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Sept. 4, 2015 9:45 a.m.
The Ocracoke Deputy Control Group this morning agreed to lift the mandatory evacuation declared Thursday for visitors to the island due to the approach of Tropical Storm Hermine on Friday.
All ferries to the island are running according to their schedules as early as they can start, which was 9 a.m., said Hyde County Manager Bill Rich. Departures to from Swan Quarter and Cedar Island will begin at 10 a.m. Operations will resume between Currituck and Knotts Island at 9 a.m.
Roads in Hatteras and Pea Island are passable though there still is some standing water in places on Highway 12, he said, the the Cape Hatteras National Seashore is opening up the beaches.
Rich said the state of emergency ordered by Gov. Pat McCrory on Thursday is still in effect so that help can be given to mainland Hyde where the national forestry service is helping to pump flooded lands.
Electronic signs operated by the N.C. Dept. of Transportation will also announce that the ferries are running. After that, they will caution people to beware of rip currents.
The following is from the N.C. Ferry Division:
Ferry crews conducted test runs and received clearance from the U.S. Coast Guard in the early morning. High winds and soundside flooding from Tropical Storm Hermine prevented safe passage on most of the routes since Friday evening.
The Ferry Division safely evacuated 1,541 people and 597 vehicles from Ocracoke Island after Hyde County government issued a mandatory evacuation order of non-residents on Thursday, Sept. 1. County officials lifted the order on Sunday morning.
Passengers with questions about reservations should call 252-225-7411.
