For the first time, South Carolina’s coastal communities are measuring the water levels surrounding their cities, towns and counties in real time. A widespread network of water level monitoring stations is being installed across the state.
The South Carolina Beach Advocates are part of ASBPA’s 5-year “Southeast Coastal Communities Water Level Observation System” project. The project is providing real-time water level data, tide predictions, and flooding alerts to coastal communities. The data are being used to plan for and respond to flood emergencies as well as design resilience strategies for sea-level rise and the projected increase in flooding. ASBPA is collaborating with Hohonu, Inc., a technology startup that provides environmental water level monitoring to help communities adapt to climate change.
The project is funded by SECOORA (Southeast Coastal and Ocean Observing Regional Association), which is a member of the US Integrated Ocean Observing System, and part of NOAA. ASBPA is leading one of four teams selected to create a new regional water level network. The project fills gaps between existing federal tide stations. For example, there is a large data gap between Charleston and the Georgia border.
The water level data are available online at Hohonu’s website. Sign up for a free account to view the data and community-defined critical elevation thresholds. Ultimately, data will be accessible for download on SECOORA’s website.
