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<p><strong>From staff reports&nbsp;</strong></p>
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<p>The City of Beaufort is beginning a drainage study in The Point neighborhood, marking the start of its next major stormwater infrastructure project since completing the Mossy Oaks project earlier this year.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The City has contracted with Davis &amp; Floyd, an engineering firm with several locations in South Carolina, to conduct the study. Davis &amp; Floyd is also working with the City of Charleston on various stormwater and infrastructure projects to address flooding.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The study will consist of several elements, including assessing the state of all current drainage pipes in The Point, which is one of Beaufort’s neighborhoods most vulnerable to flooding caused by tropical storms, heavy rainfall and/or king tides. Davis &amp; Floyd also will identify all current channels, ditches, inlets, and culverts, and recommend drainage improvements.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Davis &amp; Floyd will also install water gauges for a six-month period. The data collected from the gauges will be used to develop models to show how the neighborhood could be impacted by various levels of rainfall.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The engineering company plans to hold at least two public meetings for Point residents to discuss the project.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>“This project will be one of the most complex ones in the City of Beaufort,” City of Beaufort Project Manager Neal Pugliese said in a release. “Our City Council is committed to addressing the flooding and drainage issues faced by the residents and businesses in this neighborhood.”&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The Point neighborhood is one of nine that were identified by City Council as high priorities for stormwater improvements to mitigate flood risk. Mossy Oaks was completed this year with a combination of bond and grant funding.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The Point project will be coordinated with a study looking at impacts from rising sea level that will be conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers, City Manager Bill Prokop said. <br><br><em>Above: A map shows where the City of Beaufort’s drainage study will occur in The Point neighborhood. Courtesy of Davis &amp; Floyd.</em></p>
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