thedrifter
08-31-06, 07:10 AM
Ernesto sloshes into Carolinas
August 31,2006
CHRIS MAZZOLINI
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Even though Tropical Depression Ernesto appears to be weakening, it already may have eroded the tourism dollars beach communities were expecting this holiday weekend.
With Labor Day weekend often considered summer’s last stand, tourist areas such as Topsail Island and Bogue Banks look for it to deliver one last shot of economic steroids before the colder fall and winter months.
But tropical weather can waylay the best of plans.
“I was almost full and now I’m down to three rooms,” said Patricia Liptrap, the owner of the 11-room Sand Dollar Motel in Atlantic Beach. “It seems to always hit Labor Day. Right now, it doesn’t look good for me.”
Liptrap said she’s even worried about the current projections that have the storm heading into the center of the state and the Triangle region. That’s where most of the tourists come from, she said.
“If it hits hard up there, they won’t come down for Labor Day,” she said.
Hal Silver, the co-owner of Through the Looking Glass in Swansboro, said he’s expecting it to be a bit slower this weekend because of the weather.
“I’m sure it’s having an effect of some people leaving,” said Silver. “They don’t know what the storm is going to do. Hopefully, it will go more inland.”
Although Ernesto was downgraded to a tropical depression Wednesday, the storm is expected to bring some rain to the area and possibly cause some flooding.
“The storm itself appears to have diminished somewhat,” said Mark Goodman, Onslow County’s director of Emergency Services and Homeland Security. “We are not going to have any tropical storm winds here, according to the latest track. We are looking for some extensive rain in the area between now and Monday. Most of the rain will fall in the northeast sector of North Carolina.”
The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning Wednesday afternoon for Onslow, Carteret and Pender counties. Kevin Laws, a forecaster with the NWS in Newport, said the rain will be falling Thursday.
“Cold front is sweeping through now, so a lot of counties are getting rain now,” he said. “The rest of it should start coming in (Thursday) afternoon. It looks like it’s moving rather rapidly, so by 2 p.m. Friday it’s already up by Richmond, so it’s zooming right along.”
Laws said the local area could see more than six inches of rain from Ernesto.
Despite the forecast, some business owners remained optimistic, citing the last gasp of summer as an incentive to leave the house, tropical depression or no.
“We are expecting a pretty good weekend simply for the fact that it’s the last big bang weekend before school really gets into swing,” said Elizabeth Barrow, a spokeswoman for the Crystal Coast Tourism Authority. “We do expect some rain, but I don’t think it will hinder a lot of traffic.
“There might be a delay for some of our visitors, but a weekend on the coast if it’s raining, it’s better than any other place when it’s sunny.”
However, extended rains may put a damper on weekend water play.
Should forecasts continue to call for heavy rains in the Carolinas, the Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality section of the N.C. Division of Environmental Health may issue precautionary swimming advisories and shellfish closures.
“That decision will probably be made in the morning or tomorrow sometime,” shellfish director Wayne Mobley said Wednesday afternoon.
Exactly what waters will close or come under an advisory depend on the projected path of the storm, Mobley said.
Dennis Hunt, owner of Atlantis Restaurant at the St. Regis Resort and Bella Luna Restaurant at Villa Capriani in North Topsail Beach, said he still is expecting a pretty big weekend.
“So far, we haven’t seen a lot of cancellations,” he said, adding that a large wedding planned for the weekend is still on. “We’re anticipating a little less than above average crowd. A typical Labor Day, minus 10 percent.”
Since the storm is expected to clear out by late Friday, some business owners expect the rest of the weekend to be busy.
“This storm is going to go up in mid-North Carolina and just be rain and clear up by the time Saturday comes around,” said Sally Covington, the owner of Spinnaker Surf Shop in Surf City. “It will be gorgeous here. We’re hoping people won’t be deterred from all the news and those who need a last-minute beach trip will take it.”
That’s what Liptrap of the Sand Dollar Motel is hoping too, and she’s willing to change her own rules to rescue a potentially lost weekend.
“I normally have a three-night minimum stay for Labor Day,” she said. “Right now, I’ll take two nights.”
Contact Chris Mazzolini at cmazzolini@freedomenc.com or 353-1171, Ext. 229.
