Mortgage Broker in Folly Beach, SC

FOLLY BEACH — Folly Beach will be renourished with around 130,000 dump trucks worth of sand this year. The renourishment process will begin in late February or early March 2024 and should end ahead of peak hurricane season, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District.

Folly Beach Director of Public Works Eric Lutz said the renourishment is well-timed, due to severe erosion caused by storms such as Hurricane Ian in 2022 and the nor’easter in December 2023.

“The timing couldn't be better, and we're really hoping we don't get too many more storms before they get started,” he said.

The National Weather Service forecasts a wet winter for Charleston, with above-average rainfall and potential for unseasonably strong storms such as the nor’easter that caught the region by surprise last month. That storm pushed Folly Beach’s sand dunes back as much as 20 feet.

During severe weather events, beaches and dunes provide communities a buffer from the wind and ocean. Lutz said they’re meant to be “sacrificial.”

“We know (the beach) is going to get eroded over time, but it's either that or we lose buildings, houses or half of our economy,” Lutz said.

Lutz estimated that for every dollar spent on renourishing Folly Beach, or any of the state’s beaches, $30 is earned in revenue from tourism.

“The beaches generate tons of revenue for tourism,” he said. “(The beach) is a huge economic engine.”

Folly Beach has received five renourishments in the last three decades, costing $77 million, which came from federal tax dollars and local funds, The Post and Courier previously reported. The upcoming renourishment will cost $18 million and will be funded entirely by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

It's springtime in Charleston and the sun is shining. Most of the time.

A partial solar eclipse is set to darken the skies over South Carolina on April 8. In Charleston, nearly three-quarters of the sun will be obscured by the moon's shadow during the eclipse's peak at about 3:10 p.m. Will that have any impact on the day's gravitationally driven tidal cycle?

Not really, according to the National Weather Service's Charleston office. But water levels will be higher than normal that day for a semi-related reason.

The ocean's tidal cycle is dictated by the movement of the moon and the sun. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes that liquid movement as "long-period waves" that slosh around Earth's surface.

Solar eclipses occur during the moon's "new" phase, the first step in the lunar cycle. April 8's new moon is also a "perigean spring tide" — when the moon is either full or new and at its closest point to the Earth. That proximity amplifies its pull on the planet's waters, according to the weather service.

"Therefore, astronomical high tides will be running higher than normal, but this is due to the New Moon and the perigee, not the eclipse," a weather service official wrote in an email.

Perigean spring tides go by another, non-scientific name that can conjure fear in the hearts of peninsula residents: king tides. Those extra-high tides are infamous for their ability to swamp Charleston's low-lying neighborhoods. Tropical Storm Idalia occurred simultaneously with a "blue moon" king tide in August 2023, bringing one of the highest tide levels on record to the city.

The April 8 evening high tide is predicted to hit 6.6 feet by 8:45 p.m., a few inches below a "minor" flood stage of 7 feet. The evening high tide for April 9 is predicted to be closer to 6.7 feet around 9:30 p.m.

On New Year’s Eve weekend, I visited Mr. John’s Beach Store on Center Street on Folly Beach. I have been visiting Mr. John’s Beach Store since I was a child staying at my grandparents' home on East Arctic Avenue in the summer. Yet this visit was different. It was a farewell visit.

Mr. John’s Beach Store has been a fixture on Folly Beach since 1951. The affectionately coined “mayor of Folly Beach,” Paul Chrysostom, took over the family business started by his parents, John and Rachel Chrysostom. They were esteemed, respected and beloved members of the community; John was a bookkeeper, accountant and Greek professor, and his wife, Rachel, a pharmacist.

For many of us who recall the old days on Folly, Mr. John’s was the last stronghold of memories that can never be replaced. Mr. John’s, which recently was sold, was the heart and soul of Center Street.

I recently read an article on the WCSC-TV website that quoted Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin as saying: “When people come to me and say, ‘I want Folly Beach to be like it was,’ I look at them and say, ‘What do you remember Folly Beach being?’”

Given that Mayor Goodwin moved to Folly Beach in 1998, I would like to respectfully answer his question.

Folly Beach was a vibrant, magical, exciting, warm and lovable place. It was naturally community oriented. The sleepy beach. Some even called it the poor man’s beach.

But rest assured, there was nothing poor or wanting about Folly.

It was overflowing with riches, treasures that could never be measured materially. I don’t even remember the word tourist; everyone was welcomed and seen the same.

When I was growing up in the 1960s and ’70s, visiting Folly was like entering a portal into an enchanted world.

A horse that belonged to a neighbor was stabled in our backyard.

