The Grand Strand's storm file: Horry and Georgetown counties, from Charley to Chantal

Florence, 2018: the water came later

Florence made landfall in North Carolina, but its report records a new South Carolina rainfall record of 23.63 inches at Loris, beating the 17.45 inches Tropical Storm Beryl left near Lake Jocassee in 1994. The consequences in Horry County, as the report lists them:

• More than 100 people were rescued from flooded homes and cars in Loris.
• Nearly 1,000 homes and businesses near the Waccamaw River in Conway flooded, and the community of Dongola was isolated for 10 days.
• County emergency management reported 361 damaged homes in Conway and 1,580 in the rural county, plus 261 damaged or washed-out roads.
• Roof damage from wind was relatively minor, along with awnings, siding and fences.

The Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry set a record of 17.21 feet on September 21, and flood waves on the Waccamaw and Great Pee Dee reached Georgetown almost two weeks after landfall, covering Front Street on September 28. FEMA's declaration was DR-4394.

Matthew, 2016: a record on the Waccamaw

NHC's Matthew report records a Waccamaw River crest of 17.90 feet at Conway, breaking a record set in 1928 by the Okeechobee hurricane. Most of Socastee sat in knee-deep water, more than 170 roads closed in the county including U.S. 501, and surge and waves tore away 900 feet of the 1,000-foot Springmaid Pier. A 90-knot gust was measured at Winyah Bay, and NOAA's county entry notes a peak wind of 74 mph at the Myrtle Beach airport. The federal declaration was DR-4286.

Ian, 2022: landfall near Georgetown

Ian's final landfall came near Georgetown at 70 knots, at 1805 UTC on September 30, per NHC. A WeatherFlow station in Georgetown recorded sustained winds of 69 knots with a 73-knot gust. Inundation reached 4 to 6 feet above ground in Georgetown and Horry counties just east of the landfall point, the Springmaid Pier gauge read 5.17 feet above mean higher high water, and the hardest-hit places included Pawleys Island, Garden City and Cherry Grove. Surge also flooded streets and businesses in downtown Georgetown.

Two NOAA entries tie Ian directly to buildings: coastal Horry saw gusts of 50 to 65 mph that damaged facades, roofs and siding, and the surge peaked nearly at high tide, breaching dunes. FEMA followed with DR-4677.

Charley in 2004, Chantal in 2025

• Charley. After crossing Florida, Charley came ashore near Cape Romain with winds near 70 knots and then made another landfall at North Myrtle Beach around 1600 UTC on August 14, near 65 knots, NHC says. NOAA's Horry entry notes that about 180,000 people evacuated the Grand Strand. FEMA's DR-1543 covered Georgetown and Horry.
• Chantal. The tropical storm made landfall near Litchfield Beach at 0800 UTC on July 6 with 45-knot winds, and its report calls damage near the landfall point minor. The state's top rain total, 5.01 inches, came from Loris.

Hail belongs in the file too

From 2016 through 2025, NOAA's Storm Events Database records 43 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Horry County, eight of them 1.75 inches or more, spread over 14 separate days. Georgetown County adds 11 more in the same database. The largest stones since 2000 were softball-sized hail near Conway on May 10, 2011 that damaged vehicles and homes near Highway 501, and in April 2022 the public reported baseball-size hail near Galivants Ferry. If hail is your worry, the directory's note on Class 4 impact-resistant shingles explains the rating.

Checking a Grand Strand roofer

• State registration. For residential roofing over $500, South Carolina requires a residential specialty contractor registration; confirm it on the commission's licensee lookup.
• Local directory. The Horry Georgetown Home Builders Association keeps a member directory of building professionals serving both counties.
• Deductible offers. A roofer who promises to cover your deductible is breaking Section 40-59-25, which makes that promise a misdemeanor.
• Complaints. The SC Department of Consumer Affairs lets you search complaints against a business before you hire it.

The directory's city pages for roofers in Myrtle Beach and roofers in Conway are a place to start, and storm alerts sit on the South Carolina storm center.

Frequently asked questions

Where did Hurricane Ian make landfall in South Carolina?

Near Georgetown, at 70 knots on September 30, 2022, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was Ian's final landfall after striking Cuba and Florida.

Which storm set South Carolina's rainfall record?

Florence, with 23.63 inches at Loris in 2018, per NHC. The previous tropical cyclone record was 17.45 inches near Lake Jocassee during Beryl in 1994.

Does the Grand Strand get damaging hail?

Yes. NOAA's Storm Events Database records 43 hail events of an inch or more in Horry County from 2016 through 2025, and softball-sized hail near Conway in 2011 damaged homes and vehicles.