Environment

Since 2020, Isle of Palms’ city leaders have faced several ongoing issues such as short-term rentals, noise levels, coyote activity, community enrichment and the management of traffic and parking. Heading into the new year though, beach preservation is not only expected to remain the island’s top priority by a wide margin but will likely carry more importance for the … [Read more...] about New Beach Preservation Committee born from erosion control efforts

While beach renourishment has become a heightened issue in the last two decades for Isle of Palms, 2026 could end up as the island’s most critical year for determining whether the island recovers from lingering erosion issues. “Both ends of the island have eroded at a higher rate over the past few years compared to historical trends,” said Steven Traynum, president of … [Read more...] about IOP continues to pump resources into beach erosion issues

The Family Vacation Rental Group (FVR) presented a $10,000 check to the Island Turtle Team for its ongoing genetics research program last month. “Supporting the Island Turtle Team is an example of our commitment of ng back to our community,” co-chair Mel Miles stated. “We are also posting ‘Lights Out for Turtles’ signs in our oceanfront vacation homes to ensure that our … [Read more...] about FVR donates $10K to Island Turtle Team for genetic research

Debby and Helene. Two storms which impacted us in 2024, and in the case of Helene, a storm which will most likely be a case study for many years to come. Helene busted the typical mold of hurricanes being a coastal problem, showing us again, as Hugo did some 36 years ago, that tropical storms and hurricanes can impact people living inland. In fact, residents in western North … [Read more...] about Is the Lowcountry past due for a hurricane?

While catching sharks off Isle of Palms is routine for many local fishermen, it will soon be illegal to purposely fish for them along the island’s beaches in certain instances due to the dangers they pose to swimmers and large groups of beachgoers. IOP City Council members have been trying for several months to determine the best all-around solution to maintaining public … [Read more...] about Shore-based shark fishing faces restrictions, poses risk to swimmers

Though Isle of Palms has faced increasing environmental challenges in the last two decades from severe flooding and beach erosion, one endeavor appears to be solving two problems at once: dredging excess sand from the Intracoastal Waterway around the IOP Connector and transferring it to highly-eroded areas between 10th Avenue and 2nd Avenue in the western part of the … [Read more...] about Intracoastal Waterway dredging digs for flooding, erosion answers: Beach renourishment funding saves IOP $4.5M

Hurricane season is upon us. In a severe storm, emergency services will have to evacuate the area for the protection of personnel and emergency equipment and may not be available to respond to calls for service. Review the following hurricane preparation checklist for essential and emergency supplies. Remember: Don’t be scared, be prepared! Essential Supplies Have a … [Read more...] about Hurricane Preparation: Storm season supply guide

After simmering for 17 months, the long-awaited rescheduled court case of an Isle of Palms resident is over. However, the judge’s ruling as to whether the seawall’s construction has legal merit is still in limbo. Long before a trial date was set, IOP resident Rom Reddy made it clear that despite any potential legal action against him, “I am going to fight it for myself. I … [Read more...] about Ruling lingers on legality of IOP resident’s seawall

Acommittee of IOP residents that includes local business owners, former civic leaders and environmentalists is bringing a proposal before IOP City Council on May 27 to request approval to plant palm trees in the Front Beach Lot B parking lot as part of a community-driven beautification effort. The endeavor, dubbed Plant-A-Palm 2.0, entailed an initial goal of planting 100 … [Read more...] about Community group replants palm tree donation plan

Editor’s Note: The following editorial was sourced from “Carolinas Rip Current Awareness” published by the National Weather Service. NWS offices across the coastal Carolinas hosted their inaugural Carolinas Rip Current Awareness Week on April 27 through May 3. Rip currents are the deadliest and most common hazard people face at the beaches of North and South Carolina, as … [Read more...] about Beach smarter with rip current awareness