Jun 18 2025

Living in Myrtle Beach: Hurricane Prep Guide

living in myrtle beach during a hurricane

Hurricane Season in Myrtle Beach: How to Be Prepared

Living in Myrtle Beach means enjoying ocean breezes, world-class beaches, and a relaxed coastal lifestyle. But if you call this slice of paradise home, it’s important to understand what comes with it—including hurricane season. From June 1 to November 30 each year, residents must stay alert, informed, and prepared to protect their homes, families, and peace of mind.

Whether you’re new to the Grand Strand or a long-time homeowner, this guide will walk you through exactly how to prepare for hurricane season while enjoying the benefits of living in Myrtle Beach.

How to Prepare for Hurricane Season in Myrtle Beach

Step 1: Create a Hurricane Preparedness Plan

Start with the basics: determine your Horry County evacuation zone (A, B, or C). Authorities will issue zone-based evacuation orders depending on storm strength. Know your zone in advance, map out your evacuation route, and have a destination ready if you need to leave quickly. If you have pets, make arrangements for pet-friendly accommodations early, as most emergency shelters do not allow animals.

Step 2: Assemble a Complete Emergency Kit

Every home in Myrtle Beach should have a stocked emergency kit ready before a storm is even on the radar. Your kit should include:

Three days’ worth of non-perishable food and two gallons of water per person, per day
Flashlights, batteries, a battery-operated radio, and phone chargers
First-aid kit, prescription medications, and hygiene items
Cash, important documents in waterproof containers, and clothing

boarding your myrtle beach home for hurricane

Step 3: Secure Your Home and Property

Protecting your home from high winds and flooding is crucial. Trim trees, clean gutters, and secure or store outdoor furniture and decorations. Install storm shutters or board up windows with plywood if a storm is approaching. Check the roof for loose shingles and secure entry points, especially garage doors, to reduce wind intrusion.

Step 4: Review Your Insurance Coverage

If you’re living in Myrtle Beach full-time, understanding your home insurance is a must. Standard policies typically don’t include flood coverage. Look into a separate flood insurance policy and make sure your coverage limits reflect current property values. Take photos or videos of your home’s interior and exterior in advance for claims documentation.

Step 5: Know When to Evacuate

When evacuation orders are issued, don’t wait. Leave early to avoid traffic and worsening weather conditions. Fuel up your vehicle in advance, and have a go-bag ready. If you’re not required to evacuate and choose to shelter in place, stay indoors, monitor local news, and avoid driving through flooded roads.

Step 6: Stay Safe After the Storm

After the storm has passed, proceed with care. Watch for downed power lines, broken glass, and flood-contaminated water. Wear protective gloves and boots when cleaning debris. Take photos of any damage before beginning repairs, and work only with licensed contractors to avoid scams.

Living in Myrtle Beach Means Being Prepared

Part of living in Myrtle Beach is learning how to balance paradise with preparedness. While hurricanes aren’t guaranteed each season, being ready gives you confidence and peace of mind. A little planning now will protect your property, your family, and your lifestyle on the coast.

Final Thoughts

Hurricane season is simply a part of coastal living, and with the right steps in place, you can continue enjoying everything Myrtle Beach has to offer without worry. Make your preparations early, review your plan regularly, and stay connected to local alerts and weather forecasts.

If you’re relocating or considering a move, our team at Myrtle Beach Homes Blog is here to help you find a safe, beautiful home that fits your lifestyle and your long-term plans for coastal living.

Thinking of making a move to Myrtle Beach in the near future? Book a Call with Jeremy to discuss your upcoming move to Myrtle Beach!

Nov 11 2020

Dealing with Termites in Myrtle Beach, SC

One of the biggest concerns that I deal with when helping someone move to Myrtle Beach is the pesky insects that we have in our area. You know the ones I referring to, the ones that can destroy your home in rather short time, TERMITES! Unfortunately, termites are something that fairly common in the warm humid climates like Myrtle Beach.

They like the warmer temperatures, the moist ground, and sandy soil all make it pretty easy for them to dig tunnels through the ground. Add into that the fact that our ground doesn’t freeze and it makes for happy little bugs who get to terrorize us.

Back at the beginning of the Pandemic, my wife & I decided we were going to do some landscape work around the house which included adding a fresh layer of mulch to all the flower beds. So to help prep everything, we began weeding, and adding a few more plants to the ground.

