Hurricane Michael - October 10 Morning Update

We are now under a Tropical Storm Warning.

POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM HURRICANE MICHAEL FOR OUR AREA INCLUDE:

-- Rainfall amounts expected to average 2 to 5 inches

-- We are at risk for fast developing tornadoes

-- Tropical storm force winds are expected to begin Thursday morning

-- Sustained winds of 25 to 45 MPH are possible

-- Wind gusts could range from 35 to 60 MPH

KEY POINTS:

-- Heavy rainfall may lead to flooding for some locations.

-- Rainfall amounts are forecast to average 2 to 5 inches with locally higher amounts possible.

-- Properties that suffered roof damage from Florence should be secured with tarps to prepare for heavy rainfall and the possibility of tropical storm force winds.
-- Secure any loose objects such as garbage cans, lawn furniture, etc.

-- The ground is already saturated with water in many areas and it will not take as much wind to topple weakened trees, which could cause additional power outages, damage to properties, damage to cars parked under or near them, etc.

-- Coastal flooding of 2 to 3 feet above ground level inundation is possible, especially with each high tide. The highest risk for storm surge will occur Thursday. Vulnerable low spots along the beaches or locations where the shoreline was weakened from Florence are at the greatest risk.

-- Some tornadoes are possible as well, especially during Thursday. Be prepared to seek shelter if Tornado Warnings are issued for your location.

Hurricane Michael Update October 9, 2018

From the City of North Myrtle Beach

Hurricane Michael is currently forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane in Florida on Wednesday, then move quickly through our area on Thursday.

ANTICIPATED IMPACTS FOR OUR AREA

-- Rainfall amounts expected to average 2 to 4 inches

-- There is a risk for fast-developing tornadoes

-- Tropical storm force winds expected to begin Thursday morning

-- Sustained winds of 25 to 45 MPH are possible

-- Wind gusts could range from 35 to 60 mph

KEY POINTS

-- The risk for impacts from Michael continues to increase across the Carolinas, especially during Thursday.

-- The ground remains saturated in many areas from Hurricane Florence’s rainfall, and any heavy rainfall from Michael may quickly lead to additional flooding.

-- If your home or business suffered roof damage as a result of Hurricane Florence and it has not been repaired, secure tarps for tropical storm force winds and heavy rainfall.

-- Since the ground is still saturated in many areas, it will not take as much wind to topple weakened trees, which may lead to additional damage and cause power outages.

-- Coastal flooding is expected, especially with each high tide. The highest risk for storm surge will occur Thursday. Vulnerable low spots along the beach or locations where the shoreline was weakened from Florence are at the greatest risk of flooding.

OUR BEST ADVICE

-- Secure or bring inside any outside items that could become projectiles in tropical storm force winds.

-- Continue to monitor this storm. Like Hurricane Matthew, we will be on the "bad" or "mean" side of Hurricane Michael when it passes through. When that occurs, even a moderate storm can cause a surprising amount of damage.

Results North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting - October 1, 2018

Prior to their October 1, 7:00 p.m. meeting, the members of the North Myrtle Beach City Council held a 6:30 p.m. executive session to discuss the annual performance evaluation of the city attorney and to receive a legal briefing regarding the Sandridge Development Agreement. No action taken.

During the October 1 meeting, Mayor Marilyn Hatley issued a Proclamation in support of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Advocates for Children Week October 21-27. The North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club is affiliated with the GFWC.

Since the early 1900s, GFWC members have played an intricate role in advocating for the health and well-being of children with prominent club women such as Jane Addams and Julia Lathrop paving the way for the implementation of improved child labor and juvenile court laws.

GFWC members also educate, advocate and engage in projects concerning the well-being of children via health, social and safety programs by working to ensure protection from harmful situations and by encouraging healthy physical and emotional lifestyles.

The North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club advocates for children by supporting Tools for Schools, the Children’s Recovery Center, the Autism Foundation, the USO United through Reading Program, and more.

Each year during the fourth week of October, GFWC and its affiliated local clubs in Horry County stand with parents, grandparents, educators, community leaders, and others in emphasizing the important role that children play in our lives by raising awareness about issues that impact children directly.

City Council gave special recognition to North Myrtle Beach businesses that contributed food, shelter and other assistance to the City’s public safety department and other City staff and their families during Hurricane Florence and its extended aftermath. The businesses included BBQ House, Cherry Grove Pharmacy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dodge Store, Elliott Realty Company, Goodfellas, North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, Olive Garden, Outback, Papa Johns, Spiros Pancake House, Together Resorts, Turtle Market, Waffle House, Walmart Incorporated, and Wild Wing Café.

