A BUILDING-LEVEL HAZARDS ASSESSMENT FOR CHARLESTON COUNTY, SC

Charleston County is home to more than 500,000 residents and continues to be among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country; however, as population increases, so do regional hazards. The region is especially prone to coastal hazards such as erosion, sea level rise, flooding, and hurricanes, in addition to earthquake-induced shaking and ground stability. With buildings dating to the 1700s, building degradation is a major concern. A risk assessment for the buildings affected by these hazards is necessary for hazard mitigation, as well as future growth and expansion. To better understand the threats to Charleston’s infrastructure, a GIS-based hazards assessment was conducted. Hurricane, earthquake, liquefaction, sea level rise, and flooding indices were made for parcel-level data in Charleston County. The study results conclude that 8% of the buildings in Charleston County remain within high to extremely high risk. Implications from this study include the ability to concentrate hazard mitigation in the areas with the most need and allow emergency managers to absorb and recover from both chronic and catastrophic events.