An organized front against natural disasters

Floodwater Commission begins work mitigating impacts of catastrophic storms

By W. Thomas Smith, Jr.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and some 75-80 floodwater experts – scientists, engineers, university professors, legislators, mayors, and military leaders – gathered at the S.C. State House complex’s Edgar A. Brown building last month for the first-ever meeting of the newly formed South Carolina Floodwater Commission. And according to officials, post-meeting public-interest and enthusiasm regarding the Commission’s forthcoming work seems to be on the uptick.

“Everybody’s talking about it because everyone is eager for solutions to what we’ve been dealing with in terms of disastrous flooding incidents since 2015,” says Tom Mullikin, an attorney, global expedition leader, and recently retired general-officer who was tapped by McMaster to chair the commission back in Oct.

Established by McMaster as Executive Order 2018-50, the state’s Floodwater Commission was organized to determine the best paths forward, and to develop and put into action plans aimed at alleviating and mitigating flood impacts to the Palmetto State.

The Floodwater Commission is composed of 10 task forces (aka subcommittees) including an Artificial Reef Systems Task Force, also named tasks forces for Smart River and Dam Security, Economic Development, Grid Security, Federal Funding, Stakeholder Engagement, Landscape Beautification and Protection, Living Shoreline, and Infrastructure and Shoreline Armoring. There’s even a National Security Task Force, whose members are primarily the commanders of federal military installations located along or near South Carolina’s 187-miles of coastline.

“It is imperative that we develop short-term and long-term recommendations and solutions to alleviate and mitigate flood impacts to this state; with, as the Governor says, a special emphasis on cities, communities and enterprises located on or near the coast and rivers across South Carolina,” says Mullikin. “We want and will expect clear objectives and deliverables. We will need to develop responses – perhaps aggressive – milestones and deliverables. Our efforts will be measured by progress not idle conversation.”

He adds, “Time and the unfortunate possibility of catastrophic storms are against us.”

Nationally syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, writing about Mullikin and his global mountaineering adventures among other things for THE WASHINGTON POST, Jan. 4 and published on MidlandsBiz: https://midlandsbiz.whosonthemove.com/south-carolina-against-the-tides/, describes the S.C. Floodwater Commission’s 10 task forces as being comprised of “a who’s-who of South Carolina experts, policymakers, legislators, scientists and military leaders” all of whom “will address living shorelines, infrastructure, ‘smart rivers,’ grid security and, not least, national security.”

Mullikin is presently in Nepal and deep in the Himalayas, conditioning himself and gathering information for a 2020 climb of Mt. Everest. Still, whenever he has a decent telecommunications signal, he is emailing and texting requests and directions regarding the Commission. Forthcoming meetings and conference calls have already been arranged. Mullikin left for Asia and ultimately the Everest basecamp the day after Christmas. He returns in mid-January. That’s when, he says, the work begins in earnest.

– W. Thomas Smith, Jr. serves on the National Security Task Force of the S.C. Flood Commission.