City Council approved a special event permit for the October 6, 8:00 a.m. Breast Friends Forever (BFF) Run at Barefoot Resort & Golf. This family-friendly Grand Strand Running Club event offers a 5k and 10k run/walk. Its purpose is to create awareness and raise funds for breast cancer research and treatment, celebrating those who are fighting and surviving breast cancer and honoring the memory of those who have passed on. Proceeds from race registration and fundraising will benefit local cancer organizations.

City Council approved a special event permit for the Fun in the Sun Classic & Collector Car Event on Saturday, November 3, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Main Street from Hillside Drive to Ocean Boulevard including the Horseshoe.

City Council adopted a Resolution naming the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce as its direct marketing organization (DMO) for fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019). The City will receive accommodation tax (A-Tax) funds from the State of South Carolina for FY 2019. State Law Code Section 6-4-10(3) requires that the first $25,000 of A-Tax funds goes to the City’s general fund, and then 30 percent of the A-Tax funds goes to a qualifying DMO selected by the City for the purpose of out of area tourism marketing. At the time City Council passed its FY 2019 Budget, a DMO was not determined.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to reallocate $264,000 in accommodations tax (A-Tax) funds to the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. After 30 percent of A-Tax funding is set aside for use in out-of-area tourism marketing, remaining A-Tax funds are available for the City to use to address a wide variety of local tourism-related needs. In the past, the City has provided significant funding for various tourism-related activities, such as the Chamber’s Visitor Center. Council did not select an amount for use by the Chamber during its FY 2019 Budget retreat held in February. In order to provide the Chamber with accommodations tax funding within the current fiscal year, an ordinance is required to make the budget adjustment.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the Zoning Code to add definitions for “short-term rentals” and “sleeping areas.”

During a July 24 Council workshop, staff presented information on short-term rentals, followed by a discussion of proposed strategies to manage them. Council asked staff to prepare definitions of "short term rental" and "sleeping area” in order to insert them into the Zoning Ordinance as placeholders for the more detailed management proposal that will follow.

Staff’s proposed text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance creates these new definitions for short-term rental and sleeping area:

·     Short-Term Rental: Any residential unit offered for lease for a period of 90 days or less.

·     Sleeping Area: a sleeping area is any room (including bedrooms) that is not a kitchen, a hallway not exceeding seven feet in width, a mechanical room designed primarily for containing HVAC equipment or hot water heaters or electrical panels or similar, a bathroom, a closet not exceeding 70 square feet in size, or an elevator or stairwell.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend the Town Centre area in the Barefoot Resort Planned Development District.

The applicant and authorized agent for Barefoot Village Investments, Inc., Sands Winchester and Joe Morrison, have submitted a proposal to revise the portion of the Town Centre area of the Barefoot Resort Planned Development District on vacant land alongside the Intracoastal Waterway and marina. Known as Barefoot Cottage Village, this area is identified as Future Residential Development on the approved master site plan.

According to the information submitted, Barefoot Cottage Village is a residential neighborhood reminiscent of the simple life of small town America. The project includes 5.9 acres of wetlands and buffer, 19 designated common open green spaces covering 1.5 acres, a 2.5-acre pond, and 4,500 square feet of neighborhood amenity center and administrative office space.

274 in-common cottage units are proposed. All lots are commonly owned with no fee simple lot ownership. Cottages would range in size from 510 square feet to 1,292 square feet. Proposed minimum building separations would be 10 feet from wall to wall, with eaves protruding no further than 12 inches. These separations are less than the 15 feet currently required, but more than the 8 feet allowed for single-family elsewhere in Barefoot Resort.

The master site plan illustrates residents having at least two parking spaces per unit, with 377 surface and on-street parking spaces and 174 parking spaces available below the raised cottages.

According to the developer, the intention is to create housing that is affordable to "essential workers" in a community, i.e. police officers, firemen and women, teachers, nurses, medical personnel, and others, as well as those seeking smaller homes for year-round or second home use.

City Council passed first reading of the ordinance but noted that a workshop will be held prior to second reading so that Council members may discuss the size of the proposed cottages, determine how to deal with the impact of the proposed development on oceanfront parking, and learn more about how the village would be configured.

Council members also discussed their continued interest in seeing more commercial opportunities developed within the Barefoot Resort PDD.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to annex and zone two lots on Riverside Drive. The property owner has petitioned the City to annex 1.92 acres of property located on Riverside Drive identified by TMS Numbers 131-11-01-006 and 131-17-01-012 and PIN 311-16-04-0009 and 311-16-04-0010. The petition also asks for the two lots to be zoned R-1 (Single-Family Residential Low-Density). The subject area is identified as Residential Suburban on the Future Land Use Map; the proposed zoning designation, R-1, is a recommended zoning district for the subject area.

