Businesses try to dry out, work to reopen

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Many business owners on Carolina Beach are starting to pick up the pieces after much of the area saw substantial flooding during Florence.

While some business are still are boarded up, over at Pop’s Diner the clean up has already started.

Owner Patrick Puffpaff says he has been in that location for nine years and has never seen flooding like this before but he expected it to be worse.

“I thought it was going to be a lot worse, but luckily it slowed down and became a category 1,” Puffpaff said. “As far as Carolina Beach I think the eye hung out here so it wasn’t as windy, but it was a lot more rain and flooding.”

He thinks Pop’s Diner had about a foot of water. Puffpaff hopes he can have most of the work done on the diner by Friday.