CHARLESTON, SC (WCBD) – Tropical Storm Elsa hit the peninsula Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, causing damage and flooding in downtown Charleston. Now, as the cleanup draws to a close, authorities look to the next storms that may be heading into the Lowcountry. This, as lawmakers discuss how they think the City of Charleston has done and how an infrastructure plan could improve the next outcome.

City officials told News 2 that Elsa was a good dress rehearsal for what is already shaping up to be an active hurricane season.

Shannon Scaff, director of emergency management for the City of Charleston, said Elsa was “just a reminder that we really need to be careful with the current situation and these plans need to be in place now so that once August and September roll around, we are ready.

Scaff says he is proud of both the town team and the citizens for their response to Elsa, but he says that with so many people who have recently moved to the Lowcountry, he thinks there are still some who may learn.

According to him, the main area that new residents need to understand the most is water. Scaff says that ultimately water is the biggest killer with hurricanes and townspeople need to keep that in mind.

“I think 3 vehicles were eventually stranded in the crosstown area and stalled… of course this is the time to remind everyone that when you see high water like we have said many times , don’t take any chances. “

For U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, she said Elsa’s presence in the Lowcountry was also a reminder that the greater Charleston area needs an infrastructure bill in their favor.

She says the infrastructure package she would support won’t pay for things like art and sculpture when she says problems, especially with the environment and flooding, are so prevalent.

Mace says that according to estimates she read, it would cost $ 2 million to tackle the flooding problem in the downtown area alone. She says she is looking for creative, two-party ways to fund what she calls the necessary improvements.

“My pitch to Congress is to do it with unspent covid relief funds. Whether you’re talking about 500 billion, trillion, 2 trillion, the money is there to have significant historic spending on infrastructure without raising taxes, ”says Mace.

Scaff says that although the city’s plans have proven to be effective. He agrees with Mace that more can be done to build on what has already been done and continue to improve the infrastructure of the Lowcountry.