Ocracoke Islander Gene Ballance talks about commercial fishing at last year’s Working Watermen’s Festival. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
Note: Due to the anticipated storm forecast for this weekend, a decision has been made to move the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Festival on The Community Square docks to Saturday, Oct. 18. Event hours are from 10 a.m. to sunset.
The group said they want to be able to use the Community Square Docks and give tours of the OWWA Exhibit. “For the success of our vendors and safety of our visitors, we feel like this is the best decision,” said Sara Teaster, who helps organize the event.
Free tram shuttle service will be available from the NPS parking lot to The Community Square.
Since they became the first inhabitants of the island, Ocracokers have made their living on the water, from piloting ships through the treacherous Ocracoke Inlet, to fishing, crabbing, clamming, oyster harvesting, duck hunting, and decoy carving, all of which continue today, handed down through the generations.
The festival will celebrate these traditions with exhibits, demonstrations, vendor booths and guest speakers.
Locally made clam chowder will be available for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will support the Ocracoke Community Pool Association.
An oyster exhibit and tasting will be held from 3 to 5 p.m.
A guest chef will provide a seafood sampling followed by music, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Aerial view of Ocracoke Island. Photo: C. Leinbach
Editor’s note: Randal Mathews is the chair of the Hyde County Board of Commissioners and represents Ocracoke Island. He and Hyde County Manager Kris Cahoon Nobel for the last few years have been working to secure for Ocracoke more much-needed funding from the North Carolina General Assembly. That legislature still has not passed a comprehensive budget for this fiscal year that should have been approved in June due to disagreements between the House and Senate versions. Instead, lawmakers passed a “mini-budget” which provides stopgap funding, but no increases.
By Randal Mathews
The budget process in Raleigh is always complex. Appropriation proposals in the committee conferences are always more than the funding that is available. That’s normal. What shouldn’t be normal is the continued lack of a budget each year especially since a single political party controls the senate and the house. You would expect bipartisan wrangling most of the time but not when one side has a super majority.
Appropriations that underfund our DOT and the Ferry Division year after year have a cumulative effect on communities like Ocracoke that depend on our highway accessibility. It slowly chips away at our ability to maintain the main industry of tourism.
Tourism on Ocracoke Island is dependent on reliable access. There are probably no other communities in our state that are so dependent on the cooperation of so many government agencies especially at the federal level.
For dredging we depend on the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to maintain safe and navigable channels.
Our Ferry Division and its fleet of 23 vessels are our lifeline.
For access through the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, we depend on the National Park Service (NPS)
Our main highway through the park is dependent on the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
The US Coast Guard has an important role and authority marking our channels and making sure the ferry fleet is safe for riders and ferry employees.
We depend on the viability of the easement through the park for power and communications, so Tideland EMC and Brightspeed Communications have an important role in maintaining public safety.
Our legislators need to be aware of these facts and that travel to Ocracoke Island is and always has been restricted as our road effectively closes every night for several hours. Imagine closing the only road going into Wilmington every day. It restricts commerce and increases health risks to our citizens. Our EMS responders have limited options for patients when accessibility is limited. There is never any guarantee that medevac services will be available as those services have liabilities and limitations. Our only road affects our ability to remove solid waste in addition to limiting off island school activities.
I know that most islanders accept the fact that there are challenges and sacrifices that come with living on Ocracoke Island. The best examples of this are the natives who seem to share a special resiliency to occasional hardship that seems to be in the genetic code passed down through more than two centuries of surviving on an island.
We must work hard raising awareness and advocating for sustainable and reliable access whether it’s residents, businesses, vendors and especially local government. It will need to be a continuous full-time effort that doesn’t end with the latest crisis.
I urge all residents and concerned citizens to reach out to our legislators, attend local meetings if possible, and support the board members who serve our community while we fight the good fight. We all have a vested interest in this wonderful community, and a unified voice will make a difference.
The Ocracoke Preservation Society has received a grant to continue restoration of the Island Inn. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
From our news services
The Ocracoke Preservation Society has received a $47,970 grant from the Cannon Foundation to be used for continuing the historic restoration of the Island Inn.
The funds are to be used for the removal of non-historic materials in the interior of the building and for the restoration of the floors, walls and ceilings.
A part of this work is to move the existing stairs back to their original orientation.
This is the second grant that the Cannon Foundation has awarded OPS for this project. In December 2021, the Cannon Foundation donated $30,000 to OPS to help with the cost of repairing and replacing the roof.
