Town of Hilton Head Island
1999 Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan

This document constitutes the Flood Hazard Mitigation element of the Town of Hilton Head, South Carolina Comprehensive Plan. Production of this element is part of an overall effort by the Town of Hilton Head to update the Comprehensive Plan.

The Town of Hilton Head Island is susceptible to a variety of natural hazards, including flooding and high winds associated with hurricanes and tropical storms, thunderstorms, tornadoes and the passage of winter cold fronts. The very physical and geographical features that provide the high quality of life for residents and visitors contribute to these hazards. Of these hazards, flooding resulting from hurricanes is generally thought to pose the greatest threat to the island.
Flood Hazard Mitigation Goals

The Town of Hilton Head Island has included a review of flood hazard mitigation and flood hazard mitigation planning efforts as part of the Comprehensive Plan Update effort. In December 1993, the Town of Hilton Head Island adopted the first Floodplain Management Plan for participation in the Community Rating System. The Plan was amended in December 1995. Inclusion of flood mitigation in the Comprehensive Plan formalizes these policies and creates a coherent flood hazard mitigation strategy for use by the community over a long-range period.

Statement of Goals
Given this understanding of the importance of the flood hazard mitigation element, it is the goal of this planning effort to help guide the Town of Hilton Head Island as it:

• strives to protect the health, safety, and public welfare of its citizens,
• continues to update its Comprehensive Plan,
• updates its Community Rating System requirements, and
• positions itself to receive available State and Federal grant funds for flood hazard mitigation.

Achieving Goals
The effort seeks to achieve these goals and objectives by applying several approaches:

• explaining the importance of flood hazard mitigation planning,
• performing a literature search and review of plans, studies and other documents (local, regional, state and federal),
• acquiring flood hazard mitigation data through interviews with local government staff as well as meetings with stakeholders,
• engaging in discussions with and acquiring data from local and regional agencies,
• obtaining and evaluating historic, current, and buildout conditions on the island (particularly related to flood and surge events),
• assessing historic and anticipated flooding events,
• synthesizing existing and new information using GIS approaches,
• assessing the vulnerability to flooding of structures, sites, and wards within the island,
• making recommendations for improving the collection and management of natural flood hazard data,
• assessing flood hazard mitigation incentives and disincentives at work in the Town of Hilton Head Island,
• drawing conclusions from surveys and interviews with citizens and local government staff,
• reviewing on-going and possible flood hazard mitigation activities,
• determining needs to improve flood hazard mitigation efforts, and
• making recommendations for advancing flood hazard mitigation in the Town of Hilton Head Island.

Statement of Needs and Goals
From the investigation of current and possible activities and issues revealed through public involvement, flood hazard assessments, and agency coordination and review, this study refined a series of strategies and goals for Hilton Head Island. These strategies are grouped into four general areas: Policies and Programs, Stormwater management, Technology, and Natural Resources. Within each area, the study presents observations and recommendation related to mitigating flood hazards in the community. The format of these recommendations follows other portions of the updated Comprehensive Plan.

Click here to download the 1999 Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan in Adobe Acrobat Format.