Charleston emergency management under new leadership after director resigns
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The City of Charleston’s Emergency Management Division Director, Ben Almquist, resigned Friday and the division has been restructured to fall under new leadership.
The Charleston Fire Department will now handle the city’s emergency management. Almquist was named Charleston’s director on August 8, 2022, and previously worked as the Director of Emergency Management for Berkeley County.
The decision comes two days after Charleston Mayor William Cogswell announced a new initiative that the city says will help bolster its preparedness and response capabilities for severe weather and flood events.
The ‘Active Flooding Mitigation Plan’ from Mayor Cogswell was initiated after record-setting rainfall hit the area on March 9. Charleston saw a new record of 3.63” inches of rainfall that Saturday, beating the previous record of 1.43” set in 1948.
Mayor Cogswell reemphasized his dedication to the city in the new emergency management announcement, saying, “This administration is not afraid to act when confronted with structural and operational problems in the city. Our residents deserve the very best from city services, and this administration is committed to putting our citizens first.”
City leaders said the restructuring will help enhance the city’s “emergency preparedness and response efforts”.
The city’s so-called ‘Active Flooding Mitigation Plan’ will be activated 24-48 hours before a weather event occurs, which they said will give city services and residents enough time to prepare.
Other preparation steps in the ‘Active Flooding Mitigation Plan’ include:
- Opening city garages ahead of time to allow for free, temporary parking on high-ground
- Proactively placing pumps in vulnerable areas before flooding occurs
- Lowering water levels in Colonial and Dotterer lakes
- Cleaning drains and streets in flood-prone areas before severe weather events
- Closing streets and intersections known to flood before weather events occur
