Charleston District receives supplemental funding for storm risk management projects

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, has just been allocated $97 million dollars in supplemental funding from The Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023, to repair damages to several South Carolina federal beach projects after recent coastal storm events.  These projects will be 100% federally funded, with no cost to the sponsor.  The funding for these projects will allow for the design and repair of the federal projects at Myrtle Beach, Folly Beach, and Pawleys Island.

The Charleston District has already initiated engineering and design needed to complete the repairs to these federal beach projects. This should result in construction contracts being awarded in the late summer/early fall for Myrtle Beach and Folly Beach, and early winter for Pawleys Island. Pawleys Island will take a little longer for the design phase as this is its first federal rehabilitation after becoming an eligible federal project in 2022.

To address the extensive beach and dune erosion on the Grand Strand, $56 million was allocated for emergency rehabilitation due to the impacts from Hurricane Ian. North Myrtle Beach is estimated to receive 350,000 cubic yards of sand. Myrtle Beach is estimated to receive 650,000 cubic yards of sand and Surfside/Garden City is estimated to receive 500,000 cubic yards of sand. This is the equivalent of approximately 150,000 dump truck loads from offshore sand sources.

Folly Beach was allocated $27 million for emergency sand replacement due to Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. This funding will allow approximately 900,000 cubic yards of sand or 90,000 dump truck loads to be replaced.

Pawleys Island was closest to the landfall of Hurricane Ian in South Carolina and has been allocated $14 million for its emergency rehabilitation. Close to 200,000 cubic yards of sand or 20,000 dump trucks will be placed on the federal project (southern 1.2-mile section of Pawleys Island) as well as repair/replacement of sand fencing and vegetation on the project’s dune system that was largely destroyed by Hurricane Ian.

“The District is excited to be able to partner with these beach communities to rehabilitate the beaches back to pre-storm conditions where they will once again be able to provide risk reduction to the infrastructure of these beautiful public coastal communities that we all can enjoy,” said Lt. Col Drew Johannes, the District’s Commanding Officer. “The repair of these projects will reduce coastal storm risk and protect the beaches that provide far-reaching economic and recreational opportunities for the entire state of South Carolina.”