Mayor Hatem provides an update on recovery efforts from Hurricane Isaias in Southport.

Mayor’s Transcript:
This is Mayor Joe Pat Hatem, I want to give you an update on Hurricane Isaias or Hurricane I as it will now be referred to: I, for It could have been much worse. There was no loss of life. There was lots of debris. Our waterfront was damaged—roads, sidewalks, bulkheads, and docks. Southport Marina devastated. But we survived and the people of Southport are resilient.

I want to thank the citizens for their cooperation and patience during this time. The city has responded. Public Service Departments and Staff have been outstanding and we are working diligently in City Government on all recovery efforts and this will continue each and every day. Debris removal continues, plans for repairs to our waterfront are being developed and will be implemented, but it is a process that will take time.

Our businesses in Southport are open and Yacht Basin restaurants are also open. And our City has created the “Southport Virtual Merchant Showcase” where restaurants, shops, and summer market vendors are displayed on video, where locals, tourists, and visitors, from anywhere in the state, can view what Southport is doing to promote our local economy and bring business to Southport—responsibly—The Southport Safe Pledge, where shoppers and diners will feel secure in knowing that Southport has taken the measures to decrease the transmission on COVID -19 and that they can shop and dine in a safe and comfortable way.

I want to thank the Department of Tourism and Communication, Randy Jones, Lisa Anderson, and Sharon Venis who created this project. And as always, my thanks to Lisa for Emmy Award Winning Videography.

Hurricane Season is not over, not until November 30th. It reaches its peak on September 10th and Southport knows better than anyone what happened to this quaint fishing village on October 15, 1954. So we remain vigilant and prepared for the next storm should it travel our way.