Photo By Dylan Burnell | The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, continues the final phase of...... read more read more
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, completed its Grand Strand Renourishment project along the South Carolina coast Aug. 15. This $72 million project strengthens coastal storm protection for the region and helps preserve the infrastructure and $12.5 billion tourism-driven economy.
The district restored the federally authorized storm damage reduction project along North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Garden City, South Carolina, after significant erosion from recent storms.
Over the course of construction, crews placed more than 1.55 million cubic yards of sand to renourish nearly 28 miles of coastline. This massive effort included:
You would need around 155,000 10-yard dump trucks to move the same amount of sand. Bumper-to-bumper, the line would stretch around 820 miles or the distance from Charleston, South Carolina, to New York City.
The primary purpose of the renourishment is to build a wider, higher beach and dune system that can absorb storm wave energy and reduce coastal storm risk. A robust beach and dune system helps protect oceanfront infrastructure such as roads and utilities from flooding and structural damage. While the renourished beach provides an inviting shoreline for residents and visitors, coastal protection remains the primary goal of the federal project.
The Grand Strand Renourishment project progressed steadily down the coast this year. North Myrtle Beach sand placement finished Jan. 31. In Myrtle Beach, work began in May and sand placement finished July 3. Surfside Beach and Garden City construction began July 3, and finished this month, which marked completion of the final phase of the project.
The Charleston District awarded a construction contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company from Houston in December 2024, to renourish nearly 28 miles of the Grand Strand. The $72 million was funded entirely by USACE through an emergency authorization.
Hurricane Ian struck the South Carolina coast in September 2022, and Hurricane Debby in August 2024. Both storms caused severe erosion to the Grand Strand beaches. The engineered beach performed as designed and helped reduce infrastructure damage. Following the storms, USACE determined that emergency renourishment was necessary to restore the level of storm protection that the project provided.
The Charleston District will continue to monitor the Grand Strand project in coordination with its partners and remains committed to supporting coastal storm risk management and resilience along the South Carolina coast.
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.17.2026 09:19 |
| Story ID: | 572534 |
| Location: | CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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