North Myrtle Beach to set priorities list to alleviate flooding

The North Myrtle Beach City Council will consider whether to spend more than $1.7 million in 2017 for storm drainage improvements to alleviate street and yard flooding that occurs during heavy rains.

The council has devised a working list of priority groupings of neighborhoods and estimated costs, and will decide at a budget retreat in March how the city will pay for the work and whether some projects could start earlier, said Pat Dowling, North Myrtle Beach spokesman.

The retreat is scheduled for March 7 and March 8 at Santee Cooper’s Wampee Conference Center in Pinopolis.

The council must also determine if all of the proposed projects can be completed in one year, spread out over two or more years, or whether the projects can be completed by city staff.

“Most of it will be contracted out, because these are some very sizable projects,” Dowling said.

The priorities draft list pinpoints areas in the city that are only affected by storm water - not king tides - and can be improved by either increasing the capacity of existing drainage facilities or installing new facilities where none exists.

Priority group one was determined by “significant road flooding with significant city maintenance effort required.” Preliminarily, it includes Ridge Street to Lowe Drive Connection, Little River Neck Road - 24th Avenue North - Magnolia Drive Pond, 11th Avenue North - Bellamy Road - Surf Club, Fifth Avenue South to Sixth Avenue South, and Pine Street.

Priority group two includes areas impacted by “minor public road flooding and/or significant yard flooding.” That group includes Ye Olde King Highway/Martha’s Walk, Ninth Avenue South, Starcrest Circle and Perrin Drive, Sixth Avenue South outfall ditch, 26th Avenue North to 27th Avenue North Connection, Surf Estates between Surf Pointe Drive and Hunter Avenue and 14th Avenue South and Holly Ponds.

Priority group three was based on “minor yard flooding and/or minor road flooding.” It includes Sixth Avenue South - Ashland Avenue to Bay Street, 45th Avenue North, 57th Avenue North, Third Avenue South, and Madison to Hillside Connection - 13th Avenue South.

Smaller projects that will be constructed by city crews for an estimated cost of $150,000 include Yow Park - Windy Hill Road, Second Avenue North, Second Avenue South - Oak Street to Hillside Drive, and Belle Drive and Dargan.

Storm drainage projects the city says are not economically feasible at this time include 10th Avenue South and Edge Drive, and 37th Avenue South and Poinsett.

No work is planned for the Duffy Street and 25th Avenue North area where several residents complained about flooded streets and yards during last year’s king tides.

“The area may be affected during rain events that occur at high tide, but this situation cannot be corrected with the installation of new storm water drainage or the replacement of existing storm water drainage lines,” Dowling said.

“Given the large size of the area in Cherry Grove affected by high tides, a full engineering study would be required in order to identify what might help to alleviate or resolve the situation. Such a study would be expensive and would require city council approval. Any potential solution generated by completion of a full engineering study would also be expensive,” Dowling said.

Hudson can be reached at 843-444-1765

Twitter: @AudreyHudson

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 12:27 PM with the headline "North Myrtle Beach to set priorities list to alleviate flooding."