The Town of Seabrook has received a Municipal Achievement Award for its Disaster Recovery Council. The town won in the 1,001 – 5,000 population category.   

The Town of Seabrook Island’s coastal location makes it vulnerable to hurricanes, flooding and power outages. Because of these threats, and the challenges that individual community organizations face when collaborating with one another to respond to an emergency, the town decided to establish the Disaster Recovery Council as a way to strengthen its community preparedness. The council engages in yearly training exercises based on real emergencies facilitated by emergency management professionals. These experiences help the council identify potential issues and recommend improvements to Seabrook Island’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. 

The council takes advantage of town staff expertise and facilities as well as volunteer participation, which helps keep its funding needs to a minimum. It partners with municipal departments, local utilities, homeowners associations, the Seabrook Island Community Emergency Response Team, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and St. Johns Fire District in its efforts. Future plans include using training scenarios that address emerging risks such as climate-related impacts and infrastructure disruptions, as well as finding more ways to enhance resident preparedness education.  

By incorporating the lessons learned from ongoing scenario-based, partnership-driven emergency training, the council places the town in a position to handle future emergencies with clear communication and strong partnerships — all helping to build a more resilient community. 

Contact Abigail Grooms at agrooms@townofseabrookisland.org or 843.768.9121.