Public Planning Committee forwards 2024 repetitive-loss analysis to council to preserve FEMA insurance discount

At its Sept. 12 meeting the Beaufort County Public Planning Committee voted unanimously to approve a resolution forwarding a 2024 repetitive loss area analysis to the full town council for consideration on Oct. 15.

Missy Lueck, the town’s director of planning, told the committee the analysis is a prerequisite for continued participation in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System. “We are a class 5 community which gives our residents in our special flood hazard area 25% discount on their flood insurance premiums,” Lueck said, and she said the town’s participation in the program translates to roughly 23,000 flood-insurance policies and about $3,000,000 in savings to policyholders.

The document, Lueck said, identifies repetitive-loss areas, describes site-specific features such as finished-floor heights and drainage inlets, and offers mitigation recommendations. She told the committee the draft identifies 25 repetitive-loss areas and roughly 980 properties that have experienced repeated flood losses; staff plan to include the analysis in the town’s hazard-mitigation update and public-information program.

Sherry Mendrick, the town’s floodplain administrator and the plan preparer, described a“windshield tour” of affected neighborhoods. “I personally visited all 980 some properties,” Mendrick said, and reported repeated claims clustered in low-lying, pre‑FIRM homes that are not elevated. She also said the town discovered stormwater infrastructure in some areas that is not maintained under town agreements and is instead controlled by other entities, including Beaufort County and the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

Committee members and public commenters used the meeting to underscore two practical points: the analysis is intended as a guide for property owners and the town’s continued participation in FEMA’s Community Rating System affects residents’ premiums. In response to a question about FEMA action after submission, Mendrick said FEMA’s review is administrative — and cautioned that if the town does not adopt the document the 25% discount could be discontinued for residents with flood-insurance policies.

Members also noted the draft includes maps and photographs for each area (pages referenced in the draft) and a set of mitigation options; staff said they will continue outreach and that a stormwater rate study to fund infrastructure improvements is planned within the next year.

The committee’s motion to adopt the resolution and forward the draft to the full town council carried unanimously; the committee recorded no roll-call vote counts on the record and did not name a mover or seconder during the meeting. The Town Council is scheduled to consider the item on Oct. 15, after which staff said the document would be submitted to FEMA if adopted.

Background and next steps: The analysis is intended to help the town identify repeat-loss properties, document flooding causes and offer mitigation options. Committee members emphasized coordination with Beaufort County and state transportation officials where drainage features are not under town control. Public outreach materials and the draft report will be posted on the town website in the “Know Your Flood Hazard” section once the report is out of draft form.