Tag Archives: Myrtle Beach

DHEC and Grand Strand partners launch CheckMyBeach.com

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The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has been working with various partners along the Grand Strand to develop an easy and informative way to provide beach swimming safety updates to beachgoers. This collaboration has led to the development of CheckMyBeach.com, a website for looking up helpful information like ocean water quality, swimming advisories, rip currents and more.

CheckMyBeach.com offers information about DHEC’s Beach Monitoring Program, which includes the weekly monitoring of fecal indicator bacteria, specifically Enterococcus, along South Carolina’s coast. If high levels of these bacteria are detected, which usually happens after heavy rains wash contaminants into the ocean, a short-term swimming advisory is issued for that particular spot – but the entire beach is not affected. CheckMyBeach.com links to DHEC’s information on current ocean water sampling results and swimming advisories, and it also provides localized news and updates about Grand Strand area beaches.

DHEC and its partners are excited for the new ways CheckMyBeach.com will keep residents and visitors updated about their favorite beaches. We’re working to spread the word about this new resource in the Grand Strand for the summer of 2020 (Phase I) and looking to expand that effort with new partners to promote CheckMyBeach.com for all of South Carolina’s beaches the following summer (Phase II). In addition to promotion through local media, hospitality and tourism groups, social media and signage at beach access point points, CheckMyBeach.com is the focus of four community “roadshows” in March to help inform the public of this great new information tool. Please see the details below – we hope you can attend!

NOTE: The event on Wednesday, March 18, is available only via YouTube, available following the event at https://www.youtube.com/user/SCDHEC. All future previously-scheduled CheckMyBeach.com roadshow events have been postponed.

Wednesday, March 4
5 p.m.-7 p.m.
North Myrtle Beach City Hall (1018 Second Ave S., North Myrtle Beach)

Wednesday, March 11
5 p.m.-7 p.m.
Myrtle Beach Train Depot (851 Broadway St., Myrtle Beach)

Wednesday, March 18
Virtual CheckMyBeach.com Presentation
12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Video available on YouTube following the event

Monday, March 30 The final CheckMyBeach.com event has been postponed.
5 p.m.-7 p.m.
Surfside Beach Council Chambers (1115 U.S. Highway 17, North Surfside Beach)

2020 Tide Table now available

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A new year is on the horizon, and South Carolinians interested in updating their calendars with a new year of tidal information can now get the 2020 Tide Table Poster from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). 

2020 Tide Tables are now available online and at DHEC OCRM offices in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Beaufort, and DHEC’s main location in Columbia.

The Tide Table Posters are produced by DHEC’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) to help citizens monitor and plan for tidal events along the coast. The tables provide daily tidal information based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide predictions, including dates and times of high tides with corresponding water levels, and dates and times of low tides. 

Where to Get Your Tide Table Poster 

Limited supplies of printed Tide Tables are available at DHEC OCRM offices in Charleston, Beaufort, Myrtle Beach, and DHEC’s main location in Columbia. A foldable, desktop version of the chart is also available online. To learn more about the Tide Tables and to download the 2020 poster, click here. 

Coastal Photography  

DHEC holds a Coastal Photography Contest each year to determine the featured photograph for the new Tide Table Poster and web page. More than 400 photos were received during the 2019 contest, and Kristen Kappel was selected with her winning photo, “Pernicious Beauty.” Congratulations, Kristen! 

“Pernicious Beauty” by Kristen Kappel, winner of the 2019 Coastal Photography Contest

King Tides Program 

Joe Cronin submitted this photo taken on October 1, 2019 of Andell Bluff Blvd. on Seabrook Island to the King Tides Program.

DHEC is leading the South Carolina King Tides initiative to document the effect that extreme tide events have on our state’s beaches, coastal waterways, private property and public infrastructure. 

Through the initiative, citizen scientists can submit their photos of king tide events to help DHEC monitor and respond to coastal environmental issues. The photos are included in DHEC’s long-term analysis of coastal vulnerability and planning initiatives with municipalities. 

To participate in the South Carolina King Tides Initiative, click here. 

DHEC In the News:  Earthquake emergency preparedness, High Cancer Rates in Anderson County, & Swim Advisories

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news around South Carolina.

Training keeps first responders up to date with emergency response

KINGSTREE, S.C. (The Kingstree News) On May 16, the Williamsburg County Emergency Management/E-911 Division (EMD) held an Earthquake Tabletop Exercise for Williamsburg County agencies who continually update preparedness in case such an event occurs. There is not a completely reliable method for predicting the time, place and size of an earthquake, especially since the majority of earthquakes occur in the Coastal Plain. Experts do agree that where earthquakes have occurred before, they can again. Therefore it is always important to be prepared.

 

Anderson County cancer rates among the highest in South Carolina and nationally

ANDERSON, S.C. (Anderson Independent Mail) Over the past decade, Anderson County has consistently had more people getting cancer for the first time than the state and national average.

Anderson County is ranked eighth-highest out of the state’s 46 counties for incidences of all types of cancers, according to information provided by the State Department of Health and Environmental Control. Cancer was the leading cause of death in Anderson County, and the second in South Carolina, as of 2017.

 

Carolina This Week with DHEC’s Bryan Rabon

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE-ABC) Bryan Rabon, DHEC’s manager of aquatic science programs, sat down with “Carolina This Week” host Trey Paul to talk about beach monitoring season and the purpose of swim advisories.

Grill The Right Way This Summer

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(GIF Credit:  https://giphy.com/gifs/alroker-al-roker-3ohzdWXQoDiUgiqbao)

Did you know that food poisoning peaks in the summer months due to warmer temperatures causing foodborne germs to spread?  Memorial Day Weekend is right around the corner.  Avoid food poisoning by taking the necessary precautions when grilling.  Follow these steps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure you are cooking the healthy way:

  • Separate meat, poultry, and seafood in your shopping cart and grocery bags to guard against cross-contamination. Put packages of raw meat and poultry into individual plastic bags.
  • Keep meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated until ready to grill. When transporting, keep below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in an insulated cooler.
  • Wash your hands with soap BEFORE and AFTER handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Wash work surfaces, utensils, and the grill before and after cooking.
  • Clean your grill and tools. Use a moist cloth to clean the surface before cooking.
  • When using marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat, pour out any residual juices. Those juices can spread germs to cooked foods.  Use clean utensils and a clean plate to remove cooked meat from the grill.
  • Use a food thermometer to ensure meat is cooked hot enough to kill harmful germs. When smoking, keep temperatures inside the smoker at 225°F to 300°F to keep meat a safe temperature while it cooks.
    • 145°F – whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal (stand-time of 3 minutes at this temperature)
    • 145°F – fish
    • 160°F – hamburgers and other ground beef
    • 165°F – all poultry and pre-cooked meats, like hot dogs
  • Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours of cooking (one hour if above 90°F outside).

For more food safety information, visit:  https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/bbq-iq.html

DHEC in the News: Kershaw County rolls out e-WIC cards, Mass hurricane preparedness exercise, Low rankings for restaurant scorecards

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news around South Carolina.

E-WIC cards to replace WIC vouchers, now available in Kershaw County

ABC News 4 (Charleston)         WIS News (Midlands)

 

Restaurant Scorecards:  Low rankings in Myrtle Beach (WMBF) and the Midlands (The State)

Restaurants in Myrtle Beach and the Midlands receive significantly low inspection ratings.

 

Multi-agency exercise readies Midlands for worst-case scenario

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Nearly 200 personnel participated in a large-scale mock disaster drill Friday at the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission hangar at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport designed to challenge and improve their response capabilities.