As residents of Dillon know, flooding is a costly, recurring expense. It’s also a danger: Severe weather can flood local roads and Interstate 95, cutting off residents from emergency services, food, gas, and shelters. It also adversely affects many of our local businesses. All these impacts strain taxpayer dollars and city infrastructure.
As a low-lying city, Dillon cannot take on these impacts alone. That’s why I recently joined more than 40 mayors, county commissioners, and other local leaders for a three-day summit on flooding in Washington, D.C. The summit was hosted by the American Flood Coalition, a nonpartisan group that advances solutions that support flood-affected communities like Dillon.
In D.C., I met with leaders from across the Carolinas and the country to discuss ways we can work together to address flooding. I also spoke to our Congressional representatives and their staff on how we can use federal funds for local flood projects. I want to thank Representative Russell Fry and Senator Tim Scott for their willingness to listen and champion our efforts.
I deeply appreciate the commitment to flood-affected communities by the American Flood Coalition, which provides free resources and support to cities like Dillon, and later this summer I am signing a proclamation to join the group.
Here in Dillon, we have been hard at work for years securing state dollars for flood projects. Through our work with the South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR), we have identified over 30 projects to reduce flooding in Dillon.
This summer, we will break ground on several of these state-funded projects, including one to enlarge stormwater pipes and one to dredge a canal. In both cases, the projects will increase the flow of flood water leaving the city. Just these first three projects are estimated to cost over 7 million dollars.
Flooding is expensive. But I am committed to looking for innovative solutions to proactively address flooding and will continue to advocate for state and federal resources to relieve the pressure on Dillon’s taxpayers.
By combining these resources, we ensure that Dillon is better prepared for future storms and in position to thrive for years to come.