Personal Injury Attorney in Myrtle Beach, SC

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The NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC issued an updated report at 12:59 a.m. on Saturday for strong thunderstorms until 1:30 a.m. The alert is for Cherokee, Anderson, Abbeville, Laurens, Union, Greenwood, Greenville and Spartanburg counties.

The storms are packing wind gusts of up to 50 mph and pea-sized hail (0.25 inches).

"At 12:59 a.m., Doppler radar tracked strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 4 miles southeast of Columbus to 4 miles southwest of Spartanburg to 4 miles north of Laurens to 14 miles north of Greenwood to 13 miles south of Abbeville. Movement was east at 35 mph," says the NWS. "Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is possible."

Locations impacted by the alert include Coronaca, Lake Bowen, Cross Hill, Ware Shoals, Lake Greenwood State Park, Lake Greenwood, Cokesbury, Gaffney, Cowpens and Enoree.

The NWS adds, "If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building."

This alert is in effect until 1:30 a.m.

Lightning hits the United States approximately 25 million times annually. The majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS. The likelihood of lightning increases as a thunderstorm gets closer and reaches its highest point when the storm is directly overhead. This risk decreases as the storm moves away.

Here are tips on how to stay safe during a thunderstorm:

If finding indoor shelter is not an option:

What is hydroplaning?

Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.

This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way. The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. Hydroplaning is primarily caused by three factors:

In the event of your vehicle hydroplaning, here's what to know:

Source: The National Weather Service

This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 9:02 PM.

A child pushed on the gas pedal of a golf cart, causing the vehicle to drive forward and hit a mother and her child outside an ice cream shop, according to a lawsuit.

Mackenzie Truesdale, of Virginia, filed a lawsuit against Ponderosa doing business as PirateLand Camping Resort and Zachary Pemberton and Meredith Pemberton, on behalf of her minor child, T.T. She filed the suit on April 14 in the Horry County Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court.

The Sun News reached out to all parties for comment and did not hear back before publication.

On July 4, 2024, Truesdale and her child were sitting outside the ice cream shop in PirateLand Camping Resort, 5401 S Kings Highway, when a golf cart operated by the Pembertons hit them, according to the lawsuit.

The Pemberton family had rented a golf cart from PirateLand and were using it when one of their children hit the gas pedal, “causing the vehicle to accelerate forward off of the pavement and strike the seated Plaintiffs,” the suit said.

The crash caused great harm to Truesdale and her child, according to the lawsuit, resulting in substantial medical expenses, pain and suffering, property damage and future impairment.

Truesdale is suing the Pembertons and PriateLand for negligence. The lawsuit states the Pembertons allowed their child to access the vehicle’s controls and drove in a reckless manner, and that PirateLand rented the golf cart without ensuring the drivers were trained and prepared to drive the vehicle.

Truesdale is requesting a jury trial to determine actual damages, special damages, consequential damages and punitive damages.

The Sun News

Emalyn Muzzy is a breaking news reporter for The Sun. She covers everything breaking and everything new in the Myrtle Beach area. She graduated from the University of Minnesota is 2022 with a degree in journalism and Spanish.

Soaking up sun is one of the best ways to enjoy the beach, but too much UV can be painful or even dangerous. If you’re headed to a Grand Strand beach this summer, sun protection is essential.

But when it comes to umbrellas, tents and other shading devices, each municipality enforces different laws. No matter which beach you visit, here’s what you need to know if you don’t want to relocate your beach set-up.

Horry County

In unincorporated Horry County, only umbrellas and small pop-up or blow-up shades for babies are allowed on beaches. All other shading devices, like tents and Shibumi Shades, are banned year-round.

Umbrellas must have circular shades no larger than 7.5 feet in diameter, while infant cabanas are limited to 4 feet in width, 3 feet in depth and 3 feet in height.

The county also prohibits connecting umbrellas and restricts placement. Folks can’t set up a shading device anywhere it could obstruct a lifeguard’s view or within 10 feet of a franchise’s established umbrella line. If there isn’t an established umbrella line, devices must be placed above the high-tide line.

Additionally, county personnel can establish emergency vehicle access lanes where shading devices are banned. In Horry County, these areas are 10 feet wide and extend from the dunes toward the sea.

North Myrtle Beach

Beach shade laws in North Myrtle Beach change seasonally. From May 15 through Labor Day, the city restricts shading devices to circular umbrellas and shades for infants 18 months and younger.

During that season, umbrellas are limited to a maximum diameter of 9 feet and a maximum height of 7.5 feet, while baby shading devices can’t exceed 3 feet tall, 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep.

The rest of the year, the city allows additional devices, including cabanas, Shibumi Shades, tarps and more.

