News and Announcements

As rising waters continue to impact our region, County officials are assessing the damage to both residential and commercial structures to determine the impact of Hurricane Florence in our area. This evaluation plays a critical role in acquiring the federal financial assistance to assist the region’s disaster recovery efforts.

Reaching all of the impacted areas, however, becomes more difficult as flooding continues. To ensure planning efforts are based on a comprehensive data regarding storm and flood impacts,Horry County officials are requesting that citizens report their property damage information from Hurricane Florence and the current flood event.

A new Property Damage Self-Reporting Tool, located at https://www.horrycounty.org/, allows owners and renters to inform the County of the location, owner, extent of damage, and status of the affected property. The data and photos reported through this website will help the county to assess the comprehensive impact of Hurricane Florence, and to determine the best long-term recovery strategies for affected communities.

Homeowners who have experienced property damage are encouraged to contact FEMA directly to determine if they are eligible for financial assistance. Please visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ to apply for funding. Alternatively, citizens may call the registration phone number at 1 (800) 621-3362. Individuals with a speech disability or hearing loss may use TTY by calling 1 (800) 462-7585. Individuals utilizing 711 or video relay service (VRS) may call 1 (800) 621-3362.

The road to recovery is just beginning. The input of our residents is critical to ensure that recovery plans are based on a comprehensive picture of the storm impacts.

Due to traffic and road conditions, Horry County Government has initiated an outdoor burning ban effective immediately for the unincorporated areas of Horry County. This ban will remain in place until further notice. The ban has been placed due to the road access and traffic impacts to our area as a result of flooding. Any and all outdoor burning, included permitted burns, are strictly prohibited during the ban, and those involved in any open burning would be in violation of the law.

For more information on the status of the burn ban, visit our website at horrycounty.org. 

Please note, all meetings for September 24-28 have been canceled due to the flooding.

MOSQUITO SPRAYING 

Due to the flooding, Horry County Stormwater will be conducting ground spraying (from trucks) beginning at 4 a.m. and ending at 7 a.m. daily starting Tuesday, September 25, 2018, except Saturdays and Sundays weather permitting. 

The chemicals used for mosquito control spraying are approved by the EPA and pose minimal risk to humans or animals.  Individuals with asthma or other respiratory illness may wish to stay indoors and close windows and doors during spraying.  In addition, homegrown fruits and vegetables should be washed, scrubbed, and/or peeled before eating. 

To help keep our honeybee population safe, beekeepers are urged to contact Horry County Stormwater to identify the location of their colonies.  In addition, citizens who need to request spraying in their area can contact the Horry County Road & Drainage Hotline at 843-381-8000.

To support residents that need to evacuate, the American Red Cross has opened six evacuation shelters in preparation for potential flooding and necessary evacuations. These are the current open shelters:

Loris Elementary School 

Horry Georgetown Tech - Grand Strand Campus

City of Conway Parks and Recreation

Whitmore Park Middle School

Ocean Drive Elementary School

North Myrtle Beach High School

When going to a shelter, citizens will need to take their own supplies such as batteries, bedding, identification, toiletries, clothing, etc. Shelters do not accept guns, alcohol or animals.

People who need to evacuate, but are worried about their animals can contact the Horry County Animal Care Center (HCACC) at 843-915-5930. The HCACC is assisting animals that need to be cared for during the evacuations. Please do not leave your animals at home if you evacuate.

The Horry County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated at this time and the Phone Bank is operational (843-915-5150) to assist residents and visitors with questions.