GARDEN CITY, SC (WBTW) – A series of photos released by Horry County Emergency Management show the Garden City shoreline before, during, and after Hurricane Matthew.
In a Facebook post, the group explains four different pictures posted on the page. One photo, taken Oct. 7, 2016, shows a rough surf and high tide. The second image shows water rushing up to the ocean front properties during the hurricane’s storm surge Oct. 8, and the third photo is taken less than 24 hours later showcasing an empty, calm beach.
The final image shows mounds of sand piled in front of oceanfront homes due to the storm surge.
Beach renourishment has been a hot topic along the Grand Strand. South Carolina leaders recently discussed if the state should continue to fund beach renourishment, and some outspoken senators know the devastation that could come with not repairing the state’s beaches.
Senator Stephen Goldfinch says the state can’t afford to not help fund re-nourishment, considering Horry and Georgetown Counties provide 30% of the state’s tax revenue, much of which comes from beach tourism, according to Sen. Goldfinch.
“Do you think that people would come to South Carolina, Myrtle Beach specifically, Pawleys Island specifically, if we didn’t have a beach? And the answer, I think, is very clearly ‘no’. We have to take care of our beaches, because that’s the draw,” Goldfinch emphasizes.
Goldfinch says because of Hurricane Matthew, Horry and Georgetown Counties could need up to $50 million for beach re-nourishment. How much the state will contribute to that cost is yet to be determined.
