As we ended the hurricane season for 2024, we wanted to take a moment to reflect and express our gratitude for a safe hurricane season. The Grand Strand was extremely lucky to have had no major hurricanes impact this area, which for once is a breath of fresh air! Our neighbors in Western North Carolina were not as fortunate when Hurricane Helene reached Western North Carolina in late September. These people are still facing the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene’s wrath and we partnered with the American Red Cross to set up donations that went directly to the individuals impacted by Helene. While the Grand Strand was blessed last year with no devastation, we have not been so lucky in other years. Across the street from Bubba’s Fish Shack, the Surfside Beach Fishing Pier alone has been rebuilt several times! Since the pier just reopened (again) last year, we’d like to talk a little bit about its history.
Long before Surfside Beach was a prime tourist attraction, the land belonged to plantation owner John Tillman. After his death in 1865, his family divided and began developing the land. The area at this time was called Roach’s Beach and consisted of one two-story building and several cottages before it was purchased in the early 1920’s by the Holiday Family. Mr. George J. Holiday renamed this area Floral Beach for his wife Flora and daughter Floramay. In the late 1920’s, a group from Columbia purchased and started developing the land. In 1952, the land changed hands again and received the name we know and love today, Surfside Beach. A year after Surfside Beach got its name, the Surfside Beach Pier was constructed out of wood. A year after the first pier opened, Hurricane Hazel destroyed the pier along with 18 of the 65 houses in Surfside Beach. The pier was rebuilt and was owned and operated by the Holiday family in the 70’s and 80’s. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo impacted the area and destroyed the pier again. The pier was reconstructed again and completed in 1993. Since 2008 The Town of Surfside has owned and operated the pier. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated the area and again, destroyed the Surfside Beach Pier. With reconstruction this time, the pier was built nine feet higher and constructed out of concrete; it’s the first of its kind in South Carolina. It utilizes 2,483 feet of pre-stressed concrete beams, with timber decking between the beams. Learning from previous iterations of the Surfside Beach Pier, the new Surfside Beach Pier has been built to withstand wave hits up to 15 feet above the deck, meaning it could take on a 40-foot wave.
After the destruction of Hurricane Matthew in 2016, we have graciously displayed a piece of the pier that was constructed in 1993 at Bubba’s Fish Shack as an homage to the Surfside Beach community and its history. Now that the new Surfside Beach Fish Pier has reopened, we are so happy to see many tourists and residents alike enjoying the pier. We hope that after you visit the pier you come stop by and see us at Bubba’s for a delicious seafood meal.
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