Depending on which sensor you look at, Beaufort got anywhere between 8.15 and 11.82 inches of rain in 24 hours on August 6, 2024 due to Hurricane Debby. According to the SC Department of Natural Resources the average yearly rainfall for Beaufort County is 48.82 inches. So Beaufort got somewhere between 16% and 24% of its average yearly rainfall in one day. Considering all of the money going to studies and major drainage projects in the City of Beaufort, Hurricane Debby presents a great opportunity to learn what really needs to be done… if anything.
The newly installed drainage system in Mossy Oaks did its job. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 is the last time Beaufort experienced this level of rainfall. Many homes and roads flooded in Mossy Oaks showing a clear need for a major overhaul of the pipes and outfall for heavy rain events. This time, no major flooding in Mossy Oaks.
As it turns out, there was no major flooding anywhere in Beaufort. Driving around the city, and looking at pictures posted on social media during and after all the rain, there were no major drainage issues. Roads did not become impassable in any area of Beaufort. In fact, the areas where water did gather on roads or in ditches, it could most likely be attributed to a nearby drain or pipe that was clogged or not working properly.
At their July 9 Work Session, Beaufort City Council chose to forego the proposed $10.5M drainage plan for The Point, and instead clean/repair the existing drainage system to see if that helps clear water during heavy rainfalls. Hurricane Debby proves that Beaufort City Council can feel confident they made a sound decision. There is no need for a multi-million dollar pumping system.
During that same July 9 Work Session, Beaufort resident Graham Trask asked the council, “What problem are you trying to solve?” in reference to the massive drainage project being proposed. Trask, along with other residents that spoke out at the meeting, argued that there is no drainage problem, certainly not one that required a $10.5M solution.
The same question can be asked again as the city has already committed $1.25M for an extensive drainage study and design services for multiple neighborhoods in Beaufort’s historic district. The city has already budgeted $8.78M for these future projects (Charles & Craven, Bayard St, and Port Republic & Carteret). There was no major flooding from Hurricane Debby in any of these neighborhoods which begs the $10.5M plus $8.78M question: “What problem are you trying to solve?” And further, “Why spend so much money on an engineering study and designs for a problem that doesn’t exist?” And even further, “Why budget $20M for a problem that doesn’t exist?”
On Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 5pm, the Beaufort City Council will engage in a work session with this agenda. The council will discuss drainage and other capital projects.
Well written and right to the point( no pun intended)as to what we members of the Point have been trying to impress upon the engineers and city council. We on the Point wholeheartedly thank council for rethinking this and allowing our Point committee to work with the engineers for a viable solution. The final “vote” on council however hasn’t
happened yet and we hope the results of Debby
will confirm our position .
Why spend millions regardless where it comes from when we don’t need to …….