MYRTLE BEACH — With at least 4 to 6 inches of snow expected to fall in the Myrtle Beach area this weekend, Horry County crews are planning to convert backhoes and motor graders into improvised snowplows.
On Jan. 29, county crews were preparing heavy equipment normally used for road projects. Because the Grand Strand rarely experiences heavy snowfall, there are no snowplows and local officials are improvising.
“This is one of those things where we use all the resources we have for the situation we’re in,” county spokesman Thomas Bell said.
Horry and Georgetown counties are under a winter storm and extreme weather warning, and forecasters say a warning is likely to be issued by late Jan. 30.
Brandon Locklear is a meteorologist. national weather bureauAccording to residents, there was a mix of winter weather during the day on January 31st, with most of the snow falling that night.
In addition to the snow, the area will experience extreme cold and wind, Locklear said. Low temperatures are expected to remain below freezing until February 4, with windchill making it feel even colder.
Although the snow is expected to stop by the morning of February 1st, the effects of this winter weather are likely to continue into next week. Locklear said some of the snow will melt when temperatures rise to about 40 degrees on Feb. 2, but will refreeze overnight.
of South Carolina Department of Transportation It has already treated some state highways in the area. The county will focus on treating bridges and busy county roads.
Georgetown County Emergency Services Director Brandon Ellis said the county has begun making internal adjustments to prepare for the weekend’s weather, including adding more fire and emergency personnel throughout the weekend.
Ellis said SCDOT will handle the major routes in the area, but Georgetown County can also utilize motor graders to clear snow if needed. Ellis said the main concerns are road conditions and the fact that snow and wind can cause whiteout conditions.
Santee Cooper Tracy Vreeland, a spokeswoman for the utility, said the company has completed an ice protection checklist and is working with neighboring utilities to ensure everyone receives ice protection.
Area power companies don’t anticipate power outages due to the snow, but strong winds in the system could pose a threat to power lines if trees or branches fall or road conditions cause traffic accidents, spokeswoman Jennifer Cummings said. holy electric.
“We’re going to treat this like any other storm, so our crews are on standby to respond to power outages,” Cummings said.
Myrtle Beach spokeswoman Meredith Denali said the city is encouraging residents to stay home from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 and make plans to pick up needed groceries and prescriptions before the storm hits.