SULLIVAN’S ISLAND — King tides and a rainy nor’easter just delivered a one-two punch to beaches along South Carolina’s coast.

Folly Beach, Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island all saw some of their sand sucked out into the stormy sea this past weekend. As sea levels in the region rise, erosion events like this one could become more common and severe.

An escarpment over 6 feet tall at Sullivan’s Island’s Thomson Park highlighted the most extreme erosion the island suffered from the 8-foot king tides and the weekend nor’easter.

The beach at the southern end of Sullivan’s Island, where the maritime forest has cropped up on accreted sand, remained wide and flat after the rains. A handful of beach walkers trekked up and down the shore, still wet from the weekend deluge. Aside from some water that had pooled at the town’s public access paths, it was business as usual on that part of the island.

Heading north, toward Breach Inlet, is where evidence of the king tides and heavy rains became apparent. The gradual slope that normally connects the dunes to the dry sandy beach sharply dropped off; the high tides created a substantial shelf, about 6 feet tall.

This section of the beach is where around 20,000 dump-trucks-worth of freshly dredged sand were placed, courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The supplemental sand was a beneficial use project. Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island both benefitted from the dredge spoil.

The town spent $646,000 last year moving a portion of that sand higher onto the beach and build up the dunes at Breach Inlet and behind Marshall Boulevard.

After the king tides and the rainy weekend, about half of that sand is gone, Sullivan’s Island Administrator Joe Henderson said.

“The dunes served their purpose,” he said.

The Isle of Palms didn’t fare as well.

Both the southern end of the island, near Breach Inlet, and the northern tip that encompasses the Wild Dunes neighborhoods and resort, were inundated by the high tides. The Ocean Club Villas, currently surrounded by scaffolding and blue netting, were hit hard by the king tides — waves reached the condominium’s foundation.

Some of the homes on the island, still recovering from damage caused by Hurricane Erin, had piles of tan sandbags stacked behind them. City leaders spent $550,000 in August to deploy hundreds of these bags to Breach Inlet, and portions of Wild Dunes, including the Ocean Club Villas and homes on Beachwood East, a highly-eroded section of the island.

A handful of Ocean Boulevard properties were guarded by the sandbags, piled several feet high to block the waves from the property. Still, a tall shelf of sand dune could be seen behind the row of houses, along with exposed roots from the grass planted to stabilize the dunes.

Folly Beach in a warming world

Across South Carolina, island communities spend millions of dollars each year to renourish their beaches. Folly Beach last October wrapped up a $22 million renourishment project, Hilton Head Island is mid-way through a massive $47.5 million renourishment and Isle of Palms in May finished moving 120,000 cubic yards of sand to protect Wild Dunes Resort as part of a $750,000 project to harvest sand from a developing shoal.

The state Department of Environmental Services estimates that South Carolina’s coastal communities spent more than $400 million in federal, state and local funds on beach renourishment from 1979 to 2023. But as the climate changes and tides rise, beach towns likely will have to pay heftier sums to keep their shores sandy and the multi-million-dollar oceanfront homes protected.

So why keep paying for sand if it’s just going to wash away?

“ Because the public infrastructure and homes are not getting washed away,” said Nicole Elko, the president of the Folly Beach-based Elko Coastal Consulting. Elko works with Folly and other coastal communities on sand renourishment and erosion issues.

South Carolina’s sea islands naturally erode and accrete mass. Sand is generally carried southward from one island to the next, and additional sediment is built up from river mouths. Folly Beach is the exception to that rule.

Folly has to undergo regular renourishment that is (typically, but not always) paid for by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps built jetties just outside Charleston Harbor in the 19th century that disrupt the flow of sand to the island.

“Before this renourishment program began in the ’80s and ’90s, Folly didn't just lose houses, they lost entire roads,” Elko said. “ Our memories are short, but our policies are good, and we do this for a very important reason: to protect this treasure that we all love and enjoy — the beach. And in turn, the beach protects us.”

The last renourishment project on Folly Beach concluded in October 2024 to the tune of $22 million — all of which was covered by the Army Corps. While work is ongoing to determine how much sand was lost, Elko said this past weekend marked the largest erosion event since that project wrapped.

Even if the sand inevitably gets pulled away, the accounting still works out. One 2021 report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found that every dollar spent on renourishment resulted in $1,200 in economic development generated by beach tourists, and $130 for federal, state and local tax coffers.

When you hear the word "Hollywood," you probably imagine red carpets, flashing cameras, and blockbuster premieres. But swap the palm trees for oak-lined streets and the movie studios for marsh-fed rivers, and you'll find Hollywood, South Carolina. A town of about 5,300 residents, Hollywood has lots of hidden gems to discover. Hollywood is nestled just a 30-minute drive west of Charleston, a city that blends a striking European appearance with typical Southern charm, along the tranquil Stono River. From kayaking at sunrise to fresh seafood for dinner and quiet spots to watch the sunset over the marshes, it isn't difficult to see why this Hollywood has its own kind of fame.

