Hurricane Florence in North Carolina | North Carolina

It’s been a little over a year since Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina, and there are parts of the state that are still recovering. Many of my favorite spots around the eastern part of the state were affected and some are still working to rebuild. However, the exciting news is that some projects didn’t miss a beat, and many places were open for business by the spring of 2019.

Each year, the storms are getting stronger and are changing the landscape of places that we know and love so dearly. Hurricane Florence affected so many places, like Wilmington and Wrightsville, Jones County, New Bern, and Pine Knoll Shores to name a few. What’s important to remember about these places is that it’s not just the immediate help that is needed, it’s also the long term support. The best way to continue help with economic development in these areas is to continue visiting and driving tourism to the towns affected. Keep paying it forward by visiting the projects that were already in the works that were resilient, just like the people who weather these storms. Here are some of our favorite places to visit in areas affected by Hurricane Florence, and we hope that you’ll pay them a visit to see how they have transcended the storm.

One Year Since Hurricane Florence in North Carolina

Stay at the Hotel Ballast in Wilmington, visit the Riverwalk, and take in the additions to the district. Take a drive over to Wrightsville and have lunch at South Beach Grille. You can see our overnight getaway details here.
Visit Topsail Island for a day trip and enjoy lunch at the Beach Shop & Grill!
Make a day out of experiencing New Bern. It was one of my favorite places to spend a day with my BFF in college and is one of the prettiest towns in North Carolina.
Book a weekend getaway to the Inn at Pine Knoll Shores. It’s a great, casual hotel right on the beach.
Take a drive through Jones County on your way to Atlantic Beach. It’s a nice place to enjoy a Sunday drive and take in the beautiful countryside. Or visit some of their attractions for an afternoon adventure in Croatan National Forest or exploring the museums.

How to Help Ocracoke after Hurricane Dorian

Two weeks ago, Hurricane Dorian blew threw and created massive flooding on Ocracoke Island. If you’ve been here for a while, you know that Ocracoke is our consistent summer vacation spot. David and I are devastated seeing the photos and wanted to share how you can help the island recover prior to booking your vacation there in the spring and summer. Here are some great opportunities to support the community and its kind folks who so generously share their island with us year after year.

Ocracoke Island Hurricane Dorian Relief: A general fundraiser that will be divided in half between the Lifesaving Church and the Ocracoke United Methodist Church. It’s a faster way for the people on the island to receive the donations and help a large part of the community.
Hurricane Dorian Support for Crews Inn at Ocracoke: Alton is a retired teacher and still heavily involved in support North Carolina teachers. He runs a beautiful B&B on Ocracoke that was just recently featured in Our State Magazine.
Ocracoke School Campus: The students haven’t gone back to school yet because of the flood damage to the facility. However, they are close to securing locations for the students to resume their school year and get back to some sort of routine. If you’d like to help, you can send a tax deductible donation to Hyde County Schools with “Ocracoke School” in the memo line.