OBX businesses begin Sandy cleanup

OUTER BANKS, N.C. (WAVY) - The flood waters from Hurricane Sandy left many Outer Banks businesses flooded. Now, owners are working to clean up Sandy's damage and open back up for business. 

The water was high enough to close down several businesses along the beach side of Kitty Hawk. Sandy's storm surges were so powerful that one shopping center parking lot was turned into a basin.

“The water got about two to three feet deep outside of the museum and above the whole shopping center. Inside the water was at least 14 inches high," Outer Banks Children's Museum director Alyssa Hannon said.

North Carolina Department of Transportation has brought in pumps to push the flood waters back to the ocean that allowed business owners to finally start drying out their belongings.

”We've been taking everything that we can off the walls and we've been putting everything in boxes, tearing it out and we've been mopping the floors, taking things apart pulling up carpet,” Hannon said.

Many business owners were able to salvage a lot of equipment and items, but they say the days they were closed and missed out on business will hurt them the most. 

"It really bothers me a lot because I know a lot of moms depend on this place on bad weather days,” Hannon said.

Hannon says it will be even harder for the Children's Museum to recover.

"Because we're a non-profit, we have very little funds to operate on a daily basis so for us to be closed for the next two months is going to have a huge impact,” Hannon said.

Kitty Hawk business owners say each hurricane makes them stronger.

"It takes a certain kind of person to live here and when storms and things like this happen everything everyone tends to come together and helps out,” owner of Access Design and Print Adam Baldwin said.