BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Weathering the storm brought out some of the best in people. John Zarrella is working that story on the storm in Elizabeth City in North Carolina.</s>JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A crumpled chunk of tin that used to be a roof tumbled down, originally, Water Street in Elizabeth City. Signs blew down. Wind driven water from the Pasquotank River rolled up and over the seawall. And through all Isabel's nastiness, even after the lights went out, Hurtle's hardware store stayed open.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The biggest thing they're asking for is lamp oil and we don't have any. The next thing is batteries, which we do have a few left; tape, which we have a little bit left. Everything that we have, there's just a little bit left.</s>ZARRELLA: Business was slow. After all, a hurricane was blowing outside. But as the weather got worse, Jim and Judy Hurtle found themselves supplying more than flashlights and batteries. The Riches, Bill and Jennifer, came in with their dog and cat. Their home had been damaged by the wind.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We grabbed our valuables and got out of their as fast as we could.</s>ZARRELLA: Minutes later, Wilbur and Bessie Culpepper arrived. Their roof was gone. They had nowhere else to go. Hurtle's Hardware was instantly a shelter. For neighbors, a safe, dry haven from the storm. (on camera): The Hurtles couldn't have imagined how this day would turn out, but it was a good thing that Jim and Judy decided that a hurricane wasn't going to keep them from opening for business. John Zarrella, CNN, Elizabeth City, North Carolina.</s>HEMMER: Thank you, John. People>
Weathering the Storm Brought Out Some of the Best in People