Progress on sea level rise in Charleston is not happening fast enough

Battery wall, photo by Jared Bramblett

Photographer Jared Bramblett captured these images of the aging Battery wall that protects some of the most historic homes in the tourist district. “The deficiency of the Low Battery presents an existential threat to the 300-year old city. It is also the most striking symbol of the City of Charleston’s failure to invest adequately in storm protection, drainage and resiliency,” says Dana Beach (former director of the Coastal Conservation League). Hurricane Irma’s 4-foot surge was good news for a storm that could have been much more brutal to South Carolina. NOAA measured a 9.9 foot high tide downtown, the third highest tide on record.

The Post & Courier asks if this wake-up call will be heeded in their article “A tropical storm surge sends Charleston an urgent message: Here’s your future.” We watched the waters rise, and seep back into every landfilled creekbed and low street in the city, thankful that it was not another Hugo. Across the peninsula and on nearby islands, there is a sense of relief, but also dread–a reminder of the hazards of coastal living. Witnessing the devastation of our Caribbean islands neighbors, our hearts go out to their loss of community and way of life.

We advocate for social and environmental justice locally, by supporting our local non-profits, in the face of climate change.
Charleston Waterkeeper
Coastal Community Foundation
Coastal Conservation League
Enough Pie
South Carolina Environmental Law Project

White Point Gardens at the Battery, photo by Jared Bramblett