North Carolina, After the Storm: What Travelers Need to Know

Hurricane Florence may have struck the Carolinas only a week ago, but that’s not stopping surfers at the Easterns Surfing Championships, currently underway in Nags Head, North Carolina. Tourism on the barrier islands known as the Outer Banks, as in much of the state, is up and running.

“We’re dealing with the challenge of helping Americans understand the Outer Banks are open and ready for business,” said Aaron Tuell, a spokesman for the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. “We’ve taken a lot of calls wondering if we’re open and they are surprised we were spared.”

North Carolina experienced the worst of the storm, and much of the southeast section of the state is still underwater as rivers continue to crest with the water dumped by the slow-moving storm. But from the northern coast inland to artsy Asheville and the Great Smoky Mountains, many of North Carolina’s popular tourism destinations are counting their blessings.

“We’re a state with a lot of rivers that tend to run south and east so all that water is flowing south and east and wreaking havoc with roads on the way to get to the beaches there,” said Wit Tuttell, the executive director of Visit North Carolina, the state tourism office.

The Visit North Carolina website maintains a frequently updated page on Florence’s damage, warning against travel in the southeast. Some coastal destinations there escaped serious damage, such as Wrightsville Beach, but remain isolated by flooding. Some parks, including Hammocks Beach State Park and Fort Macon State Park are expected to reopen in the coming days. Cape Lookout National Seashore has not announced a reopening date.

In South Carolina, eight counties were declared disaster areas, but most of its coastal beaches are reopened. North Myrtle Beach, near the border with North Carolina, was the most popular tourism destination affected by the storm. It has reopened, though detours on flooded or impassable roads inland may slow motorists from reaching them.

Neighboring Myrtle Beach survived the storm intact and is now offering discounted lodging to evacuees and encouraging all visitors to check with the South Carolina Department of Transportation on road closures. Its airport is open as is the coastal highway U.S. 17.

Travelers can again reach North Carolina via its main airports, which are all operating without storm-related delays. Delta Air Lines is extending its grace period for itinerary changes without fees through Monday, Sept. 24 on flights into or out of Jacksonville, New Bern and Wilmington, all in southeast North Carolina.

Amtrak plans to restore service on the Carolinian from New York City to Charlotte today. New York to Miami trains are canceled or modified through Tuesday, Sept. 25. Passengers with reservations on trains with modified schedules may be rebooked without a fee by calling 800-872-7245.

Travel to the south by car is tougher. Several major roads have been flooded, including parts of I-40, I-95, U.S. 70, U.S. 17 and U.S. 421. North Carolina Department of Transportation is warning motorists to avoid southeastern and south central North Carolina. The free ReadyNC smartphone app provides updates on weather, traffic conditions, power outages and shelters.

“It’s very positive that it turned into a rain event more so than a wind event,” Tuttell said, adding that ferries to Okracoke Island, roughly 20 miles off the mainland, will reopen this weekend. “Rain dumps a lot of water but we didn’t get bad beach erosion or the destructive activity that we would have if a Category 4 had hit.”

In South Carolina, I-95 remains closed in both directions near the flooded Great Pee Dee River outside Florence, and beach-bound motorists will find detours.

“The secondary roads that take you to the beach, you might have to take a different route,” said Duane Parrish, the director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. “The weather is great, we’d love to have you but pack your patience.”

Back on the Outer Banks, tourism is resuming with incentives to lure travelers. The Outer Banks tourism authority, noting “the coast is clear,” has a list of promotions on its website, including 15 percent off hotel rates and free nights at lodging rentals.

“We haven’t had much in the way of cancellations, but we have had soft bookings this week,” Tuell of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau said. “We want to help share the word that the Outer Banks are open. What’s good for the Outer Banks is good for the state and its recovery.”

In Duck, North Carolina, the Sanderling Resort escaped significant damage and reopened Monday, Sept. 17 after the storm passed. Now, it’s offering a deal in which guests pay for two nights and get the third free. It is encouraging guests to donate a minimum of $5 to hurricane recovery efforts to receive 10 percent off rooms rates in September and October and 20 percent in November and December. Proceeds will go to the public safety agencies in the flooded coastal town of Swansboro, North Carolina.

“The Outer Banks as a whole were very, very blessed and being sensitive to that we want to be good neighbors and work with folks affected now,” said Wendy Murray, the resort’s sales and marketing director.