N.C. Couple Has 'Even More Memorable' Wedding After Tropical Storm Ophelia Makes Landfall Near Venue
Bride Ashley Trexler and groom Mark Smith got married just hours after Ophelia hit near Emerald Isle, N.C.
Tropical Storm Ophelia didn't stop one couple from tying the knot, despite making landfall near their wedding venue.
Bride Ashley Trexler and groom Mark Smith got married on Saturday, just hours after Ophelia hit near Emerald Isle, N.C., according to NBC affiliate WXII-TV.
The couple wed at Merrell Estate and Gardens in Salter Path, N.C., according to their wedding website. Salter Path is located in the same area where the storm made landfall.
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Smith said he learned about the storm through a text message from one of his groomsmen, and “thought it was a joke at first.”
"When I found out, I was like, ‘What in the world?' " the groom recalled, per WXII-TV.
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At one point, the storm knocked out power in the area. Upwards of 70,000 homes and businesses lost power in both North Carolina and Virginia due to Ophelia, according to CNN.
But the bride and groom didn’t let the power problems get in the way of enjoying their special day.
Their patience ultimately paid off when the lights “miraculously came on” later in the day, Smith told WXII-TV. “[The storm] just makes this day even more memorable,” the groom said.
“We can’t wait to spend forever together with each other,” the happy bride added.
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Ophelia was the 15th named storm of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season, according to the National Weather Service. It reached tropical storm strength before making landfall Friday, and was downgraded to a tropical depression by the following day.
Many of the areas impacted by Ophelia in North Carolina saw between 4 and 6 inches of rain, though others saw upwards of 8 or 9 inches, the NWS said. Flooding from storm surge took place along the Neuse, Pamlico, and Pungo Rivers, as well as in the Greenville area, with wind gusts topping out at 72 mph.
No one has died as a result of the storm, according to The Washington Post.
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