City of North Myrtle Beach Hurricane Recovery Update

As of October 28 the City can record the following progress in post-hurricane cleanup:

1.       Ultimately, two collection passes will be made to pick up “vegetative/woody debris” (yard waste) and “construction/demolition debris” (C&D debris).

2.       First pass pickup of yard waste by City crews from public roads in Barefoot Resort began October 24 and has been completed.

3.       First pass pickup of yard waste by City crews from public roads in Windy Hill will be completed on October 29.

4.       First pass pickup of C&D debris in Cherry Grove Beach began October 25 and is ongoing. (The City has hired the private disaster response contractor Phillips & Jordan to assist in debris collection.)

5.       First pass pickup of yard waste debris by City crews in Crescent Beach between Highway 17 and the airport area (Timber Ridge, Airport, Pinewood Acres) begins October 31.

6.       First pass pickup of C&D debris by City crews from public roads in Windy Hill/Barefoot Resort begins October 31.

7.       Once crews have completed the first pass pickup in a collection zone, it may be several weeks before collection resumes in that area if additional debris is placed at the roadside.

8.       Pickup of yard debris, and C&D debris, by our federally approved contactor Phillips & Jordan is not allowed in gated neighborhoods with private roads. However, the City has been working through the SC Emergency Management Division and FEMA to seek a waiver of this restriction. State and federal representatives toured private roads on October 28 to assess the amount of debris located there.

9.       As the yard waste debris and C&D debris collection processes move forward, we will identify the next locations to be picked up by City crews and the City’s contractor, Phillips & Jordan.

10.   City crews have cleared an abundance of fallen trees and other debris from public parks, and all parks are open to the public on normal schedules.

11.   City personnel have assessed 189 out of 196 dune walkover structures on the beach for hurricane related damage and assessment work will be completed November 1. The damage information will then be submitted to FEMA in hopes that the City may receive some funding assistance in rebuilding the damaged structures.

12.   During the hurricane and since its passing, City officials worked to provide the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with photos of dune and beach-sand losses. Immediately following the hurricane, measurements were also taken of the beach face and submitted to the Corps. The City is also working in unison with other Horry County jurisdictions to seek emergency beach renourishment funding, and, barring that occurrence, to make every effort to ensure that funding is included in the federal budget for the regularly scheduled 2018 10-year Grand Strand-wide beach renourishment project.

13.   City Messaging— Prior to, during and following the storm, the City issued many advisories, assessments and work updates to its property owners, businesses and the general public via social media, email news groups, websites, etc. Appropriate versions of these messages were also provided by the North Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce to its many audiences, including businesses, and traditional and prospective vacationers. 

1.       City information outlets:
1.       www.NMB.us
3.       www.Twitter.com/cityofnmb
4.       Email News Group: Join for free and receive the same news releases that are sent to the news media. Send your email address to Public Information Officer Pat Dowling at pcdowling@nmb.us

Post-Hurricane Chamber of Commerce Messaging – “The Coast is Clear”— Following the hurricane, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce launched a “The Coast is Clear” tourism marketing campaign for North Myrtle Beach primarily through social media with a mix of messaging and paid ads. Mindful of some initial safety concerns in portions of the city, and the initial lack of electricity in sections of the city, the Chamber’s campaign did not over-promise but reminded traditional and prospective vacationers in key markets that North Myrtle Beach was safe, beautiful, open for business, and quickly recovering. 

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