South Carolina § 48-62-30 - Statewide Resilience Plan; development; implementation; review and revision.

§ 48-62-30. Statewide Resilience Plan; development; implementation; review and revision.

To coordinate and strengthen efforts to reduce losses from future disasters across the State, the office shall develop, implement, and maintain a strategic Statewide Resilience Plan, which must include, but is not limited to:

(1) development and implementation of a Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan, which shall be developed in accordance with the principles recommended in the South Carolina Floodwater Commission Report and shall serve as framework to guide state investment in flood mitigation projects and the adoption of programs and policies to protect the people and property of South Carolina from the damage and destruction of extreme weather events. This plan shall be reviewed and revised at appropriate intervals determined by the Chief Resilience Officer and advisory agencies to assure that it continues to serve the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of South Carolina over time. An initial version of this plan shall be completed by July 1, 2022, and shall, at minimum, include provisions that:

(a) describe known flood risks for each of the eight major watersheds of the State, as delineated in the Department of Health and Environmental Control's South Carolina Watershed Atlas;

(b) for each major watershed, examine present and potential losses associated with the occurrence of extreme weather events and other natural catastrophes in this State, and land management practices that potentiate extreme weather events, resulting in increased flooding, wildfires, and drought conditions;

(c) for each major watershed, identify data and information gaps that affect the capacity of state agencies or local governments to adequately evaluate and address the factors that increase flood risk, and recommend strategies to overcome such gaps;

(d) develop recommendations, at appropriate scale, including subwatershed or local governmental levels, to decrease vulnerabilities and adverse impacts associated with flooding. In developing these recommendations, the office shall, at a minimum, consider the following:

(i) the economic impact of best available projections related to the current and future risk of extreme weather events in this State including, but not limited to, the impact on forestry, agriculture, water, and other natural resources, food systems, zoning, wildlife, hunting, infrastructure, economic productivity and security, education, and public health;

(ii) the long-term costs, including ongoing operation and maintenance costs of specific projects or suites of flood mitigation projects and approaches;

(iii) opportunities to prioritize the role of nature-based solutions and other methods to restore the natural function of the floodplain;

(iv) possible cobenefits that may be achieved beyond flood reduction including, but not limited to, enhanced water supply, improvements in water quality, tourism and recreational opportunities, or protection of wildlife and aquatic resources;

(v) statutory or regulatory remedies for consideration by the General Assembly;

(vi) necessary state policies or responses, including alterations to state building codes and land use management, creation of additional programs or offices and directions for the provision of clear and coordinated services and support to reduce the impact of natural catastrophes and extreme weather events and increase resiliency in this State; and

(vii) potential financial resources available for increasing resiliency throughout the State;

(e) estimates of the number and cost of residential properties within the State for which a floodplain buyout may be appropriate;

(f) a strategy for providing resources, technical assistance, and other support to local governments for flood risk reduction action;

(g) plans for integrating recommended approaches to risk reduction into existing state strategies for hazard mitigation, environmental protection, and economic opportunity and development;

(h) opportunities for stakeholder input from citizens around the State;

(2) coordination of statewide disaster recovery efforts and activities and collaboration between federal, state, and local stakeholders;

(3) technical planning assistance for state and local governmental entities; and

(4) grants to institutions of higher education and other state and local governmental entities to conduct research related to resilience concerns specific to South Carolina.

HISTORY: 2020 Act No. 163 (S.259), SECTION 1.A, eff September 29, 2020.