Roofing company in Briarcliffe Acres, SC

“CAUTION,” reads the red-and-white signs posted at various points along the Grand Strand communities of Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Briarcliffe Acres. “SWIMMING IS NOT ADVISED.”

These days, those signs are posted at 13 beach locations on the South Carolina coast. There used to be more, as many as 22 at one time, and in that sense, the water along the state’s most visited beaches has improved in recent years.

But by another metric, beach water along the Grand Strand still faces deep challenges and has even worsened in recent years, according to an analysis by The Greenville News and Anderson Independent-Mail of nine years of monitoring data self-reported by the state to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The percentage of tests that have failed to meet the state’s standard measure for the amount of bacteria in the water has increased from an average of 2% in 2010 and 2014 to a high of 11% in 2018, even as the state conducted fewer tests, according to data the state Department of Health and Environmental Control provided to the EPA as part of its participation in a federal beach water quality program.

Though the state collects water quality samples at 123 locations across 90 miles of beaches, the 23 locations that had the highest percentages of exceeding EPA standards last year were all located along the Grand Strand, data shows.

And each of the 13 locations that remain under long-term beach water quality advisories are located along the Grand Strand, the state’s most popular beach tourism destination that welcomes 18-20 million visitors each year.

That said, the city of Myrtle Beach has taken strides to make improvements having long recognized its beach water-quality issues. City leaders are quick to point out that swim advisories are for certain specific locations along the beaches — generally close to outfalls where stormwater runs across the beach to the ocean or swashes, small creeks that meet the ocean along the beach.

The key issue for Myrtle Beach is that inland from the beach itself the land is flat, and that makes it more difficult for stormwater runoff to dissipate before it collects along roads and impervious surfaces and flows to the beach, said Mark Kruea, a spokesman for the city of Myrtle Beach.

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Add to that the way Myrtle Beach developed, with Ocean Boulevard running close to the beach and dozens of hotels, resorts, condos and businesses built close to the water.

The city has spent decades addressing its stormwater challenges, Kruea said. It has spent more than $37 million to upgrade its stormwater collection system and built four deepwater outfalls to carry stormwater under the beach and more than 1,000 feet out into the ocean, where the ocean, salinity and sunlight dilutes the harmful bacteria, he said.

“They have done their job," Kruea said. Since deepwater outfalls have been built, DHEC has removed five long-term swimming advisories from along Myrtle Beach, he said.

The city is considering building one more along 24th Avenue North as well as expanding its outfall and collection system at 25th Avenue South in an effort to improve quality further, he said.

And the city has begun to look landward with a stormwater study underway to see if more can be done to limit runoff, he said.

Erin Pate, the Coastal Conservation League’s North Coast Office director, said Horry County as a whole needs to do more to address infrastructure needs that have lagged behind its rapid development.

“While there has been some work done to address stormwater runoff and the unsafe water quality that causes swim advisories, there is still a lot of work to be done to bring the stormwater infrastructure, particularly in Horry County, up to current standards,” Pate said.

What swimming advisory signs mean

Myrtle Beach leadership and businesses preach the mantra that its beaches are “safe and open,” and its convention and visitors bureau has held a public relations campaign to say “come on in, the water is just fine.”

For most of the coast, that’s true. Of 60 miles of beaches along the Grand Strand, long-term swimming advisories affect about one mile. From time to time, additional temporary advisories will be issued if test samples in other locations exceed EPA standards, but those advisories usually end after a day or two.

The beaches are always open because South Carolina doesn’t close beaches for water quality but instead issues swim advisories. Visitors can still use the beaches to walk, collect shells or wade even if an advisory is posted, but should avoid swimming or swallowing water, said Tommy Crosby, DHEC spokesman.

Typically, beachgoers should avoid swimming within 200 feet in either direction of a location where a long-term advisory is posted, he said.

There’s always some risk of sickness when swimming in a natural body of water, which can’t be cleaned with chemicals like in a pool, he said.

The state tests for the enterococcus bacteria found in fecal matter of humans and animals. People get sick when exposed to gut bacteria and viruses from human waste. Exposure can cause stomach flu, skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, meningitis and hepatitis.

