As Florence draws near, historic Wilmington, N.C., puts on brave face

A man walks past boarded-up storefronts ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S., September 12, 2018. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder

WILMINGTON, N.C. (Reuters) - From a hipster bar to a Waffle House, from a bodega to a deli, a few pockets of life remained in Wilmington's historic downtown on Wednesday, welcoming patrons for a last beer and a bite as the threat of Hurricane Florence loomed large.

But the brave face belied a larger concern about some of the more vulnerable buildings in Wilmington's eight historic districts, part of the charm that brings throngs of tourists to the North Carolina port city.