Fallen trees, flooded roads & more: Helene aftermath resources in the Myrtle Beach, SC area
Strong winds and heavy rainfall like the Grand Strand is experiencing due to effects from Tropical Storm Helene can down trees, flood roads and knock out utilities.
If you or someone around you is in immediate danger, call 911 right away.
However, if you need other assistance after storm bands have lashed your area, here are some resources you should know.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation, which you can call at 511, is the first place to call if you encounter issues like a tree in the street or flooded roads. According to Horry County Emergency Management Department public information officer Thomas Bell, reaching out to 511 also helps put the obstruction on different agencies’ radars. SCDOT is also helpful for staying up to date on the latest traffic and road closures.
The Horry County Department of Public Works at 843-915-5410 is a good resource for issues on county roads. Bell recommends contacting SCDOT first to make sure the right department gets dispatched and municipalities are properly coordinating, then reaching out to the county.
The Horry County Stormwater Department at 843-381-8000 is the place to report drainage problems like flooded roads or issues with ditches.
The Horry County Police non-emergency number is 843-248-1520 and is the place to call if a fallen tree damages only property. You might need to file a report for insurance purposes, in which case you should reach out to the non-emergency dispatch. However, if a tree falls on your house, Bell says you should call 911, as first responders will want to make sure all occupants are fine.
The Myrtle Beach Department of Public Works at 843-915-5410 is a good resource for issues on city roads, problems with solid waste and trouble with water and storm water infrastructure. However, the line is only manned from 8 am to 5 pm from Monday through Friday. On nights and weekends, you’ll have to call the non-emergency police number.
The Myrtle Beach Police non-emergency number is 843-918-1382. In addition to fielding night and weekend calls for the Public Works Department, residents should contact the non-emergency number if a storm downs a tree in the city of Myrtle Beach but doesn’t cause any injuries or significant damage to homes or businesses.
The North Myrtle Beach Police non-emergency number is 843-280-5511 and a city public safety official recommended reaching out with problems like fallen trees, road flooding and other issues people encounter in North Myrtle Beach during or after a storm.
The United States Power Outage Map is a good resource for tracking outages in your area. The website lets users check by county and see how many customers of each provider in the area have lost power.
Duke Energy Progress’s number is 800-777-9898 for home customers and 866-582-6345 for business customers. Customers can also report an outage by texting OUT to 57801 or calling 800-769-3766, and report fallen power lines and safety hazards at 800-769-3766. They can also find estimates on when power will be restored online here.
Horry Electric Cooperative’s main number is 843-369-2211. Customers can report outages by calling 843-369-2212 and get estimates on when power will be restored online at outages.horryelectric.com.
Santee Cooper’s customer service number is 800-804-7424. Customers can report outages by phone at 888-769-7688 or online at reportoutage.santeecooper.com.
This story was originally published September 27, 2024 at 10:57 AM.