Beaufort, South Carolina – The South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) and the City of Beaufort are pleased to begin construction on the Charles/Craven Street Stormwater Improvements project. Following a notice to proceed issued on October 13th, construction crews will mobilize equipment at the project site and begin work on the week of October 20th.

The City of Beaufort’s downtown stormwater infrastructure, installed circa 1900, no longer has the capacity to adequately store and channel stormwater during heavy rain events. To improve the City’s stormwater infrastructure, SCOR has awarded $11.9 million for the Charles/Craven Street project’s engineering, design, permitting, and construction. The award is part of SCOR’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stormwater Infrastructure Program (ASIP).

The project will install upsized pipe along North, Craven, and Charles Streets, which will lead to a new tidal check valve at the waterfront. These upgrades will provide protection against rainfall and riverine flooding above a 25-year, 24-hour storm event. Minor enhancements to the roadsides will also improve pedestrian mobility and safety.

“The project is located at the epicenter of the City of Beaufort which serves as a significant historic, recreational, and economic driver for the region and state,” explains SC Chief Resilience Officer Ben Duncan. “Mitigating the risk of losses due to flooding is therefore a priority, and we are glad to see this project kicking off.”

According to the City’s application for ASIP funds, over 50 structures are projected to benefit from a reduced flood risk. Combined with improvements to mobility during hazard events and positive environmental impacts in the City’s application, the project will have multiple benefits to the community.

“City staff are diligently working to keep residents and businesses informed about how the construction might affect their daily routines,” States City Manager Scott Marshall. “We are also collaborating closely with the contractor and project managers to minimize these impacts whenever possible. The resulting product will be a more resilient drainage system that will benefit our current population and future generations.”

“This project is a win for the City of Beaufort because it goes beyond simply upsizing drainage infrastructure,” states Senator George E. “Chip” Campsen III, District 43. “This project will reduce the damage to nearby homes and businesses and reduce mobility interruptions during storms, which works toward increasing the community’s ability to prepare for and respond to disasters.

These stormwater improvements are the result of strong partnerships. I am glad to see these benefits coming to fruition for the citizens of Beaufort. Furthermore, I look forward to future collaboration between the City, its residents, and the State to improve our resilience to future hazards.”

Senator Margie Bright Matthews, District 45, further elaborates, “The launch of this stormwater improvement project marks a major step forward in protecting the historic core of downtown Beaufort and the people who live and work here. For too long, residents and small businesses have endured flooding that disrupts daily life, damages property, and threatens our local economy.

Through the partnership between the City of Beaufort and the South Carolina Office of Resilience, this investment of nearly $12 million will help modernize outdated infrastructure and prepare our community for the heavier storms we face today. By upgrading the drainage system and installing tidal check valves along the waterfront, we’re not only addressing a century-old problem, we’re building a stronger, more resilient Beaufort for generations to come.”

Construction is estimated to take approximately one year. To date, SCOR has committed approximately $65 million in ARPA Stormwater Infrastructure Program funds for improvements across South Carolina.

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About SCOR: The South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) is committed to enhancing the state's ability to anticipate, absorb, recover, and thrive when presented with environmental changes and natural hazards by planning and coordinating statewide resilience, long-term disaster recovery, and hazard mitigation. In addition to serving 3,459 homes in our Disaster Recovery Program, SCOR has 81 active flood mitigation projects, including voluntary buyouts, stormwater infrastructure, and plans and studies, across the State. SCOR continues to implement and maintain the Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan, which provides a framework to guide investment in projects, programs, and policies to protect the people and property of South Carolina from the damage and destruction of extreme weather events.