My grandfather gave the Bruggemann family next door our backyard garage to stable their horse, Nosy.

The family’s daughter, Nancy, in turn, gave me rides on Nosy on the beach. It was a young girl’s dream.

The boy next door was my first crush. It was a time of innocence and sweetness that can never be duplicated.

Cars could drive on the beach, horses pranced along the streets, and neighbors never locked their doors for the simple reason that our neighbors were not considered neighbors. They were family.

Folly wasn’t “funky.” It wasn’t branded. It wasn’t marketed. It was what it was.

The Sanitary Restaurant on Center Street had a lunch counter that sold soft-serve ice cream sundaes and the best sandwiches and comfort food.

The Pavilion had wooden benches, hotdogs and hamburgers, and the amusement rides twirled with the echo of children’s laughter in the air.

We used to walk an eternity over the big sand dunes to get to the beach.

Many times, we would swim in the gullies by the old groins even if folks were there crabbing.

My grandfather George Manos would go out in the wee hours of the morning with his big net and bring in buckets of fish for my grandmother Virginia to clean and cook.

The front porch was an open door that called to passersby: “Come on up. The table is full.”

Generosity and hospitality flowed like the ocean. And at night, we would be lulled to sleep by the sound of her waves.

Goodbye, Mr. John’s Beach Store.

You will always be in my heart. This is what Folly was like — in all her beauty, simplicity and wonder. A reminder that the greatest gifts of life are priceless.

Jackie Morfesis is a Charleston writer, speaker and community advocate.

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FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) – A dredging project led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to restore a crucial habitat for birds near Folly Beach.

Bird Key-Stono Seabird Sanctuary is home to a variety of colonial nesting seabirds and shore birds. However, the animals are facing what the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources calls “coastal squeeze.”

“There’s people coming in, living on the coast, and there’s water rising up. So, that’s a major threat that we have for all coastal birds,” explained Cami Duquet, a member of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Bird Program. She said these factors contribute to loss of habitat.

News 2 traveled by boat out to the island on Friday to see firsthand how the project is building the birds’ habitat up.

“We’re dredging the material out of the Folly River right here, and as part of the project, we’re putting material up here on Bird Key-Stono because it’s an important seabird sanctuary for the state of South Carolina,” said Alan Shirey, an environmental engineer with the Army Corps.

Sand and water are pumped from the channel onto the island through a pipeline. Army Corps officials said the water flows back out to sea, while the sand settles and is leveled with bulldozers.

“Once everything’s surveyed, it’s flattened out and surveyed, it’s going to be undulated so that it provides a natural habitat,” Jim Brooks said. He is a quality assurance representative for the Army Corps.

The work began about a week and a half ago and will need to be completed by March 15 which is the same day the island will close until October for nesting season.

“In order for them to be able to contribute to their population, they need to have a suitable nesting habitat to be able to lay their eggs, to raise their chick, and then have those chicks then contribute to their population,” Duquet said.

By the end of the project, officials said about 40,000 cubic yards of material will have been placed onto Bird Key-Stono. They said the work is associated with the Folly Beach Renourishment Project.

Have you visited Folly Beach, SC? No matter what kind of beach trip you are looking for, you can find it on the barrier islands of Charleston, South Carolina. Folly Beach is your best bet for the perfect mix of relaxing beaches and spots to dine. Folly Island is 18 square miles of sand and sun and offers a beach town vibe just 20 minutes from the tourist attractions of Charleston.

This article includes:Public Beach Access on Folly IslandFolly Island Places to Eat

Take A Trip To Visit More Beaches That Are Located Not Far From The Upstate!

Folly Island On The Coast Of South Carolina

The beaches of the Low Country offer something for everyone when it comes to a beach trip. For a quiet, non-commercialized beach experience, Kiawah Island’s Beach Walker Park is my go-to option. However, if a tourist-heavy, commercialized expertise is what you seek, Isle Of Palms fits the bill.

If a sandy spot somewhere in the middle of both is what you want, then the beaches of Folly Island are perfect. They are family-friendly, quiet, and some access points have restrooms and showers for beachgoers to use. The downtown area of Folly Island offers a funky beach town vibe that’s solidified its place in the history of the SC coast.

Here’s a Great Map of Folly Island To Show The Kids

Where to Stay Near Folly Beach, SC

This Stay 22 Map contains affiliate links that will help you find the perfect place to stay near Folly Beach!

Accessing The Beach On Folly Island

With six miles of shoreline, there’s no shortage of sand to spread out on when visiting Folly Beach. Finding beach access isn’t difficult, but depending on your family’s needs, one access might be more suitable than another.

