5Common Coastal Hazards
built to current building codes.
The following section provides
information to buyers considering
beachfront property prone to
hazards, as well as guidance for
how to protect their investment.
Understand State Laws
The South Carolina Beachfront
Management Act (SC Code Ann.
§48-39-250 et seq.) was passed
by the S.C. General Assembly in
1988 to provide a more effective
framework for the management of
South Carolina’s beaches. The Act
and associated regulations establish
the state’s jurisdictional authority
within the beachfront critical
areas. Within these areas, DHEC
regulates new construction, repair,
and reconstruction of buildings
in addition to the maintenance of
erosion control structures. However,
new erosion control devices are
strictly prohibited within the setback
area. The purpose of these laws
and regulations is to protect the
quality of the coastal environment
while affording reasonable use and
development of property. State
beachfront jurisdictional lines are
unrelated to FEMA Flood Zones,
discussed in a later section.
State Beachfront Jurisdiction
The state’s beachfront jurisdictional
lines are calculated by analyzing
current and historical shoreline
positions and long-term erosion
rates. DHEC is mandated by
the South Carolina Beachfront
Management Act to review the
position of the beachfront baseline
and setback line every seven
to ten years. Since the passage
the of Beachfront Management
Act, these lines have been set
and adjusted three times, with
a fourth adjustment pending
for the 2017 revision cycle.
Within standard erosion zones,
the baseline is established at
the location of the crest of the
primary oceanfront sand dune.
On armored beaches and areas
without a primary sand dune,
DHEC uses scientific methods to
determine where the natural dune
would be if natural or man-made
occurrences had not interfered with
nature’s dune building process. For
inlet areas that are not stabilized
by jetties, terminal groins or
other structures, the baseline is
determined as the most landward
point of erosion at anytime during
the past 40 years. Within inlet areas
that are stabilized, the baseline is
determined by the location of the
primary oceanfront sand dune.
The setback line is established
landward of the baseline at a
distance of 40 times the beach’s
annual erosion rate. The erosion
rate is calculated using the best
available historical shoreline
position and scientific monitoring