Wrightsville Beach escapes Idalia with minor impact
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (WTVD) -- In the Town of Wrightsville Beach, there were still clear signs of Idalia's fury Thursday afternoon.
Power crews and utility teams were hard at work making repairs after strong wind gusts had their way.
"We prepared. We even wrapped up like the ATM. We wrapped up our computers. But honestly, it wasn't bad until last night," said Sydney Norman.
The coastal community felt the greatest impact from the tropical system Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.
Idaila dropped heavy rain, brought strong wind gusts, and localized flooding.
Business owners hoped the impact would be mild and for the most part, it was for Carolina's coast.
Norman who works at Breeza, a souvenir shop, said that with Idalia out of the way it makes room for the perfect holiday weekend, the last rush of the summer season
RELATED: Waters slowly receding, but long road ahead for Whiteville after flooding from Idalia
"That's like our moneymaker. We are already seeing it kind of die down a little bit. So I know we're excited for this weekend because if the weather's good, people will finally be here. That'll probably be our last rush," she explained
Rental property owners like Brandon Bonnett also depend on the holiday rush. He spent the day after the storm prepping his rental property for his Labor Day guests.
"Just cleaning, making sure everything's in place, putting back together things that we had to prep for, said Bonnett. "We don't want our deck chairs flying across the road. So we try and keep everything together."
While the storm is gone, the threat isn't over for beachgoers this weekend. Swells from both major storms near our coast, Franklin and Idalia, make for dangerous water conditions
"Just be cautious," said New Hanover County Emergency Management Director Steven Still at a media briefing Thursday afternoon.
"Be careful in and about the water this weekend. If you're unfamiliar, uncomfortable with your swimming abilities, don't chance it," he added.