Ellie
We are ready;)
August 31,2006
CHRIS MAZZOLINI
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Even though Tropical Depression Ernesto appears to be weakening, it already may have eroded the tourism dollars beach communities were expecting this holiday weekend.
With Labor Day weekend often considered summer’s last stand, tourist areas such as Topsail Island and Bogue Banks look for it to deliver one last shot of economic steroids before the colder fall and winter months.
But tropical weather can waylay the best of plans.
“I was almost full and now I’m down to three rooms,” said Patricia Liptrap, the owner of the 11-room Sand Dollar Motel in Atlantic Beach. “It seems to always hit Labor Day. Right now, it doesn’t look good for me.”
Liptrap said she’s even worried about the current projections that have the storm heading into the center of the state and the Triangle region. That’s where most of the tourists come from, she said.
“If it hits hard up there, they won’t come down for Labor Day,” she said.
Hal Silver, the co-owner of Through the Looking Glass in Swansboro, said he’s expecting it to be a bit slower this weekend because of the weather.
“I’m sure it’s having an effect of some people leaving,” said Silver. “They don’t know what the storm is going to do. Hopefully, it will go more inland.”
Although Ernesto was downgraded to a tropical depression Wednesday, the storm is expected to bring some rain to the area and possibly cause some flooding.
“The storm itself appears to have diminished somewhat,” said Mark Goodman, Onslow County’s director of Emergency Services and Homeland Security. “We are not going to have any tropical storm winds here, according to the latest track. We are looking for some extensive rain in the area between now and Monday. Most of the rain will fall in the northeast sector of North Carolina.”
The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning Wednesday afternoon for Onslow, Carteret and Pender counties. Kevin Laws, a forecaster with the NWS in Newport, said the rain will be falling Thursday.
“Cold front is sweeping through now, so a lot of counties are getting rain now,” he said. “The rest of it should start coming in (Thursday) afternoon. It looks like it’s moving rather rapidly, so by 2 p.m. Friday it’s already up by Richmond, so it’s zooming right along.”
Laws said the local area could see more than six inches of rain from Ernesto.
Despite the forecast, some business owners remained optimistic, citing the last gasp of summer as an incentive to leave the house, tropical depression or no.
“We are expecting a pretty good weekend simply for the fact that it’s the last big bang weekend before school really gets into swing,” said Elizabeth Barrow, a spokeswoman for the Crystal Coast Tourism Authority. “We do expect some rain, but I don’t think it will hinder a lot of traffic.
“There might be a delay for some of our visitors, but a weekend on the coast if it’s raining, it’s better than any other place when it’s sunny.”
However, extended rains may put a damper on weekend water play.
Should forecasts continue to call for heavy rains in the Carolinas, the Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality section of the N.C. Division of Environmental Health may issue precautionary swimming advisories and shellfish closures.
“That decision will probably be made in the morning or tomorrow sometime,” shellfish director Wayne Mobley said Wednesday afternoon.
Exactly what waters will close or come under an advisory depend on the projected path of the storm, Mobley said.
Dennis Hunt, owner of Atlantis Restaurant at the St. Regis Resort and Bella Luna Restaurant at Villa Capriani in North Topsail Beach, said he still is expecting a pretty big weekend.
“So far, we haven’t seen a lot of cancellations,” he said, adding that a large wedding planned for the weekend is still on. “We’re anticipating a little less than above average crowd. A typical Labor Day, minus 10 percent.”
Since the storm is expected to clear out by late Friday, some business owners expect the rest of the weekend to be busy.
“This storm is going to go up in mid-North Carolina and just be rain and clear up by the time Saturday comes around,” said Sally Covington, the owner of Spinnaker Surf Shop in Surf City. “It will be gorgeous here. We’re hoping people won’t be deterred from all the news and those who need a last-minute beach trip will take it.”
That’s what Liptrap of the Sand Dollar Motel is hoping too, and she’s willing to change her own rules to rescue a potentially lost weekend.
“I normally have a three-night minimum stay for Labor Day,” she said. “Right now, I’ll take two nights.”
Contact Chris Mazzolini at cmazzolini@freedomenc.com or 353-1171, Ext. 229.
Ellie
We are ready;)