I saw some of the homes in downtown New Bern that got hit by the hurricane. That part of town is right on the water. Really cute downtown with good food, although it's really hard to find food that isn't fried in that part of NC. You order a chicken breast sandwich, and out here it's 100% grilled, there it's 100% fried.
But they keep rebuilding in New Bern. Can't imagine how much the flood insurance is there. My daughter actually lived in Havelock, so out of the flood zone.
Never been to Charlotte outside of the terrible airport. My least favorite airport ever. Lots of walking. Do not make a short layover in CLT, otherwise you will be running like Home Alone if your initial flight is late.
But my sister had a small old house close to downtown, and made a mint on it. Had to do a lot of repairs, including expensive foundation repairs, then had a developer come in, tear it down, and build a million dollar spec home. She now lives in a Charlotte suburb which is actually in SC. They do miss the restaurants and activities in downtown Charlotte though. Now it's Pleasant Valley Sunday.