Located on the southern tip of Folly Island, the county park offers families all of the amenities they might need including showers, restrooms, a seasonal concession stand, seasonal lifeguards, and chair rentals.

The parking fees range from $5-$20, depending on the season, and are $20 on weekends and summer holidays. Park gates are open from 8 am to sunset.

The Folly Beach Ocean Park is located at the end of West Arctic Avenue. It offers beachgoers restroom and shower facilities that are free and open to the public (currently only open during the summer.)

At the end of nearly every block on the island there is a beach access pathway. Some spots include parking if space permits, otherwise you can park streetside.

The further you drive away from the pier, the less the metered parking costs. By quite a bit. If you aren’t trying to be right next to the pier and center street, drive a few miles north to find cheaper meter rates. The parking meter fees can be paid through a kiosk, or with the PARK Folly Beach app.

The centerpiece of Folly Island is the Folly Beach Pier. The pier was recently renovated. Amenities at Folly Beach Pier include the gift shop, restrooms, showers, changing rooms, and wheelchair beach access.

The Pier 101 Restaurant is open Wednesday through Monday, and offers seafood, sandwiches, and more!

Swimming is permitted on the beach that flanks the sides of the pier, however, the undertow can become dangerous near the pier causing unsafe conditions. Also, people throw baited hooks off of that pier looking to catch “a big un”. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer not to be swimming near where people are reeling in jaws.

The parking fees range from $5-$20, depending on the season, and are $20 on weekends and summer holidays. Pier hours vary by season, so be sure to check the park’s site before venturing out.

Places To Eat On Folly Island

There are plenty of spots to choose from when it comes to meals on Folly Island. These are just a few of our favorites when we head out to spend the day on Folly Beach.

Taco BoyAmeri-mex style food with a kid’s menu, and a full bar. Great spot for nachos and margs after a day on the beach.

The Lost Dog Cafe

The perfect spot for breakfast or brunch, The Lost Dog has sandwiches, burgers, breakfast (all day), and more.

Saint James Gate Proper Irish Pub & Three Monkey’s Ice CreamThe menu here has a little bit of everything, including tacos. It’s kid & dog-friendly! Plus they have some delicious dessert options.

The Pineapple HutIf you spend any time on Folly Island, you are bound to see people walking down the street with a pineapple in their hands. This food truck is where it came from, filled with Dole Whip, or one of their weekly special flavors of soft-serve style ice cream. (March through November).

If you want to extend your trip, head over to Mount Pleasant for a bunch of free things to do while you’re there!

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCIV) — The Folly Beach coastline is finally getting some much-needed relief after taking a beating from Mother Nature in 2023.

Hurricanes, tropical storms and king tides all took their toll on the popular public beaches.

Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers announced they will soon begin the much-anticipated beach renourishment project.

"You could go sit on with a slow tide, come back when it's high tide, you won't see that beach today," said Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin.

Erosion is a never-ending problem on Folly Beach, which is why this project is so big.

Read more: "Folly Beach dodges severe damage, gears up for $18M renourishment project."

"We're looking to place about 1.2 million cubic yards of sand on the beach, and that's equivalent to about 120,000 dump trucks at a cost of around $18 million," said Wes Wilson, project manager with the Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District.

"The contractor, depending on how much sand they need to place in each section, typically is in a 500-foot section between two and five days. So areas of the beach that are more eroded they typically spend more time in it," said Goodwin.

With the Army Corps of Engineers picking up the check, Folly Beach leaders can save their money.

"That leaves our beach reserve, but money intact, and we add to that every year. So, every year, we make sure that we have a reserve of money for the day when we have to pay our 15% or 10%," said Goodwin.

Read more: "Coastal damage assessment after heavy storms: Folly Beach experience mixed impact."

That reserve fund is often needed for smaller projects. Many times it's not just the big storms that are the issue.

"The hurricane that comes in and hangs offshore for a day or two and just beats and beats the beach and erodes it. Or Northeasterns that come in and hang around for a day or two that do the same thing, causing a lot of erosion. So this, this money we save this time is in the pot for repairing the beach of neck-to-neck storms or the storms after that," said Goodwin.

"Beach renourishment is a short-term inconvenience for a long-term benefit. And as we do add sand onto the beach, it provides that sense of security for the island for that next big storm," adds Wilson.

For a popular coastline that's suffered some of its worst damage since 2016, it's a welcome fix to get the beach back to normal.

"By building it back up, building the dunes up, extending the beach out, it gives us more area for people to come to enjoy the beach," said Goodwin.

The Army Corps must finish the Bird Cay project on Folly by March 15th. Soon after, they will begin work on the Folly beaches at large. That work will run from March until August.