Myrtle Beach Fire Department warns beachgoers of king tide on Fourth of July
The Myrtle Beach Fire Department is asking Fourth of July beachgoers to leave a path for ocean rescue vehicles as king tides threaten the area during the holiday.
Four days of king tides are expected in July, with two expected Wednesday and Thursday, according to S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Jonathan Evans with Myrtle Beach Fire Department said king tides will impact all high tides, both morning and night this week. Evans said the department encourages people to leave space for beach patrol to ride along the beach.
“With these tides also comes the higher risk of rip currents,” Evans said. “So we want to make sure that our patrols are able to respond and be available on the beach.”
According to a DHEC chart, high tides are expected about 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and about 9:55 a.m. and 10:20 p.m. Thursday.
The coast will also experience king tides July 30 through August 3, online records show.
King tides are a higher-than-average tide due to the alignment of the earth, moon and sun during a new or full moon. The tides can cause flooding in low-lying areas and road closures.
