By Mitch Vingle
James Hess waited. With Hurricane Florence churning toward his home in Surfside Beach, SC, he patiently bided his time until the danger was imminent.
“We waited a couple days, but the evacuation was mandatory for all zones,” says Hess. “All lanes were outbound. It was free running. We just grabbed as many clothes as we could, threw them in the truck with as many valuables, papers and stuff like that and went.”
Hess was fleeing on a dead run—a smart move considering the powerful hurricane that was heading in his direction. Yet, swirling amid the reports of destruction, Hess found a heart-felt invitation 600 miles away in Wheeling, WV.
Oglebay, a travel destination in Wheeling known for its scenic beauty, nationally accredited zoo, championship golf courses and seasonal festivals—including the upcoming Festival of Lights Christmas show—opened its arms to hurricane evacuees with an unbelievable offer. The resort extended complimentary accommodations to any guest with a Carolina driver’s license and proof of residency from September 14-20, 2018.
“We’d been following Florence since the beginning,” says Herb Faulkenberry, Oglebay’s vice president of sales and marketing. “Many of us outside of the Carolinas have experienced weather-related adversity, especially those in West Virginia. What better way to show our hospitality than to open our arms to Hurricane Florence evacuees, especially in light of the friendships Oglebay has forged in the past? Some of our market comes from the Carolinas during the summer months.”
Oglebay took to Facebook to get the word out quickly. Overnight, the resort’s generous offer went viral. The Associated Press ran a story, followed by countless television, radio and newspaper outlets spanning multiple states across the eastern U.S.
A rainbow arching over Oglebay’s rolling acreage. Photo by Oglebay.
“In a matter of days, we received about a quarter-million views on our Facebook post,” says Faulkenberry. “We ended with nearly 5,000 shares and just under 2,000 reactions to the post. Within hours of launching the offer on Facebook, the phones started ringing. We ended up hosting about 40 families total.”
By the time Florence dissipated on September 19, it had caused an estimated $38 billion in damages. In the U.S., the hardest hit states were Maryland, North Carolina and Hess’ home state of South Carolina.
“Everybody talks about southern hospitality,” says Hess. “This shows there is northern hospitality too.”
Hess took a moment to sweep his eyes across Oglebay’s majestic rolling hills. “It’s a beautiful place,” he says. “It’s not like we were invited to a one-star motel somewhere. It’s fantastic.”
When asked to identify the most satisfying part of the offer, Faulkenberry replied without hesitation. “Safety,” he says. “We offered these families a safe and quiet place to think about their next step. They could regroup. They didn’t have to worry about finding a dry bed. We provided peace of mind so they could make sound decisions during one of the most stressful times in their lives.”
Faulkenberry estimated the total number of guests who redeemed the offer was 100, with the vast majority hailing from North Carolina.
About the Author
For years, Mountain State sports fans turned to Mitch Vingle for their West Virginia sports news. Vingle has won numerous awards as a newspaperman, most recently taking home back-to-back 2016 and 2017 West Virginia Press Association’s best sports columnist honors.