Children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are most likely to develop illnesses or infections after coming into contact with polluted water, according the EPA. Swimming-related illnesses are are usually not very serious and require little or no treatment or get better quickly upon treatment without long-term health effects, the EPA reports.

The EPA standard that South Carolina uses, 104 colony forming units of bacteria per 100mL of water, allows for approximately 32 people to get sick out of every 1,000 people, according to the EPA’s water quality criteria.

It all boils down to risk.

“People with compromised immune systems or open wounds should weigh the possible risk when swimming in a natural water body,” Crosby said. “An open wound can make it easier for an infection to take hold.”

Children are also more susceptible because they tend to go underwater or swallow water more often than adults.

Myrtle Beach area forges path ahead amid beach advisories

As the number of DHEC water monitoring tests have decreased since 2014, Grand Strand governments have asked volunteers, students and professors to expand monitoring efforts.

Susan Libes, professor of marine science and chemistry at Coastal Carolina University, has led much of that effort. During the swim season from May through October, DHEC collects a sample each week from its heavily used or most vulnerable beaches. Myrtle Beach contracts with CCU to collect a second sample each week because they want more data to protect swimmers, Libes said.

Questions remain about how to evaluate monitoring data over time. Some years are dry and data looks better; other years, like 2018, are rainy and wet and much of the sampling was done after rain storms, she said. That made the numbers worse.

Over time, the numbers should balance to give a more clear picture, she said.

But in the end, it comes down to what level of risk is a swimmer willing to take, she said.

“Ask the beachgoers, they say I’ve swum here for 20 years and never had a problem,” she said.

Kathy Herron of Briarcliffe Acres is one of those beachgoers. She walks the beach daily to pick up trash and has swum in the ocean for years without getting sick, she said.

Herron said she remembers when the swimming advisory sign was posted more than a decade ago at the White Point Swash in Briarcliffe Acres. Her late father installed the sign for the town.

The town doesn’t have the budget to build a multi-million dollar deepwater outfall to rid its beach of bacteria and remove the swimming advisory.

But Herron is leading an effort to pinpoint what the town can do. She volunteers to collect samples from the town’s ponds and creek, and helps a student collect samples from White Point Swash, the location of the swimming advisory.

If they can isolate where bacteria is coming from, perhaps the town can limit its runoff and, Herron hopes, one day take down the sign her father put up.

Locations with long-term swim advisories: 2019

► 13th Avenue S. Surfside Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 10%-15% of time

► Swash at 5th Avenue N., Surfside Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 20%-25% of time

► Ocean Lakes Campground south end, Myrtle Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 10%-15% of time

► Ocean Lakes Campground north end, Myrtle Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 10%-15% of time

► Beaverdam Creek Swash, Creekside Drive, Myrtle Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 20%-25% of time

► Springmaid Beach Midway Swash, Myrtle Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 20%-25% of time

► Family Kingdom Amusement Park, Withers Swash, Myrtle Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 25%-30% of time

► 8th Avenue N., Myrtle Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 10%-15% of time

► 24th Avenue N., Myrtle Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 15%-20% of time

► 68th Avenue N, Cane Patch Swash, Myrtle Beach — bacteria exceeds standard 15%-20% of time

► Bear Branch Swash near Grand Dunes Ocean Club, Arcadia — bacteria exceeds standard 20%-25% of time

► Singleton Swash near The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Arcadia — bacteria exceeds standard less than 10% of time.

► White Point Swash, Briarcliffe Acres — bacteria exceeds standard 15%-20% of time

It’s been six years since property owners in Briarcliffe Acres were first warned their septic tanks were to blame for sporadically high fecal bacteria readings in the Atlantic Ocean surf.

It’s taken a water quality study, construction of a needed sewer system by neighboring Myrtle Beach and a years-long battle by Briarcliffe Acres’ officials to convince those homeowners to pay the steep sewer system fees and get rid of the septic tanks.

“It’s taken this long because we were looking for voluntary cooperation,” Briarcliffe Acres Mayor Huston Huffman said Monday. “Everybody came around once they knew it was going to happen.”

It’s happening now because the town formed a municipal improvement district and a $500 daily fine is about to go into effect for anyone using a septic tank system.