City Council passed first reading of an ordinance to amend Section 9-2 of the Code of Ordinances entitled, Day of General Election. The Horry County Election Commission has requested that the City amend its ordinance regarding election day so that the City's election day coincides with other County-wide municipal elections as follows: "The time for general elections shall be the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd number years. All newly elected City Council members or newly elected Mayor shall be inducted into office at the next regular City Council meeting following their election."

During the public comment portion of the meeting, City Council agreed to provide about $73,000 in additional funding to the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce to help kick-start a fall tourism marketing campaign.

Because tourist visitation has dropped significantly in the wake of Hurricane Florence, businesses are starting to feel the pinch, placing the businesses and the jobs of their employees at risk. A significant portion of City revenue is also tied to a healthy economy.

From the City of North Myrtle Beach - Illegal Tree Cutting

From the City of North Myrtle Beach:

The City is aware, and code enforcement officers are responding, that some homeowners are taking advantage of Hurricane Florence to have hardwood and other protected trees cut on their properties. Their contractors are also placing the debris at curbside for the City to pick up. (Example of both: Tree cutting occurring on Golf View Drive.)

First, it is illegal to cut protected trees without a permit from the City and homeowners who allow this to happen face a fine.

Second, if your contractor or hired help places debris at curbside, the City will not pick it up and the homeowner will have to arrange for their own pickup.

For more information, please call Paul Blust at 843-280-5563 or come to City Hall and the Planning Department and request that someone come out to review your tree-cutting plans.

City of North Myrtle Beach Update - September 17

-- Hurricane debris pickup continues at a good pace. Public works is operating 3 knuckle-boom loaders and thus far has taken 9 loads of debris to the City transfer station and 17 tons of debris to the landfill. Crews will keep on working until the debris is gone.

-- Homeowners and others be aware-- if you hire tree companies or others to help you with your debris, they must have a City business license, they must remove the debris from your property and they must dispose of it properly. The city only picks up debris from curbside that property owners have generated.

-- Other sanitation services are being provided on their normal schedule this week

-- Under "normal" post-hurricane conditions, the majority of people who evacuate tend to return en masse to the city, making debris collection a one or two-time exercise. This time around, however, people will be returning in "waves" over an extended period of time, and when they get home they will be moving their hurricane debris to the edge of the road for the City to pick up. They may also be throwing out the spoiled contents of their freezers and refrigerators from when the power was out. The City is aware of this and will be servicing both sides of the equation until all are back and the work is complete.

-- As you are returning to Horry County and North Myrtle Beach, be aware that as this week progresses, river flooding in various parts of Horry County will continue to build. This may slow or in some case halt progress to the North Myrtle Beach (which is not flooded).

-- City Council and City management continue to work on the logistics for Hurricane Florence recovery. The goal is to work the recovery side hard, and to also work to continue to provide normal activities for those who are back, including normal operation of recreational facilities. There are times when this may be a double-edged sword with respect to person-power but good scheduling and willing employees have made the difference so far.

City of North Myrtle Beach Hurricane Reentry and Other Procedures

MANDATORY EVACUATION PROCEDURES

IF the Governor issues an evacuation order, evacuation routes will be managed as follows

-- Once the Governor issues a mandatory evacuation, lane reversals automatically occur for two sections of Highway 501— U.S. Highway 501 from SC 544 to SC 378, and U.S. Highway 501 from SC 22 to the U.S. Highway 501/SC 576 split in Marion. Once you enter a Lane reversal pattern, you will not be able to get back out. Never enter a lane reversal pattern unless directed to do so by law enforcement.

-- The Horry County evacuation plan to which all in North Myrtle Beach are subject requires all people located north of Briarcliffe Acres to evacuate via SC 9 North to I-95 and beyond.

-- These requirements stem from the South Carolina Hurricane Evacuation Study for the Northern Conglomerate released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2012.

REENTRY PROCEDURES

When reentering the city of North Myrtle Beach after a hurricane evacuation, property owners, renters and business owners should be prepared to show either their driver’s license, a copy of a recent water bill or property tax bill, a rental agreement, or other form of identity that proves residency or property ownership within the city.

Owners of businesses with employees who do not reside within the city limits but who are essential to business recovery should provide those employees with a letter written on company letterhead identifying them as being essential to the recovery of the business. When identifying an employee, please use their name as shown on their driver’s license so that authorities can match the two for verification.

The City of North Myrtle Beach does not require filing residency or business information prior to a storm.

The City’s goal is for the return of property owners and others to North Myrtle Beach as soon as possible following a hurricane evacuation so that all can help in the recovery process. However, some areas of the city may not be safe or essential utilities damaged, resulting in delayed reentry to the affected locations.

Be aware that other jurisdictions that you may travel through on your return to North Myrtle Beach from a hurricane evacuation (State, County, or other municipality) may have different identification requirements or different reentry priorities depending on damage that may have occurred in their jurisdictions.

KNOW YOUR ZONE!

