Tropical Storm Debby is expected to make landfall this week in the Myrtle Beach area. Meteorologists are saying that the Grand Strand will be getting historic levels of rain, which could lead to flooding.
Horry County has the potential for extreme flooding, according to forecasts from earlier this week. Officials are warning people against driving in flooded areas and not bypassing barricades on the road, as it can be deadly.
The storm warning has extended to include not just coastal cities, but also coastal Pender, New Hanover and Brunswick counties; central Horry County; inland Georgetown County and Williamsburg County, according to National Weather Service’s Meteorologist-in-Charge for the Wilmington, North Carolina, station, Steven Pfaff.
This is the first named tropical system to work its way through Myrtle Beach during the 2024 hurricane season.
Here are the latest updates:
Downtown North Myrtle Beach floods
UPDATED 8:33 P.M.
The downtown area of North Myrtle Beach has flooded, with waters going over the curb in some places, according to meteorologist Scotty Powell. North Myrtle Beach Police have some roadways blocked to stop people from driving on flooded roads.
Little River has gotten the most rain in the Myrtle Beach area
UPDATED AT 7:37 P.M.
Over the past 48 hours, Little River has gotten 4.5 inches of rain, the most of any area in the Myrtle Beach area, according to the National Weather Service. Many areas in Horry County have gotten around 2 to 3 inches of rain over the past two days. The least amount was 1.5 inches in Loris.
Tornado watch issued in Cherry Grove; no confirmed tornado touchdown
UPDATED 7:08 P.M.
A tornado warning was issued from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday with a potential tornado seen on the radar, said meteorologist Tim Armstrong with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina. He said there has not been a confirmed tornado touchdown or damage reported as of 7:08 p.m.
Extreme impact rain moved back to Wednesday
UPDATED AT 6:06 P.M.
The most intense rain was scheduled to hit the Myrtle Beach area beginning Tuesday night but that has been pushed back to Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service briefings.
Debby will move slowly off the South Carolina coast Tuesday night through Wednesday, possibly making landfall late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.
Myrtle Beach area sees a break from the rain
UPDATED AT 5:17 P.M.
The Myrtle Beach area is getting a short break before storms continue Tuesday afternoon and evening, according to the Weather Channel radar. There was a small period of time where no rain was seen on the radar around 5 p.m.
Rain is beginning to pick back up and storms will cover almost all of Horry County by 7 p.m., according to the radar.
Pawleys Island will not close the causeways
UPDATED AT 4:07 P.M.
A post in a Pawleys Island Facebook Group said the causeways into Pawleys Island and Litchfield Beach are going to close at 5 p.m. The Pawleys Island Police Department posted on X this is a false rumor and the causeways will only close if, “there is a dangerous flooding situation or evacuation orders from the governor.”
Check out conditions in Pawleys Island via this Facebook video.
Walmarts across Grand Strand close early
UPDATED 3:44 P.M.
More than 10 Walmart stores in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, the Murrells Inlet area, and Georgetown have announced they will close early on Aug. 6. Most will shut their doors at 5 p.m.
Surfside Beach flies double red flags
UPDATED 3:44 P.M.
Surfside Beach began flying double red flags on its beaches Tuesday afternoon. This means there is no swimming allowed in the ocean.
No Myrtle Beach area road closed yet
UPDATE 12:48 P.M.
According to the Horry County Road Closure site, as of Tuesday at 12:50 p.m., no roads in the county had been shuttered due to Tropical Storm Debby.
Myrtle Beach issued a double red flag warning
UPDATE 12:13 P.M.
On Tuesday, the City of Myrtle Beach issued a double red flag warning for all beaches. That means no swimming in the ocean due to dangerous surf conditions.
Will my mail delivery be affected by the storm?
UPDATE 11:23 A.M.
Mail and package delivery from the United States Postal Service has yet to be affected by the incoming Tropical Storm, according to their service outage map.
“Hurricane Debby and severe weather events in the Southeast U.S. (Northern Florida, Southern Georgia, and the Carolinas) are impacting the processing, transportation, and delivery of mail and packages,” a statement on their website said. “Please allow additional time for final delivery of your item.”
Flash flood warning issued for Tuesday in Horry County
UPDATE 11:08 A.M.
The National Weather Service out of Wilmington, NC issued a flash flood warning in Horry County from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
Based on information from their radar, they said this flash flood could impact small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
Places that are likely to be affected include Myrtle Beach, Conway, North Myrtle Beach, Red Hill, Socastee, Myrtle Beach Airport, Springmaid Pier, North Myrtle Beach Airport, Horry, Hickory Grove, Horry Georgetown Technical College Conway Campus, Nixonville, Coastal Carolina University, Homewood, Adrian, Hammond, Forestbrook, Hand, Bayboro and Barefoot Landing Area of North Myrtle Beach.
The South Carolina State Emergency Operations Center released a hotline for the storm. It’s 1-866-246-0133. They said that number will be active 24 hours a day throughout the duration of the tropical storm.
