Stories from the storm: Business as usual in downtown Wilmington as Hurricane Ian lands

From downtown Wilmington: 'We're here. Rain, snow or tropical storm'

A quiet downtown Wilmington shrugged in the face of Hurricane Ian as the storm blustered through on Friday. Few if any windows were boarded up, with a pile or two of sandbags placed halfheartedly in front of doors on Water Street.

Damage was minimal as of noon, with a broken tree limb at Front and Market and a few deep puddles on Water Street between Market and Princess.

Live updates on Ian:Tornado watch issued, Sunset Beach bridge closing

Most businesses appeared to be open, with such popular restaurants as Front Street Brewery, Nikki's, and Rebellion all serving lunch.

At downtown's oldest bar, The Barbary Coast, longtime manager Ryan Smith ("everyone just calls me Ryan from Barbary") was preparing to open at 1 p.m. as usual.

Smith said he's seen several hurricanes in his 10 years at the Barbary, which was one of the first bars downtown to re-open after Florence in 2018.

At the Bakery 105 event space at Front and Orange streets, at least one Wilmington couple wasn't going to allow Hurricane Ian to ruin their big day.

As the Designs by Amber Lanier florist set up decorations, manager Katie Swain helped prepare for a wedding scheduled for 5:30 p.m. "We're here," Swain said. "Rain, snow or tropical storm."

-- John Staton

From Southport: 'It's part of the deal'

Pete Haislip braces himself against the wind as he snaps photos of water crashing over the bulkhead along Bay Street in Southport. The usually peaceful Cape Fear River is angry, upset by the winds and surge brought on by Hurricane Ian.

Pete Haislip snaps a few more photos before making his way to his home, across the street from -- and thankfully several feet above -- the angry waves.

He started his storm preparation about four days ago, back "when they thought it was going to hit Charleston."

“At first, you breathe a sign of relief — well not relief because no one wants to get hit,” he explained.

But then the storm turned, with Brunswick County now taking the worst side. Things changed, but Pete Haislip for the most part was prepared. He spent Friday morning securing the last-minute items, and now, he sits on his front porch, watching as the waves come dangerously close to his neighbors’ homes.

Pelted by rain, a woman walks by with her two dogs on leashes. Her raincoat billows in the wind.

Pete Haislip, who lives with his wife, Becky Haislip, hopes the worst is behind them.

“It’ll be interesting tonight at high tide,” Pete Haislip said. “If the wind’s gone, and it’s not driving (the water) up here, it’s going to be fine.”

But as the limbs from a large live oak bend in the wind, Becky Haislip points out they still have to be vigilant.

" I don't worry about the flooding like I worry about the wind and the live oaks that around us," she said.

But while the storm has been "an interesting one," they've been through Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, and Isaias.

"You live on the coast, and you know, it's part of the deal," Haislip said.

-- Renee Spencer

From Wrightsville Beach: A view from the pier

While most Wilmington residents stayed home Friday to wait out the storm, around a dozen people, young and old, stood along Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier to watch as Hurricane Ian rolled in.

The storm brought strong wings, heavy rain and an aggressive surf to Wrightsville Beach and the Intracoastal Waterway neared its brink at high tide.

But for Isabella Aftanis, it was a learning experience. As a coastal engineering major at UNCW, she said it was exciting to see the storm coming in. While the New Jersey native stood along the North Carolina coast with her father, Justin, she said many of her professors from UNCW were in the west Florida area where the storm left its most damage.

As a lifelong East Coast resident, Aftanis said Hurricane Ian’s strength as it moved into the area didn’t compare to some of the other storms they have seen. But, they said, the hurricane’s strength as it moved through Florida was shocking, especially as they had friends and family living in the Tampa area.

“It was terrifying,” Aftanis said.

-- Sydney Hoover

From Carolina Beach: 'It's just a lot of water'

Across town, Carolina Beach was a quieter scene as flooded roads blocked people from reaching the usually bustling boardwalk. Parking lots – and a few cars left in them – were submerged as the high tide began to go back out.

Paul Jones, who works at the Kwik Mart and Islander Burgers and Bites, said the flooding out of the marina that covered Carl Winner Drive was typical for hurricanes moving through the area. The water started to gather about an hour before high tide.

Jones has lived in the Wilmington-area for more than 40 years and has seen his share of hurricanes. He said the storm could have been much worse for Carolina Beach, though the flooding was the worst it typically got during big storms, he said.

“It’s just a lot of water,” he said Friday afternoon.

-- Sydney Hoover

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Hurricane Ian updates from Wilmington, NC: photos and videos