A resident described it as "a great little piece of heaven tucked away that only a few people know about. We keep it clean, and it has a great community. Everyone just truly shows you that Southern hospitality," and it's easy to see why. Life is quiet and simple, with median home prices hovering around $450,400, which makes it an attractive spot for families and retirees alike. The town thrives on community, and neighbors actually know each other, happily lending a hand to pull off beloved events like the annual Christmas parade.

Public schools in the Charleston area don't disappoint either. Academic Magnet High School, Charleston School of the Arts, and Buist Academy for Advanced Studies have earned top recognition from the national school ranking platform Niche for their strong academics and dedicated teachers — and they're all about a 35-minute drive from Hollywood.

Outdoor activities in Hollywood, South Carolina

Much of daily life in Hollywood, South Carolina, revolves around water and nature. You can spend mornings paddling the calm stretches of the Ashley River, spotting a wide variety of raptors, and even catching a glimpse of the occasional otter gliding through the marshes. For easy access to the Ashley River Blue Trail, in the upper section of the river, drive about 30 minutes to the Swan Drive Kayak Launch on the northern edge of Charleston. Here you'll find a dedicated paddlecraft launch and parking area that puts you right on the water. Or take your kayak down to the lesser-known Rantowles Creek, just a few miles from downtown Hollywood, which feeds into the Stono River and offers a quieter, more intimate paddling experience.

Hollywood also boasts plenty of green spaces. The 643-acre Dungannon Plantation Heritage Preserve, located just outside town, is a hotspot for birdwatchers, with trails winding through cypress swamps and upland forests. Closer in, Serenity Park (formerly known as Wideawake Plantation) offers over 7 acres of majestic oaks, open lawns perfect for picnics, and a riverside platform for soaking in the views of the Stono River. It is open daily and available for community events.

Beach escapes are just a stone's throw away, too. Edisto Island's broad, secluded shores feature salt marsh creeks perfect for crabbing and collecting scallop shells and other marine fossils, while Folly Beach, South Carolina's hidden hippie beach haven, offers kayak adventures for all skill levels, from the sheltered twists of the Folly River to the more challenging waters along the Atlantic coast. From the Bill Murray Polar Plunge to kick off the new year to the beloved Sea & Sand Festival in February, there's always something happening in the Folly Beach community.

Where to eat in Hollywood, South Carolina

After a day spent exploring the outdoors, chances are you're stomach will be growling. Fortunately, Hollywood delivers for foodies. Start with Easton Barbecue Co., a staple if you are craving a true taste of Carolina barbecue. According to a recent visitor, it's "the best BBQ in South Carolina". Think plates piled high with pulled pork, chicken wings, and brisket, served with earthy sides like saucy beans, sautéed greens, and backbone with rice. Don't miss their signature brisket sandwich: layers of tender smoked meat, fragrant caramelized onions, mushrooms, and a creamy cheese sauce stacked between two slices of fresh bread for a true masterpiece!

If you're more a fan of pizza than barbecue, Pizza A Modo Mio on SC-162 is the neighborhood go-to. The vibe is casual, and you can choose between seven different styles, from NY to Roman, Sicilian, Detroit, and even gluten-free. The place also has a small cafè, open for breakfast or for savoring an authentic Italian espresso after your meal.

And if your idea of dessert is something picked right off the bush, Newton Blueberry Farm has you covered. In the heart of summer, families flock to the fields to fill buckets with plump, sweet blueberries. The farm is open daily, except on Sundays. That same love for fresh, local flavor shows up at the seasonal farm stands a short drive from Hollywood, too. Head over to the Ravenel Depot Farmers Market, the Sea Island Farmers Market, or the King's Farm Market for locally grown produce.

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With a number of jetties and varied coastline, Folly Beach has a number of different spots. All of Folly is lined with jetties. They've done a questionable job of protecting the beach, but they've produced lots of different peaks. The best spot at Folly is called the Washout. It's a long stretch of jettied beachbreak that can break with a tremendous amount of power on northeasterly swells or on hurricane swells. Beware of jetty rocks, underwater debris and current on larger swells. Take Highway... Read more

Sullivan's Island is just south of the Isle of Palms and gets energy from NE/E swells, but the jetty for the shipping lane blocks all southerly energy. On a NE windswell, the peak in front of Bert's Bar once offered board snapping power as it's right next to the shipping channel, so there's deep water just offshore. It's at the end of the south causeway to the island. It can be offshore here when it's howling side/onshore everywhere else. Strong north current on big swells. Shoaling has turned t... Read more

A low-quality but reasonably consistent beachbreak in an otherwise surf-stoked but wave-starved area of South Carolina, Pawleys Island Pier will occasionally offer long, shreddable lefts when offshore winds cooperate with powerful NE swells, but it saves its best face for SE swells — the more tropical, the better. The Pier only works on a mid to incoming tide and shuts down after the surf gets a foot or two overhead. Most of the action is concentrated on the south side. The waves can be crumbly... Read more

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - Toby the Turtle and the South Carolina Aquarium partnered with the City of Folly Beach for the 4th annual Spooktacular Beach Sweep, combining Halloween fun with environmental protection.

Volunteers received buckets, gloves, trash pickers and bags, along with data sheets to record different types of litter collected.