Flood warning issued for Horry County
UPDATE 10:50 A.M.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning starting on Aug. 7 at 5 p.m. until further notice for some inland rivers located in the Myrtle Beach area, including, Lumber River, Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry, Waccamaw River at Conway affecting Horry County and the Great Pee Dee River affecting Marion and Florence Counties.
Take a look at Myrtle Beach as Tropical Storm Debby approaches
UPDATE 10:46 A.M.
Area schools announcing closures ahead of Tropical Storm Debby
UPDATE 9:08 A.M.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College and Horry County Schools have announced that they will close as a result of Tropical Storm Debby.
In an email, HGTC said it will pause in-person classes starting at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.
All HGTC campuses will close at noon, the email said, and in-person classes scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday have been canceled. The college will resume normal operations on Monday, Aug. 12, unless otherwise notified, according to the college’s Public Relations Director Nicole Hyman.
“The safety of our community is our highest priority,” said Marilyn Murphy Fore, HGTC president, in an emailed statement. “By transitioning to virtual operations, we can ensure that our students and employees remain safe while continuing to provide educational support and resources.”
Students will not report to clinicals, internships or any other in-person instructional activities, including federal work-study positions, during the closure, Hyman’s email said. Employees who are able to work remotely are encouraged to do so, she wrote.
Hyman said they will provide an update on the situation by Thursday, Aug. 8.
For Horry County Schools, spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said the district will be operating remotely on Wednesday, Aug. 7, and Thursday, Aug. 8 as a result of the current weather forecast.
All athletics and extracurricular activities are also canceled for Wednesday and Thursday, according to Bourcier.
All HCS employees will work remotely except hourly employees, and hourly employees will not report to work, but will be allowed to make up the day based on their schedules provided by their supervisors, Bourcier said via email.
For updates, she said to monitor the HCS website or visit HCS on social media outlets.
- Elizabeth Brewer, ebrewer@thesunnews.com
Georgetown County to activate OPCON 1
UPDATE 8:34 A.M.
Georgetown County increased their alert status to the highest level of readiness on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Debby approaches, according to an email from county spokeswoman Jackie Broach.
The Georgetown County Emergency Management Division upgraded to OPCON 1 at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
OPCON 1 is a “full alert” status, which means that a disaster or emergency is imminent or occurring.
They’ve also since fully activated the county’s Emergency Operations Center.
The county is bracing for heavy rainfall and significant flooding, with 10-15 more inches of rain expected to fall over the next few days. 2-4-foot storm surge is also expected, Broach’s email said.
The County’s disaster call line has been activated and will be staffed until 8 p.m. today. Residents can call (843) 545-3273 with storm-related questions or concerns.
- Elizabeth Brewer, ebrewer@thesunnews.com
Life-threatening flood forecast for Horry County this week
UPDATED 7:55 A.M.
A tropical storm briefing sent out by Steven Pfaff, Meteorologist-in-Charge for the National Weather Service in Wilmington, NC, said a life-threatening flood event will start today and persist into Friday.
Highlights from his emailed forecast include:
Extreme rainfall, projected at 10 to 15 inches and in some areas at 15 to 20 inches, will result in life-threatening flooding. The flooding risk will increase today into Wednesday and Thursday, then begin to decrease during Friday.
Brunswick, Horry, and Georgetown Counties, where a storm surge watch is currently in place, could be inundated with 2 to 4 feet of rain.
Isolated tornadoes are possible today through Thursday.
- Elizabeth Brewer, ebrewer@thesunnews.com
Some people are already reporting power outages
UPDATED 7:38 A.M.
According to utility company Santee Cooper’s outage map, approximately 55 customers don’t have power as of Tuesday morning.
Based on data from Santee Cooper, 48 customers are on Highway 17 near Gardens By The Sea, less than five are near Brookgreen Gardens and six are in Pawleys Island.
All three locations currently have crews on the scene working to restore power.
- Elizabeth Brewer, ebrewer@thesunnews.com
Take a look at the beach Tuesday morning before the storm arrives
UPDATED 7:19 A.M.
There is currently a high rip current warning in affect in coastal Horry County by the National Weather Service.
That includes North Myrtle Beach.
The waves are expected to reach between three to six feet tall, and the water temperature is currently in the lower 80s.
The winds are forecast to remain around 20 miles per hour, and high tide at Springmaid Pier is at 9:34 a.m. and low tide is at 3:32 p.m.
- Elizabeth Brewer, ebrewer@thesunnews.com
Tornado watch issued for Myrtle Beach
UPDATED 7:10 A.M.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch through 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday in five counties in North Carolina and four in northeastern South Carolina, including Horry, Marion, Florence and Williamsburg.
They said that warning includes the following cities as well: Bladenboro, Boiling Spring Lakes, Burgaw, Chadbourn, Conway, Elizabethtown, Florence, Garden City, Kingstree, Lake Waccamaw, Leland, Little River, Long Beach, Marion, Mullins, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Oak island, Red Hill, Socastee, Southport, Sunset Beach, Surf City, Tabor City, Whiteville and Wilmington
- Elizabeth Brewer, ebrewer@thesunnews.com
Biden approves federal help ahead of storm landfall in South Carolina
UPDATED 6:18 A.M.
