S.C. Sea Grant Consortium

Bluffton Resilience Planning Project

The Town of Bluffton is proactively addressing the impacts of coastal hazards on its people, infrastructure, and operations. In partnership with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium and the Santee Cooper GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory (SCGIS) at the College of Charleston, this project focuses on observing current impacts and anticipating future challenges related to climate change and associated vulnerabilities.

To mitigate potential damage and maintain critical infrastructure functionality, Bluffton is developing reliable information to guide policy and planning decisions.

The Bluffton Resilience Planning project aims to assess environmental and socio-economic risks for various community assets within key sub watersheds: Colleton River, Cooper River-Calibogue Sound, Upper New River-Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Lower New River-Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, and the May River. This project will leverage the latest methods of coastal scientific analysis to create effective policies and resilience plans.

Project Area

Bluffton Map

Project Objectives

Maps and Data of Bluffton’s Infrastructure

  • Provide easy-to-understand maps and data showing the layout and elevation of roads, as well as residential and commercial buildings in Bluffton, South Carolina.

Flood Risk Maps and Information

  • Present maps and tables that illustrate which roads and buildings might be affected by different flood scenarios, including stormwater runoff and storage

Current Vulnerable Areas and Build-Out Analysis

  • Offer maps and tables that identify areas and properties most at risk of flooding based on current and future land use plans.

Recommendations for Better Planning

  • Provide clear recommendations for updates to local policies and codes to ensure that new developments consider identified risks and don’t increase them.

Comprehensive Data Access

  • Share all the data used in the project in a format that is accessible and easy to understand.

Interactive Map Tool

  • Create an interactive tool that allows community members to view and explore the project data and results on a map.
Research and Outreach