Hurricane season 2023 emergency contacts Myrtle Beach, Horry County residents should know
We are in the 2023 hurricane season and now is the time to prepare for a possible storm.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center anticipates a near-normal hurricane season for this year with five to nine hurricanes, with one to four of those being major.
Before a hurricane makes landfall in the Grand Strand, have a list of emergency contacts on hand.
From local governments to radio stations that broadcast emergency information and where to report a power outage, this is your guide to hurricane resources in Horry County.
Here is a list of websites to monitor, social media accounts to check and phone numbers to call if a hurricane hits the Myrtle Beach area.
Local contacts
City of Myrtle Beach: cityofmyrtlebeach.com/i_want_to/learn_about/hurricane_preparedness.php. Sign up for weather alerts by text or email. Emergency management: 843-918-2319. Facebook: facebook.com/myrtlebeachcitygovernment. Twitter: @MyrtleBeachGov.
Horry County (including Carolina Forest, Socastee, Garden City and Little River): horrycountysc.gov/departments/emergency-management. Emergency management: 843-915-5150. Facebook: facebook.com/HorryCountyEmergencyManagementDepartment. Twitter: @HorryCounty_Gov.
City of North Myrtle Beach: nmb.us/257/Hurricane-Preparedness. City hall: 843-280-5555. Facebook: facebook.com/CityofNMB. Twitter: @CityofNMB.
City of Conway: cityofconway.com/hurricane_preparedness. City hall: 843-248-1760. Facebook: facebook.com/CityofConwaySC. Twitter: @CofConway.
Town of Surfside Beach: surfsidebeach.org/242/Resources. City hall: 843-913-6111. Facebook: facebook.com/townofsurfsidebeach.
Evacuation information
Zone: Whether you need to evacuate in a hurricane will depend on your zone. Find your zone using the map or going to the S.C. Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) website. scemd.org/prepare/know-your-zone. 803-737-8500.
Evacuation routes: Many major highways – Highway 17 Bypass, U.S. 501 and S.C. 544 and 9 – become evacuation routes in a hurricane. The S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) maintains a map of evacuation routes.
Traffic: Find real-time traffic and road closure information from the SCDOT. 511sc.org.
Shelters: Locate a shelter on the SCEMD website and see if there is space. 803-737-8500. scemd.org/stay-informed/emergency-shelters.
Radio/TV stations
Tune into these stations to get emergency alerts for Horry County. You can also call 1-866-246-0133 for information.
Radio
WHMC 90.1 FM
WYAV 104.1 FM
WLFF 106.5 FM
TV
Fox 43
WMBF
WPDE
WBTW
State-wide resources
South Carolina Division of Emergency Management: scemd.org. 803-737-8500. Facebook: facebook.com/SCEMD. Twitter: @SCEMD. Instagram: @scemd. Email: WebAlert@emd.sc.gov.
National Hurricane Center: nhc.noaa.gov. Facebook: facebook.com/NWSNHC. Twitter: @NWSNHC and @NHC_Atlantic.
Duke Energy Progress: duke-energy.com. 800-777-9898. Report an outage: text OUT to 57801 or call 800-769-3766. If you see a downed power line, call 9-1-1. See estimates on when power will be restored: outagemaps.duke-energy.com. Facebook: facebook.com/duke.energy. Twitter: @DukeEnergy.
Horry Electric Cooperative: horryelectric.com. 843-369-2211. Report an outage, call 843-369-2212. See estimates on when power will be restored: outages.horryelectric.com. Facebook: facebook.com/HorryElectric. Twitter: twitter.com/HorryElectric.
Santee Cooper: santeecooper.com. Report an outage, call 888-769-7688 or go to reportoutage.santeecooper.com. Facebook: facebook.com/santeecooper. Twitter: @SanteeCooper.