King tides and two days of heavy rain brought coastal flooding to streets up and down the Grand Strand this weekend.
The combination of higher than usual tides and nonstop rainfall brought road closures to areas of coastal Horry County, with some reports of passengers being rescued from cars trapped in the floods. In Georgetown County, about a foot of rain washed over the area.
The flooding was brought on by a tropical low pressure system moving up the coast, bringing gusty winds, rough surf and lots of rain, The Sun News previously reported. Drier conditions are expected moving into Monday evening, allowing some of the water to drain away.
The high, rough waters led to significant beach and dune erosion in areas of North Myrtle Beach, even leading to the temporary closure of some beach accesses.
Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach both received about 6 inches of rain from the tropical storm between Friday and Monday, according to National Weather Service reports. Georgetown received between 10.5 and just under a foot of rain by NWS estimates.
Roads in the area of Highway 19 and Maplewild Road in Nichols were closed on Sunday night due to high flooding levels that trapped two vehicles, according to Horry County Fire Rescue on Facebook. Three people were rescued from the two vehicles at around 7:29 p.m., and the roadway is expected to be closed for an extended period of time.
During the storm, there was also a single-vehicle crash reported on Highway 22, just east of Highway 90, that caused some injuries around 10:23 a.m. on Sunday, according to Horry County Fire Rescue on Facebook. Horry County Fire Rescue spokesperson Tony Casey said that the crash appeared to be water related, and that several other similar crashes took place that day as well, though they were “nothing critical.”
Low-lying, flood-prone areas of Horry County such as Cherry Grove and Garden City experienced significant flooding, with roadways, yards and businesses covered by water.
In Myrtle Beach, parts of Ocean Boulevard between 62nd Avenue North and upwards of 70th Avenue North were closed from flooding, The Sun News previously reported.
Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue did not immediately respond to requests for comment on possible further rescues on Monday morning.
In North Myrtle Beach, some streets were closed temporarily due to flooding, but no reports were received regarding trapped cars or flooding-related rescues, according to North Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue.
Georgetown County also reported “nothing of significance” despite the heavy rainfall, according to Fire Rescue spokesperson Jason Lesley.
The king tide cycle — a seasonal occurrence pulling high tide further onshore when the moon makes its closest orbit to the earth, particularly at its new or full phase — prevented much of the rising water from flowing away, allowing rain to keep piling up on shore and in neighborhoods, The Sun News previously reported.