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"The authority O'Leary spoke with came from her growing understanding that residents aren't powerless over the flooding they've been experiencing—that and the support of thousands of local voters like Liz Greene who stand behind her. Not all solutions to extreme weather lie in the hands of federal policymakers, lenders, and insurers. Communities have tools to significantly lower their risk, but getting them in place requires residents to join together and push for change—a reverse Minsky moment, if you will."

“Issuing a variance to circumvent our county's elevation standard required in the flood zone was unlawful,” said April O’Leary the President of the flooding advocacy group Horry County Rising."

Flooded families advocate 'hopeful' for change as Horry County leaders vote

'Don't be alarmed:' Expert talks flooding potential in Horry Co. ahead of Hurricane Ian-

April O'Leary, the founder of Horry County Rising, has experienced many hurricanes, tropical storms and of course, flooding.

In the calm before the storm, she is urging a few different safety measures."

“Not only do they provide a significant flood mitigation benefit, but they also have significant other benefits like water quality, making sure they act really as a kidney and filter all of our water, ensuring we have clean drinking water,” O’Leary said. “Waccamaw River is certainly a source of drinking water here locally.”

Horry County Rising’s goal for the year is to see the stronger protections.

“There may not be political support to actually codify wetland protections beyond or exceeding state and federal standards,” O’Leary said. “There are certainly incentive-based measures that we can do, but we’re pushing for both. We’re pushing for both incentive-based measures, design strategies, and regulations as a direct result of what we’ve seen here locally with respect to new development.”

April O’Leary of Horry County, S.C., testified at one of three FEMA public meetings in recent months that “close to half of the families” whose homes flood in her county live outside defined flood zones and are not required to carry flood insurance. “On average, our families lose about $100,000 in wealth after the flood,” she said. “Families constantly live in fear of flooding.”