Future Development in Charleston, SC

Overview

Charleston, South Carolina is experiencing rapid urbanization and increasing flood exposure. Charleston is projected to experience up to 233 high-tide flood events per year by 2050, compared to only 14 in 2019. Additionally, the Charleston area is growing three times faster than the national average, putting pressure on the city's capacity to effectively manage flooding. Charleston highlights the struggles many communities across the country are facing as climate change continues to exacerbate flooding. This image displays the projected flood risk in Charleston by 2050. Developed land is shown in white, while flood probability is shown in blue with brighter blue showing higher flood risk and darker blue showing lower flood risk. Development was projected using the FUTURES 3.0 land change model and flood probabilities were provided by First Street Foundation.