The last homeowner hold-out is expected to hook up to the system in the next few weeks, Huffman said.

The City of Myrtle Beach constructed the new grinder station for Briarcliffe Acres to get rid of the waste, which went on line earlier this spring.

Myrtle Beach bankrolled the cost of the grinder station, but the bill will go to the 13 property owners with the offending septic tanks for an estimated cost of $20,000 each, Hufman said.

Complete elimination of the septic tanks in this area is expected to significantly reduce the bacteria contamination in the surf, which typically occurs after a heavy rain.

The most recent spike was July 11 when enterococcus bacteria levels were recorded at 145 — above the acceptable state measurement of 104.

A second high level this year of 1,918 was recorded Jan. 23.

Last year, the bacteria readings exceeded state levels on 12 separate occasions, including a May 3 reading of 5,172 and a June 29 reading of 1,904.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control has a a long-term swimming advisory posted at Briarcliffe Acres. The warning sign advises against swimming near swashes after heavy rains, when contamination is most likely.

There has been no indication whether state health officials will eliminate the long-term swimming advisory once all property owners are on the sewer system.

The water quality study commissioned by Horry County in 2011 was to determine whether there was a link between elevated fecal indicator bacteria concentrations in the waters around Briarcliffe, and the septic tank systems used as the principal means of wastewater disposal in the area.

That study was obtained by The Sun News through the Freedom of Information Act, which revealed that the seeping septic systems were contributing to the high bacteria numbers. Homeowners and officials were then advised to get rid of the septic tanks.

Audrey Hudson: 843-444-1765, @AudreyHudson

This story was originally published July 17, 2017, 4:41 PM.

A restaurant concept that is popular in larger cities is being introduced to the Myrtle Beach area.

Heri Heryadi, a partner in established Grand Strand bar/restaurants The Grumpy Monk and The Sneaky Beagle, and his wife, Chen Liu, will be opening the first Korean barbecue and hot pot restaurant in the area.

Diners will cook their own ordered food at the restaurant called Lava.

A grill or pot installed in the middle of the dining table will allow them to either grill meats, seafoods and vegetables, or boil their food in a flavored broth.

Heryadi and Liu hope to open in March following the renovation of a former First Palmetto Savings Bank on U.S. 17 in the Briarcliffe Acres area.

A few cities in the Carolinas have Korean BBQ restaurants, including Charleston, Columbia, Charlotte and Raleigh.

“We love Korean BBQ but we don’t have it here in Myrtle Beach,” Liu said. “If people want to eat Korean BBQ they have to drive to like Charlotte, Raleigh or Charleston. So we thought about it and we saw this building and it was perfect for Korean BBQ.”

Multiple meats that are expected to be available for cooking include Bulgogi beef, Bulgogi chicken, pork, short ribs and more exotic foods including tripe (stomach), tongue and liver. Seafoods will include crab, shrimp, scallops and calamari, and a multitude of vegetables will be available including greens, asparagus and several kinds of mushrooms.

While some Korean BBQ restaurants are all-you-can-eat, Lava will likely open with a la carte ordering.

An additional Asian-themed menu will be available for diners who want their food prepared by a chef. It will include Korean corn cheese and sushi, which Heryadi offers at his other restaurants and several other Strand eateries through business agreements with their owners.

The restaurant will have indoor and outdoor seating for approximately 150 patrons, including a covered outdoor area with a fireplace.

Liu and Heryadi believe they’ve found a successful location near the Myrtle Beach Mall, Tanger Outlets and Barefoot Landing. “It’s near the beach and near the shopping center, and a bunch of people live around here,” Liu said.

Alan Blondin covers golf, Coastal Carolina University athletics, business, and numerous other sports-related topics that warrant coverage. Well-versed in all things Myrtle Beach, Horry County and the Grand Strand, the 1992 Northeastern University journalism school valedictorian has been a reporter at The Sun News since 1993 after working at papers in Texas and Massachusetts. He has earned eight top-10 Associated Press Sports Editors national writing awards and more than 20 top-three S.C. Press Association writing awards since 2007.

Horry County, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ordered an evacuation for coastal counties from Jasper to Horry along the state.

