FACT CHECK: Image Claims To Show Hurricane Isaias Over Myrtle Beach ’30 Minutes Ago’

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows Hurricane Isaias looming over Myrtle Beach in South Carolina “30 minutes ago.”

Verdict: False

The image shows a piece of digital artwork, not Isaias over Myrtle Beach.

Fact Check:

Facebook users started sharing the photo of an ominous storm cloud looming above a coastal Ferris wheel as Isaias made landfall as a hurricane north of Myrtle Beach during the evening of Aug. 3. It was later downgraded to a tropical storm. The caption for this particular Aug. 3 post reads, “Myrtle Beach 30 minutes ago.”

Through a reverse image search, the Daily Caller discovered that the image is actually digital storm artwork, not a photo of Isaias over Myrtle Beach. Brent Shavnore, an artist and former Marine, created the piece and posted it on his Instagram in May. It also appears on his website.

“It is digital artwork and was created by me on May 12th – not a real photo,” Shavnore confirmed to the Caller via email. (RELATED: Did Myrtle Beach Report 220,000 New COVID-19 Cases?)

Isaias brought high winds and flooding to Myrtle Beach, according to The Post and Courier. Large portions of sand dunes in North Myrtle Beach were also eroded by the storm surge, Myrtle Beach Sun News reported.

“The dunes did exactly what they were supposed to do; they protected the infrastructure that is behind the dunes,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Col. Rachel Honderd told Myrtle Beach Sun News. “And while there is some damage down the way it is clear that no dunes failed.”

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
Follow Elias on Twitter Have a fact check suggestion? Send ideas to [email protected].

Trending