Residents return to Pleasure Island after Florence

A long line of cars extended down Carolina Beach Road from the Snows Cut Bridge Monday afternoon.

Dozens of people wanted to get across the bridge and check on their properties after a weekend of heavy wind and rain courtesy of Hurricane Florence.

Law enforcement officers manned a checkpoint where they allowed residents and business owners to pass over the bridge and on to the island. Each driver was asked to present a town identification card or decal before being allowed to continue on to the island.

Doug Andrews stopped to see his home on Canal Drive Monday afternoon. He immediately noticed that his wife’s garden was likely ruined by storm surge. His glass front door was also smashed, but he avoided catastrophic damage.

“Other than some cleanup and a little bit of shingles here and there, we’re in great shape,” Andrews said in an interview.

He went through each room in the house to check for storm damage. He also left a crab pot on the floor to gauge whether or not water would move the pot. To his delight, the pot was in the same position where he had left it. His home had not flooded.

Andrews said he will try to help his neighbors who may have suffered more damage to their homes.

“I’m retired so I can work and fix things at my leisure,” said Andrews. “The rest of the community still has a job and responsibility and they can’t devote a hundred percent of their time so hopefully I’ll be able to help other people in the rebuilding process.”

Residents could only get on to Pleasure Island between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday. A curfew was still in place for the island Monday night.

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