‘We have a good community’: Neighbors wait out Florence in Myrtle Beach

People in Myrtle Beach woke up to winds and a little rain Friday as Hurricane Florence continued to spin slowly through North Carolina, but forecasters say the storm will likely still bring Category 1 storm conditions to the area for the late afternoon and overnight.

Billy Currivan was sitting out on the beach access on 71st Avenue North in Myrtle Beach as the wind whipped up the sand and waves. He said he walked down to the beach to check it out before the harder rains move in.

“I think it’s going to be a little worse than other people thought,” he said, looking out over the beach. But Currivan said he’s not worried. He’s from Florida, he explained, and has “been through multiple hurricanes.”

Myrtle Beach was quiet Friday morning, save for a few people taking a look at the beach, and the police regularly patrolling the neighborhoods. Some Santee Cooper work crews were out, but they will stop working once the tropical-storm force winds move in.

The storm had done little damage so far in along Ocean Boulevard with some small branches down and leaves littering the roads. A tall pine tree was down across the southbound lane of U.S. 17 Business at the north end of Myrtle Beach, blocking both lanes.

Jared Ryan was sitting with Currivan. He lives in a motel a block from the beach. He said most people at the Mariner Hotel were staying through the storm.

“We have a good community,” he said. “We will all work together.”

Some bands of heavier rain and wind moved into Myrtle Beach around 9 a.m., sending those at the beach back home to ride out the storm.

This story was originally published September 14, 2018 at 11:11 AM.