McMaster names chief resiliency officer to lead SC disaster relief, mitigation
Gov. Henry McMaster nominated Ben Duncan to run the newly formed Office of Resiliency, an office which manages the state’s resilience reserve fund and how the state responds to climate-related natural disasters.
Duncan, the current director of the state’s Disaster Recovery Office, has to be confirmed by the state Senate and his salary will be determined by the state agency head salary commission, the governor’s office said.
Legislation passed in 2020 established a South Carolina Disaster Relief and Resilience Reserve Fund to maintain the Statewide Resilience Plan and to use for disaster relief assistance, hazard mitigation and infrastructure improvements. The legislation creating the resilience fund and statewide plan came about as a response to the state’s recent history of major storms that brought damaging floods to different parts of the state.
Duncan, 60, of Columbia, has worked on disaster mitigation and recovery since 2015, most recently as the program management director for the Disaster Recovery Office. In his current role, Duncan oversees federal Department of Housing and Urban Development community development block grant programs that focus on rebuilding or repairing homes damaged by severe weather events, such as the severe storm event in October 2015, Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and Hurricane Florence in 2018.
“Director Duncan’s exemplary leadership and wealth of experience at the Disaster Recovery Office will be critical in his new role as South Carolina’s first Chief Resilience Officer,” McMaster said. “Look no further than his management of existing programs that have resulted in thousands of South Carolinians finding safe and reliable housing after experiencing devastating losses at the hands of natural disasters.”
Duncan said he’s looking forward to the new role.
“South Carolinians are a resilient people,” Duncan said. “Through disaster after disaster, we have seen our state bend but not break. My team is ready and excited to execute the strategic goals established by the legislature and Governor McMaster, and I am grateful for this opportunity to serve the state I love and proudly call home.”
The state’s resiliency steering committee on Tuesday also gave the thumbs up to $14.8 million for property buyout projects on land that is prone to repeated flooding in Horry and Chesterfield counties. Homeowners would receive the fair market value of their houses prior to a disaster up to $250,000.
The committee also recommended $30.1 million worth of infrastructure improvements, such as stormwater and drainage work to mitigate flooding issues.
“This program is a step in the right direction, so (residents) are not rebuilding homes in the same area that are flood prone that we know are going to flood again,” said state Rep. Heather Crawford R-Horry. “They’re not going to be rebuilding those homes, they can be relocating those homes, ultimately saving the taxpayers dollars.”
This is the first phase of mitigation funding, the next phase is expected to begin in June or July.
Where the money went
Stormwater infrastructure and drainage improvements
▪ City of Charleston: $9,964,190
▪ City of Florence: $4,048,811
▪ City of Manning: $4,979,555
▪ City of Sumter: $4,849,725
▪ Georgetown County: $939,529
▪ Horry County: $2,476,250
▪ Lake City: $2,847,660
Buyouts of repetitive loss properties
▪ Horry County: $13,120,685
▪ Town of Cheraw: $1,747,680
