MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Sand dunes are the first line of defense against storm surges, and the majority of the sand fencing and on-shore seagrass were washed away after Hurricane Ian.
After Hurricane Ian hit last year, it flattened out the sand dunes along the beaches in Myrtle Beach. That’s why for the past several months, the city has been working to put the sand fencing back up to prepare for upcoming storms like Hurricane Idalia.
The city of Myrtle Beach put in more than 10 miles of sand fencing along the beach fronts and 150,000 sprigs of seagrass were planted along the sand.
The city knew they needed to put the sand fencing and seagrass in, in order for it to grow and be ready for the next big storm that hits the Grand Strand.
Myrtle Beach spokesperson Mark Kruea said the dunes aren’t very big yet and is hopeful the hurricane won’t hit the Grand Strand that strong.
“We went ahead and put the sand fencing back up, planted the seagrass to help trap wind-blown sands so that the dunes would grow naturally over time,” Kruea said. “Hopefully the storm won’t affect that much but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Due to the damage the coast received from Hurricane Ian, the US Army Corps of Engineers is funding a full beach re-nourishment starting next year.
