“Between 1900 and 1980 we had about seven or eight king-tide events a year. Today, it’s closer to eighty. Resilience isn’t optional anymore—it’s survival.”Charleston City Councilman Mike Seekings joins Matt Silveston to talk about what happens when a historic coastal city faces a rising ocean. From king tides that now flood streets weekly to the rebirth of the Low Battery seawall and the launch of Lowcountry Rapid Transit, this conversation explores leadership in a city learning to live with water and move through it.
Mike shares how Charleston rebuilt its most iconic wall without raising taxes, why transit is a cornerstone of resilience, and what leadership looks like when every decision carries long-term consequences.
Key Themes:
The measurable rise in tidal flooding and what it means for the city’s future.
The Low Battery seawall: a century-old structure reborn through political persistence and public transparency.
Funding infrastructure through tourism revenues, not new taxes.
Why public transit and the 21-mile Lowcountry Rapid Transit project represent a new model of resilience.