Inspect from land before walking onto any waterfront structure
Stay off structures with new leaning, sagging, twisting, broken framing, displaced pilings, moved floats/ramps, missing rails, washout, or uncertain stability.
Charleston storm recovery
Post-Storm Waterfront Damage Checklist
Start with safety, document what changed, separate the damage into the right project lanes, and check current authorization before rebuilding coastal structures.
Safety → document → triageCurrent 2026 reconstruction pathsPrint for property records
Use it this way: Use this after officials say it is safe to return. If a structure, shoreline, floodwater, or electrical system looks unsafe, stop there and bring in the appropriate professional.
Full storm damage guide →First look
Safety before inspection
A dock can still be standing and still be unsafe. Start from stable ground and separate immediate hazards from property documentation.
Treat wet, submerged, or damaged electrical equipment as unsafe
Do not touch or energize damaged lift, dock, or shore-power equipment until the appropriate qualified professional has evaluated it.
Stay clear of downed lines, floodwater, unstable banks, and fast water
Do not enter water or damaged shoreline areas to retrieve debris or inspect structures.
Document
Capture what changed before cleanup
Once it is safe, create a record before damaged material is moved or repaired.
Take wide photos of the full waterfront area
Capture the relationship between the house/yard, shoreline, dock, lift, wall, debris, and water.
Take close photos and video of each damaged component
Document broken framing, displaced pilings, lift damage, erosion, wall movement, water/debris lines, and equipment labels when safe.
Compare with your before-storm photos
Separate new storm damage from pre-existing condition so the scope is easier to explain.
Keep estimates, invoices, receipts, and emergency-service records
Maintain one folder for insurance, contractor, engineering, and permit follow-up.
Triage
Separate the damage into the right project lanes
One storm can create several different jobs. Do not ask one contractor to diagnose everything by default.
Identify dock, piling, ramp, float, and framing damage
Note movement, broken members, lost sections, damaged connections, and whether the structure still resembles the permitted configuration.
Identify boat-lift and electrical damage separately
Lift equipment, support structure, and electrical systems may need different professionals even when the damage happened in the same event.
Identify erosion, bulkhead/seawall, revetment, and drainage damage
Look for new soil loss, voids, settlement, leaning, displaced stone, end erosion, or channels cut by water.
Keep house/building damage in the local building/floodplain lane
Report and permit building damage through the appropriate local process rather than assuming a coastal-structure authorization covers the house.
Before repair
Check the authorization path before rebuilding
Storm damage does not automatically authorize reconstruction. The correct path depends on what existed, what was permitted, and what you want to put back.
Find the old permit and approved dimensions/configuration
The prior authorization can determine whether work is maintenance, reconstruction under a general permit, an amendment, or another permit path.
Check whether SCDES has activated an Emergency General Permit for the event
Emergency General Permits are event-specific. When available, SCDES says individual coverage is still required and restoration is limited to the previously permitted/grandfathered size, configuration, and location.
SCDES Emergency General Permits ↗If no storm-specific permit applies, check the current reconstruction lanes
Qualifying previously permitted private recreational docks may fit GP-25-DR; qualifying non-oceanfront erosion-control structures may fit GP-25-ECS. Other work may require another permit route.
SCDES General Permits ↗Confirm federal, local, HOA, and other approvals that still apply
An SCDES authorization does not automatically satisfy every other agency or private requirement.
When the checklist surfaces a real project
Have waterfront damage that needs the right pro?
Send Shoreline the safe-to-capture photos and a description. We can structure dock, lift, shoreline, electrical, and permit questions before matching the project.
Tell Shoreline what I need →Primary sources
Use the official source for the final answer.
SCDESEmergency General PermitsEvent-specific repair and reconstruction authorization for qualifying coastal structuresSCDESCritical Area General PermitsCurrent GP-25-DR dock and GP-25-ECS erosion-control reconstruction lanesSCDESHurricane Preparedness & RecoveryCoastal damage assessment and post-disaster recovery operations
Sources reviewed September 13, 2026. Requirements can change and site-specific decisions belong to the responsible agency or qualified professional.