South Carolina's beaches severely eroded by Joaquin

October 12, 2015 (MMD Newswire) — From North Myrtle Beach to Edisto Beach, beaches and dunes lost important sand volume as a result of the hurricane’s large destructive waves, strong onshore winds, and storm surge. The storm coincided with King Tides that exacerbated the intensity of the storm impacts. The erosion has damaged vital beach infrastructure and resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of sand along the South Carolina coast. Unprecedented rainfall, combined with the King Tides, caused severe coastal flooding and further damage.

“While the focus of Hurricane Joaquin’s impacts has been on flooding in and around Columbia,” said Mayor Tim Goodwin, Chair of the South Carolina Beach Advocates and Mayor of Folly Beach, “it is imperative that the impacts to South Carolina’s beaches do not go unnoticed.” For example, Joaquin stripped Folly Beach of nearly 400,000 cubic yards of sand. Photos are available at http://www.scbeaches.org/joaquin-impacts.html.

South Carolina was fortunate to be spared the direct landfall of this hurricane. But it is important to learn from the severe beach damage caused by Joaquin. Beaches and dunes were sacrificed to protect coastal communities from damage, but the beaches could not withstand the combination of the impacts of Joaquin and the historic flooding. A more direct hit by Hurricane Joaquin would have certainly resulted in infrastructure and property loss. The dual impact of this event makes it is critical for the state to restore wide beaches and high dunes that will protect coastal infrastructure and sustain the South Carolina beaches that drive this state’s tourism economy.

South Carolina’s beach communities are economic, environmental, and recreational engines for tourism. The coast generates over 35% of the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Some 61,000 jobs are dependent on the physical and ecological resilience of the coast. Beach tourism is a billion dollar industry in South Carolina with 20 million visitors to the coast annually.

About South Carolina Beach Advocates: The beach communities of South Carolina have come together to form a new non-profit organization called the South Carolina Beach Advocates. Our organization’s mission is to educate the public, governmental authorities, and elected officials as to the environmental, economic, and societal impact of South Carolina’s beaches and inlets. For more information, go to www.scbeaches.org. Information and photos of King Tides impacts can be found at www.mycoast.org/sc.

Contact:

Nicole Elko, Executive Director, SC Beach Advocates — (843) 371-7082 or exdir@scbeaches.org

Tim Goodwin, Chair, SC Beach Advocates — (843) 588-2447or tgoodwin@cityoffollybeach.com

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