Unfortunately, as we were digging holes to plant along our garage, we stumbled across some of these annoying insects about to have a feast on the studs in the wall. So I immediately reached out to a local pest control company and had them come to treat my home.

See, here in the south, termites are fairly common and aren’t that big of a deal as long as you watch for the warning signs of an infestation starting. Some of the tell tale signs are the active colony in the dirt like in my video, or sometimes you will find tunnels on the concrete foundation leading up to the wood.

If you catch an infestation early enough like we did, you should be able to get away with a simple treatment of the foundation of your home that will kill any termites nearby and prevent any damage to your home. This will keep your home safe from damage.

Now I’m not going to lie, if you do not get your home treated and ignore the signs, you could end up with Major problems down the road. I’ve seen houses where the entire garage had to be redone due to termite damage. They had to go and rip out all the drywall 8 feet up, and replace the damaged wood underneath. It was thousands of dollars of damage and weeks of mess to repair the damage from these tiny little creatures.

When your home in Myrtle Beach is treated for termites, one thing to always keep up to date after the fact is any type of bonds that the pest control company may offer. For example, the company that treated my house gives a lifetime warranty as long as I do the annual inspections with them where they will come and check to make sure the termites have not come back. This annual inspection is around $100-$150, but it much less than the cost of having to treat an entire home $1,000-$2,500, and definitely more affordable than handling the damage which could cost well into the thousands.

So in closing, if you find termites, don’t panic, simply reach out to a pest control company, have them treat the home and then keep the annual inspection up and you should be fine.

Aug 10 2020

Fantastic Amenities at The Parks Of Carolina Forest

I’ve shared in the past the about the great new community in Carolina Forest called The Parks of Carolina Forest, but when I made the original video of this development, a lot was still under construction and not a lot of the entrance or amenities were built yet.

So I did a followup video recently where I went back out, did a video to show off the great new pool area, the magnificent fountain roundabout and also taking a quick stroll through the Ten Oaks that the development got it’s name after. I will actually do another video on these trees in the future.

Check out the video below showing off these fantastic amenities:

The pool as you can see is very large and has a lot of awesome features including a walk-in area, large metal structure that sprays water, fountains, built in hot tub, large canopies, and so much more. The large deck surrounding the pool definitely provides ample amount of space to set down your items while swimming.

While the main pool is now completed, the fitness center, playground, and several other parts are constructed, but unfortunately are currently closed due to COVID-19, but hopefully before long will be able to be opened back up to the public. The lazy river is not yet built, but that component will probably be added in a year or two.

So if you are looking for Homes For Sale in Carolina Forest, you definitely want to check out The Parks of Carolina Forest as a potential place to call home. This fantastic DR Horton community is definitely starting to take off and more homes are being added daily.

As of the time of writing this, I would say that they are getting close to reaching their 100th home starting to be built in the neighborhood. I’ve now sold three homes in this neighborhood and have been able to assist my clients in over $60,000 in total savings on these homes.

If you are thinking of buying new construction, as I’ve mentioned many times before, it is really wise to have an agent represent you in the purchase of new construction. While it won’t cost you any more to have a buyers agent, it can definitely save you money, just like it has for my clients who purchased here in The Parks of Carolina Forest.

Feel free to contact me if you considering the purchase of a home, I’d love to help!

May 29 2020

The Farm at Carolina Forest- Neighborhood Tour

In early 2019, my family and I decided to move back to The Farm At Carolina Forest and call this our home permanently again. Now you may be wondering if I made a typo when I said again, but I actually lived in this development back in 2006-2008 in the townhomes section called The Orchards.

In fact, I wrote about how we loved going to The Farm Pool at night with my then newborn oldest daughter, Isabelle and swimming in the 800,000 gallon pool back in 2008. We have always enjoyed the amenities here and you definitely cannot beat the location. Ten minutes to the beach, ten to the airport, shopping, golf, restaurants, and all the area attractions are all nearby. With highway 31 only a few minutes away, this neighborhood makes the entire Grand Strand easily accessible.

Here’s a quick neighborhood tour showing off The Farm at Carolina Forest:

Homes in The Farm range in price from the mid 200-300K range and it is probably one of the largest neighborhoods in Carolina Forest. This development was started in the early 2000’s and was completed in 2018. There is a mixture of single family homes, condos with Garages, and also townhomes that have a garage as well.

