MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The Myrtle Beach Planning Commission worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create a better way to assess data after hurricanes.
The online system is called Digital Coast. City officials say it is now easier than ever to analyze hurricane data, allowing them to be more prepared for future hurricanes.
With the system, data from every hurricane is now stored in one place, allowing them to look at patterns over time and predict what areas will become a hazard for flooding.
“We want to make it so that we are using the most up to date information, so we don’t miss planning for environmental situations that could arise in the future,” said city planner Allison Harden.
She said before this system was created, city planners had to pull information from many different sources to create the data needed for hurricane preparation. Harden said Digital Coast saves the staff much more time and money.
The planning commission is also using Digital Coast to plan for the expected growth in Myrtle Beach. Harden said the more people move to the area, the more vulnerable some areas can become, so they need systems like this to stay on top of any potential flooding threats.
“If we do get hit by a storm, we can now bounce back faster,” said Harden.
This system also has a simulator that allows you to see where and how much your neighborhood would flood based on how many feet of rain we get. To take a look at the system, click here.
