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Folly Beach is a Leader in Resilience
Protecting Folly Beach from flooding, coastal erosion, and the impacts of a changing environment remains one of our City's highest priorities. We recently had the opportunity to share our resilience initiatives with representatives from 11 coastal cities at the Mayor’s Resiliency Roundtable, highlighting the progress we're making and our success with innovative approaches to funding and implementation.
Our resilience efforts include several major projects and initiatives across the island:
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Center Street Stormwater Improvements: Our approximately $12 million investment improved drainage and reduced flooding in the heart of the island. The City secured approximately $10 million (87% of total cost) for this work.
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Dune Infiltration Technology: An innovative project at 10th Street East uses nature-based technology to manage stormwater, with potential applications in other areas of the island.
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Folly Road Causeway Resilience: We're working with regional partners to secure federal funding to elevate portions of the causeway to reduce flooding and improve emergency evacuation access.
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Folly River Park Living Shoreline: This demonstration project uses natural techniques to protect the marshfront, reduce erosion, improve water quality, and restore oyster habitat.
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Neighborhood Drainage and Water Infrastructure: Improvements in the Tabby neighborhood, East Cooper watershed, and East Hudson Avenue are helping address flooding and strengthen infrastructure reliability.
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Beach Preservation: We're advancing groin rehabilitation planning and implementing Surfline Coastal Intelligence technology to better monitor beach and dune health over time.
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Septic Systems and Water Quality: We're working to map vulnerable septic systems and strengthen maintenance and inspection requirements to protect our waterways.
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Transportation and Environmental Improvements: Projects such as Arctic Avenue safety improvements, pedestrian pathways, and sea turtle-friendly lighting initiatives support a safer, more sustainable island.
Our goal is simple: protect what makes Folly Beach special while preparing our island for the challenges ahead.
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Photo: King Tide Event October 2025
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Coming Soon: Folly Beach Citizen Academy!
Ever wondered how your city government works behind the scenes?
The Folly Beach Citizen Academy is coming soon! This seven-session program offers residents a unique opportunity to learn how the City operates, meet the people who keep Folly Beach running, and get an inside look at the services, departments, and programs that serve our community.
Stay tuned for upcoming session dates, application details, and registration information. We look forward to welcoming you to the Citizen Academy!
Questions? Email Wes Graham at wgraham@follybeach.gov
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Using Surfline Technology to Monitor Folly Beach
The City of Folly Beach is beginning to log beach health data using Surfline Coastal Intelligence technology, allowing us to track changes in beach width and shoreline conditions in near real time.
The graphic below shows data collected on the South side of the Pier during last week's nor'easter. Tracking these events over time will help us better understand beach health, make informed preservation decisions and better position Folly Beach for resiliency funding.
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By leveraging new technology and real-time data, we're moving toward a more proactive, data-driven approach to protecting Folly Beach, allowing us to identify potential problems earlier, measure the effectiveness of preservation efforts, and make smarter investments in the long-term health of our shoreline.
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Our City staff continues to make progress on a number of projects focused on maintaining and improving public facilities, recreational spaces, and infrastructure across Folly Beach.
City Facilities and Infrastructure: Planning is moving forward for improvements at the Clam Farm, including grading, drainage, and a new parking and storage area. At the fire station on West Cooper Avenue, staff is coordinating the installation of new air conditioning equipment.
Parks and Recreation: Staff is evaluating options for a new playground structure at Wave Watch Park, with recommendations being presented to the Parks and Recreation Committee. At Folly River Park, the City is gathering contractor bids for a storage room addition to the existing restroom building.
Ongoing Maintenance: Our newly hired facilities maintenance staff member is making good progress addressing maintenance needs across City properties. At the Community Center, an additional trash cart enclosure has been installed to accommodate both the Community Center and Library, along with landscaping improvements to clean up the surrounding area.
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As we head into the off-season, the Folly Beach Police and Fire Departments are taking advantage of the slower months to focus on training and preparation for the busy season ahead. Our officers, and firefighters, dispatch personnel continue to train throughout the year to maintain their skills and ensure they are ready to respond when our community needs them.
