Graves Station meeting will focus on stormwater

Georgetown County and the S.C. Office of Resilience (SCOR) invite residents of the Graves Station community to attend a public meeting Thursday, April 23, to provide input on a stormwater infrastructure improvement project funded through a federal grant.

The drop-in meeting will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at New Light Baptist Church, 316 Amelia Drive, Georgetown.

The project is funded through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant allocated to South Carolina following a series of major disasters, including the 2015 floods and hurricanes in 2016 and 2018 that caused severe impacts across Georgetown County.

Engineers from McCormick Taylor, the firm contracted to design the stormwater improvements, will be on hand to answer questions and gather community input. While engineers have access to data on existing drainage infrastructure and topography, Kevin O’Dell, public information coordinator for SCOR, said firsthand knowledge from residents is equally essential to the design process.

“It is extremely valuable to have someone come in and point out a map and say ‘this section of road right here floods every single time it rains,'” O’Dell said. “That sort of anecdotal evidence helps us understand the big picture that we’re working with so we can design a solution that makes the most sense for the community.”

The April 23 meeting marks the beginning of the community engagement phase of the design process. The project timeline calls for approximately 90% of the design and cost estimate to be complete by summer, with full design finalized in the fall. Construction is expected to begin after contractor bidding and is anticipated to reach substantial completion by late 2027.

Residents are encouraged to attend and share their observations about flooding in the community.