Misleading Florence headlines suggest ‘MYRTLE BEACH COULD GET CUT OFF’ | Myrtle Beach Sun News

Myrtle Beach area residents checking the weather Saturday morning were led to believe that local emergency personnel had suspended services due to Tropical Storm Florence, but that was never the case.

The front page headline on The Weather Channel’s website, weather.com, read “MYRTLE BEACH COULD GET CUT OFF: Over 100k Without Power, Landslides Possible.”

The story, which is no longer the top story on the site, falsely states the Myrtle Beach authorities announced they were done responding to emergency calls until conditions improved.

Horry County officials told The Sun News that emergency personnel are still responding to calls and never stopped.

Officials in North Myrtle Beach, where some flooding was occurring, did report some delays in their 911 emergency system, according to a news release, but their public safety personnel are still out in the community.

As for the landslides, Gov. Henry McMaster did warn about possible landslides in the state, but he was referring to northwestern portions of the state, not the Grand Strand.

Similarly, Raw Story posted a story Friday evening claiming that Myrtle Beach would be cut off from the state “indefinitely,” citing a report from MSNBC.

Tropical Storm Florence, downgraded from a hurricane Friday, remains over the Grand Strand Saturday with the National Weather Service warning of potential flash flooding and storm surge.

David Weissman: @WeissmanMBO; 770-377-5326