From our news services
Ocracoke Island residents and visitors might hear a loud explosion on Hatteras Island Friday at 9 a.m. as the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit detonates a live WWII-era bomb that was discovered today on the beach.
The unit out of Norfolk, Virginia, confirmed this afternoon that the object discovered earlier on a Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach in Buxton is a live military ordnance.
The EOD unit established a half-mile safety perimeter around the unexploded ordnance (UXO), described as a 100-pound aerial bomb from the World War II era, deep inside the beach near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach Access parking area.
The unit will detonate the ordnance around 9 a.m.
No damage to nearby structures is expected; however, Buxton residents and visitors may hear the detonation.
The following areas are closed until the EOD unit detonates the UXO and determines that the entire perimeter is safe:
Cape Hatteras Light Station grounds and parking area
Old Cape Hatteras Lighthouse parking area and beach
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach Access and parking area
Buxton Beach Access and parking area
Due to the sound the detonation may make during the early morning hours, Dare County plans to send out a mass phone notification warning to all nearby residents and visitors at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
“The discovery of old military devices is not uncommon along the Outer Banks,” National Parks of Eastern North Carolina Superintendent David Hallac said. “Cape Hatteras National Seashore visitors should always be on the lookout for beach hazards, especially during and after periods of rough surf.”
