It was a welcome sign that no beach-goer headed to Long Beach Island for a summer vacation wants to see.

Power out to the entire island.

Hours after Tropical Storm Isaias barreled through the New Jersey, LBI restaurant owner Mike Batista was faced with the unknown whether or not his power would come back on before he would be forced to toss his inventory of fresh seafood at his two restaurants, Packaged Goods Oyster Bar and The Marlin Restaurant & Bar.

Tuesdays storm spawned two tornadoes including one in Barnegat Township, just off the island and took down trees and power lines across the state leaving 1.4 million without power and no real estimates on how quickly it would return. It also dealt another devastating blow to business owners along the Jersey Shore.

Once the power comes on, Batista said hed still have to wait for a whole new set of the deliveries, a process that takes almost another day and a half.

It is bad because a weekend in August is like a months worth of revenue for us, he said.

It is devastating but it was devastating before we were not allowed inside, Batista added. We were doing only curbside and some takeout business and its very, very difficult. ... There are going to be a lot of people that do not make it.

Relators, Matt Kulinski, Lisa Dandrow, and Kristen Giuliano, from the G. Anderson agency in Haven Beach wait outside for customers the day after Long Beach Island lost power from Tropical Storm Isaias, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020.Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Sitting outside in beach chairs where they could catch a cool breeze, real estate agents Matt Kulinski, Lisa Dandrow, and Kristen Giuliano from the G. Anderson agency in Beach Haven were waiting for the power to return. August is one of the busiest rental months for the agency, and the lack of electricity was impacting business.

We cant get phone calls, Kulinski said. Thats why we are here just in case. We had a couple of people check out already because they just wanted to go home. We are also here just in case any tenants or owners who happen to be down here need to get ahold of us.

The three said that while there was not a lot of rain associated with the storm, the wind played a heavy role. Some tenants and owners reported damages to houses, a couple broken windows, patio furniture, and barbecue grills.

Usually if we lost power, which we do from time to time, its back on within an hour or two, Kulinski said. I have been here for 20 years, and short of Sandy, Ive never seen a storm knock out power for as long as it has, especially in this time of year.

A family from Connecticut relaxes by the pool at The Engleside Inn and Restaurant the day after Long Beach Island lost power from Tropical Storm Isaias, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. The Inn was running off a generator. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Some who didnt have power were seeking refuge at local hotels that had generators, like the Engleside Inn.

The lodging location, as well as the adjacent pool and bar, has been able to continue to operate because of a generator that takes 500 gallons of diesel fuel. Tuesday night alone, they used more than 280 gallons.

Were fortunate that we actually have a generator, so we have a good backup system that allows the property to function normally provided we have fuel, which we do, manager Michael Smith said. Being also that were open year-round, and weve been in the COVID operating circumstances now for four months. Everyone is pretty used to it.

He said some guests were actually happy to be able to escape their house.

Staff, cast and volunteers of the Surflight Theater in Beach Haven rebuild the back of set the day after Tropical Storm Isaias destroyed the theater's outdoor venue, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020.Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Elsewhere on the island, Steve Steiner wasnt so happy. The producing artistic director of Beach Havens Surflight Theater said the company was already in a rough spot this summer.

Unfortunately, just in lost revenue with the shows that have to be canceled, we are going to lose at least between $10,000 to $12,000, he said.

Then on Tuesday, he watched from his office as 90 mph winds battered the island, taking down a tented outdoor stage that the theater company had set up to host performances this summer in accordance with coronavirus restrictions. A GoFundMe page was set up to help the theater group raise money to recoup its losses.

But he was optimistic that power would be back on by Wednesday and the show would still go on. On Wednesday, the stage was being rebuilt with the help of volunteers.

If that is the case, then we will have our childrens show at six oclock and Mamma Mia at 8:30, so things are ready to go.

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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com.

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Jersey Shore businesses dealt devastating blow as power wiped out on all of LBI - NJ.com