Best Moving Company in Myrtle Beach

In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.

While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.

A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.

Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in South Carolina using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.

#19. Kershaw County and Clarendon County

- Kershaw County population: 69,905

- Clarendon County population: 31,004

- Social connectedness index: 342,408

#18. York County and Lancaster County

- York County population: 298,320

- Lancaster County population: 108,215

- Social connectedness index: 804,856

#17. Laurens County and Greenville County

- Laurens County population: 68,873

- Greenville County population: 558,036

- Social connectedness index: 883,041

#16. Lexington County and Richland County

- Lexington County population: 309,528

- Richland County population: 425,138

- Social connectedness index: 902,881

#15. Pickens County and Oconee County

- Pickens County population: 135,495

- Oconee County population: 81,221

- Social connectedness index: 1,102,350

#14. Dorchester County and Berkeley County

- Dorchester County population: 169,833

- Berkeley County population: 255,217

- Social connectedness index: 1,360,237

#13. Cherokee County and Spartanburg County

- Cherokee County population: 56,714

- Spartanburg County population: 356,698

- Social connectedness index: 1,420,351

#12. Union County and Newberry County

- Union County population: 26,629

- Newberry County population: 38,825

- Social connectedness index: 1,944,620

#11. Colleton County and Bamberg County

- Colleton County population: 38,874

- Bamberg County population: 12,974

- Social connectedness index: 2,016,630

#10. Chester County and Fairfield County

- Chester County population: 32,226

- Fairfield County population: 20,422

- Social connectedness index: 3,928,722

#9. Hampton County and Jasper County

- Hampton County population: 18,122

- Jasper County population: 33,544

- Social connectedness index: 4,188,374

#8. Florence County and Darlington County

- Florence County population: 137,214

- Darlington County population: 62,416

- Social connectedness index: 4,550,880

#7. Sumter County and Lee County

- Sumter County population: 104,165

- Lee County population: 15,967

- Social connectedness index: 5,229,985

#6. Georgetown County and Williamsburg County

- Georgetown County population: 65,731

- Williamsburg County population: 29,891

- Social connectedness index: 5,407,029

#5. Saluda County and Edgefield County

- Saluda County population: 19,123

- Edgefield County population: 27,607

- Social connectedness index: 6,178,904

#4. Abbeville County and Greenwood County

- Abbeville County population: 24,434

- Greenwood County population: 69,460

- Social connectedness index: 7,079,551

#3. Orangeburg County and Calhoun County

- Orangeburg County population: 82,820

- Calhoun County population: 14,186

- Social connectedness index: 7,347,090

#2. Marion County and Dillon County

- Marion County population: 28,508

- Dillon County population: 27,698

- Social connectedness index: 9,951,240

#1. Allendale County and Barnwell County

- Allendale County population: 7,369

- Barnwell County population: 20,447

- Social connectedness index: 18,790,213

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.

This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

© Stacker Media, LLC.

This story was originally published November 7, 2024, 7:07 AM.

An updated flood watch was issued by the NWS Charleston SC on Thursday at 11:59 a.m. The watch is for Inland Jasper as well as Candler, Bulloch, Effingham, Tattnall and Evans counties.

Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible for portions of southeast Georgia, including the following areas, Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Evans and Tattnall and southeast South Carolina, including the following area, Inland Jasper until 7 p.m. this evening.

"Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas," comments the NWS. "You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. Be prepared to protect life and property, especially in areas prone to flooding. If flooding develops, move to higher ground immediately. If driving, be prepared for flooded roadways and possible road closures."

This watch is in effect until 7 p.m.

In case you reside within a flood-prone area or are currently camping in a low-lying zone, it is crucial to promptly seek higher ground. If told to evacuate, do so immediately. Ensure your home is securely locked when vacating the premises. If time permits, disconnect utilities and appliances. Avoid entering basements or rooms with submerged electrical outlets or cords. Should you observe sparks or hear buzzing, crackling, snapping, or popping sounds, evacuate immediately. Refrain from entering water that might carry an electric current and avoid walking through floodwaters. Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911.

During heavy rainfall, there is a risk of flooding, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Remember to never drive through water on the road, even if it seems shallow. According to the NWS, as little as 12 inches of rapidly flowing water can carry away most cars.

What is hydroplaning?

Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.

This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way. The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. The top three contributors to hydroplaning are:

In the event of your vehicle hydroplaning, here's what to know:

Source: The National Weather Service

This article was generated by the South Carolina Bot, software that analyzes structured information, such as data, and applies it to articles based on templates created by journalists in the newsroom. No human journalist was harmed in this experiment. You can report errors or bugs to [email protected].

