South Bethany began in 1952 when Richard and Mrs. Hall purchased 130 acres and named it South Bethany, and construction of the canals started that year and continued until 1962. By 1959 there were 500 property owners. In 1962 the Perfect Storm, also called the Storm of the Century, devastated Delaware's entire coast. In 1965 Governor Charles Terry Jr. signed a bill allowing the incorporation of South Bethany, but homeowners defeated the first referendum in 1966 before approving incorporation in 1969, when the state also approved it. That year the first town election filled seven commission seats, including the first mayor, the town office opened in May Felerski's house at 5 N. 2nd St. and remained there until 1978, and the community had 250 homes with 15 full-time residents. Life guards were first hired in 1971 to protect the beach and bathers. In 1972 Sussex County imposed a moratorium on building permits within 1000 feet of the ocean to ensure restoration of the primary dune, sewer line installation began with all homeowners required to participate, and York Beach and Paradise Shores were annexed. A severe nor'easter caused considerable beach and street damage in 1974, and Bayside Tennis Club opened that year. The sewer system was completed in 1977, the first two traffic lights were installed at the north and south ends of town on Rt. 1, and a federal grant helped build a town hall on land donated by Mrs. Hall; the first town hall and office were dedicated there in 1978. In 1980 the ocean and canals froze over for the first recorded time. The Delaware Supreme Court lifted the construction moratorium on the dune in 1981, and nor'easters in 1981 and 1982 severely damaged Ocean Drive; in 1982 Sharp Energy began providing underground propane gas to residents. Sandpiper Village was annexed in 1983, the South Bethany Property Owners Association was formally organized, a serious nor'easter dropped over a foot of snow, and the town counted 1,282 properties, 748 homes, and 105 full-time residents. In 1985 rip rap was mandated for all oceanfront homes to protect Ocean Drive, beach replenishment created an engineered beach to replace lost sand, and the Cat Hill area was annexed as Cat Hill Development opened; Cat Hill Water Company was constructed in 1986. In 1992 Cat Hill conveyed 22 acres of wetland to the town, Neighborhood Watch formed as part of the property owners association, and the worst nor'easter to date led to a mandatory evacuation. In 1998 Artesian Water built a water tower and began providing street water service, Chesapeake Utilities installed lines for future gas service by Sharp Energy, and another severe storm brought a mandatory evacuation. The first beach replenishment by the Army Corps of Engineers was carried out in 1999. A 2003 nor'easter brought help from the National Guard, an underground gas storage facility was installed behind town hall in 2004, and in 2008 the current town hall and separate police building were dedicated while a Fifty Year beach replenishment added a 16 foot protective dune. The town purchased Richard Hall Memorial Park from the Hall family heirs in 2010, added bio-retention gardens and extensive landscaping to Route 1 in 2011, endured Super Storm Sandy in 2012 with the worst bayside flooding in memory affecting 800 homes, and in 2014 the South Bethany Historical Society published The Best Little Beach in Delaware.