$13 million in local tourism dollars washed away by October storm

The tourism industry along the Grand Strand suffered a significant financial blow in the aftermath of October’s record rainfall -- an estimated $13 million was forfeited locally of the total $35 million that officials say was lost statewide.

The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism determined the price tag by setting an impact timeline of Oct. 2 through Oct. 24.

However, Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, says the local impact extended beyond that period and that businesses have not yet determined the total amount of the loss.

“The number they’ve given us, if anything, is on the low end,” Dean said. “I’m certain the economic impact is more than that.”

The nightly occupancy rate in October averaged 42 percent, down from 52 percent in October of last year, said Taylor Damonte, director of the Clay Brittain Jr. Center for Resort Tourism at Coastal Carolina University.

Weekly rentals averaged 52 percent last month, down from 57 percent in October 2014, Damonte said.

However, the average daily rate was up 7 percent for nightly rentals and 8 percent on weekly units.

“Prices have been rising dramatically for the lodging industry this year, the first time in many years this has been the case,” Damonte said.

The Myrtle Beach area was on track for record-setting visits for the fall, Dean said. However, the unusual storm prompted a tidal wave of cancellations.

“If you compare 2014 to 2015, our tourism numbers were well ahead of last year. Before the storm, we were on pace to have the best season ever, so the slowdown impacted us that much more,” Dean said.

“We had more of a setback than what the (state) number showcased,” Dean said.

The trifecta of wicked storm patterns bashed inland Horry County as well as the coast during the first weekend in October. An estimated 20 inches of rain coincided with king tides and the passing of Hurricane Joaquin well offshore to cause flash flooding in the Myrtle Beach area, and weeks of flooding along the Waccamaw River inland.

Across the state, more than 500 roads and nearly 100 bridges were closed because of the severe weather, and significant stretches of I-95 were barricaded from Oct. 4 through Oct. 12.

“The road closures, particularly I-95, kept some people from coming,” Dean said. “We were not closed for business, but some visitors could not get to us.”

In the 10 days following the storm, tourists were concerned whether the Grand Strand was even open for business. Weeks later, visitors continued to call the chamber and local businesses, concerned that outlying road closures would prevent them from reaching the beach, or returning home.

The chamber tweaked its fall marketing campaign to inform tourists that the roads leading into the Myrtle Beach area were open, which Dean said staved off some concerns.

“The delayed recovery is not something we’ve had to deal with in the past,” Dean said. “People know we are accustomed to reopening and recovering quickly, but the biggest challenge this time was not the impact in the immediate area, but rather the difficulty of tourists trying to reach the area because of the road closures.”

Although the infrastructure of Columbia and Charleston was severely impacted by the weather, the disruption in Myrtle Beach was only temporary. But the lingering perception that the beaches were closed along with impassable roads continued to impact tourism numbers long after the storm passed, Dean said.

“Not to push the panic button, but we may not have seen the total extent of our losses,” Dean said.

Audrey Hudson 843-444-1765

@AudreyHudson

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 11:53 AM with the headline "$13 million in local tourism dollars washed away by October storm."