The City of Charleston is partnering with The Post and Courier's Rising Waters Lab to host a community forum on flood mitigation efforts shaping Charleston's future, with participation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
The Rising Waters Forum: High Tide in the Holy City will be held Tuesday, July 28, at the City Gallery at Joe Riley Waterfront Park, 34 Prioleau St.
The event will begin with an open house from 5 to 6 p.m., where city and USACE staff will be available to answer residents' questions about ongoing flood protection work across Charleston, including the Battery Extension, restoration of historic brick arches beneath city streets and drainage improvements across the city.
The open house will be followed by a panel discussion from 6 to 7 p.m. featuring Mayor William Cogswell and Lt. Col. Todd Mainwaring, commander and district engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Charleston District. The discussion will be moderated by Rising Waters Lab reporters Jonah Chester and Lydia Larsen and will focus on how the city and USACE are working to protect Charleston as water levels rise.
"As we continue our work with the Army Corps on the Battery Extension and other flood mitigation projects, it's important that we keep an open conversation with the communities these efforts directly affect," Cogswell said. "This forum is a chance to do exactly that."
"A project of this magnitude will be defined by the strength of our partnership," Mainwaring said. "The Charleston District, City of Charleston and community stakeholders are working collaboratively to identify solutions that reduce risk in the community and provide economic certainty for generations to come. Hearing from the communities we serve is a major part of that collaboration, and I look forward to the discussion."
The forum is free to attend, but registration is required: