Coastal Climate and Resilience Program
Coastal South Carolina residents face a variety of weather- and climate-related hazards, including hurricanes, storm surge, beach erosion, and coastal flooding.
The Coastal Climate and Resilience specialists at the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium work to increase community resilience in the face of natural hazards, as well as develop, evaluate, and provide information on the impact of climate change on Coastal Carolina.
Extension Specialists
Landon Knapp
Coastal Resilience Program Manager
Katie Finegan, PE
Coastal Processes Program Specialist
Amanda Guthrie, Ph.D.
Coastal Climate and Resilience Specialist
Ke’Ziyah Williamson
Coastal Watershed Community Engagement Specialist
South Carolina Resilience Planning Archive
The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium maintains a survey of resilience planning efforts across South Carolina, including state agencies, counties, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, colleges and universities, and private companies.
Recent Projects in Coastal Climate and Resilience
Beaufort County Adapts: Sea Level Impacts Beneath Our Feet
This project engages communities to monitor and characterize groundwater height and salinity to better understand how man-made infrastructure and social systems are impacted by changes brought about by sea-level rise. The results will inform the development of impact timelines based on projections, giving decision-makers and residents a deep understanding of when changes to infrastructure and behavior are needed.
South Carolina’s New Water Level Monitoring Initiative
The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, in partnership with the College of Charleston, American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, and the S.C. Beach Advocates is supporting water level monitoring initiative that has resulted in seven new water level gauges installed along the state’s coast, as well as seven gauges in North Carolina.
Kiawah Island Groundwater Monitoring and Marsh Vulnerability Studies
The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, in partnership with the Kiawah Conservancy, Town of Kiawah Island, and the Lowcountry Hazards Center at the College of Charleston, is conducting two projects on Kiawah Island: one focused on monitoring the island’s groundwater table and another focused on studying the vulnerability of the island’s marsh habitat.
Town of Edisto Beach Flooding and Sea-Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment
The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments, and College of Charleston’s Lowcountry Hazards Center assessed Edisto Beach’s vulnerability to flooding and sea-level rise using a variety of methods. Project partners developed a high-resolution flood model to assess vulnerability to properties and roads and conducted workshops with town staff and residents.
