Flooding possible in Myrtle Beach area from Hurricane Joaquin

Rapidly changing weather conditions have officials along the Grand Strand preparing for significant rainfall and possible heavy flooding in some areas beginning Thursday and through the weekend as Hurricane Joaquin strengthens in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Joaquin will bring a lot of tropical moisture to the coast through the weekend with current forecasts indicating the Grand Strand could get anywhere from 5 to 7 inches of rain, said Josh Weiss of the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C.

“There could be some areas that get more and some less but the important thing to note,” Weiss said, “is there could be higher totals.”

Joaquin became the third hurricane of the season as it gained strength and organization Wednesday morning developing winds of 80 mph. Over the next two to three days, it is forecast to reach category 2 intensity.

Weiss said there remains a lot of uncertainty as to Joaquin’s track, and although it is expected to remain well east of the Myrtle Beach area, a shift Wednesday to the west brings a higher chance of tropical storm winds and flooding across northeast South Carolina and southeast North Carolina.

“The key is to continue to pay attention because this could become a serious flooding concern,” Weiss warned, noting that some coastal flooding has already occurred in the Garden City Beach area due to high tide.

Regardless of the track Joaquin takes, National Weather Service forecasters say a “significant rainfall event is becoming more likely.”

Horry County Emergency Management Director Randy Webster said Wednesday the county is watching Joaquin’s development, along with the moisture system forming around the Gulf Coast out of Georgia.

“There is significant potential for a lot of rain and we are preparing for flooding issues,” Webster said. He said areas typically known to flood will be monitored, particularly areas along the Waccamaw River. Most of the areas he mentioned are in the Conway area including River Road, Lees Landing, Pitch Landing and Jackson’s Bluff.

“These areas are prone to flooding but it usually doesn’t affect too many homes because of their elevation,” he said. But it could cause some roads to flood as well.

“We just have to keep an eye on it and see what comes to fruition and go from there,” he said.

He said more confident information would be needed before moving the county to an alert status.

City of Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea said the city is in a “wait and see” mode but is ready for the rain and potential tropical storm winds Joaquin might produce.

“It’s a good time to remember that we still have a couple of months of hurricane weather,” Kruea said. Hurricane season runs June 1 to Nov. 30.

Kruea recalled that Hurricane Hazel struck the coast in early October 1954. Hazel was considered the costliest and deadliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season.

“We have lots of new people in town since our last real threat about 10 years ago,” Kruea noted. “It’s a good opportunity to think about what you would do.”

Kruea said the anticipated rough weather could affect a host of festivals and activities planned around the city.

The Harley-Davidson fall bike week is in full swing this week with various venues set up around the county in anticipation of thousands of bikers who traditionally attend.

While rainfall from Joaquin is expected to hit the Grand Strand by Thursday night, officials say it could be Friday before they can get a clearer picture of how the storm is going to affect this area. Regardless of the track the storm takes, however, predictions are that moisture will be funneled into the Carolinas possibly through Sunday.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Flooding possible in Myrtle Beach area from Hurricane Joaquin."