Editorial: Adapting to flooding means changing behavior, not just buildings and drainage

Adapting to higher sea levels means a lot of things for a city such as Charleston, and there's been plenty of debate so far on major infrastructure projects and new land development rules that aim to minimize harm from floods. Less talked about is how all of us should adapt our own behavior. But that's expected to change soon — and that's a good thing.

Specifically, Charleston City Council is considering an ordinance that would make it illegal to drive (a car or a boat) faster than 5 mph on a flooded street. The proposed ordinance needs work — and is scheduled to get more discussion at least during the next month or so — but there is value in the coming debate and potentially in a new city ordinance that might be placed on the books once the debate ends.

Council's Public Safety Committee met Monday to consider a draft ordinance that would prohibit driving a motor vehicle, boat or watercraft along any street where there's water at least 6 inches deep at a speed of more than 5 mph or in a way that creates waves or wakes that damage property or extend beyond the edge of the street. 

The specifics are expected to be debated again, likely before City Council's Traffic and Transportation Committee in August, but the proposed ordinance is part of an important larger reality: Adapting to increased flooding in Charleston and other coastal communities eventually will touch nearly every aspect of our lives. The sooner we start adjusting, the easier it will be for all of us.

This is one small but important example of that: Many of us have become accustomed to driving through flooded streets, betting the water won't be deep enough to cause our vehicle to stall or worse. We need to stop. We need to adjust our behavior to avoid driving on flooded streets, even if we think there won't be a problem. We need to recognize rising seas will make it increasingly inconvenient to get around town, and we need to reset our expectations accordingly.

This change in behavior has been happening gradually, as more of us now know the saying, "Turn around, don't drown." In Charleston, police are placing barricades at increasingly more streets before and during heavy rains, especially when those rains coincide with a high tide, which slows drainage in many parts of the city. More barricades are on order so police can close still more flooded streets.

One change to the proposed ordinance will make it clear that it's illegal to move or drive around these barricades; that's already in state law, but some City Council members want to include it in their own ordinance, simply to raise awareness. Actually, we could debate whether a new ordinance is needed at all, since police arguably have the authority to write tickets to those driving on flooded streets. But the ordinance's greatest utility might be to spread the word about how bad an idea that is.  

City Councilman Robert Mitchell raised concerns about the need to alert motorists in advance of any enforcement of a new ordinance, and he makes a good point. Too many of us have become accustomed to driving through flooded streets (mostly) without consequence. The city plans to put signs on its barricades to make clear it's illegal to pass around them.

Other cities, such as New Orleans, already have similar ordinances, and Councilman Mike Seekings, whose downtown district experiences serious flooding with increased frequency, tells us the idea of this ordinance is nothing new here. 

"I hate that we have to legislate common sense, but what else are we going to do?" he tells us, adding his constituents have been 100% behind the idea. Even after the rain stops, some homeowners see further damage because of cars and trucks driving through standing water and sending new waves of water into their front yards. 

Driving on a flooded street is a bad idea for many reasons, starting with the threat to the life of the driver and any occupants if the water proves to be deeper or faster than expected, as well as the potential danger to public safety personnel who have to assist stranded motorists. It's also a recipe for a costly tow and repair should the vehicle stall in the water. Adding the risk of getting a costly traffic ticket — and potentially points against your driver's license — would help reinforce the message.

And it needs reinforcing because Charleston residents and visitors have been driving on flooded streets ever since they've been driving. But what once was an annual or biannual occurrence is becoming increasingly common, and as a result, it's time for us to stop pressing our luck.

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