Is living in myrtle beach dangerous? Part 2
Dangerouser?
Today we’re going to be talking about some local wildlife you need to watch for, some weather-related issues you should know about, and issues with driving in Myrtle Beach
Hi, my name is Lance MacMillan, and I help people learn about living in Myrtle Beach so when it comes time to buy a home here, they are informed, relaxed, and can enjoy the process. Today we’re going to talk about things that might concern some people about living in myrtle beach, this is a sequel to another really popular video, stay tuned to the end of this video and I’ll put a link up for you to the first one.
First up: Wildlife
The wildlife around here can get kind of intense. There is a massive tract of blackwater swamp that stretches from Georgia to Virginia and it sits right behind Myrtle Beach. Because most of the residential real estate in Myrtle Beach is only a short drive away from these protected wetlands, it’s not unheard of to see crazy wildlife in your back yard.
We already talked about alligators and sharks in the first video of this series, you can find that link in the description below.
(Alligator clip!)
But today I want to cover the rest of the menagerie. First up: snakes
(Indiana Jones Clip)
Well, there’s a lot of them, that’s why. Per the south carolina department of natural resources, there are 38 species of snakes that live in SC. Six of those are poisonous. Eastern coral snake, copperhead, cottonmouth/water moccasin, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, timber/canebrake rattlesnake, and the pygmy rattlesnake.
Now there are all kinds of rules and sayings about how to tell if a snake is poisonous or not. Does it have pupils like a cat? Does it have a triangular shaped head? Does the pattern on it look a certain way or are certain colors next to other colors? I have a better rule. It’s a snake. Don’t mess with it.
SIf you see one just understand that he’s NOT out to get you. In a way he’s actually protecting your home. They keep rats and mice away. Now if you feel threatened by a snake, or if it turns out there’s a nest somewhere on your property, there are a number of wildlife removal services in the area that can safely and humanely find a new home far away from yours for any kind of critter you’ve got. The most famous one that you can find locally is the Snake Chaser. He can be found at thesnakechaser.com.
That’s what you need to know about snakes, now let’s talk spiders.
Again, per the department of natural resources, statewide there are around 600 species of spiders. Surprisingly, there are only two poisonous varieties: the brown recluse, and the black widow. Now I didn’t even know this, but the brown recluse has never been found in the wild here at the beach, they only live in the mountains. That just leaves the black widow.
To protect yourself against snake and spider bites, check shoes and gloves you’ve left outside before putting them on, avoid sticking your hands in small spaces where an animal could hide, and stay out of tall grass unless you’re dressed appropriately. They’re out there, you can depend on it.
Also out there, in large numbers are both the gray and red fox.
They’re everywhere and they are incredibly slick. If you ever think you see one, he’s already seen and heard you coming from a mile away…
(and like that he’s gone)
More rare, but also on the list of things that do a great job at ONLY appearing on your security camera at 3am:
Coyote
Black Bear
Bobcat
Carolina Dingo
Yes, as if there weren’t enough critters around here, we have our own dingo.
Verdict: if you encounter anything that can bite you, give it space and don’t corner it. It’s more scared of you than you are of it. And given a chance it’ll run away.
Next up: Weather
We already talked about hurricanes in the companion video to this one, again link below the video.
There’s a LOT to love about the weather here. But there are some things that’ll get you if you aren’t forewarned.
Springtime starts a little early here, right around the beginning of March it’s already trying to warm up. That’s when the first issue pops up. Pollen.
(pollen horror clip)
There’s a lot of funny stuff on the internet about this. If you’re moving here from another part of the country that isn’t as green as here, pollen season can be a problem for you. All of the pretty flowers and trees kick out massive clouds of pollen from March to mid-May.
(B roll pollen in tree)
It will cover your house, your car, if you like getting fresh air in your house by opening the windows it gets all up in your blinds and on your countertops. And most importantly it can wreak havoc with your sinuses if you’re sensitive to it.
Thankfully, a few well timed spring showers can go a long way in knocking the pollen count down, but if you don’t get that things can get rough. If you’re on allergy meds and you’re moving here, even if it’s not peak pollen season, make sure you have a full supply of whatever it is that you take so you don’t have to scramble to get your prescription filled.
Summer will seemingly last forever and just kind of merge into fall. And then comes the next item on the agenda. Winter. Winter?? Did I get that right?
(titanic sense)
Our winter is nothing like your winter if you’re from the north. In comparison, it’s barely a season. And that’s the problem ironically enough.
Winters not a problem like it is up north, so we don’t prepare for it like they do up north. Now that makes sense in a way. Until we get freezing rain or godforbid an ice storm. See, the issue isn’t the storm itself. It’s the roads.
