Little damage in downtown Myrtle Beach after Tropical Storm Idalia. Hear from locals
As Thursday, Aug. 31 began, downtown Myrtle Beach was calm.
Ocean Blvd was quiet, a few cars driving around, as hotel workers and shops got ready for the day. The wind was a bit worse than normal, but not severe, as a few locals and visitors walked the boardwalk and beach, as a slight wind blew.
Tropical Storm Idalia hit the Grand Strand area Wednesday, Aug. 30, and despite damaging some areas of Horry County, left downtown Myrtle Beach mostly untouched, aside from an occasional branch or two sitting in the street.
Diane Barenberg walked the beach looking for shells and shark teeth, but when she couldn’t find any, picked up litter instead. Barenberg has lived in the Myrtle Beach area for more than 20 years and resides close to the Intracoastal Waterway. Barenberg, who grew up in Florida and was unconcerned by Idalia or its impact.
“When they say evacuate, you do,” she said. “This nothing.”
Jerry Brown strolled along the boardwalk unfazed by the storm also. Brown lives in Murrells Inlet and has called the Myrtle Beach area home for decades has lived in the Grand Strand on and off since he was 15. Brown came downtown to look around after the storm. He said he’d seen worse storms than Idalia and wasn’t worried.
“Everything’s cool,” Brown said.
