Issue 10, July 19, 1996
Hurricane Bertha Wrap-Up
The Grand Strand got lucky with this one. For all the concern about Bertha, the storm did little damage to the Grand Strand. The last minute jog to the north spared the Myrtle Beach area of any major damage.
There was no appreciable damage at all to the city itself, or points south, including Surfside, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, and Pawleys Island. A few signs and awnings were blown down, and the occasional roof shingle blew off, but nothing more serious was reported. Winds maxed out at 68 MPH in the city.
A few buildings in North Myrtle Beach sustained slightly more damage, mostly in the Cherry Grove and upper Ocean Drive sections. The Ocean and King's View Villa complexes lost some of their roofs, as did a single unit at Golf Glenn. Siding was blown off the Carolina Dunes, Wellington, and Hyperion Towers. Insulation was blown out of the Xanadu 3 and Bermuda Run condominiums.
No serious damage was reported in Brunswick County, North Carolina. It was just north of here that the storm really hit.
Officials and residents were generally pleased with how things were handled during the storm. Since Hugo hit in 1989, plans have been worked out for better cooperation and information exchange among the city, county, and state governments. Evacuations from the coast went as smoothly as could be expected, and the state left it up to the local bodies to decide when to let residents back in (which they did promptly, in sharp contrast to the post-Hugo situation). The shelters were reasonably comfortable, although there were complaints about the noise level (lots of wound-up children making noise during the night).
Visitors had largely returned to the area by Saturday night.
Other News
On my last visit to the area, I had the pleasure of seeing the Legends in Concert show in Surfside. This is a great show, if you like seeing celebrity impersonations. Several of the acts incorporate humor and interaction with the audience in their performances. The impersonations of the Blues Brothers and Madonna were particularly good in the show I saw. The exact lineup you see will vary by performance and season, although there is a virtual certainty you will see an Elvis impersonator. This show is part of a network of Legends theaters, including the home location in Las Vegas. All performers do their own singing, and there is no cross-dressing. This show is in the building that housed the original Carolina Opry before the Opry expanded into its present location. Although the theater seats plenty of people, it was amazing how much smaller it looked to me compared to my first Carolina Opry visit years ago, before all the current spacious theaters were built along the strand. Call (800) 238-7827 or (803) 960-7469 for show times and dates.
A new Skycoaster ride opened early this summer next to the Family Kingdom Amusement Park (the one with the big wooden roller coaster) on Ocean Boulevard at 3rd Ave. S. This bungee-jump type ride drops its riders over 100 feet at 70 MPH, stopping only 6 feet from the pavement before yanking them back up, then swinging them around for a while. This thrill ride costs $30 for a single rider. Multiple people can ride at a discount. The same type of ride was at the Wild Water and Wheels complex in Surfside last year, but was discontinued there. Several years ago, a huge traditional bungee jump was put up in Atlantic Beach. When a part malfunctioned, the owners decided to set up a temporary lift apparatus, and the whole thing tragically fell one evening, killing the operator and the rider. Criminal and civil prosecution followed. This new ride looks to be much safer, with the owners promising proper operation. (But ride at your own risk! I personally prefer roller coasters.)
The old miniature golf course across from the Pavilion amusement park (right next to the Pavilion building) was removed this year, along with the batting cages, and replaced with a go-kart track. No word on whether this will be moving with the amusement park itself in 1999.
The owners of the Grand Prix go-kart racing complexes on the strand are planning a third center, this one featuring larger miniature cars that could travel as fast as 100 MPH. Drivers would have to take an hour long course before using them. The cars will be available for purchase at around $7,000 if any locals are interested. Opening date and location are still being planned.
The Myrtle Beach City Council regulated tow service operators earlier this year. Previously, if your car was towed from an illegal spot in a private parking lot, there was no telling how much you would be charged, and it was often an outrageous amount, in the hundreds of dollars. Now, operators cannot charge more than $60, or $150 for heavy trucks. Storage fees are capped at $8 a day. I had a poor experience years ago when my disabled car was towed in the city; if you are a AAA member, consider calling them for a recommendation when your car needs towing.
Listening to beach radio can be a great way to absorb the atmosphere of the Grand Strand. Many of the stations broadcast live during the summer from beachfront locations or the Pavilion. There have been some changes in the Myrtle Beach radio market within the last few years.
New station WMYB-FM, 99.5, broadcasts all 70's rock oldies. WDAI on 98.5 is a rhythm and blues outlet. WRNN-FM, on 94.5, is an all news and talk station. Besides Rush Limbaugh, they carry news and features from the CBS, CNN, and ESPN radio networks. Weather reports are from The Weather Channel Radio Network. WGTR-FM (Gator 107.9) has both modern country and older favorites. Under the same ownership is The Shark, WWSK on 107.1, with a high-energy rock format featuring 80's oldies and some top 40 hits, plus the syndicated John Boy and Billy (from Charlotte) in the morning. Country outlet Y-103 erected a new antenna on the north end of the strand and simulcasts on 94.9 and 103.1. Wave 104 broadcasts the classic rock format, along with the very controversial New York-based Howard Stern's show in the mornings. WNMB changed frequency from 105.5 to 105.9.
Here is a complete lineup of the beach's FM stations:
WHMC 90.1 Public radio, NPR
WJYR 92.1 Background Music
WJXY 93.9 Country (94X)
WVCO 94.9 Country (Y-103, North Tower)
WRNN 94.5 News and Talk
WWXM 97.7 Top 40 Rock (Mix 97.7)
WDAI 98.5 Rhythm and Blues (98.5 Kiss)
WMYB 99.5 70's Oldies
WKZQ 101.7 Hard Rock
WYAK 103.1 Country (Y-103, South Tower)
WYAV 104.1 Classic Rock (Wave 104)
WNMB 105.9 Soft Rock, Beach Music (B-105)
WSYN 106.5 Oldies (Sunny 106)
WWSK 107.1 Rock (Shark 107.1)
WGTR 107.9 Country (Gator 107.9)
The Baha'I faith also operates a non-commercial religious station on 90.9 FM, WLGI. On a good reception day, various other stations from surrounding cities in both North and South Carolina can be heard.
In addition, two of the stations simulcast their signals on AM: WKZQ on 1520 and WGSN (simulcast of WNMB) on 900. WCKN at 1270 has rhythm and blues oldies. The longtime AM outlet on 1450 (the original WMYB) is currently off the air.
A number of the media outlets on the strand broadcast with considerable power. WHMC, WWXM, WKZQ, WYAV, WSYN, WWSK, and WGTR all use 50,000 watts or more. Several of these are licensed for surrounding cities such as Georgetown or Conway but cover the beach areas strongly. This is a nice change from just seven or eight years ago when the few stations in town had limited wattage and a drive down the metro area meant retuning your dial a few times. Longtime visitors may even remember when two AM outlets were all Myrtle Beach could claim, and they both went off the air at sunset! (Does anyone else remember Tiger Radio, WTGR? It turned into WKZQ in the late seventies.)
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