of Bridal Road onto private property behind the lady's house," Stoner said.
Staff described options under consideration: rebidding ditch-cleaning with a narrower, more executable scope if bids come in within budget, evaluating feasibility of buyouts paid from stormwater funds (pending legal confirmation), and preparing more transparent, timely public communications. The board passed a motion directing the stormwater board or a representative to appear at county council meetings to advocate for these and other stormwater issues.
Next steps: staff said they will follow up individually with residents who provided contact details, pursue procurement for immediate maintenance work if competitive bids are available, and schedule future public meetings to update affected neighborhoods.
