Trash can tips for hurricane season on the Grand Strand

Hurricane season runs from June through November, and it overlaps with the hottest, wettest part of the year on the Grand Strand. Trash cans take a beating in that stretch. Heat makes them smell. Wind turns them into projectiles. Flooded roads delay pickup.

This guide is only about the cans. It does not replace official storm guidance. For evacuation, shelter and emergency orders, use Horry County emergency management and South Carolina emergency management, and follow your city or town. Our summer cleaning plan covers the heat side of the season, with cleans every two weeks from June through September.

The tips below help you keep cans from becoming debris, keep trash from piling up when pickup is late, and clean up afterward.

Secure trash cans before a storm

A 96-gallon cart is light when empty and a hazard when the wind picks it up. If a storm is in the forecast, the simplest fix is also the best: bring the cans in.

• Empty the cans if pickup has happened or is scheduled soon. A cart with bags in it is heavier, but it still smells and still attracts animals.
• Store carts in a garage, shed or enclosed porch, away from windows.
• If you must leave them outside, lay them on their side against a wall or a fence, lids facing the wall, and strap them to a post or railing.
• Remove loose items near the cart, such as bags, boxes and bungee cords.
• Note the cart numbers or stickers so you can identify yours if one blows away.

Do not leave carts at the curb or in the road ahead of a storm. They can block storm drains and ditches, and storm drains here feed the Waccamaw River and the Intracoastal Waterway. A blocked drain makes street flooding worse.

Check your HOA rules too. Some communities have guidance for carts before a storm. Follow the guidance from your city, town or community, and use official channels for anything about safety.

What to do when pickup is delayed

After a storm, pickup may slip. Roads can be closed, trucks can be diverted and debris can fill the streets. Your hauler and your local government decide when service returns. We do not control that and we do not announce it.

Check the official sources for your area: the City of Myrtle Beach, the City of Conway, the City of North Myrtle Beach, the Town of Surfside Beach, the City of Loris, or the Horry County Solid Waste Authority for unincorporated areas. If you are unsure which applies to you, see our guide to finding your trash day in Horry County.

While you wait, there are a few ways to keep the garbage manageable.

1. Seal food waste in heavy bags, and double-bag anything wet or raw.
2. Keep the lid closed and strapped. Delayed pickup means animals have more time to find the cart.
3. Store full bags in the garage or a shaded spot, not in the sun.
4. Do not overfill the cart so the lid sits open. A closed lid keeps out flies and rain.
5. Do not put storm debris, such as branches, in the cart unless your local office says it is allowed. Debris collection is usually handled separately, and the local office decides how.

Spoiled food after a power outage

A long outage fills trash cans with fridge and freezer contents in the worst heat of the year. Raw meat, seafood and dairy start to smell quickly in Grand Strand humidity.

Use food safety guidance from your local health department or state public health office to decide what must go. Do not guess. Once you decide, handle it like this.

• Wear gloves and tie off bags tightly, then place them in a second bag.
• Put the heavy, smelly bags in the cart as close to pickup as possible.
• Put a layer of newspaper or a paper bag at the bottom of the cart to soak up liquid, if you have it.
• Keep the lid closed and strapped.
• Clean the fridge and freezer with soap and water, and wash your hands after.

If pickup is delayed, store bags somewhere cool and closed until it resumes. A garage with the door closed works better than the driveway.

Cleaning your cans after the storm

Once pickup resumes and the cans are empty, the next job is a wash. Spoiled food leaves liquid and film behind. In heat, eggs hatch fast, and a can that smells today can have maggots by the weekend. Water above 140 degrees kills fly eggs and larvae.

You can do it yourself. Wear gloves. Hose out loose debris, scrub the walls and bottom with a long brush and soap, and rinse. Never mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar. Wash on grass or gravel and keep the water away from storm drains. Let the can dry open in the sun.

If the cans are past a hose job, a one-time clean takes care of it. The deep clean is $49 (sample) for the first can and $15 (sample) for each additional can, with maggot and heavy residue removal included. We wash with 200-degree water and capture the wastewater in our truck instead of rinsing it into the street.

Check for damage

Look over each cart for cracks, a warped lid or a bent axle. Wind and flying debris can damage a cart without any sign from the outside. Replacement carts are handled through your hauler or local office, so ask them how.

Storm prep compared with summer upkeep

Storm season and summer heat ask for different things from your cans. This table sets them side by side so you know which job comes first.

Renters and condo residents have a short version of this list. Ask your property manager where shared dumpsters and carts go before a storm, and bring any private cart indoors or onto a balcony or patio that is secured. Do not leave a cart on a walkway or stairwell, where it can block others.

If you only do one thing, do the last column. A wash after a messy week is the step most people skip.

A simple routine for the whole season

You do not need a complicated plan. A short routine from June through November covers most of what a storm season throws at your cans.

1. Start the season with a clean can. Do it yourself or book a clean in late May or early June.
2. Keep a strap or lid lock on each cart.
3. Know who collects at your address and where to find their notices.
4. Check the forecast and official channels each week of peak season, especially late summer and early fall.
5. After any storm or long outage, empty, wash and dry the cans.

Our summer plan is $40 (sample) a month for the first can, cleaned every two weeks from June through September, then monthly from October or cancel. That timing matches the stretch when heat and storms hit hardest. There is no contract.

For tips on keeping animals out after a storm, read our guide to keeping raccoons and pests out of your trash can.

When to call us

If your cans smell, have larvae or were hit by a storm, you can book a clean. Call (843) 222-0207, Monday to Saturday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and tell us if your pickup day moved. We clean after the hauler empties the cans, so we follow your pickup.

During a storm, put safety first. Use Horry County emergency management and South Carolina emergency management for orders and updates. Cans can wait.