Flooding from rising sea levels is nothing new to South Carolina’s largest city. In the 1830s, the mayor offered a $100 gold medal to anyone who could come up with a solution. No one ever did.
Even if solutions were put in place then, chances are new solutions still would be needed. Harbor gauge data indicates the sea level at Charleston has risen more than a foot since 1920. Flooding from king tides also has become more frequent and could occur at an average of 180 days each year by 2045.