Business is returning to normal at many campgrounds and RV parks in North and South Carolina, particularly as road conditions improve in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
“Business is picking up again,” said Barb Krumm, director of marketing and public relations for Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, S.C., which has 859 campsites and 300 beach house rentals.
While Ocean Lakes’ occupancy declined in September as a result of Hurricane Florence and flooded roadways near the coast, much of the floodwater has receded to the point where roads are reopening and allowing travelers to reach the park again.
“A lot of the roads are now open. I-95 opened last week,” Krumm said, adding that the latest road reports for South Carolina are available at https://www.scdot.org.
North Carolina road reports are available at https://www.ncdot.gov/Pages/default.aspx.
“September was rough for the Carolinas, especially along the coast, and the flooding has really impacted many local families and businesses – for many, life has a new ‘normal’ – we all want to keep them in mind,” Krumm said.
Ocean Lakes had previously scheduled three “Hallo weekends” this month, with holiday themed contests for pumpkin carving, site decorating and costumes (including pets), a family festival, a Monster Mash Ball, and trick o’treating, but has added a mini-Halloween weekend Oct. 5-6 to boost business and morale, Krumm said.
Other parks near the coast are also seeing a gradual return to normalcy.
“Things are starting to improve for sure. We’re looking forward to having a great October,” said Vickie Fuller, administrative manager for Pirateland Camping Resort in Myrtle Beach, which has 1,480 sites, including 650 annual sites.
“We were able to provide safe harbor for many evacuees in the days leading up to and during the storm,” said Michael Way of the Greensboro KOA Journey campground in Greensboro, N.C.
The Boone KOA in Boone, N.C. also took in evacuees, according to park managers, who added that all park activities are on schedule.
