Where to find sandbags in the Myrtle Beach area ahead of Hurricane Debby (2024)

MYRTLE BEACH— Some Grand Strand cities are offering sandbag stations ahead of Hurricane Debby.

Conway, Georgetown, Loris, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach have opened stations with sand. Multiple businesses in the Myrtle Beach area also have sandbags available for purchase, including but not limited to:

• Ace Hardware of Myrtle Beach - 6908 North Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach.
• Boulineau's- 308 Sea Mountain Highway, North Myrtle Beach
• Carolina Forest Ace - 2148 Oakheart Road, Myrtle Beach.
• Lowe's Home Improvement stores - 1160 Seaboard Street, Myrtle Beach; 2301 U.S. Highway 501, Conway; 8672 U.S. Highway 17, Myrtle Beach; and 214 U.S. Highway 17, North Myrtle Beach.
• Palmetto Ace Home Center - 8317 Ocean Hwy, Pawleys Island.
• Pawleys Island Supplies - 10460 Ocean Hwy, Pawleys Island.
• Socastee Hardware Store - 4860 Dick Pond Road, Myrtle Beach.
• The Home Depot - 951 Oak Forest Lane, Myrtle Beach; 620 U.S. Highway 17 North, North Myrtle Beach; and 12262 Frontage Road, Murrells Inlet;
• Tractor Supply Co. - 7100 S.C. Highway 707, Myrtle Beach.
• Vereens - 8862 S.C. 90, Longs
• Windy Hill Hardware - 3702 U.S. Highway 17 South, North Myrtle Beach

The closing times for these businesses may vary by location.

Also, Grey Shore Contracting, located at 990 S.C. Highway 90 in Conway, is offering empty sandbags and sand. Shovels are provided for filling. And the company is selling prefilled bags, offering delivery and full installation.

Stock may vary at all of these sites.

The city of Myrtle Beach opened a free sandbag station in the empty lot next to the City Services building at 921 N. Oak St., but officials said it is just for Myrtle Beach residents. Bags and a few shovels will be provided, but people may want to bring their own shovels,according to a post on the city's Facebook page.

"There will be sand drop-offs staggered throughout the day, but when it’s gone, it’s gone," according to the city. "Please be polite and courteous to others."

In North Myrtle Beach, the city's public works department set up a sandbag station at 1st Avenue South adjacent to the city's Sanitation Center, according to a city news release. The sand is free, but residents are asked to bring their own bags.

In Surfside Beach, the town's public works department is providing sand at Martin Field, which is at 6th Avenue South. No shovels or bags will be provided.

Loris officials opened a sandbag station at the Loris Recreation Department at 311 Heritage Road.

The city of Conway opened a free sandbag station Aug. 4 at 1710 Freeman Drive behind Trinity United Methodist Church, but officials said it's only for city residents. And the city of Georgetown began offering sand for sandbags at 10 a.m. Aug. 5 at the former City Hall at 120 N. Fraser St., according to a post on the city's Facebook page.

The county governments in Horry and Georgetown have not set up sandbag stations.

Debby strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane over the northeast Gulf of Mexico and made landfall around 7 a.m. Aug. 5 in the Big Bend region of Florida. The storm is expected to bring its heaviest rains to the Myrtle Beach area from Aug. 6 through Aug. 8 and perhaps into Aug. 9, according to the latest forecast from theNational Weather Service.

With the potential for 16-20 inches of rain in some areas, officials in Horry and Georgetown counties have urged locals to prepare for flash flooding and rising rivers.The Waccamaw River, which runs through Conway, is at risk for major flooding.

Forecasters say there's a possibility Debby could generate isolated tornadoes, rough surf and tropical storm force winds along the coast. But rain and flash flooding remain the primary concern for the northeast corner of the state. Debby’s creeping pace means the storm could constantly dump water.

Even parts of the region that don’t see the heaviest rains could get 8 inches or more, according to the NWS report.

Debby will likely follow a northeast track over Florida and into Georgia and South Carolina.Tropical storm and storm surge warningsare posted along the coast of South Carolina.

It's predicted to lose some strength as it moves over land, reverting to a tropical storm. While Debby's winds will likely slow, it will remain a dangerous storm as it moves slowly up the southeast coast.

The region from Savannah to Charleston could see as much as30 inches of rainover the next five days.

"This is a very rare event. It's off the charts," said Ron Morales with the Charleston-based office of the National Weather Service.