(Road footage)
There aren’t enough trucks and salt to go around in the event of the roads icing. They cant spend a ton of money on the supplies and have it sit there for nothing. Now if it DOES ice up, they’ll do a valiant job with what they have to keep the bridges and main roads safe, but it takes them time, and sometimes they cant even get to the side roads until the freeze has already passed.
Now half the people here are from up north, meaning half of Myrtle Beach has a decent shot at navigating an icy road. But the other half of the drivers on the road have almost zero experience driving in ice, and regardless of that it’s hit or miss as to whether the road you’re on is going to be clear or if it’s going to be an ice rink for an f-150
(f-150 footage)
YOU might be an amazing driver, but you won’t know if the road you’re about to get on is safe or not, and you won’t know if the guy next to you can handle it like you or not. Just like clockwork, there are accidents everywhere if there’s ice on the roads. It sounds like it’s being too careful but trust me it’s not: if it ices up, don’t go driving unless you HAVE to.
Verdict on weather issues: prepare for it. And whether it’s pollen or ice, you can always spend the day inside if it’s bad enough.
Last thing we’re going to go over: driving around MB
Icy roads give us a perfect segue into the last part of the video. There are a number of other issues with driving around that are kind of surprising if you’re not from around here. First up, The roads themselves.
Now it’s not oversimplifying things THAT much to say that Myrtle Beach really only has 2 MAIN roads. There’s 501 that comes to and leaves the beach, and there’s 17 that takes you up and down the beach. Every other road kind of compliments those roads and relieves traffic from them. Simple, right? The problem if you’re new here is that 17 isn’t “Just” called 17. Myrtle Beach is stretched out over 50 miles and over a dozen municipalities, and the name of the road you’re driving on can change like six times by the time you get to where you’re going. Is it the Ocean Highway? The Kings Highway? Kings Road? And which 17 are we talking about? 17 Bypass? 17 Business?
(no memory/we are lost)
And that doesn’t even get into the fact that there are a number of places where there is a NORTH 17 and a SOUTH 17 that is different than 17 heading North and 17 heading South and you could be heading north OR south on either of them.
(no memory/we are lost)
Don’t get hung up on the road names or you’ll get confused, once you use your GPS for a little bit you’ll see it’s WAY easier than it looks and the road names can be misleading.
Now that we’ve talked about the roads themselves, the last thing I want to cover is what is ON those roads. And this is something that you see in a lot of southern resort towns that you might not see where you’re from: golf carts and mopeds. What’s dangerous there? You might ask. Surely you can’t drive those things on roads meant for heavy traffic right? RIGHT?
Let me elaborate:
Golf carts around here are in a lot of cases really nice, customized, tricked out vehicles that aren’t THAT far removed from being on par with a Smart Car. In Myrtle Beach, they’re restricted to secondary streets of 35mph or less, used in daylight only, and they’re limited to a radius of 4 miles from where they live. You WILL see them driving around on side roads and while they’re not a necessarily a problem for other drivers, you just have to remember to treat them like you’d treat a motorcycle in traffic. Give them some room, don’t crowd them, and understand that they can’t take a hit.
Golf carts are more of an oddity than a problem. Mopeds are more of a problem than an oddity.
(DandD Hog)
Downtown with all the oceanfront hotels, you can find a number of places that rent mopeds. Down there, it makes sense. It’s fun, you get fresh air, there’s so much traffic you aren’t gonna get above 15mph if you’re lucky before the next stoplight anyway. But here’s the thing. Per cityofmyrtlebeach.com, mopeds are restricted to 35mph speed limit, yet they can travel on any road 55mph or less. Which literally means there are only a handful of roads where they’re illegal to drive.
Downtown, that’s fine. Makes sense. But what about rush hour traffic on 501? Or at night in the rain on 17?
You might think “No one would drive one of those things in dangerous conditions like that” but you’d be mistaken. For those of you living in Myrtle Beach watching this video, feel free to share your “I can’t believe I saw that” story about moped drivers in the comments below. I’ll put mine down there for posterity. Make sure to read it, you won’t believe it.
Mopeds in high speed heavy traffic can cause unexpected and sudden slowdowns, bottlenecks, and potentially dangerous driving conditions. It’s relatively rare, but it’s still legal, and it still can happen.
Verdict: especially when driving in tourist areas, keep your head on a swivel
If you liked this, here’s the first part linked right here on the screen. I am a Navy vet and licensed realtor with Mango Homes powered by KWMB, I thank you for watching. And remember: whether you’re buying or selling? Go Mango!