"This may be inconvenient," he said. "This is a very dangerous hurricane. But we are not gonna gamble with the lives of the people of South Carolina. Not one," he said.

The evacuation order doesn't officially go into effect until noon Tuesday. In Horry County, McMaster's evacuation order encompasses all of zones A, B and C.

If you live in Horry County, click here to see whether or not you live in an evacuation zone.You can also check this map if you live in Georgetown County.

"Those zones are which areas could potentially be inundated by that storm surge, so 'A' being the most likely, 'B' being the least, or, next most likely and then 'C' continuing on," said Gina Vasselli, spokesperson for the Horry County Emergency Management Division.

In addition to an evacuation, McMaster said all public schools and state offices will be closed tomorrow.

"We've got a great team. There's no team greater than this South Carolina team, but this is a real hurricane that we have coming and our goal is to protect lives and property," said McMaster.

He said crews will reverse lanes along two stretches of Highway 501, allowing four lanes of traffic to head inland.

Those stretches of 501 are:

From SC 544 to SC 378 and US 501 from SC 22 to the US 501/SC 576 split in Marion. Once you get into a lane reversal pattern, you won't be able to get back out.

"The baseline recommendation when you leave is to have food and water for three days at least," said Vasselli.

It may not be a fast trip. Bring the important documents, she said, like passports, marriage certificates and insurance paperwork.

Most important, she said, take a document confirming proof of residence with you, like a utility bill.

"That way when it comes time to do reentry, you can show that documentation to whoever it is and they will let you back into the area," said Vasselli.

Without it, you may not be allowed back home.

The safest option is to understand your route and follow it as soon as you can. Don't take any chances, Vasselli said.

"If you make the decision to stay, you are doing so, basically, at your own risk," she said.

Evacuation routes for Horry County are as follows, according to the county's website.

North Myrtle Beach and northward:

Briarcliffe Acres south to Myrtle Beach 10th Avenue North:

Myrtle Beach from 10th Avenue North south to the Myrtle Beach International Airport:

Myrtle Beach International Airport southward through Surfside Beach:

Garden City Beach south to Winyah Bay:

Evacuation routes for Georgetown County are as follows, according to county officials:

For more information about Georgetown and Horry County evacuation routes and lane reversals, click here.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation has an interactive map, where you check the evacuation route closest to you.

It’s not your imagination, people are moving to South Carolina in droves. According to our friends at United Van Lines, South Carolina is one of the top states that people are flocking to. And we can see why they would want to! Many people like to come south for the weather, cheaper cost of living, and the laid-back atmosphere. The study is part of a yearly report by United Van Lines, in fact, this is the 46th annual National Movers Study the company has conducted. This year’s results show that Americans continue to move to lower-density locations. This relocation is driven by lifestyle preferences such as a career change, retirement, and wanting to be closer to family.

New Jersey and New York are two of the top three states people are relocating from. This along with the rest of the top 4 in Illinois and Michigan align with many of the trends I personally have witnessed. Wyoming which came in at number 4 surprises me a bit more. Those folks must not be coming to the Carolinas as I haven’t crossed paths with any. Do these trends line up with what you’re personally seeing? Have you seen an influx of people moving to South Carolina?

The Wealthiest Towns In South Carolina Are Mainly Centered In One Area Of The State

Let’s face it we aren’t Silicon Valley or the Upper East Side of Manhattan. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t money in South Carolina. And with the lower cost of living here than in other areas, it can be easier to gain and maintain wealth. Especially in areas of the Lowcountry near the Charleston beaches. There are some gorgeous homes there with high price tags. And the rich, well they tend to hang out with other wealthy individuals. The Oxford Dictionary defines wealth as “an abundance of valuable possessions or money”. I typically think of wealth as the type of money that spans generations. Regardless the wealthiest towns in South Carolina are those with the highest median household income and home values. Our friends over at Suburbs101.com compiled a list of the 9 Wealthiest Towns in South Carolina. Some of these I’d classify more as suburbs but you still get the point.

Below you will find a list of the wealthiest towns and suburbs as reported by Suburbs101.com. The information presented in this article is based on data from the US Census American Community Survey and the rankings are based on median household income. You can read their full study here.

Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.

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