Our Work

Flood & Resiliency Committee

Protecting one of Charleston's most frequently flooded neighborhoods — pressing the City for better storm response, maintenance, and the drainage projects Harleston Village needs.

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Chair · Susan Lyons · Updated May 27, 2026

Safeguards Harleston Village against flooding and climate change — monitoring the Low Battery redesign, the potential Calhoun-West Drainage project, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studies to protect against storm surge, tidal flooding, and inadequate drainage.

Flooding & Resilience hub → New to the topic? Start with the hub — how flooding works here, the projects explained, photo evidence, and what's on the ballot.

Priorities

What we're working on, now and next

Now · 2026

Better City storm response & maintenance

The updated City storm response plan, expected since March 2025, remains pending, with no meaningful progress since the December 2025 meeting with the Mayor's Chief of Staff and Councilmember Seekings. HVA requested improved preventive maintenance for storm inlets and piping, which resulted in a City commitment for six additional pre-storm cleanings annually in Harleston Village. HVA also seeks a faster operational storm response — including timely barricade deployment, consistent enforcement, and better post-storm communication — but the City has not yet provided an update or allocated the resources for this strategy.

Bennett/Gadsden Street permanent pump station

Requested funding for 2026. Received high-priority status for conceptual design, with funding to be confirmed. Timing unknown.

Other infrastructure projects pending

The Calhoun Check Valve and Long Lake management remain pending with no status updates.

Near term · 2027

Kneewall on Lockwood — completion 2027

Status: All necessary permits have been secured. Progress was previously delayed by the need to identify the owner of property situated beneath Ashley waters; this has now been resolved. Timeline: Construction is slated to begin in the latter half of 2026, with full completion anticipated in 2027. Benefit: This will specifically address and decrease the frequency of “sunny day” flooding events currently affecting Lockwood Drive in Harleston Village.

Longer term · 2028 +

Calhoun Street drainage improvements

Mitigating flooding on Calhoun Street by storing and discharging water to the Ashley River remains a critical Harleston Village priority. Flooding here routinely blocks emergency access and damages property, and will worsen with the MUSC expansion, the 295 Calhoun development, and the Lowcountry Rapid Transit terminus. Funding depends on a $225 million transportation sales tax referendum in November. HVA successfully worked with Councilmember Mike Seekings and County Councilmember Robert Wehrman for its inclusion; final project scope and funding will be determined once the Battery Extension funding is secured.

Take action

What you can do

01 Amplify the voice of the HVA board and Flood & Resiliency Committee. Let elected officials know how important improved storm response and routine maintenance are to Harleston Village — one of the most frequently flooded neighborhoods in the City of Charleston.
02 Urge prioritization and quick action on the permanent pump station at the Gadsden–Bennett intersection.
03 Advocate for advancement of the overdue Kneewall project, and insist on increased transparency and regular progress reports on its status.
04 Advocate for the Calhoun Street drainage improvements and passage of the Transportation Sales Tax referendum on November 4, 2026 — a one-in-25-year opportunity for Harleston Village.

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Recent updates

All updates →

Jun 20, 2026 · HVA Resilience Committee

The Battery Extension Comes to Lockwood Drive — Right Next Door

The City of Charleston and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are advancing the Battery Extension, a perimeter flood-protection system encircling the Peninsula. The Lockwood Drive segment runs along the western edge of Harleston Village.

Jun 20, 2026 · HVA Resilience Committee

Three Kinds of Flooding, Three Lines of Defense

Storm surge, sunny-day tides, and rainfall are three different flooding problems with three different fixes — and the space between the knee wall and the Battery Extension becomes stormwater storage. Here's how they work together.

Jun 20, 2026 · HVA Resilience Committee

The Lockwood Drive Knee Wall — A Near-Term Fix for Our Flooded Edge

Lockwood Drive floods even on sunny days. The City's near-term "knee wall" — a sub-2-foot seawall with check valves and a gate — is designed to keep the road dry and work hand in hand with the larger Battery Extension.

For the record

Chronology of committee actions

Engaging City officials to track these projects is an ongoing effort. Here's a quick record of actions over the past year.

March 2025 – ongoing

Coordinated continually with Councilmember Mike Seekings on improved storm response, inlet maintenance, and the inclusion of Calhoun Street drainage improvements on the Transportation Sales Tax (TST) referendum project list. A primary concern remains entering the 2026 storm season without a clearly improved City operational storm response plan.
Summer 2025

The City funded and prioritized a permanent pump station at Bennett–Gadsden, though timing remains pending (confirmed by budget presentation and a neighborhood consortium resolution in October 2025).
July 2025 – May 2026

Following reports and inspections, blocked Ashley Avenue inlets appeared to have been cleared and/or repaired.
October – November 2025

Advocated during TST City Council hearings, emphasizing that Calhoun Street drainage deficiencies affect the broader drainage basin and much of Harleston Village.
December 2025

Met with the Mayor's Chief of Staff, Liz Dieck, to discuss storm response concerns. No updates since.
January 5, 2026

Community meeting with County Councilmember Robert Wehrman, County engineering staff, and City Councilmember Mike Seekings on the proposed TST projects resolution by HVA in support of Cowans Street drainage improvements.
February – March 2026

Held multiple discussions with the City's Chief Resilience Officer on the Battery Extension, the Kneewall project (projected completion 2027), and related resiliency initiatives.
March 2026

Secured a City commitment for six additional pre-storm inlet cleanings annually.
May 3, 2026

Published a guest editorial in The Post and Courier advocating for a balance between long-term resiliency projects and immediate neighborhood flooding needs.
May 7, 2026

Raised flood-response concerns publicly with Councilmember Mike Seekings at the HVA neighborhood meeting.
May 2026

Met with the Union Pier development team on neighborhood flood modeling and potential mitigation applications.