Will Hurricane Erin ruin my Myrtle Beach vacation? What storm will, or won’t, bring
As Hurricane Erin creeps toward what forecasters predict will be its closest point to the Grand Strand on Wednesday, some confusion has brewed among vacationers and residents alike on what this could mean for the area.
Questions and misinformation about the storm’s impacts, including evacuation orders and rip currents, have swirled online in recent days as headlines about the storm have filled up social media feeds.
Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about the first Atlantic hurricane of the season.
Will Hurricane Erin hit Myrtle Beach?
Questions and misinformation about whether Erin will whip through the Myrtle Beach area have been prevalent in online circles recently.
However, forecasters predict the storm won’t cause any rain in the area. The storm is on track to be closest to the Grand Strand on Wednesday, but the area is unlikely to experience any weather related to it.
The National Weather Service projects that Erin will pass by the Myrtle Beach area hundreds of miles off the coast.
Is Myrtle Beach being evacuated?
Myrtle Beach and the surrounding Grand Strand area are not currently under an evacuation order.
Rumors of a Myrtle Beach evacuation rose after a state of emergency was declared in both Dare and Hyde counties in North Carolina, along with mandatory evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands in the Outer Banks, which are prone to flooding.
Visitors were evacuated from the islands first, and residents are making their way out of the area.
Forecasters predict that the Outer Banks will see waves of about 20 feet as the storm passes through.
The Myrtle Beach area is expected to see some changes to marine conditions as the storm nears, but weather is not predicted to prompt an evacuation like the Outer Banks faces.
Will Hurricane Erin impact my vacation?
For many Myrtle Beach visitors, vacations are planned far in advance, making news of rainy days or hazardous weather anxiety-inducing.
Luckily, Hurricane Erin is not expected to create any prolonged rain or unsafe weather in the area. The only place where the storm’s effects will be felt are in the ocean.
Through the end of the week, strong rip currents and larger waves will be seen in the area as a result of the storm’s passing. The storm will create strong swell — or longer-period waves — which tend to push more water up onto the beaches. When that water rushes back out to sea, it does so with great force, forming rip currents that could sweep swimmers out from shore.
That could mean that beach officials could change the flags to red or even double red if conditions are dangerous. Red means swimmers can only go to waist deep in the water; double red will prevent any swimming in the ocean.
Police and officials at some beaches, such as Pawleys Island, are cautioning swimmers when entering the ocean because they don’t have lifeguards on duty or a flag system in place.
From Wednesday and throughout the week, waves could reach heights of about 7 feet from the storm, creating potentially rough swimming conditions.
Swimmers are advised to take caution when entering the water, and pay close attention to the flags posted at lifeguard stands. A red flag means swimming is discouraged due to potentially hazardous conditions, while two red flags mean the water is closed to swimmers.
