Iconic NC resort closing until spring due to Hurricane Florence damage

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. — One of North Carolina’s best-known hotels will be closed for months due to damage from Hurricane Florence.

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The Blockade Runner Beach Resort, part of the Wrightsville Beach landscape for 55 years, announced Wednesday it will close for renovations and hopes to open in the early spring.

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“We made the decision following several weeks of analysis and assessments with engineers and experts,” said Mary Baggett, co-owner and operator of the resort with her brother, William Baggett.

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The decision is a blow for a popular resort that still draws good crowds in the off-season. North Carolina’s beach communities have pushed hard in recent years to draw crowds in what are called “the shoulder seasons,” and that’s been a major benefit for coastal businesses such as the Blockade Runner. But the enormity of Florence, which struck Wilmington on Sept. 14, left the Blockade Runner with significant damage.

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