Surfside moves to repair swash after Hermine

The Town of Surfside Beach is moving forward with repairs to the Myrtle Swash after it was damaged in a recent storm.

On Thursday, the town council voted to approve the work, necessary because the swash’s walls caved in during Tropical Storm Hermine. Houses lining the swash, which flows to the ocean between 4th and 5th Avenues North, don’t have gutters, Mayor Bob Childs said. Because of this, the 8.5 inches of rain Surfside received during the storm ran directly off the homes’ roofs and onto the banks of the swash, weakening them.

“We’re gonna ask some of these properties near the swashes to put in gutters,” Childs said.

Childs called the status of the swash “an emergency situation” and said Town Administrator Micki Fellner has been approved to take immediate steps towards repair. The project will cost about $155,000, according to town officials.

Surfside may also face repairs for other swashes in the future, as many are close to 50 years old.

“One goes and I’m sure others are not too far behind,” Childs said.

This story was originally published September 15, 2016 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Surfside moves to repair swash after Hermine."