Many residents who evacuated North Carolina's Outer Banks ahead of Hurricane Florence made their way Saturday back onto the barrier islands, a popular tourist destination spared from the worst of the storm's wrath.
While other parts of the state were suffering catastrophic flooding from a storm that caused at least seven deaths, county officials and business owners on the low-lying islands reported relatively minimal damage, and there were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities.
[STEP-BY-STEP: How to customize your WSOCTV news app experience]
"We were really blessed on this one," said Matt Paulson, a two-decade resident of coastal North Carolina who owns the First Light restaurant in Corolla.
While the Outer Banks made it past Florence fairly unscathed, scientists say they remain incredibly vulnerable to future storms and climate change. The islands are experiencing some of the fastest rates of sea level rise in the world, nearly an inch a year. That rate is expected to accelerate as the oceans warm, sea water expands, currents weaken and polar ice sheets melt.
"Sooner or later we need to get out of there," Orrin H. Pilkey, a professor emeritus of geology at Duke University, told The Associated Press before the storm hit.
Pilkey said Saturday that's still "absolutely true."
"We cannot hold the shoreline still in the context of a rising sea level," he said. "No possibility."
Forecasts earlier in the week had suggested things could be far worse, and North Carolina's governor issued what he called a first-of-its-kind mandatory evacuation order for all the barrier islands.
On Saturday morning, authorities began allowing residents as well as workers and property owners to begin returning to the northern portion of the islands. Visitors were expected to be allowed entry to the same area beginning Sunday.
Hurricane content:
- A warmer world makes hurricanes wetter and more intense
- Mother, infant, among several killed by Hurricane Florence
- Florence could dump enough rain to fill the Chesapeake Bay
- WHAT'S HAPPENING: Rain still in the forecast from Florence
- Regulators keep watch on toxic waste sites during hurricane
- Hurricane Florence to test South Carolina infrastructure
- Snakes alive! As waters rise, beware of reptiles
- Birds thrown from vehicle while being transported from the coast
- 'We are coming to get you': Crews work to rescue residents from rising flood waters
- 5 hacks to keep your smartphone charged during a power outage
- 'Threat becomes reality': Florence begins days of rain, wind
- 2 years after disastrous flood, Florence scares small town
- Verizon Wireless, other companies offer free service to those impacted by storm
- 4 people arrested for break-ins after Hurricane Florence evacuations, sheriff says
- Florida opens up hotel rooms, ports to Florence evacuees
- Residents worried about more flooding in I-77 construction area with hurricane coming
- VIDEO: What to do the minute your flight is canceled
- Anheuser Busch, other breweries swap beer for water before storm
- Duke Energy says 75% of Carolina customers could lose power
- Closed ports, lost power: How storm could hurt Carolina economy
- EXPLAINER: Why North Carolina is vulnerable to hurricanes
- North Carolina's wild horses know how to survive hurricane
- Only 3 Category 4 hurricanes have made landfall in the Carolinas
- Hurricane Florence: Waffle House Index prepared for storm
- Hurricane Florence: What to do before, during and after a flood
- Florence could flood NC hog manure pits, coal ash dumps
- East Coast hurricane scenario showed potential for disaster
- Hurricane Florence: Those who have lived through storms offer their advice
- Charlotte Motor Speedway to welcome evacuees from Florence
- Hurricane Florence: What is a Category 4 hurricane and what can it do?
- South Carolina officials urge dam checks before hurricane
- 'Gray Man' ghost appears before major hurricanes, SC legend says
- Comparing Hurricane Florence with past storms in the Carolinas
- Hurricane Florence: These airlines will waive fees for flights impacted by storm
- Will a hurricane be named after you this season? 2018 storm names are here
- What is the Saffir-Simpson scale; how does it work; is there a Category 6?
- How dangerous is a hurricane? Understanding hurricane categories
- Hurricane, tropical storm and tropical depression: What's the difference?
- What is a storm surge and why is it dangerous?
- 9 weather terms you should know when preparing for a hurricane
- Everything you need to know to prepare for hurricane season
- How to use the internet during the storm when your internet is down
- Taking photos of your home before a storm can speed up insurance process
"They absolutely have started rolling in," Dare County spokeswoman Dorothy Hester said. Photos the county posted showed some traffic backups as local law enforcement worked to cycle cars through checkpoints.
A preliminary damage assessment showed about a half-million dollars of damage in Dare County, Hester said, a figure she said was "quite fortunate."
Further south on Ocracoke Island, power was back up and there were no reports of serious structural damage, Hyde County spokesman Donnie Shumate said.
"Ocracoke is fine. It's just a matter of getting to Ocracoke right now," Shumate said. Ferries weren't yet running to the island that's accessible only by boat or air.
Paulson, the restaurant owner, said the upcoming week is generally a busy one for local businesses. Many visitors to the Outer Banks stay in weekly rentals and generally start their vacations on Saturdays or Sundays.
Rental properties will be open, said Clark Twiddy, president of Duck-based Twiddy Realty, which has more than 1,000 rentals. But vacationers will have problems getting to the coast because of road issues, especially if they travel through eastern North Carolina to get there, Twiddy said.
Susie Fisher, who works at a Food Lion in Southern Shores in accounting and as a cashier, opted not to evacuate. She said that when tourists start returning Sunday morning, she's not sure they'll find what they need.
"The shelves are pretty empty, and we don't expect our first truck until Sunday, maybe, if they can get through," she said.
Twiddy emphasized that while he was glad the Outer Banks were spared from worse destruction, the devastation just went elsewhere.
"I don't want to sound like we're relieved, lucky, or excited," he said. "We're fortunate, but our hearts are in southeastern North Carolina."
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:
- DAMAGE REPORTS: Florence topples trees, shuts down roads across region
- MINUTE-BY-MINUTE: Flood risk rises as Florence weakens to tropical depression
- Looters raid Wilmington Family Dollar; police pull back at management request
- WATCH: Keith Monday and Jaclyn Shearer's Sunday forecast outlook
- CMPD officer rescues motorist suffering from medical emergency while driving
Associated Press