I'm in Myrtle Beach, SC and love it here. I belong to two quilting guilds and could belong to one every day of the week...but enough is enough! There are several local quilt shops, Walmart has fabric, but no JoAnns or Hancocks close by.
I think there are snakes in every state of the country, so completely avoiding them may be impossible. All I can say is that I haven't seen any of them yet.
There is no way to guarantee that you won't have a weather disaster, no matter where you go. But if hurricanes scare you (and I understand why they do!) then coastal SC is not the place for you. Having said that, we haven't had a hurricane for the 6 years we've been here. As for flooding, coastal Carolina isn't called the 'low country' for nothing.
I'm more afraid of run away forest fires than hurricanes...uh-oh, one more thing for you to worry about!
Good luck on your home hunting!