08/02/2026
🌧️ What’s causing the new flooding in Horry County?
1. Rapid development + outdated drainage systems🤷‍♀️
Horry County has grown explosively, especially in Longs, Little River, Socastee, Conway, and the Highway 9/90 corridors. The county itself acknowledges that aging, undersized pipes and outfalls are failing under today’s runoff volumes, especially in older neighborhoods where records were incomplete. Horry County...
Examples:
• Aquilla Estates, Ashton Acres, Lafayette Park, Heather Lakes — all required pipe replacements because existing systems couldn’t handle modern runoff. Horry County...
• Longs had chronic drainage failures until major culvert upgrades began in 2026. North Myrtle...
This is exactly what you’ve been seeing statewide: development outpacing infrastructure.
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2. Natural water flow is being restricted — especially in the Waccamaw River basin
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) found that existing infrastructure is physically blocking natural water movement, causing water to back up into neighborhoods that historically stayed dry. bcdollarsave...
Key findings:
• Certain structures in Conway and Socastee restrict hydraulic conveyance — meaning water can’t move through the floodplain the way it naturally should. Charleston D...
• When water can’t spread or drain properly, it rises higher upstream, flooding new areas.
This is a major contributor to “new flooding” patterns.
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3. Watershed-wide changes — not just neighborhood issues
The Waccamaw River Flood Risk Management Study (2022–2026) shows that the entire basin has shifted due to development, altered floodplains, and increased impervious surfaces. Charleston D...
Primary flood‑impact areas identified:
• Bucksport
• Socastee
• Conway
• Red Bluff
• Longs
These areas are now flooding more frequently and more severely than historical patterns would predict.
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4. Climate + rainfall intensity increasing runoff
While not the only factor, the county notes that changing rainfall patterns combined with rapid development have overwhelmed systems that were never designed for today’s storm intensities. North Myrtle...
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🧠Putting it all together
The new flooding in Horry County is being driven by a combination of man‑made and natural factors, but the strongest evidence points to:
• Overdevelopment without proportional stormwater upgrades
• Aging, undersized drainage systems
• Infrastructure blocking natural river and floodplain flow
• Watershed‑wide changes increasing upstream flood levels
