Oak Island business losing customers following Hurricane Matthew

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — In Oak Island, some businesses say they are seeing less customers following Hurricane Matthew.

Since the hurricane, owner of Ahoy Donuts in Oak Island Scott Atherton says that tourism isn’t here.

“I did not expect people to not come back,” Atherton said. “It was almost like somebody turned the faucet off.”

Atherton says after moving locations late last year, he has seen a decline in business.

“It hasn’t been what it was last year or the year before,” Atherton said. “So yes we have felt the effect of people not coming to the island.”

Atherton does not know exactly why business is down, but he believes that it may have something to do with how the beaches were affected after the hurricane.

“I believe that the perception is that they perceive that our beaches were completely gone, eroded and you couldn’t even walk on them, which isn’t the case,” Atherton said. “But that perception has led them to go to other beaches.”

He understands that the main tourist season comes in after Easter and things should pick up then.

But he wants people to know that the beaches are fine and Oak Island is open for business.

“I think the city needs to get behind the promotion that Oak Island is still here, nothing ever happened,” Atherton said. “The beaches are fine.”