Know Your Flood Hazard

• Are you located in a flood zone?
  • FEMA Video Explaining Floodplains
  • View FEMA Flood Maps (via Horry County GIS)
  • Current Floodplain Map for North Myrtle Beach (coming soon)
  • City Floodplain Elevation Certificates. The Planning & Development Department is the contact for all the flood information for the City of North Myrtle Beach, including Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Elevation Certificates (ECs). Call (843)280-5560 to access a copy of your floodplain elevation certificate. (need to be making a page that looks like this for future, but I don’t think we have time now: http://www.surfsidebeach.org/flood-elevation-certificates.)
  • Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper
• How well does inland water drain from your property?
  • Does water flow away from your house or does it tend to stand next to your walls? Is your property drainage system (including storm sewer, ditches, stream, and roof gutters/downspouts) clear of debris or obstructions?
  • Contact the Public Works Department at (843)280-5536 if you are having issues with stormwater drainage.
  • View real-time water gauge and flooding information for our local rivers from the National Weather Service
• Evaluate your storm surge risk
  • Know Your Zone information page
  • Know Your Zone Guide (pdf)
  • Horry County Evacuation Zone Map
  • Hurricane Evacuation Zones in the City of North Myrtle Beach
    • Zone A: All areas east of US 17 to the northern county line and all mobile home residents within Horry County
    • Zone C: All areas east of Highway 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) to Hwy 90 and all areas east of Highway 90 to US 7 to the northern county line
  • Make an evacuation plan
    • Know where and how to evacuate. The evacuation route from the City of North Myrtle Beach and points northward is to take SC 9 north to I-95 and beyond.
    • Interactive Evacuation Routes
    • Make sure your family has a safe designated meeting place in case you are separated.
    • Build an emergency kit
    • Plan for all family members, including any family members with special needs/disabilities and pets.
  • During a mandatory evacuation
    • Unplug electrical equipment and small appliances.
    • Turn off gas, electricity, and water to your home.
    • Tune in to local radio or television stations. A Weather Alert Radio can help you stay informed of changing conditions.
    • Keep your vehicle’s fuel tank as full as possible. In an evacuation, gas may not be readily available.
    • Have enough cash for a few days; ATM’s may not work during a power outage, and stores might not be able to process debit and credit cards. Be sure to have plenty of small bills, as it may be difficult to get change.
    • Fill necessary prescriptions, and stock up on any necessary medical supplies.
    • Turn Around, Don’t Drown! Never attempt to drive through flooded roadways; two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles.
    • Avoid low-lying areas. Seek shelter in the highest areas possible.
  • Storm Tracking at the National Hurricane Center
  • Horry County Emergency Management
  • South Carolina Emergency Management Division
• Register for CodeRed weather warnings through the Horry County website

Insure Your Property for Your Flood Hazard

• City residents are eligible for flood insurance because the City of North Myrtle Beach participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Any house in an NFIP-participating community can be covered by a flood insurance policy even if the house is not in the mapped floodplain.
• If you are in a flood hazard area or in an area subject to flooding, purchase federal flood insurance. Flood insurance provides coverage for damage to structures and contents from flooding, flood-related erosion, and flood-caused mudslides; most homeowner’s insurance policies do not provide this coverage.
• Check your policy carefully; separate coverage can be obtained for a building’s structure and its contents. Some banks or mortgage providers may require flood insurance, but these institutions generally only require coverage for the building’s structure.
• Renters can buy contents coverage policies to protect their personal property, even if the property owner does not buy structural coverage for the building.
• Any insurance agent can sell a flood insurance policy; all agents must charge the same rates. Contact the NFIP Referall Call Center at (888)379-9531 to request an agent referral.
• For homes subject to a lower flood risk, a Preferred Risk Policy can offer multiple coverage combinations for structure and contents.
• Find out more information about purchasing flood insurance at gov

Protect Your Property from Flooding

• Minimize flood-related damage
  • Consider elevating your structure if the floor-level of your property is lower than the Base Flood Elevation (elevation of the 100-year flood from FEMA maps)
  • Review options to flood-proof your home such as waterproof exterior walls or watertight closures at doorways
  • Use water-resistant materials during construction such as paint, paneling, insulation, floor coverings, cabinet materials, etc
  • When possible, place major applicances (such as washer, dryer, furnace, and water heater) at least twelve inches above the projected flood elevation
  • Reduce flooding by keeping trash and debris out of streets, sidewalks, streams and ditches
  • Make sure the grade of your yard surface slopes away from your home
  • Extend down spouts away from home
  • Clean rain gutters to make sure that blocked gutters don’t dump water directly on your foundation
  • Keep important papers and insurance policies in a safe place. Include an photographic inventory of your home’s contents
  • When a flood is imminent, sandbags can help protect your living space from the entry of water. Move valuables and furniture to higher levels of your dwelling.
  • SCDHEC Flooding – What to Do
• Build Responsibly
  • City of North Myrtle Beach Ordinance dealing with Flood Damage Control
  • A building permit is always required in the City of North Myrtle Beach; contact the Planning & Development department at (843)280-5560 with questions
  • Building in the Flood Zone:
    • AE flood zone: All buildings shall be elevated so the lowest floor is located not less than twelve inches above the level of base flood
    • VE flood zone: All buildings shall be elevated so the bottom of the lowest supporting horizontal member is located not less than twelve inches above the level of base flood
    • Mobile homes located in a flood zone: Platform for the air conditioning condenser shall be constructed not less than twelve inches above the level of base flood
    • Proper height must be verified by a finished construction elevation certificate
  • The NFIP requires that if the cost of reconstruction, additions, or other improvements to a building equals or exceeds 50% of the building’s value, then the building must meet the same requirements as a new building (this also applies to substantially damaged buildings).

Help Protect Our Natural Floodplain

• Understanding and protecting the natural functions of floodplains helps reduce flood damage and protect resources. As flooding spreads out across a floodplain, the energy from the flooding dissipates resulting in lower downstream flooding, reduced erosion of streambanks and channels, the deposition of fertile sediments higher in the watershed, and improved groundwater recharge
• Floodplains are scenic, valued as wildlife habitat, and suitable for farming
• Poorly planned floodplain development leads to streambank erosion, property loss, increased flooding risk, and decreased water quality.
• Oceanfront dunes serve as a buffer against minor wave height fluctuations and beach erosion
• Activities that disturb beachfront and saltwater wetlands should first obtain permits from the SCDHEC Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM)
• Any disturbance of freshwater wetlands requires a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers and certification from SCDHEC Office of OCRM
• SCDHEC Office of Beachfront Management
• American Rivers website
• Waccamaw Riverkeeper Program