Hurricane Irene is gone but its effects linger on. The storm couldn't have come at a worse time for an area that relies on its tourism industry. Irene completely washed out a section of Highway 12 just north of Rodanthe. That means the only way to reach Hatteras Island as the important Labor Day Weekend approaches is by boat. Michael Gardener is manager of the Sea Side Inn in Hatteras Village.
Michael Gardener: "Out of 11 rooms I doubt that you'd see maybe 1 or 2 rented at this point. I mean right now you can't even get from one village to the next. And we still don't have power so it almost looks a total washout for the weekend."
Gardener says he probably could have rented twice the number of rooms he manages on a typical Labor Day weekend. Officials are working to get an estimate on how long it will take to repair NC 12.
