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By Connie Leinbach
Apparently, the gas tanks at Jerniman’s are simply empty, but a tanker truck is scheduled to be on the noon ferry from Swan Quarter on Saturday.
It was known on Monday that the tanks were empty, said Justin Gibbs, Hyde County Emergency Services Director, said, but the messages didn’t get through to Cary Oil, who provides the gas.
Gibbs, who validates nonresident ferry reservations while the island is still under mandatory evacuation from Hurricane Dorian, said the tanker truck was supposed to be on the ferry Friday, but high winds suspended service on the long routes.
Gibbs said the tanker truck will be on the Saturday ferry.
Tom Pahl, Ocracoke’s County commissioner, when contacted Thursday afternoon said that previously it was thought the lack of pump action was electrical, as had been the case in the days immediately after the hurricane.
“But we contacted the owners of the pumps and they looked at their numbers, did the math and realized the tanks are empty,” he said.
The Observer called Clayton Jernigan, one of the new owners of Jerniman’s Campground, who said that even though he and his business partner Drew Batts own the campground and building, they do not own the gas pumps.
“We don’t have anything to do with the fuel,” he said. “We don’t have the power to do anything.”
Batts, in a Facebook post on today, noted the following:
“We send the reports weekly to the owner of the gas and it’s his decision to bring more gas based on that information.
“With all that said, we know it is frustrating for everyone and we know the pumps don’t read cards properly. Once we officially open in February, we hope the owner of the pumps will install new pumps, that the card readers will work better, and we will be able to print receipts at the pumps.”
Woody Beasley, owner of Beasley Enterprises in Ahoskie, who owns the pumps, when contacted said he will get a tanker truck to the island.
“I’m sorry it ran out on y’all,” he said.
Beasley will continue to own the pumps two years from when Jerniman’s opens in February. After that, Jerniman’s will take ownership of the pumps.
