Hurricane Isaias is responsible for $10 million in damage to millions of homes and businesses in Oak Island, North Carolina. The manager of Ocean Crest Fishing Pier, Lynn Small, said that the pier and hotels suffered over $1 million in damages. This property is in the center of Oak Island – which was in a mandatory evacuation zone. The area that typically would attract crowds of people is locked down by police while repairs are made.
Lynn Small states that “it has been hell and tough without power, water, and food. We get by, but you don’t realize it until you’re without.” Small stated that nearly 100 feet of the pier is now gone due to the storm. Pieces of the pier have washed up to the beach, but there are still pieces deep in the water.
“Hurricane Isaias is the most recent challenge for Oak Island business owners. With COVID-19, we’ve already had a trickling effect,” Kelly said. “Restaurants, realtors, and visitors have already been affected by that, then we had the storm come in,” as stated by the Town Manager David Kelly.
Lynn Small estimates that 40% of Ocean Crest Fishing Pier’s business is lost due to the pandemic. Additionally, the damages from Hurricane Isaias caused the company to shut down and lose all business.
“The west end of the island is reopening, however,” David Kelly said. “People shouldn’t forget the island and we need to get the message out there that we are open, and we do have places to rent where people can stay.”
According to the Town Manager, the most damaged areas are expected to be restored enough to resume normal operations within two to three months. “We’re pretty doggone strong,” added Small. “Everyone is doing what they have to do to get rolling again, hang in there. Were all working hard but we’re gonna have some season left. Can’t give you a day but I think we’re gonna have some left.”
Hurricane Isaias has affected many residents and businesses. We encourage residents and business owners to download our Hurricane Preparation Guide. In addition, we recommend having your insurance policies reviewed before catastrophic damages occur. Brandon Lewis and our team at Strategic Claim Consultants work directly with policyholders after storm damage has occurred. We work on the policyholder’s behalf and ensure that frustration is reduced, claim’s payouts are maximized, and restoration is expedited.