Wilmington-area businesses saw a mix of economic activity due to delays and closings because of recent winter storms.

The area saw light snow and ice accumulation Feb. 24 that was enough to keep some students, workers and customers home. A year earlier, the area saw its second-largest ice storm ever recorded, when freezing rain took down trees and power lines in mid-February, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Though southeastern North Carolina did not get the brunt of storms in recent weeks as other parts of the state – transportation officials announced in early March they had spent $53.1 million on preparations and clean up – the inclement weather did impact some owners.

“Some businesses that would ordinarily open would not be open. Some of my favorite restaurants weren’t open,” William “Woody” Hall, professor of economics and finance at University of North Carolina Wilmington, said about the recent ice storm. “The restaurant industry statewide nets $150 million a day. That loss will never be
recovered completely.”

Several restaurants such as the Front Street Brewery and Hell’s Kitchen decided to remain open throughout the storm to avoid those consequences. 

“We were keeping an eye on things, and if the roads started to freeze up, we would make decisions as they came up,” said Chris Levesque, Front Street Brewery
manager. “We closed an hour early one day, but that is all.”

Hell’s Kitchen, a bar specializing in pub grub, capitalized on its Taco Tuesday deal while other establishments remained closed. Employees were not required to work, restaurant officials said, but they staffed a full crew.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center remained open and did not see significant decreases in staff available.

“We had a few surgeries cancelled and no significant call outs from a staffing perspective,” said hospital spokeswoman Martha Harlan.

N.C. Department of Transportation workers prepped roads in New Hanover County by spreading brine, a mixture of salt and water, and pouring a sand and salt mixture to deter the threat of black ice.

The organization, however, postponed all construction projects in the city, said NCDOT spokesman Brian Rick.

“As severe as the weather was, when we saw freezing rain, we knew there was no work being performed that day,” Rick said.

New Hanover County Schools, UNCW and Cape Fear Community College also closed Feb. 24.

While some losses cannot be recovered when winter weather hits, there could be an upside to the storms, Hall said.

“The downside of the storm is it may have damaged some property, and that must be fixed if it is not inhabitable,” he said. “There is reduction in the value of an asset.
If you have an asset that depreciates over time, you must replace it with a fix that makes the property more valuable.”

Hall says it’s nothing like hurricane damage in the late 90s, which had a major impact on area property values.

Yet due to damage accumulated from the storm, by both residential and commercial properties, local construction companies such as Clancy & Theys Construction Co. and Flores & Foley reported seeing increases in business.

“There is a change in the upbeat tempo in more inquiries as opposed to shots in the dark,” said Robert Bridgers of Clancy & Theys.

Peter Foley, owner of Flores & Foley, said the largest problem reported to them was water damage.

“If you are in the trade of the roofing world today, not only is there a lot more work,” he said, “but there has been pent-up demand between new construction and old construction that has been slowed down.”