You may remember that different areas of Horry County, including North Myrtle Beach, have been assigned different “Zones” with respect to the potential impact of hurricane storm surge on a given land area.

IF a hurricane is to strike our area with force, and IF the Governor calls for a mandatory evacuation, he might do so by identifying the ZONES that must evacuate. The zone locations in Horry County are as follows:

ZONE A

All areas east of U.S. 17 Business (Kings Highway), up to intersection with U.S. 17 (Kings Highway) and then all areas east of U.S. 17 (Kings Highway) to the northern county line.

ZONE B

All areas south of S.C. 707 and Longwood Drive, including all areas in Longwood Plantation (Blackmoor) to the Waccamaw River and all areas east of U.S. 17 Bypass (Mark Garner Highway) to U.S. 17 (North Kings Highway) and all areas east of U.S. 17 (North Kings Highway) to the northern county line.

ZONE C

All areas between U.S. 701 and S.C. 544, south of Brown's Chapel Avenue and Hwy. 814, plus all areas east of S.C. 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) to S.C. 90 and all areas east of S.C. 90 to U.S. 17 to the northern county line.

The Horry County Emergency Management Department provides an interactive Zone Map. Access County information at www.horrycounty.org.

CONTRACTORS

-- Contractors who enter the City of North Myrtle Beach to perform works following a hurricane are required to have a current South Carolina contractor's license, a North Myrtle Beach business license, and a building permit tied to a specific job. Come to the North Myrtle Beach City Hall at 1018 Second Avenue South and ask for the Building Division.

-- For your own safety and well-being, property owners and business owners should not do business with contractors who cannot show you a current South Carolina contractor's license and a current City of North Myrtle Beach business license. A building permit is also required for most jobs.

HOW WILL THE CITY OF NORTH MYRTLE BEACH STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU?

During a hurricane emergency, the City will communicate advisory, damage assessment, reentry and other information to the public using these resources:

-- www.NMB.us (See “Press Releases” on the home page)

-- www.Facebook.com/cityofnmb

-- www.Twitter.com/cityofnmb

-- Via our Email News Group, whose members receive all news releases at the same time we send them to the news media. This is a free service. To be included in the Email News Group, provide your email address to Pat Dowling at pcdowling@nmb.us Please specify if you want to receive all City-related news or only hurricane-related information. We will not use your email address for any other purpose. You can opt out at any time.

The City also forwards its information to local and regional news media outlets, Horry County Emergency Management, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

The North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce shares City of North Myrtle Beach announcements with its members and its social media audiences.

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce serves as the umbrella agency for the Area Recovery Council (ARC), which serves as a clearinghouse for information from all sources within Horry County during hurricanes and other disasters.

Questions about City of North Myrtle Beach procedures? Contact Pat Dowling at pcdowling@nmb.us

28th Annual Beach Sweep/Creek Sweep is September 15 in North Myrtle Beach

Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful will again sponsor the annual North Myrtle Beach Beach Sweep/Creek Sweep on Saturday, September 15, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Volunteers can check in starting at 8:30 a.m. at the 53rd Avenue North Boat Ramp in Cherry Grove. Lunch for volunteers starts at 11:00 a.m. at the boat ramp.

Individuals or groups who want to participate in this year's clean up may contact Gregg Barnhill at 843-280-5673 or dgbarnhill@nmb.us.

All ages are welcome!

Volunteers will be cleaning the ocean front areas of North Myrtle Beach and some areas of the marsh in Cherry Grove.

North Myrtle Beach Beach Sweep/Creek Sweep is part of S.C. Beach Sweep/River Sweep, South Carolina’s largest one-day volunteer cleanup. Each year thousands of South Carolinians clear beaches, rivers, lakes, marshes, and swamps of debris. The cleanup, organized by the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, has taken place annually since 1988. It takes place in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup, coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy. Once the Sweep is over, the Ocean Conservancy tallies all of the debris data. This data helps to identify sources of litter, which helps efforts to prevent litter before it starts.

Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful is a volunteer committee focused on educating and empowering the North Myrtle Beach community to personally improve the environment and enhance quality of life and community pride through beautification, litter prevention and recycling.

Volunteer Groups and Sponsors

Keep North Myrtle Beach Beautiful, Sea Grant Consortium, Palmetto Pride, Driftwood Garden Club, Optimist Club, Yaupon Garden Club, North Myrtle Beach Pilot Club, Sea Oates Garden Club, North Strand Sail and Power Squadron, Sea Coast Anglers, North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Department, North Myrtle Beach Public Works Department, North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department, Clemson Extension Service, American Legion Post 186, OD Shag Club, North Myrtle Beach High School National Honor Society, North Myrtle Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad, All North Myrtle Beach Schools, South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control, and many individual volunteers from the area.