This story was originally published November 7, 2024, 6:06 AM.

The weather may be unseasonably warm in the Grand Strand, but the holiday season is still coming. That means it’s time for the Dickens Christmas Show and Festivals, Myrtle Beach’s iconic holiday marketplace.

For its 43rd year, the Dickens Show will be open to the public from Thursday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 10. Adults can grab tickets for $12, while kids’ entry is $5. Here’s what to expect from this year’s classic Christmas show.

Although Christmas is still a month and a half away, the Dickens Show lets visitors gather all the decorations they need for the holiday season and stock up on presents early.

“We’ll have everything you can think of, from junk to nice things to interesting things, signs, decorations,” said founder Myra Starnes.

With over 350 vendors offering gifts, jewelry, crafts, gourmet food, decor and more, the show offers something for all tastes.

Unlike other trade shows and holiday markets, the Dickens Christmas show has an unusual vendor dress code — sellers at each booth get decked out in Victorian attire fitting for the Dickensian event.

While some vendors get their old-fashioned costumes from more traditional outlets like thrift stores, others use decidedly more modern sources, like Amazon and AliExpress.

“Where do you get anything these days? Amazon,” said mystery author Carole O’Neill.

The writer and her husband Jim Eberwein, who authors children’s books, are Myrtle Beach locals who are dressing up to sell at the Dickens Christmas Show for the first time this year.

“I’m an old lady in the village. I have one of those hats and those big skirts that puff out with the white blouses,” O’neill said. “And he’s [dressed] like a news boy. He has a cap, he has a white shirt with a vest, and he has short pants, knee socks and buckles on his shoes.”

In addition to booths, visitors have the chance to bid on custom items like themed Christmas trees, wreaths, centerpieces, holiday stockings and more in the event’s festivals benefiting charities. All of the proceeds from the auctions go to local nonprofit organizations like the Family Justice Center, the Kiwanis Club and Waccamaw Animal Rescue Mission.

This year’s assortment of Christmas trees, which benefit performing arts scholarships for children through the Sarah Bethany Foundation at Silver Lining School of the Arts, were decorated by local businesses, families and individuals.

The assortment ranges from traditional to wacky. Some of the more creative offerings include a Christmas cactus with a Toy Story western theme, a fire fighting-focused tree that comes with a pool table and a sunset-colored SkyWheel tree.

The Dickens Christmas Show wouldn’t be complete without its Victorian theme. From a 15-foot inflatable snow globe, which was invented in the Victorian Era, to an exhibit on how Victorian women used fans to communicate, this year’s event has plenty of history.

In addition to Victorian antiques like bicycles, strollers, high chairs and more, this year’s show will have a recreation of a Victorian bathing machine, complete with people in-character dressed in old-fashioned swimwear.

“Women could not swim where men could swim,” Starnes said. “There was no place to change clothes, so they made these.”

The carriages were carted out into the ocean and used to maintain modesty. Users could change into swimwear away from the beach and enter the water directly.

When Victorian swimmers were ready to call it a day, they’d wave a flag and the bathing machine was brought back into the water so they could change again.

“Once men and women could be together and things changed a bit, then they took [the wheels] off and used the huts to change clothes in, and people would rent them to leave their stuff in,” said Starnes. “And that was the first beach service.”

New to the show this year is a barbershop quartet harmonizing around the convention center and musicians playing Victorian instruments.

Another holiday specialty at The Dickens Christmas Show will focus on global winter celebrations. Sponsoring not-for-profit organizations will offer specialty dishes from around the world and, like other nonprofits at the show, keep all of the funds raised.

Other attractions will include tea-leaf readers, puppet shows and shadow box displays.

No Christmas event would be complete without Santa Claus and this year’s Dickens Show will have plenty of old Saint Nick. Visitors will have the chance to meet and take pictures with Santa and his elves in the Santa Castle.

The show will also have a “Santa through the Ages” exhibit, featuring a display of life-sized Santas styled in different garb.

This story was originally published November 7, 2024, 6:00 AM.

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With less than a month until Night of a Thousand Candles starts at Brookgreen Gardens, workers and volunteers are sprinting to get everything together.

Sitting outside, volunteer Diane Bevins takes plastic water bottles out of a crate using a grabber and drops them on the ground in front of Sandra Zanfini, who wipes them clean. The bottles get a paper clip on the top then clipped on to trees by Kay Lybrand and Donna Hand.

The trees, made of lights and water bottles, will float on the ponds around the garden.

