Hurricane Ian impacts 11:00 a.m. update from Myrtle Beach

The City of Myrtle Beach is now under a Tropical Storm Warning. However, we are currently open and operating through this weekend. We're expecting rain to begin Thursday evening and continue through Saturday as well as gusty winds. We urge our residents to secure any debris and outdoor furniture and to bring their lawn decorations inside. It’s possible that the beach will be double-red-flagged Friday; that decision will be based on conditions, so stay tuned. At this point, our scheduled indoor events are continuing as planned. The City of Myrtle Beach is not providing sand bags.

What is the City doing now to prepare for the storm?

Our Parks Division will remove the trash cans and recycling containers from the beach tomorrow. The boardwalk flags (US and military) will also be removed. Public Works is lowering the lake levels at Grand Park right now and elsewhere (where we have that ability) to provide extra capacity for the expected rainfall. We’re checking the drainage system in general and removing any debris that might prevent water from flowing. We’ve topped off generators and started them to make sure they work properly. We’re topping off our fuel tanks at Vehicle Maintenance. The City of Myrtle Beach will have crews on standby to remove any downed trees and respond as needed.

The current forecast calls for five to eight inches of rain Friday through Saturday, with winds of 30 to 40 miles an hour (some gusts higher). We cannot stress this enough… Should we get spot flooding, do not drive through standing water! “Turn around, don’t drown.” We will continue to keep you updated as we get closer to seeing impacts from Hurricane Ian.