No matter the season, shading devices aren’t allowed in emergency vehicle access lanes, which run perpendicular to the shoreline and are established approximately 20 to 25 feet from the dune line.

Myrtle Beach

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, only circular umbrellas with diameters 7.5 feet or smaller and children’s tents with maximum dimensions of 4 feet wide, 3 feet deep and 3 feet high are permitted on beaches in the city of Myrtle Beach.

Like North Myrtle Beach, the city of Myrtle Beach relaxes restrictions after Labor Day. Other shading devices up to 144 square feet, or 12 feet by 12 feet, and up to 9 feet tall when installed are permitted the rest of the year.

All shading devices cannot obstruct a lifeguard’s view and must be established above the high-tide line and at least 10 feet from franchises’ established umbrella lines.

The city can also create emergency vehicle access lanes where shading devices aren’t permitted. According to the Code of Ordinances, these lanes may be 10-feet wide and extend from the lifeguard stand to the dune line, though officials can increase or decrease the area.

Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach maintains the same beach shading device restrictions year-round.

The town’s Code of Ordinances defines umbrellas as circular shading devices with a center pole that doesn’t exceed 9 feet in diameter and 7.5 feet in height, and it classifies baby tents as devices no larger than 31 inches tall, 31.5 inches wide and 38 inches deep.

All shading devices must be set up at least 8 feet from the dune line to allow emergency vehicles and behind lifeguard stands, so they don’t obstruct the guard’s view.

Surfside classifies all other shading devices, including cabanas, tarps and Shibumi Shades, as tents. These tents are required to have straight tie-downs, can’t exceed 10 feet by 10 feet in size and must be set up contiguous to the town’s emergency lane with at least a 10-foot distance from other tents.

The town allows a single row of tents from Melody Lane to 17th Avenue North with a few exceptions. Tents must be established at least 25 feet from most emergency apparatus accesses, 100 feet south of the pier apparatus access, 150 north of the pier apparatus access and 300 feet from the fishing pier itself.

This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 6:00 AM.

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The Sun News

703-944-4132

Maria Elena Scott writes about trending topics and what you need to know in the Grand Strand. She studied journalism at the University of Houston and covered Cleveland news before coming to the Palmetto State.

The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom. Read more on our AI policy here.

The NWS Columbia SC issued an updated weather alert at 4:25 p.m. on Thursday for strong thunderstorms until 5:15 p.m. The alert is for Richland, Sumter, Calhoun and Clarendon counties.

Wind gusts of up to 50 mph and marble-sized hail (0.5 inches) are anticipated.

"At 4:25 p.m., Doppler radar tracked strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Poinsett State Park to 6 miles northwest of Elloree. Movement was east at 20 mph," according to the NWS. "Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible."

Locations impacted by the alert include Poinsett State Park, Pinewood, Rimini, Creston, Lone Star, Low Falls Landing, Privateer, Lakewood, Paxville and Sumter.

The NWS comments, "If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service."

This alert is in effect until 5:15 p.m.

Lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times a year. Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS. Chance of lightning increases as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is overhead. It diminishes as the storm moves away.

Here are tips on how to stay safe during a thunderstorm:

If finding indoor shelter is not an option:

What is hydroplaning?

Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.

This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way. The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. The three main causes of hydroplaning are:

In the event of your vehicle hydroplaning, here's what to know:

Source: The National Weather Service

This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 4:12 PM.

Recent stories from Myrtle Beach highlight the intersection between marine life and human activities along the coastline. The sighting of Frosty, a great white shark, highlights the increased number of sharks frequenting the area, reflecting South Carolina’s unique marine ecosystem. Meanwhile, the appearance of alligators on beaches underscores the region’s ecological complexities as these creatures navigate shifting habitats.

Reports of rip currents and minor shark bite incidents also underline the importance of public education on ocean safety. Collectively, these events paint a picture of a coastal environment rich in natural encounters but requiring awareness and respect from its visitors.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

A juvenile male white shark pinged off the coast of Myrtle Beach, SC, recently. Here’s what we know. | Published January 1, 2024 | Read Full Story by Ben Morse

Two alligators were found on beaches along the Grand Strand two days apart. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources were called to remove one of them. | Published June 10, 2024 | Read Full Story by Terri Richardson

Myrtle Beach Fire Department responded to an incident Wednesday morning. Crews helped an injured person who said they were bitten in the ocean. | Published July 10, 2024 | Read Full Story by Emalyn Muzzy

Longshore and rip currents warnings: Here’s what to know about the beach hazards and how you can survive being caught in either, according to SC experts. | Published July 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Maria Elena Scott

Beaches in Myrtle Beach offer a wealth of free, beautiful mementos. Here’s what you can legally bring home from your beach vacation. | Published December 2, 2024 | Read Full Story by Maria Elena Scott

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.