Myrtle Beach Fall Bike Rally had low attendance this year. Hurricane Helene is to blame

Those attending the Myrtle Beach Fall Bike Rally had fewer motorcycles to admire and a smaller crowd to walk through as destruction from Hurricane Helene kept people from attending.

While speaking to longtime attendees at the rally Friday evening, most said there seemed to be a lot fewer people this year. U.S. 17 Business is usually packed with motorcycles, but there were more cars than bikes driving down the road Friday evening.

Hurricane Helene was one of the deadliest storms in South Carolina history , killing at least 41 people in the state and over 200 in the southern region, The State reported. The hurricane made landfall in Florida before heading north and hitting western North and South Carolina.

It brought devastating floods and landslides that demolished people's homes and left millions without power.

Leslye Beaver, owner of the Beaver Bar , said one band and one vendor canceled because of Helene's impact on the western Carolinas. There were also regular customers who live in the areas affected by the hurricane whom she did not see during the motorcycle rally.

The Myrtle Beach Fall Bike Rally is one of three motorcycle rallies held in the area every year. It ran from Sept. 27 to Oct. 6 this year.

"I know faces and where they're from and didn't see some people from out west," said Bill Barber, the special events coordinator at Suck Bang Blow .

At least one vendor said the down tick in attendees impacted his business. Bill Gorby, owner of Evil Clothing , said his sales were 66% lower than normal as of Friday night. He's been selling clothes at the rally for 12 years and had a booth set up at Suck Bang Blow.

"I've never had a bad year like this," Gorby said. "It's hands-down the worst rally."

He said he barely sold anything the first half of the week and sales reached their normal levels on Friday. Gorby said he is hoping to break even on his booth in Murrells Inlet.

Other vendors like Blake Latham, who had an LED and audio installation booth at Suck Bang Blow, said that while it's been slower, his business has been fine.

Lending a helping hand

While many people were gone, that doesn't mean they were forgotten. There were efforts from bikers this weekend to raise money for those who have lost their homes and businesses.

Suck Bang Blow raised $6,200 by auctioning off signed guitars from the bands playing, Barber said. This money will be donated to Samaritan's Purse , a nonprofit that helps people in crisis situations.

Beaver said she will be using the proceeds from the Beaver Bar's Sunday breakfast to put together camping kits for people who lost their homes. This includes buying tents, camping stoves and pillows. She's also trying to get mosquito foggers and other items that aren't being donated as heavily.

"I'm trying to think of everything that people aren't thinking of," Beaver said.