On Monday night, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the state of South Carolina ahead of an impending storm that’s expected to yield historic rainfall in the area.
This action by the President authorizes FEMA to coordinate disaster relief throughout the state.
Emergency protective measures, which includes federal assistance and reimbursem*nt for evacuation and shelter support is active will now be provided at 75 percent funding from the federal government to 34 South Carolina counties, including: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Lexington, McCormick, Marion, Marlboro, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, Sumter and Williamsburg counties.
- Elizabeth Brewer, ebrewer@thesunnews.com
Early morning forecast for Tropical Storm Debby
UPDATED 6:01 A.M.
Early on Tuesday morning, the National Hurricane Center their latest forecast for Debby.
Scientists are still predicting historic heavy rainfall in parts of southeast Georgia and eastern South Carolina through Friday, which will result in catastrophic flooding.
Dangerous storm surge and tropical storm conditions will spread north along the southeastern coast from northeastern Florida to North Carolina through the middle of this week.
“Storm surge and tropical storm watches and warnings have been issued for portions of these areas,” the forecast said. Residents in the storm surge watch and warning area should follow any advice given by local officials.
Places that Debby has already passed through in Florida still have deadly hazards, including downed power lines and flooded areas.
– Elizabeth Brewer, ebrewer@thesunnews.com
Are Myrtle Beach Piers ready for Debby?
Myrtle Beach area fishing piers have a long history of sustaining damage during major storms, but owners are hopeful recent renovations will keep the structures upright through Tropical Storm Debby. The storm could bring 12-16 inches of rainfall to Horry County, with the bulk of the rain coming Wednesday, according to the latest National Weather Service projections.
The potential for damaging storm surge, which is typically the cause of any pier destruction, is minor, the NWS reports. The area’s piers most recently took a hit two years ago, when Hurricane Ian impacted at least four piers along the coast of Horry and Georgetown counties.
Perhaps most significantly, storm surge from Ian split Cherry Grove Pier, North Myrtle Beach’s only public pier, in half.
Cherry Grove Pier just finished repairs and fully reopened in July, and manager Edgar Stephens told The Sun News Monday that it’s been great to see the structure return to full use.
The pier was rebuilt higher than before to lessen the chance of storm surge causing major damage in the future, and Stephens said the bulk of their prep work ahead of Debby will just involve tying down items on the pier.
Critters to look out for before and after the storm hits
Like humans, many critters and pests will seek out shelter from heavy rainfall, storm winds and flood water.
Todd Metz, owner of Critter Control in Myrtle Beach, has worked in pest control for a decade and says residents can expect an influx of these, “casual invaders,” inside homes.
With storm weather on the way, the bugs and animals to watch out for in South Carolina during and after Tropical Storm Debby are roaches, snakes, spiders, rodents, opossums, fire ants and mosquitoes.
Lots of swimming snakes call South Carolina home and may try to find shelter in homes and on porches. Even after flooding has gone down, displaced snakes may be stuck inside.
“They may end up coming into houses, through openings that normally they couldn’t get into because of the high water,” Metz said. “They could get left behind when the water recedes. That’s what we see a lot of when the water goes down. These animals may be trapped in an outbuilding or in a structure, a house or vehicle and places like that.”
Is Jim Cantore in Myrtle Beach?
The short answer to that is not this time around. But, he is in South Carolina.
Jim Cantore has a reputation. It has nothing to do with his personality, but his presence in an area has a kind of repulsive effect — the “Jim Cantore effect.”
As of Monday, Aug. 5, Cantore is in Charleston, South Carolina, contributing to The Weather Channel’s coverage of Tropical Storm Debby, Greenville News reported. He was spotted at Charleston International Airport on Sunday, according to a Charleston radio station.
He’s a longtime meteorologist for The Weather Channel. Throughout his career, Cantore has covered major storms including hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, Matthew, Irma and Dorian.
“It’s his work in the midst of those storms that has made him the meteorologist his viewers hate to see coming — if Cantore is in town, it means it’s time for everyone else to leave,” The Weather Group writes.
Horry County closings and event cancellations due to Tropical Storm Debby
The storm is expected to move slowly, resulting in “catastrophic” amounts of rainfall. The Grand Strand area could see between 10 to 20 inches of rain, according to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division.
That could mean some in Horry County will postpone plans or cancel events in preparation for the severe weather this week. If you have a cancellation or closing, email online@thesunnews.com.
Check out here for a live feed of event cancellations and postponements.
Live Myrtle Beach webcams during the storm
Many Myrtle Beach area resorts and restaurants livestream their views.
For most of the year, these webcams show tranquil beach scenes for visitors longing for the ocean. When a storm hits, the cameras can turn into tools for locals and tourists alike to witness the effects in real-time.
You can click here to check out these 23 beach cams to watch the storm.
