Families, businesses continue repairs on Oak Island

During the storm, the ocean came rushing beneath homes on the first row of Oak Island and brought all the sand from the dunes with it and deposited it on the road.

Now, the first order of business is to clear several feet of sand from the roads.

"Best we can tell, it can be rebuilt, but it's pretty ugly to look at," said homeowner Eric Sain.

Sain’s family has owned this home since 1981.

He had seen pictures of the damage, but he traveled from his home near Charlotte and saw it for the first time in person Friday.

Sain said he's never seen damage on Oak Island like this.

"We have had damage before, but nothing to this extent," he explained.

Sain says it’s the price of living at the coast.

"If you lie on the beach, you are just one storm away, unfortunately. That's just the way it is," said Sain.

A lot of homes on Oak Island are family homes, passed down from generation to generation.

Having to clean, repair and rebuild is not just hard work, it's emotional work for families.

The storm surge on Oak Island didn't just affect homes, It also affected businesses like the popular Ocean Crest Pier, where so many people come to fish.

"We've probably lost 120 of planking, rails and lighting," said Lynn Small, the manager at Ocean Crest Pier.

The storm surge came up through the floor of the pier house.

Small said she didn't expect the storm surge to be bad.

"Even if we had expected it, I don't know where was anything we could do to make it better," she said.

The storm severely damaged 17 rooms at the Ocean Crest motel.

"Thankfully, I did evacuate my motel. If not, I'm not sure what would have happened to the people," said Walter Logan, owner of the motel.

Now business owners like Logan said they must rush the cleanup so they can capitalize on what’s left of the summer season.

"This in conjunction with COVID-19 has devastated us financially for the year," said Logan.

The curfew has been lifted for the island with the exception of the hardest-hit area, That curfew remains in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice.