Residents return to pre-storm activities as Pawleys Island cleanup continues

PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WMBF) - Days after Hurricane Ian, Pawleys Island is drying out and people were enjoying the outdoors Monday afternoon.

“I like to fish off the North Causeway bridge, and when I came up here and saw the damage, it’s amazing,” said Michael Farrar Georgetown resident.

Farrar said the damage was not as bad at his house.

“We just had a lot of wind and rain,” he said.

Landscapers were still hard at work in the late afternoon, clearing debris from the roadway and waterfront properties.

“We’ve been out here since 7:30 a.m. picking up along Myrtle Street,” a landscaper on the cleanup crew said.

On Friday, rushing water poured down Myrtle Street and North Causeway, as Ian rolled through the area.

Jill Wilder-Martinez, who grew up on Pawleys Island said she and her husband decided to ride out the storm.

“We had a plan, that we would leave if it was above a category one. It was just a one, so we stayed,” said Wilder-Martinez.

On the water, two men were seen towing a boat dock behind them. They said they had been searching for it since Saturday.

“We found it about 600 yards north of the Causeway,” they said.

As residents continue to pick up the pieces and move forward, one indicator that things were returning to normal is the handful of people who were fishing off the bridge.

“Safety is the biggest thing, make sure you’re safe and check on your neighbors,” said Wilder-Martinez.

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