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!

Apr 15 2020

Are Home Inspections Safe Right Now?

During the process of selling your home, one of the important steps is always the home inspection segment where the buyers are allowed to have a licensed inspector come in and check different items throughout the house. The inspection process is rather in depth and they are going to go through virtually every section of your home to test things related to the electric, plumbing, heating/cooling & more. I wrote about that before in this article 5 Things Every Home Inspector Checks In Myrtle Beach.

With all the uncertainty currently in the world, the constant talks of Social Distancing and stay at home during this current pandemic, one of the questions I’ve been asked by clients that are currently selling their Myrtle Beach home is if they should allow home inspectors to come in during this time to do home inspections.

I figured to get the best answer to the question, I should ask one of the top home inspectors in Myrtle Beach, so I reached out to Justin Ferraro at Rivertown Property Inspections to get the best answer possible. Justin & his wife Elizabeth own this company and currently employ five full time inspectors and are averaging around 125 inspections per month. I did a meeting with them to discuss home inspections during the pandemic, and here’s what they had to say:

According to Justin & Elizabeth, allowing a home inspector during this time is a low risk item because they are testing for the signs of the virus, they are using proper precautions, and they are all certified with the COVID-19 Safety Guideline certification to know the proper ways to handle safety now.

It still is your option to say no to the inspection and your right to not allow someone in your home, but understand that if you do not allow the inspector to do their job, there is a very good possibility that the buyer will want to either pause the transaction or even cancel the sale. Know, the inspectors will follow proper precautions, wear proper safety gear, and do whatever they can to keep you safe while allowing for your home to be sold on time without the inspection process slowing things down.

If you have more questions about this subject, do not hesitate to contact me with any other questions you may have.

Nov 20 2019

Getting The Final Amounts For Closing on a Myrtle Beach Home

Congratulations! It’s almost closing day and you are excited to purchase that fantastic home in Myrtle Beach! Your agent has helped you through the search process, connected you with a lender for the loan, helped you find the right closing attorney, negotiated repairs on the home, and we are now only a few days from closing!

But, you are stressing out because nobody has given you a final amount you will need for closing to transfer yet. Unfortunately, here in Myrtle Beach, it is fairly common for the final figures to not be ready until just a day or two prior to closing.

There are a lot of things that factor into when the final amounts are calculated and each and every thing gets figure down to the day. So things like taxes, HOA dues, interest, all are calculated to the day. This means if you close on the 31st of a month versus the first can alter those numbers greatly that are due on the day of recording. That being said, attorneys & lenders do not have the final amounts calculated until there is a clear to close notice given from the lender.

Once that is given, everyone can then plan for that day, start calculating and give you final numbers of how much will be needed for the day of closing.

So, if you are stressed about not knowing how much just yet, do not stress, it is normal, and nothing to worry about. You will get that number and then be able purchase that awesome Myrtle Beach Home.

Nov 07 2019

The Parks of Carolina Forest- [VIDEO Tour]

The Myrtle Beach market is still going strong and DR Horton recently released a new neighborhood in the Carolina Forest Section called The Parks Of Carolina Forest. This is an awesome new neighborhood that when completed will have over 800 residences in it.

I recently helped some buyers looking at homes in Carolina Forest discover The Parks of Carolina Forest and I was able to help them be one of the first buyers to purchase a home in this neighborhood. We were actually the second to closed in the neighborhood. So, the other day I went back to visit the models and sit down with an onsite agent there to discuss things in The Parks of Carolina Forest.

Here’s a quick video tour of the neighborhood:

The amenities in this neighborhood are going to be amazing and the fact that the Huger Park is nestled right in the middle of the neighborhood makes it even better.

The Parks of Carolina Forest is located just a few minutes from just about anything you could want including shopping, golf, restaurants, the intracoastal waterway, & the beach. You can jump on the easily accessible highway 31 and go north to little river or head south to Murrells Inlet in no time.

