Carolina Beach boardwalk businesses boarded up in preparation for Florence

Businesses along the Carolina Beach boardwalk are boarded up as the town prepares for the wrath of Hurricane Florence.

The town issued a mandatory evacuation Monday evening.

That evacuation started Tuesday morning. All residents are ordered to be off the island by no later than 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Dava Villapinano, owner of the Silver Dollar on the boardwalk put the finishing touches on preparing her bar to face the storm Wednesday morning.

Villapiano opened the bar in 1957. She says it has withstood all major hurricanes this area has seen since it’s opening.

“It’s been through a lot of things,” Villapiano said. “Hopefully it will still be here.”

She has never closed the bar for any hurricanes in the past but says this one “just feels different.”

“It’s the first time I’ve ever closed because the law made me,” Villapiano said.

Villapiano lives about five miles off the island. She is not planning to evacuate.

“Everything’s replaceable,” Villapiano said. “Except for life.”

Copyright 2018 WECT. All rights reserved.