Amenities in The Farm At Carolina Forest

If you are looking for a neighborhood with great amenities, The Farm At Carolina Forest is a great option. To Start, they have an 800,000 gallon main pool. The reason I say main pool is that there is a smaller second pool in this neighborhood also. In addition to two pools, The Farm also has a full sized basketball court, large clubhouse, fitness center and plenty of sidewalks & bicycle lanes to get outside through the neighborhood.

Check out all current homes for sale in The Farm at Carolina Forest. If you would like to learn more about The Farm at Carolina Forest, feel free to call/text me at 843-222-9402 or simply fill out the form below:

Contact

May 13 2020

Master Tips For Choosing A Lender to Buy A Home

If you’re in the market for a new home in Myrtle Beach, especially if you’re a fist-time homebuyer, there are some things you should keep in mind when choosing a lender. Friends and family who’ve gone through this process can attest to the fact that purchasing a property can be lengthy and convoluted, and choosing the right lender is one of the most effective ways to avoid headaches and hassles down the road.

Let’s go through some general tips to guide you in the right direction.

Shop Around

Lenders appraise risk differently, so odds are that while one bank will place greater emphasis on your credit score, another one will look more closely at your personal finances and income. Before making a decision based on word of mouth or popularity, shop around and compare rates from different financial institutions.

Some years back, shopping around entailed going to different bank branches and requesting a Good Faith Estimate. Now, however, you have many more options at your disposal. You can still go to a physical branch and get a Loan Estimate with expected monthly mortgage payments, closing costs, and fees, but most financial institutions now let you get Prequalified online or over the phone in as little as minutes.

Experts generally recommend you get at least three quotes from different banks or lenders, but you can request as many as you need to make a sound financial decision. The catch, however, is that applying for prequalification will entail a hard credit pull, which can lower your credit score.

The best way to go about getting multiple quotes is to do so within a 45-day period. During that window, you should only apply for the same type of debt instrument, in this case, a mortgage.

The More Options, The Better

Again, the key to getting the best possible deal is to compare all the options available to you, and that includes loan options. Doing business with a lender that offers multiple types of loans and helps you navigate through them is one of the best ways to ensure you won’t have to refinance your mortgage soon after taking it on.

There are numerous types of home loans, from fixed- and variable-rate mortgages to FHA, VA, USDA, and Jumbo loans. Your first step should be to take some time and learn the difference. There are countless online resources out there to help you get the Best Mortgage Rates, but any loan officer should be able to explain all the alternatives as well as their pros and cons.

Communication is Key

Any good bank, credit union or online lender should be able to offer you three things: options, transparency, and detailed information. If you’re lender offers little to no guidance through online tools and resources, step-by-step assistance and support, and multiple ways to reach out at any stage of the process, you may want to reconsider your options.

This tip holds true for seasoned homebuyers and new ones alike. You want to know you’ll get the help you need to navigate your home purchase, and that should come in the form of patient, expert advice. Ask as many questions as you need to and don’t be satisfied until you get a thorough, in-depth explanation that answers your question in a way you can comprehend.

Do Your Homework

This one may sound like a no-brainer, but many first-timers fail to vet their lender properly and then find themselves in a sticky situation. While determining whether a company is reputable and transparent is easier said than done, there are regulatory agencies that collect consumer complaints and actions taken against lenders.

The Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) are two such entities publishing information regarding consumer complaints and regulatory actions against companies on a national level. While the number of complaints or actions against a lender might not be enough for you to make a decision, these are good starting points for further research.

For example, if a lender has received numerous complaints regarding a specific aspect of the mortgage process, like issues with collection, you might want to look for online customer reviews to determine if there is in fact a trend and whether or not the company seems to be committed to resolving the problem.

While having many complaints or regulatory actions might not seem auspicious, it shouldn’t be a deal breaker for homeowners if the lender takes immediate action to solve these. You should also consider that larger lenders are statistically bound to receive a greater share of complaints that small community banks.

Talk to Your Inner Circle

Finally, the last piece of advice we can give you is to talk to your friends and family who’ve taken out a mortgage to learn about their experiences and choices. Your needs and situation are likely different, but it’s great to learn from the mistakes of others and get their feedback on different aspects of the process, particularly customer experience.

Today’s Guest Post by Joey Santaella of Money.com

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