NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — If you are fishing, boogie boarding, or just sitting back and enjoying the view, the Cherry Grove Pier is back and ready to take on the rest of the summer.
For almost two years the pier had been closed after Hurricane Ian obliterated it. The pier was split in half and had serious damage to the support beams.
Edgar Stephens is the manager of the pier and he said that changes were made to hopefully keep the pier standing if another storm hits.
He said that they raised the pier six to eight feet on the lower end and put in larger braces to give more protection to the structure for the future.
Stephens said, “Hopefully we are prepared now for any storm that does come as much as we can. We have done a lot of the right things and pushed the right buttons and hopefully, we will be ready.
With the pier being closed, businesses around it faced challenges with less foot traffic.
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Patricia Bellamy, Manager at the Driftwood Bar and Grill said that business did slow down, but they still had a steady flow of customers.
Bellamy said, “Since the pier has opened back up we can tell an increase in the sales and with the foot traffic and people coming in.
Though Bellamy said she is happy to be back at work, Logan Benoit, a young surfer said that the fishing pier being reopened has changed things for him.
Benoit said that it is difficult to catch a good wave because it frustrates fishermen when surfers get too close.
It affects us a lot because we have to switch from one of the best sandbars to one of the worst,” said Benoit.
Stephens said that the pier is not just for fishing, but that it is a destination for a lot of families that have been visiting for years.