A weeklong power outage plunged parts of the Outer Banks of North Carolina into darkness. At night, the only light was the glow of the moon. By Thursday, power was restored, and tourists are expected to trickle back to the affected stretch on Friday.

Around 60,000 visitors of the popular summer East Coast destination were required to depart Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands late last week, leaving beachfront rental properties vacant.

Only residents were allowed to stay. Some banded together to find creative ways to sustain themselves without power, including hosting cookouts on the beach.