Support Us Button Widget

How Greenville, SC’s Unity Park was designed to handle flooding

City engineers watched their work get tested to start off 2023.

GVL_Unity_Park_Flood_2_JAN2023

Flash flooding at Unity Park | Photo by the City of Greenville

The chances of rain this week are much lower than the last when Greenville received ~4 inches of rain causing flash flooding, especially in areas around the Reedy River.

GVL_Unity_Park_Flood_JAN2023

What a difference 24 hours can make. | Videos by The City of Greenville

City engineers say there will always be times when a river exceeds its banks, because that’s what rivers do, but it’s about how leaders and engineers can plan ahead to minimize damage:

  • The city built Unity Park in a floodplain because parks recover quickly after taking on water, unlike buildings and other properties.
    GVL_Unity_Park_Flood_Bench_JAN2023

    The bench gives the swelling river a place to go. | Videos by The City of Greenville

  • Along the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail, engineers designed river benches to give the water a place to go in weather events that cause the river to rise, protecting businesses at The Commons.
  • From Unity Park’s electrical systems to the soil mixture to the furniture and structures to the plants and trees, park designers made design choices that withstand the rising Reedy River.
More from GVLtoday
Bookmark this guide for a curated list of events taking place each month that we’re most looking forward to.
Greenville is made up of so many wonderful small businesses, here are a few our readers love in honor of Small Business Saturday.
The Palmetto Bowl returns to Memorial Stadium this weekend.
The school acquired 22 additional acres of land along Mauldin Road, bringing its campus from 72 to 94 acres.
The community leader, affectionately called “The Mayor of Southernside” died Nov. 16 at the age of 85.
Whether you’re new to the area and want to become an expert, or you’re a longtime resident ready to certify your knowledge, the program is for anyone who loves Greenville.
These 10 spots are serving up your favorite Thanksgiving dishes so you don’t have to turn the oven on.
Sponsored
A long-awaited dam stabilization has unlocked plans for a mill-village-inspired redevelopment that would bring housing, commercial space, and new connectivity to Conestee Mill.
The proposed concept would bring a new kind of social space to the Mills Avenue corridor, combining recreation with community. If approved, Bogey’s Golfgarten could become Greenville’s next go-to spot to sip, swing, and stay a while.