North Myrtle Beach locals enjoy, take advantage of calm before the storm | Myrtle Beach Sun News

Marty Smith and Mike Lineau, managers at Murphy’s Bar and Grill in Cherry Grove, were still boarding up windows at 10 a.m. Thursday.

They were open Wednesday night, Smith said.

“Everybody that’s here in town, they’ve all been here (to the bar) the last 2 days,” Smith said.

Smith said the bar only closed down for one day during Hurricane Matthew. He said there isn’t much they’ve done to prepare differently this year.

“There’s only so much you can do,” Smith said.

He said he hopes the bar can reopen by Sunday.

“Cherry Grove’s a real tight community,” Smith said.

Jan Duncan and her husband were driving by as Smith and Lineau were boarding up the bar.

She said they were out for “a last hoorah at the beach.”

She said they saw Smith and Lineau closing up the bar and stopped to help.

“It’s an awesome community,” Duncan said. “Last year we had a hurricane party here. There’s an awesome community spirit here.”

Stephanie Williams said she and her husband, who live in North Myrtle Beach, hadn’t decided until Thursday morning to weather the storm at their house.

She and her husband were collecting seashells on the beach at 9:30 Thursday morning.

They’ve lived in North Myrtle Beach since 2003, Williams said, and have stayed through other storms.

“You just don’t know where to go if you do leave because of the uncertainty,” she said.

Williams said her biggest fear, if they evacuated, would be getting back home after the storm. She works in insurance, and said she may need to help customers immediately after the hurricane.