Village Realty: Anatomy of a Hurricane

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Who are the people, behind the scenes who organize the preparations of the Village Realty homes, condominiums, offices when a hurricane threatens off the coast of our beautiful beaches?  What hatches are determined to be battened down...and by whom? 

Most Outer Banks resort homeowners live out of state, and can't travel (especially during inclement weather) to secure their properties when a hurricane warning is issued from the (NOAA "National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) National Weather Service.  Therefore, they must rely on their Village Realty resort support team to ensure their outdoor furnishings are moved indoors, their pools and spas covered, their wind side windows are boarded up or latched and their grills, plants and other items are moved to higher, safer locations.  While everyone is doing these sorts of things at their own homes, work at Village Realty increases ten-fold for those who have the responsibility of trying to organize the preparation, and then deal with the aftermath of the storm for over 600 additional homes.

Below are some of those people, who batten down hatches both literally and figuratively under the all encompassing umbrella of Village Realty:

GUEST OPERATIONS

Before the hurricane arrived, a company-wide Manager's Meeting was held to discuss what preparation and recovery procedures had worked well in past similar circumstances.  A task force was assigned by dividing the entire company into working "Storm Teams" to ensure guests were safe, homes were secure and everything was ready as quickly as possible before Hurricane Irene actually made landfall.

These tasks included, contacting all guests and homeowners, securing decks, outdoor furnishings, swings, pools, spas, trash cans, etc.  When the Mandatory Evacuation of All Visitors for both Dare and Currituck counties were ordered, each of those homes needed a contact person to follow up.  While some "Village People" were assigned to actually go into the homes and empty refrigerators, turn off power and/or water, adjust thermostats and lock down doors and windows, other employees were manning the office fielding phone calls from worried guests or homeowners and keeping everyone else updated with the latest news, weather and evacuation reports.  There were teams for each of these chores, and all pulled their weight, worked as early or late as needed to maintain that everything on the list, every guest and every home was ready for the hurricane several days prior.  Finally, late Friday afternoon, the employees locked up the Village offices and warehouses to comply with the Mandatory Evacuation of All Residents (for those who needed to secure their own homes and leave the island that day.)

On Sunday, every single employee who could and who had remained on the island, returned to work (even before the power was restored in some cases) after the hurricane to help clean, restore, restock every home for the displaced guests who were permitted to reenter the island.

Village Realty, at full capacity before the hurricane, was also able to offer a few evacuated vacation properties to Hatteras Island guests, as well as some residents, who could not return to Hatteras Island at all because the only access (Route 12 South) had literally washed away.

It was organized chaos in a way.  A catastrophe, yes.  A team of good hard-working people, who could handle it, absolutely!

"Honestly everyone, and I mean EVERY ONE pulled together as one TEAM.  There were countless heroes and no department divisions...we were ALL focused, dedicated and working with one goal...get everything done, keep everyone safe, get home!  It was amazing!"   Christine Sawyer, Administration Supervisor Guest Operations


HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION MANAGERS
While Village Realty is just one name, the all-encompassing umbrella of vacation rental properties extends all over the Outer Banks.  The Owner Association Managers were busy coordinating with twenty-one (21) separate communities where the homes and condos are located such as (The Village at Nags Head, Sandpiper Cay, Martin's Point, The Croatan Surf Club, Seven Sisters, Whispering Sands, The Hunt Club etc.) where common areas such as pools, gardens, parks, pathways and parking areas were endangered with potential high winds and flooding.  This team not only worked to secure the grounds, but willingly helped stash deck furnishings and helped housekeeping changing linens, cleaning and making beds after many guests left during the mandatory evacuation.  

Emily Lewis, Employee Relations Coordinator stated "We did it all, working in conjunction with the various Property Owner Associations before the storm, and undid it all afterwards."

After the storm, most of the housekeeping staff were stranded in Columbia due to road closures and flooding, so the accounting team and administrative staff, along with every other department stepped up to clean houses, made beds and ready the homes for returning guests.  All of this happened behind the scenes for the most part, with the Web Services team serving as communication central, providing information, alerts and updates far and wide...while maintaining their wonderful sense of humor. 

If/when another hurricane threatens...the Village People have proven time and time again they can weather any storm.


COROLLA
Meanwhile, up in Corolla the hurricane preparedness troops were organized to inventory all sections of the north beach area properties.  Karen Gregory, Vacation Specialist and Krista Templeton, Assistant Rental Manager remained in the office to monitor the communications, phones and requests coming in and trying to quickly check out the remaining people who waited until the Emergency Evacuation was declared mandatory for all guests and visitors.  They were a day behind, so the Nags Head office sent in assistance.  As Friday before the storm waned into evening…local residents had to leave the resort area to secure their own homes and families.  Ken & Krista Templeton remained in Corolla for the duration.  Although their home was thirty miles away, in Kill Devil Hills, they realized there would be no one in the isolated Corolla area to survey and assist after the impending storm.  One of Village Realty’s long-time homeowners from Virginia offered their Corolla Light soundview vacation rental home on Route 12N for the couple to hunker down.
As the wind and water began to take its toll, the Templeton’s were happy that they were there to save all of the electronics (flat screen televisions, etc.) that would have been completely ruined when water began seeping down the interior walls on the soundside.  As the storm raged on Saturday, the power was lost and the Templeton’s had to take turns charging their cell phone lifelines with their truck battery.  All vehicles were moved to higher levels as the water from the sound rose over nine feet above the sea wall.  Thankfully, the Corolla Light bulkheads were built high enough to prevent any major flooding.  Other areas on the soundside in Duck weren’t so lucky.
By Sunday, the only road leading from Duck to Corolla was closed due to flooding, and those brave folks who remained in Corolla were temporarily cut off from the rest of the world.  
Ken & Krista, being the only people from Village Realty needed to assess the post-hurricane damage.  They drove their truck to Magnolia Bay in the Currituck Club and were saddened to see trees in pools, trash cans with garbage from the evacuated guests that weren’t secured strewn all about…but the saddest thing, to Krista were the many seagulls and pelicans, egrets and other water fowl that didn’t make it.  She and her husband got to work cleaning the common areas and private properties for over six solid hours that day.On Monday, Route 12 was reopened so some of the housekeeping crews and other employees could trickle through to help.  The sparse Corolla team worked until well after midnight readying homes for the return of guests who were allowed to return when the Wright Memorial Bridge from the mainland reopened at 10AM the following morning.  
It was a great challenge to body, mind and spirit but they did it.  When guests began arriving, the exhausted but proud Corolla office was as ready as they could be.  Most of the people checking in were very understanding, and the homeowners were magnificent in their help with accommodating guests who didn’t have working pools or hot tubs for their vacations that week after the hurricane, by offering reimbursements, etc.  
Krista marveled that some guests revealed a sad “Vacation Remorse” as they departed at the end of the week.  Although their luxurious rental homes were pristine, and their long awaited vacations were finally happening…as the guests drove around the area, went to dinner, etc. they witnessed the devastation around them.  Many of the people who live here on the Outer Bank had lost their own homes and cars to the flash floods.  The out of town guests said they did not feel as if they should be “enjoying themselves” when there was so much to do in and around them.  Some of these wonderful guests offered their assistance, either financially, or with honest to goodness ‘get down and dirty’ work.  

Krista Templeton, Assistant Rental Manager Village Realty Corolla

Overall, after all was said and done, Krista Templeton reflected, “We’re all better people for it.”