Traffic safety remains a priority as well. Our officers continue traffic enforcement and monitoring throughout the island to encourage drivers to slow down and obey posted speed limits. We recently collected data from our radar trailers in the 700 block of E. Arctic Avenue, the 800 block of E. Ashley Avenue, and the 200 block of E. Cooper Avenue. All three locations recorded average speeds at or below the posted 25 mph speed limit, with well over 50,000 vehicle readings collected. These results are encouraging, and we will continue monitoring traffic patterns and addressing areas of concern.
We also have some good news from our Fire Department. Our firefighters have recently been certified to operate at the Advanced EMT (AEMT) level by our medical control director and the State of South Carolina. This is an important step forward for our department and allows us to continue improving the emergency medical care we provide to residents and visitors. Additional training topics involved fire pump operations and preparing staff for assignment as fire engineers.
Even during the quieter months, our commitment to public safety remains the same. We will continue advanced training, monitoring traffic, and looking for ways to improve the services we provide to Folly Beach.
Thank you for your continued support of the Folly Beach Police and Fire Departments.
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Community Spotlight: LUNG FORCE Run/Walk
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A big thank you to the over 400 participants and volunteers who came out for the LUNG FORCE Run/Walk on Folly Beach this weekend!
Last year, this event raised more than $180,000, bringing its total fundraising over the past decade to more than $1 million in support of the American Lung Association and its fight against lung cancer and other lung diseases.
This year's great turnout was another example of what makes our Folly Beach community so special. Thank you to the organizers, volunteers, sponsors, and participants for supporting such an important cause!
Learn more: https://www.lung.org/lung-force
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October 19 – November 30, 2026
There's plenty happening on Folly Beach this fall! From Halloween festivities and family movie nights to fitness classes and holiday celebrations, we invite residents to get involved and enjoy these upcoming community events.
Upcoming Events
October 19 & 27 | 6:00–7:15 pm
Witches Dance Practice
Folly Beach Community Center
Get ready for the Witches Dance at the Children's Halloween Festival on October 31! RSVP to hodonnell@follybeach.gov.
October 29 | 6:00–8:00 pm
Family Fun Night: E.T.
Folly River Park
Bring the family for an outdoor showing of the classic movie E.T.
October 30 | 4:00–5:00 pm
Halloween Decorated House Contest
Show off your Halloween spirit! Register at www.cityoffollybeach.gov by October 26. Questions? Email hodonnell@follybeach.gov.
October 31 | 5:00–7:15 pm
Children's Halloween Festival
Folly River Park
Enjoy a fun-filled Halloween celebration, ending with the Witches Dance around 7:00 pm.
November 5 | 10:00 am
Internet & Phone Safety Talk
Council Chambers, Folly Beach City Hall
Learn helpful tips for staying safe online and over the phone. RSVP to hodonnell@follybeach.gov.
November 29 | 6:30 pm
Christmas Tree Lighting
Folly River Park
Join the community as we kick off the holiday season with the lighting of the Folly Beach Christmas tree!
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Questions? Email hodonnell@follybeach.gov for registration links and instructions.
December: Save the Dates!
December 1 | 6:30–7:30 pm
History of Native Tribes of the South Carolina Lowcountry
Community Center
Join Vice Chief Joshua Shumak of the Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians for an informative presentation on Lowcountry Native American history.
December 10 | 5:00 pm
Menorah Lighting
Folly River Park
A community menorah lighting followed by a reception at the Community Center.
December 11 | 5:30–7:30 pm
Meet Santa
Folly River Park
Bring the family to celebrate the season with Santa!
December 12 | 12:00 pm
Folly Beach Christmas Parade
Celebrate the holidays Folly-style! Parade participants must register at www.cityoffollybeach.com by November 23.
December 17 | 6:00–7:30 pm
De-Stress Before the Holidays Workshop
Community Center
Enjoy a cup of tea and explore writing as a way to relax with Victor Crouch, Poet Laureate of James Island.
December 31 | Midnight
New Year's Eve Flip Flop Drop
Downtown Folly Beach
Ring in 2027 with one of Folly Beach's favorite traditions!
Stay Connected!
For event questions, class registration, or additional information, contact hodonnell@follybeach.gov.
We look forward to seeing you at these community events!
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