Correct. And the overwhelming majority always, always wait until the last minute. Small amounts of prep, over time, can help.
This has potential to be a lot worse than just a coastal damage event because of the slow-moving nature of this approaching hurricane and the possibility of Harvey-style rains in more inland portions of NC and even SC. Two or three days of relentless hurricane intensity rainfall could add up to several feet and that is mostly flat country that will take weeks to drain. I think this is the main fear, the coastal damage is almost inevitable with the combination of wind and surge expected.