Groundswell! is Charleston County, South Carolina’s only grassroots community organization dedicated exclusively to mitigating the effects of both storm and tidal flooding that is inundating its members’ homes and hometown over and over again.
Originally formed by a group of concerned homeowners, its mission is twofold: to urge the city, county, and state governments to devote significant resources, immediately, to the rising waters that threaten Charleston’s very existence, and to serve as a clearinghouse of practical information and support to its members, as they deal with anxiety about flooding and the devastation that is undermining their lives.
Members of Groundswell! work together, dedicated to bringing about innovative action by civic and political forces to halt the ongoing destructive flooding of property. They lobby for short-term emergency relief from increasingly frequent flood waters, which destroy livability, infrastructure, and property values.
The group initially sought to bring a voice to an unrepresented residential corner of the Charleston, in the southwest corner of Charleston’s Peninsula, but under the premise that “floodwaters know no boundaries” the organization has expanded to welcome members and offer support to residents throughout Charleston. Groundswell! also partners with other groups and organizations–including neighborhood associations, businesses, and churches or civic organizations–that share concern for flooding caused by sea level rise.
