In the first areas to feel the hurricane’s punch, though, there was minor flooding and major relief.

“It’s not nearly as bad as it could have been,” said Bobby Outten, manager of Dare County, which includes Roanoke Island and much of the Outer Banks, a vulnerable stretch of Carolina coast.

Nearby Nags Head, a fragile barrier island, escaped with no serious damage. “We were lucky,” said Mayor Bob Oakes.

http://www.latimes.com/