Island Green residents know Tropical Storm Debby will flood area. How they’re preparing

Across the outside of Glen McKinney’s garage, he’s lined a small wall of sandbags up.

He expects water from Tropical Storm Debby to flow down Prestwick Road in the neighborhood and past their house. He didn’t want it to ruin anything in his garage and said the thin line of sandbags should be enough to prevent any flooding.

A former New Englander, McKinney has lived in Island Green with his wife for 31 years; however, worrying about flood waters only became a concern recently. During Hurricane Florence in 2018, water first got into McKinney’s garage and damaged some of his belongings.

“When we first got here, it never flooded,” He said. “Then over the years, it’s progressed to probably eight inches of water in the front yard.”

Now, everything in his garage is raised from the floor to protect it from flood waters. The flooding has taken a financial and physical toll. McKinney pays almost $4,000 annually for homeowners insurance and didn’t have flood insurance when he first got his home.

McKinney pays around $900 a year for flood insurance, as the Myrtle Beach area generally pays some of the highest homeowners insurance premiums in the Palmetto State.

While he’s not ready to flee, McKinney added he is somewhat concerned and is maintaining vigilance.

Aaron Skipper doesn’t have to lift anything in his apartment or worry about water destroying his things. He has lived on the second floor of the apartment complex on White Tree Lane in the Island Green area with his girlfriend and two dogs for more than a year.

However, Skipper, who has lived in South Carolina for 24 years, said the water will still impact him. He said the pond next to his apartment would surely overflow once Tropical Storm Debby arrives, making the road out of his apartment complex impassible unless one has a truck or is on a mission to get out.

“It’s going to be a little complicated to go anywhere,” Skipper said. “So if you got work or anything, hopefully, they’re understanding about it.”

Residents of Island Green are familiar with the flooding. The community is accessible by only one road, Sunnehanna Road, and due to development projects undertaken in the area, flooding has become an issue for residents.

McKinney said residents raised concerns as the area grew, but those worries “fell on silent ears.”

Indeed, Tropical Storm Debby is expected to bring “catastrophic” rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding, with as much as 10-15 inches of rain expected to fall on Horry County.

While Skipper is not as worried as he was when Hurricane Florence hit South Carolina, the potential for severe wind and rain does concern him a bit.

“Mother Nature will come tear your stuff down in a heartbeat,” Skipper added.

This story was originally published August 7, 2024 at 5:00 AM.

Ben Morse

The Sun News

Ben Morse is the Retail and Leisure Reporter for The Sun News. Morse covers local business and Coastal Carolina University football and was awarded third place in the 2023 South Carolina Press Association News Contest for sports beat reporting and second place for sports video in the all-daily division. Morse previously worked for The Island Packet, covering local government. Morse graduated from American University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and economics and is originally from Prospect, Kentucky.