“It’s a little depressing to see the amount of trash that we can pick up because it’s just everywhere,” volunteer Ana Sofia Holmes said.

The South Carolina Aquarium uses information gathered during cleanups to target problem areas and sources of pollution.

“We take data during all of our cleanups and that helps us understand what the most problematic debris are and where the hotspots are,” Senior Manager of Conservation Kelly Thorvalson said. “And once we have those numbers, we’re able to find the sources of that debris and have conversations to reduce the litter.”

Volunteers dressed in costumes for the Halloween-themed event, including one participant who came as Santa.

“Who doesn’t smile when they see Santa, right? I do know who’s been naughty and nice and I got two more people on the naughty list after picking up some garbage today,” volunteer Darryl Strack said.

The cleanup provided a perspective on environmental impact for residents.

“Very eye-opening to do this because as someone who lives here, you realize how much trash we create,” volunteer Stacy Bizzell said. “And it makes you very aware of throwing everything away instead of on the ground after you do this.”

The most common items found were cigarette butts, straws and cans.

Local businesses offered discounts to volunteers in recognition of their service.

“What would be better than a loggerhead turtle to be out here to show how important it is that we pick up litter? Not only for the marine and wildlife, but also for human and domestic life,” Vanessa Oltmann, as Toby the Turtle said.

“It’s really fun because it’s the whole community’s out and we’re doing something good, cleaning up the beach and the streets,” Bizzell said.

The South Carolina Aquarium will use data collected during the event to identify the most problematic litter types and guide future environmental protection efforts.

South Carolinians have the first chance in 1,350 years to see the vivid green Comet Lemmon sparkle across the moonless sky Oct. 21 and 22. It won’t come by Earth again for another 1,350 years. It’s just one of the celestial jewels visible in the nights leading up to Halloween.

Comet Lemmon is named after Arizona’s Mount Lemmon Observatory, where the interstellar visitor was discovered as it streaked into our solar system back in January. Stargazers might be able to see it with their naked eyes Oct. 21-22, when it’s closest to Earth. Lemmon’s vibrant grass green color should definitely be visible through binoculars.

Here’s how to find it: About 45 to 90 minutes after sunset, look a bit below the Big Dipper constellation.

Astronomers believe Lemmon passed through the mysterious Oort Cloud, a sphere composed of giant ice and stone chunks at the outer edge of our solar system, far beyond Pluto.

Lemmon’s green hue comes from the comet’s carbon molecules interacting with sunlight.

“It could be amazing, or a bust. We have to wait and see,” Trident Technical College astronomy professor Blake Crosby said. He quoted a proverb, “Comets are like cats. They have tails and do what they want."

"The end of October and beginning of November, (Lemmon) will get higher in the sky and should become brighter,” he added. “A good opportunity may be Halloween, when it appears just after sunset in the western sky.”

Other cosmic wonders to view before Halloween

The Orionids meteor shower glitters above through Nov. 7, but peak viewing will be Oct. 21-22 with up to 20 meteors visible per hour. The new moon gives Americans “dark skies for what should be an excellent show,” Crosby said.

He advised astronomy lovers to take their binoculars far outside city light pollution to enjoy the shower.

Crosby said October also offers a chance to glimpse the mysterious Andromeda Galaxy climbing the eastern sky. Andromeda is twice as big as the Milky Way, and even at 2.5 million light-years away, it's our closest neighboring galaxy. It is so distant that humans may never get much chance to explore Andromeda.

The best night to see the Andromeda Galaxy in late-October is Oct. 28, the last new moon of the month, as it will be a dark night ideal for stargazing. Andromeda is best viewed from 9-11 p.m., high in the northeastern sky.

Even then, Crosby advises that Andromeda “takes a fair amount of skill to locate.”

Wando High School astronomy teacher Robbie Binnicker has seen Andromeda. He wasn’t using a powerful telescope, so the galaxy didn’t look like a spectacular luminous disc.

“It looked more like a wispy, bright cloud,” said Binnicker, who was awarded the state’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto, in 2024 for his 34 years as an educator.

Binnicker returned to his first career love, teaching, in Charleston County after he retired as Anderson One School District superintendent last June.

“This is the first time I’ve taught astronomy and I enjoy it, but I’m not an expert,” Binnicker told The Post and Courier.

He and his students use the SkyPortal astronomy app to locate constellations. The students have learned to set up telescopes to observe sunspots. With knowledge of classic sci-fi movies and novels, Binnicker said his students discuss astronomical wonders that can't be seen in the sky, like Albert Einstein's theories of time bending and gravitational waves causing ripples in the spacetime continuum.

The students can check telescopes out from the library. Binnicker loans telescopes to his students, too. Binnicker said they learned how to set up telescopes with filters to track sunspots. Binoculars enable the students to see most celestial phenomena they're studying.

Here's how to try and find Andromeda:

Look through binoculars northwest of Pegasus, or the flying horse constellation. It’s boxed-shaped and almost perfectly square.

Perhaps someone in that luminous smudge light-years from Earth will be gazing at the Milky Way and wondering if any life is there.