Foothills Review

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) visited the Oak Island community in August to survey the damage Hurricane Isaias created and speak with locals about the impact on their economy while they struggle to recover from COVID-19 restrictions.

After fighting through months of closures, the impact on the tourism industry in Oak Island is severe, Moore said in a Facebook post on Aug. 10.

“They are facing the dire economic impact of beachfront summer rentals being closed after months of the pandemic, affecting every local business,” he said in his post.

Yet, the community remains resolute, he said.

“After all this, folks here are still in high spirits working together to clean up,” he said in his post.

A post on Moore’s official website states that the Legislature has provided more than $1 billion toward hurricane and tropical storm relief since 2016, and that after spending on pandemic relief, North Carolina still has reserve funds in preparation for natural disasters.

“The North Carolina House prepared carefully for natural disasters and economic crises so that we can provide relief when our people need it most,” Moore said in his Facebook post.