Hurricane Matthew damages pile up, literally

The wreckage of Hurricane Matthew across Horry County is vast, and officials say they will be cleaning up the mess and making repairs for several months.

Nearly 1,000 roads were damaged, 199 county roads have been closed and dozens of bridges have been impacted, Public Works Director David Gilreath told the Infrastructure and Regulations Committee of the county council Tuesday.

No cost estimate has been set, but officials say they are carefully documenting the damage and will apply to FEMA for reimbursement.

Upwards of 700 damaged homes will also be relying on FEMA or private insurance to make repairs.

Along the county-controlled coastline in Garden City, fencing was destroyed and beaches severely damaged.

“We lost the vast majority of dunes on county beaches,” Gilreath said.

The three feet of sand that made its way to sections of Waccamaw Drive will be screened and placed back on the beach and the timber that washed ashore from damaged piers will be hauled away.

Over the next few months, Gilreath said that department will be focused on making road repairs, removing sand from the beach access, repairing beaches, and determining the best method to rebuild dunes and beach berms.

The county’s solid waste authority has been key to cleaning up the mess, said Danny Knight, executive director.

“Everybody with a truck and trailer is hauling yard debris,” Knight said.

Early estimates are that the 150,000 cubic yards of debris will be disposed. Free curb-side pickups are available for residents in unincorporated Horry County, which has so far brought in more than 23,000 cubic yards of woody debris.

“We’re keeping up with it,” Knight said, noting that another wave will come when the flooded rivers recede, and the demolition and repairs of homes begins.

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Hurricane Matthew damages pile up, literally."