Several Southport seniors remain displaced after PTC 8

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — In September, Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight damaged Brunswick Village Apartments in Southport.  

Eight seniors were left without a place to stay. One of those people is 80-year-old Dorothy Wade.  

Wade’s apartment in building 251 was completely flooded. She said she lost everything, including her car.  

“At the time I had just gotten out of the hospital, and I wasn’t able to do much of anything,” Wade explained. 

Wade said the company that oversees the apartments—Westminster Management—told her she would be able to return to her apartment in December, but that didn’t happen. 

In the meantime, Wade was able to stay with her son in South Carolina until after the holidays.  

Last week, she was told by Brunswick County Emergency Management that she could temporarily stay at a Wingate Hotel in Southport free of charge. 

“Yesterday was a week for me, and they extended it yesterday for another week,” Wade said. “She told me yesterday that the funds have ran out and we don’t know what we’re going to do now. ”  

Wade noted she and her son repeatedly reached out to Westminster Property Management when a return date was never given, though she never heard back. 

WWAY reached out to the property management company about the repairs. 

Senior Vice President Ron Cagno told us the building was still not safe to open in December because of water damage to the floors. He said that issue has since been resolved.  

“That has been rectified, we’ve installed a vapor barrier and floating floors. So the units will be finalized with punch list items either later today or tomorrow and we’ll be moving all our residents back in next week,” Cagno said. 

Additionally, Cagno said he is unaware of any messages that were left with Westminster’s corporate office in Greensboro. 

Wade said as she waits for her apartment to be safe again, she’s relying on hope—and her faith. 

“I know God is able and he will take care of everything. So I’m trying not to be too impatient and just lean on him and depend on him,” Wade said. 

After our interview, we told Wade that Westminster will open building 251 next week. She said she’s eager to move back in, just in the nick of time.