Atlantic Beach still reels from Florence, preps for Dorian

ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C. (WTVD) — Residents in Atlantic Beach are preparing for Hurricane Dorian while still reeling from Hurricane Florence.

Tony Jeffries drove in from his home in Rocky Mount to secure his beach property.

He boarded up every window and door. He is hoping to save whatever he can, especially after what he’s been through in the last year.

“We had water through the second (floor), then all the way down to the first floor,” he said. “I don’t know if there was a roof in this area that wasn’t damaged.”

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Jeffries and his wife finally reached a goal this past weekend.

“We finished one of the bathrooms. That was the final repair from Florence,” he said.

Gov. Roy Cooper has issued mandatory evacuations for all barrier islands.

Red flags are waving along the shoreline. Lifeguards are gone for the season. Firefighters and police officers have been patrolling to make sure nobody goes in the choppy water.

The Atlantic Beach Police Chief said the storm could limited or suspend bridge access to Atlantic Beach.

“If it’s not a devastating hit, once the wind subsides and we make sure that all the streets are clear, we can just let the people back on without much hassle at all,” Chief Jeff Harvey said.

MORE: Here’s what you actually need to prepare for Hurricane Dorian