The South Carolina Office of Resilience received the initial nod from a legislative oversight committee Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, to contribute more than $19 million to the purchase of more than 7,000 acres of Snow’s Island in Florence County. (Photo by Jeff Blake, provided by Open Lands Institute)
COLUMBIA — South Carolina is buying a Revolutionary War hideout, preserving parts of a pristine barrier island and upgrading outdated stormwater systems with the aim of preventing future flooding.
Since 2021, the Legislature, at the urging of Gov. Henry McMaster, has set aside $274 million in a reserve fund in an effort to reduce the impacts of flooding when natural disasters strike, as well as jumpstart the recovery process after a major storm.
The first $30 million remains untouched until it’s needed in the wake of a presidentially declared disaster. Those reserves could potentially be tapped in response to Tropical Storm Debby , depending on the extent of damages. (Reports are still being collected.)