“We are very grateful that the Cannon Foundation has continued to support our project,” said Ken DeBarth, OPS president. “The work on the exterior of the building is very nearly complete. The grant from the Cannon Foundation allows us to begin working on the interior.”
The completion of the exterior work on the building will allow for landscaping near the building and installation of new brick walkways at the front of the building.
This grant will cover a lot of the interior clean-up, prep and begin to provide for a good start on finishing the interior, DeBarth said. Still to be done—all the electrical, plumbing and HVAC.
“We are still applying for grants and are fundraising,” he said. “With the grants and donations we have in hand we still need around $100,000 to complete the building project.”
OPS plans to have the restoration of the building and the final installation of the gardens completed in one to one and a half years.
This will complete the nine-year project to create this important community asset.
The Cannon Foundation is a philanthropic organization based in Concord, Cabarrus County.
Overwash was starting to increase on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands as the Wednesday afternoon high tide combines with swells from distant hurricanes Humberto and Imelda and a strong north/northeast wind.
The National Weather Service expected the Wednesday afternoon high tide cycle to be the worst of the triple threat to hit the Outer Banks this week.
“Ongoing coastal impacts and dangerous surf will continue through tonight, then gradually step down in severity in the coming days,” the National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City said in a press release.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Highway 12 remained open to traffic on Hatteras Island, but is closed on Ocracoke.
All ferry service has also been suspended to and from Ocracoke due to strong winds on the Pamlico Sound, and the Currituck-Knotts Island ferry is not running due to low water levels and winds on the Currituck Sound.
No overwash issues have been reported north of Oregon Inlet, but surf is washing up to the dunes north to Carova Beach.
A Coastal Flood Advisory continues from the state line to Oregon Inlet, a Coastal Flood Warning from Oregon Inlet to Ocracoke, and a High Surf Advisory and Wind Advisory from Duck to Ocracoke.
Water is high in Ocracoke in the low lying areas on Ocracoke. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
Conditions are forecast to begin improving slightly on Thursday as the pair of hurricanes move out to sea and winds start to die down, but the surf is expected to remain very rough until at least Saturday.
There will likely be additional overwash up to three hours before and after high tide over the next several days, which is 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Thursday, 4:51 a.m. and 5:23 p.m. on Friday, and 5:49 a.m. on Saturday.
Double red No Swimming flags are flying along the beaches, and everyone is advised to stay out of the ocean.
Ocracoke beach off Ramp 72 Oct. 1. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
Windy conditions on Ocracoke’s beach. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
National parks will remain partially open during the government shutdown which began at midnight, according to an Interior Department contingency plan posted Tuesday evening.
However, the ramps above the pony pens are inaccessible while the northern section of NC12 is closed while the ocean overwashes the sandbag area. Ramps 67, 68, 70 and 72 are south of the pony pens. Ramp 68 is at the NPS campground and opens seasonally.
Open-air sites will remain open to the public, but buildings that require staffing, such as visitor centers or sites, will be closed.
A Cape Hatteras National Seashore spokesman could not answer specific questions but said people can go to http://doi.gov/shutdown for the National Park Service’s Contingency Plan, updated Tuesday evening.
Health and safety will continue to be addressed for sites that remain operational, meaning restrooms will be open and trash will be collected, the Interior Department said.
The following beach access ramps of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Ocracoke remain open:
NPS Campground
Prong Road (at South Dock area)
Ramp 59 North: Open to pedestrians only South of ramp open to ORVs 24 hours a day. Night driving available for 3.74 miles
Ramp 63 North and south access: Open to ORVs from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Night driving not available due to sea turtle nesting
Ramp 67 Open to ORVs 24 hours a day
Ramp 68 (Seasonal ORV ramp) NPS Campground North: Open to pedestrians 24 hours a day. Seasonally closed to ORVs. Seasonal ORV route opens October 15.
Ramp 70 (Priority Ramp) Airport Open to ORVs 24 hours a day. Access South Point via this ramp.
Ramp 72 (Priority Ramp) South Point North: Route is open to north and south; however ramp is closed due to challenging road conditions. Use Ramp 70 to access this area. FYI – the soundside seasonal route is currently impassable/closed
Coastal flooding and hazardous ocean conditions are expected to peak on Wednesday afternoon and continue through Thursday as long-period swells from hurricanes Humberto and Imelda continue to impact the Outer Banks.