The four are a small portion of the people getting ready for Brookgreen’s biggest event of the year. Starting Nov. 30, around 3,000 candles will be lit daily around the gardens for hundreds of people to see, according to Jon McGann, the director of public exhibits.

While the holiday season starts in late November for most people, McGann said he’s thinking about Night of a Thousand Candles in June.

“(Night of a Thousand Candles) traditionally opens up around Thanksgiving and that’s usually when we can take a deep breath, whereas I feel like for the rest of the population, the holidays are just starting,” McGann said.

Every year McGann said his team is thinking of ways to keep the feeling the same while innovating the look. This year, McGann and Claire Elia, the assistant manager of public exhibits, are excited about the chandeliers and candelabras.

Elia designed the candelabra to sit in the ponds around the gardens and lift candles up in a spiral pattern. She created the prototype and the “handy-vols” — volunteers with technical experience like carpentry and welding —built more.

It’s not just the candles and decorations that are being prepared. One section of the greenhouse is filled with poinsettias in various shades of red and white. The plants are grown indoors before being made a part of the exhibits.

“They’re growing big and strong, getting ready for their debut,” Elia said.

This year, there will be more lights on the water, McGann and Elia said. While typically, there are floating orbs spread out among the ponds and water features, this year there will also be the candelabras and floating trees on the water.

McGann did not share how much is spent on Night of a Thousand Candles but said around 3,000 candles are used every night. He did not know how many string lights he has, but from looking at the stock, there is likely thousands of feet of string lights.

Volunteers and garden employees put over 2,000 hours of labor put into setup during the month of November.

Preparation for Night of a Thousand Candles starts much earlier than one may think. McGann said when packing up the lights in January, he’s already thinking about the following year.

“When you put (decorations) away in January, you’re starting the next year,” McGann said. “If you don’t put it away neatly, if it’s not labeled, if it’s not organized, it’s not going to start well.”

In the early days of the holiday event, workers would first need to organize the lights before starting anything. Now, the decorations are stored in three shipping containers, packed neatly with labels.

In one shipping container, a wall of baskets hold the orbs that float in the ponds. The orbs are fish bowls attached to a brick with a piece of fishing line. Since the ponds are different depths, the orbs are organized by the length of fishing line per pond.

Every year McGann, who has been working at Brookgreen Gardens for 15 years, works to make the process easier and more efficient.

One example is putting disposable shower caps on the floating orbs when it rains, Elia said. Workers used to put saran wrap on top to prevent water from filling and drowning the orb, but someone thought to use shower caps instead. Since then, it’s made the work easier.

“When you’re doing something on a small scale and it saves you 30 seconds, it’s not a big deal, but when you’re doing it 5,000 times, yeah (it matters),” McGann said.

Brookgreen Gardens has been putting on a Night of a Thousand Candles for 25 years. Over 9,000 acres of the gardens are furnished with candles, lights and other decorations for the month of December.

It starts Nov. 30 and runs Wednesday through Sunday until Dec. 22, as well as from Dec. 31 through Jan. 5. Tickets are $30 for member adults, $35 for non-member adults and can be bought online.

Entrance is at 4 p.m. and the gardens close at 9 p.m.

Along with the lights, there will be live music, food trucks and an onsite restaurants.

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On Thursday at 12:21 p.m. the NWS Charleston SC issued an updated flood advisory. The advisory is for Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long, Tattnall and Jasper counties.

Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues for portions of southeast Georgia, including Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Long and Tattnall and southeast South Carolina, including Jasper county counties until 1 p.m.

"Ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or imminent," describes the NWS. "Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads."

This advisory is in effect until 1 p.m.

In case you reside within a flood-prone area or are currently camping in a low-lying zone, it is crucial to promptly seek higher ground. If told to evacuate, do so immediately. Ensure your home is securely locked when vacating the premises. If time permits, disconnect utilities and appliances. Avoid entering basements or rooms with submerged electrical outlets or cords. Should you observe sparks or hear buzzing, crackling, snapping, or popping sounds, evacuate immediately. Refrain from entering water that might carry an electric current and avoid walking through floodwaters. Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911.

During heavy rain, flooding is possible, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Never drive through water on the road, even if it does not appear to be deep. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars, according to the NWS.

What is hydroplaning?

Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.

This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way. The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. Hydroplaning is primarily caused by three factors:

In the event of your vehicle hydroplaning, here's what to know:

Source: The National Weather Service

This article was generated by the South Carolina Bot, software that analyzes structured information, such as data, and applies it to articles based on templates created by journalists in the newsroom. No human journalist was harmed in this experiment. You can report errors or bugs to [email protected].

This story was originally published November 7, 2024, 4:11 AM.