Hyde County recovery progressing; visitor restriction remains in effect for Ocracoke

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2016. 4:49 p.m.

Updated: Oct. 13, 2016. The Sysco food truck arrived today (Oct. 13). The Variety Store is well stocked.

Ocracoke on Wednesday is seeking FEMA help and is still cleaning up and making repairs following the passage of Hurricane Matthew on Sunday.  

The sounds of chain saws to remove fallen trees and limbs and hammers is in the air.

“Everybody’s reconstructing,” said Hyde County Manager Bill Rich earlier today.

Hyde County has not yet established a date for releasing the visitor restriction, but it will not be this weekend, according to a Hyde County press released. The restriction will be lifted only after all issues regarding health and safety have been addressed.

NCDOT Ferry Division has restored all services to Ocracoke Island. The Ferry Division began runs to and from Hatteras this morning and for today, operations will be restricted to daylight hours only. Please refer to https://twitter.com/ncdot_ferry for the latest ferry information.

At this time, residents, non-resident property owners, vendors and essential service personnel are allowed access to Ocracoke. Please be prepared to show documentation of the aforementioned statuses to gain access to the island. Individuals wishing to gain access will need to have the appropriate reentry tag or they will be required to produce evidence of property ownership or residency. There has been no determination as to when visitors will be allowed access.

The following is an update from Hyde County Emergency Services:

Hyde County is transitioning from response to recovery and the coalition of federal, state, local and private partners have made significant progress. The list of accomplishments and pending items include:

• Local propane vendors are assessing damages, resetting propane tanks and making repairs.
• National Park Service is assessing beach access ramps, boat ramps and other infrastructure. The NPS boat ramp is not accessible.
• Ocracoke Health Center is open and has received medicine and supplies with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard.
• Emergency Medical Service (EMS) ground transports have resumed with the restoration of ferry services to Hatteras.
• Hyde County Department of Social Services will be initiating post-disaster programs to help those who receive Food and Nutrition Services, once the necessary declarations have been received. DSS will be on the island tomorrow (Thursday) from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 8 to 11 a.m. Friday in the Ocracoke Community.  Please contact Hyde DSS at 252-926-4476 for more information on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
• Hyde County has waived all permit fees for reconstruction necessary due to Hurricane Matthew, however permits are still required by the Hyde County building inspector’s Office.
• Insurance adjusters are being allowed access to Ocracoke if they possess valid credentials.
• A delivery of groceries to the island will not occur until tomorrow (Oct. 13) at the earliest.
• Hyde County Health Department and Building Inspector’s Office need to visit Ocracoke to assess food and building safety.
• Hyde County has requested an Individual Assistance declaration from FEMA.

Tideland EMC has almost completely restored services in Hyde County, however there have been intermittent power outages since restoration of transmission to Ocracoke.

Ocracoke School is canceled again for tomorrow (Oct. 13).

On the mainland, the Fairfield Drainage District has declared a drainage emergency due to inundation from the Alligator River which is impacting mitigation structures in the district. Hyde County is coordinating with the Fairfield Drainage District and Mattamuskeet Association to identify and obtain resources for their response and recovery efforts. There is standing water on NC Hwy 94 between Fairfield and Columbia at the Northwest Fork. NCDOT and Hyde County urge commuters to find alternate routes to and from Hyde County.

If traveling throughout North Carolina, please refer to https://ncdot.gov/traffictravel/   for the latest road closures and routes open to travel. When using the TIMS site, you must select the region or individual counties you are traveling through to obtain specific information regarding your travel plans.

Water is still standing on many roadways and properties throughout the county. Please do not drive though flood waters or on flooded roads. Water only two feet deep can sweep away most automobiles. Death can occur as a result of careless or unsuspecting motorists who attempt to drive through flooded roads. “Turn Around. Don’t Drown.” If your vehicle is flooded, disconnect the battery cables to prevent your car from catching fire.

The county advises that flood waters may contain sewage and other harmful contaminants. Adults, children and pets should be kept out of flood waters.

Please maintain awareness and monitor for further updates from Hyde County Public Information.

For Ocracoke news, click here.