If you would like to view current homes for sale in The Parks of Carolina Forest, go here. To learn more about The Parks of Carolina Forest, please contact us.

Oct 16 2018

How To Have A Luscious Lawn When Selling a Myrtle Beach Home

Curb appeal is essential when trying to sell your home to the right buyer. Making sure that your lawn is in excellent condition is a huge part of setting the stage when a potential buyer comes to preview your home. Make sure that your lawn shows prospective buyers that you care for your home and that more beauty awaits them once they step through the front door. Learn more about how to have a luscious lawn for your next showing with these tips:

Apply A Quick Release Fertilizer

Choosing to apply a quick release fertilizer to your lawn is a great way to instantly green up the grass as well as boost the overall growth. Many quick release fertilizers come in spray form to be easy for the soil to absorb. Make sure to read the directions on the fertilizer, as well as know the size of your total lawn area, in order to keep from adding too much fertilizer in one spot. Doing so could easily burn the grass and create a counterintuitive dead spot. Make sure to check the weather and apply the fertilizer after one of Myrtle Beach’s recent rainstorms to prevent runoff as well.

Mow Regularly

Choosing to mow your lawn the day before a showing is essential to providing the best curb appeal. Keeping an eye on your grass, and the recent weather patterns will help in making sure that your lawn is perfectly mowed before any showing. The Myrtle Beach area receives an average of 50 inches of rain per year which can make area lawns grow quickly. Consider mowing the lawn at an angle to create a polished and professional look. Never mow more than 1/3 of the total grass height during a mow to protect the root system. Busier homeowners may choose to hire a lawn care company when trying to sell their home in an effort to relieve stress and make sure that the lawn is well taken care of at any point during the week. The average price for a single lawn service is only $47 – a small amount compared to your home’s sale price.

Skip the Bag

While mowing you Myrtle Beach area lawn, consider doing so without the bag to allow grass clippings to fall back into the lawn. Doing so can be a great way to add an extra boost of natural energy to the lawn and encourage strong growth. Grass clippings break down easily and provide nitrogen to the lawn without the need for any other added chemicals. Make sure to blow any clippings from walkways or driveways, though, in an effort to keep the lawn looking tidy before a showing.

Keep Weeds in Check

With all of that annual rainfall, the weeds in the Myrtle Beach area can grow just as fast as the grass. Make sure to keep those weeds in check by regularly surveying your lawn and picking any weeds that pop up. The earlier you pick the weeds the better off your lawn will be when it comes to adding curb appeal during a showing. Applying weed control to the lawn can also be beneficial to keep weed growth down in the warmer beach climate of the area. Plucking weeds from the lawn is a great way to subtly show potential buyers that you care for your home.

Consider Your Grass Type

Many Myrtle Beach homes have lawns made up of warm season grasses. Bermudagrass is very popular in the area as well as Centipedegrass that does particularly well along the coast of South Carolina. As a warm season grass, both of these varieties will turn brown during the winter. Bermudagrass naturally turns brown in the fall to protect it from winter temperatures while Centipedegrass doesn’t go dormant but is known for dying during the winter due to lack of water.

Potential buyers want to see green grass in the lawn no matter what season they view your property. Consider overseeding your lawn with cool season grasses, like Kentucky Bluegrass or Tall Fescue, in order to provide a green lawn all year long. If you are sure that you have Centipedegrass, you can probably get away with not overseeding as long as you are diligent about watering all winter long.

Creating and maintain a beautiful lawn is important when your home is on the market. Make sure to continue to mow regularly as well as apply a quick release fertilizer to instantly green up your lawn. Consider mulching the grass back to the soil and control weeds as well. Knowing your grass type and how to combat a brown lawn over winter is also important. Choose any or all of these tips on how to have a luscious lawn for your next showing.

Tony Steine is a garden and landscaping writer at Lawnstarter.com. Tony prides himself on finding the easiest way to do anything he can, you can bet he’s tried to make his entire garden self-watering. Of course, he isn’t just about convenience either, adding a unique design flair to everything he does.