MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A tornado watch covered Myrtle Beach, Conway and other Grand Strand and Pee Dee communities Sunday afternoon as the National Weather Service tracked a final line of showers and storms across northeastern South Carolina.
The watch remained in effect until 5 p.m. EDT Sunday for Dillon, Horry, Marion and Marlboro counties in South Carolina, along with Robeson and Scotland counties in North Carolina, with conditions described as favorable for brief tornadoes.
Cities and towns listed in the alert included Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Garden City, Little River, Socastee, Red Hill, Dillon, Marion, Mullins, Bennettsville and McColl, plus Lumberton on the North Carolina side.
The broader package also reached Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Pender counties in southeastern North Carolina, bringing Wilmington and nearby coastal communities into the same Sunday watch window.
Residents in the watch area were urged to stay weather-aware and keep a way to receive warnings, as a tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes even when a warning has not yet been issued for a specific spot.
Horry County sees occasional tornadoes, typically weak EF0 to EF1 storms tied to tropical systems and squall lines, so Grand Strand households treat remnant tropical moisture days as periods to keep shelter plans ready.