N.C. Highway 12 remains closed on northern Ocracoke Island, with Hatteras-Ocracoke and Pamlico Sound ferry service suspended.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation in a Facebook post said crews will be out working today to clear the roadway and fortify dunes and they anticipate ocean overwash with the high tide this afternoon at 3:15.
So far, no roadway damage has been reported.
Ferry service to the island on the Pamlico Sound routes has also been suspended due to strong winds.
Minor soundside flooding was reported on Tuesday afternoon in Ocracoke Village.
N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island remained open and passable following Wednesday’s 2:30 a.m. high tide, with minimal additional overwash. Roughly six inches of standing water remains north of Hatteras Village, with sand on other stretches of the roadway.
“For now, travel on NC 12 on Hatteras Island should be avoided several hours before and after the upcoming high tides and please give way to the Road Pros as they work to keep NC 12 safe,” said Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson.
Overwash on NC12 on Ocracoke Oct. 1, 2025. NCDOT photo
The National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City office reports that confidence remains high regarding a “long-duration and impactful swell event,” with the greatest flooding and overwash threats coinciding with the Wednesday afternoon high tide.
Marine, land, and coastal hazard alerts remain in effect across the region, including a Coastal Flood Warning from Oregon Inlet to Cape Lookout through Friday afternoon, and Coastal Flood Advisories for areas north of Oregon Inlet and along the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers through Thursday
A Wind Advisory has also been expanded northward to include the Northern Outer Banks. Gale Warnings remain in place for most adjacent coastal waters.
Dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents are expected to continue through the end of the week.
Five unoccupied homes collapsed in Buxton on Tuesday afternoon with a sixth house collapsed late Tuesday night. The beach there is closed due to piles of dangerous debris.
“The NPS has the beach area closed to keep people safe,” said Pearson. “Everyone should avoid the area due to truly hazardous conditions being generated as the debris moves with the ocean.”
The greatest risk for oceanside impacts remains along vulnerable stretches of N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, where moderate coastal flooding of 2 to 3 feet above ground level is possible during the peak tides.
On the northern beaches, minor coastal flooding of 1 to 2 feet above ground level is possible, but there have been no reports of overwash in the towns north of Oregon Inlet.
There are a few weak spots in South Nags Head and at First Street in Kill Devil Hills that saw some water through the dunes during Hurricane Erin last month and could experience it with this afternoon’s high tide.
Access to the four-wheel drive area north of Corolla will be difficult to impossible at times, especially several hours before and after high tide today.
Soundside areas along the southern Pamlico Sound and connected rivers may also experience minor flooding due to persistent northeast winds.
NC Department of Transportation announced that the north end of Ocracoke was closed Tuesday afternoon and will remain so until at least Thursday as sustained swells from Hurricane Humberto and Tropical Storm Imelda will continue to batter the Outer Banks. The N.C. Ferry Division has suspendedHatteras Inlet ferries until NC 12 has reopened. Ocracoke village is experiencing soundside flooding as high tide has approached at 2:19 p.m. This is a breaking story and it is unknown how these collapsed houses will be dealt with if the federal government shuts down tonight at midnight.
September 30, 2025 By Joy Crist Island Free Press
Five oceanfront homes collapsed in Buxton on Tuesday afternoon, September 30, and within an hour of the 2:15 p.m. high tide, according to multiple reports. The Island Free Press will post additional details as soon as they become available. Additional damage to oceanfront structures is possible in the northern Buxton area and Rodanthe as Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda continue to bring a long-duration swell event to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. The public is advised to avoid these shorelines due to at-risk structures as well as extensive debris reported in both areas, especially Buxton.
Ocean overwash has been reported on N.C. Highway 12 (NC12) on northern Ocracoke Island, north of Hatteras Village and northern Buxton. N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) crews are clearing the roadway, but travelers should use caution and go slowly as saltwater can damage vehicles.
Ocracoke Decoy Carvers Guild meeting, 7 pm. Community Center.
Ocracoke Oyster Company: Ray Murray
Friday, Oct. 3: What’s Happening on Ocracoke: Ocracoke County Commissioner Randal Mathews, Hyde County Manager Kris Noble and Executive Director Justin LeBlanc of Ocracoke Access Alliance will discuss the status of the funding for the NC Ferry Division. 11:30 am, 90.1 FM on the island and wovv.org
Ocracoke School Middle School and Varsity volleyball at home vs. NEAAAT. The MS game will begin at 3:30. Varsity will immediately follow.
Sunday, Oct. 5 Church services: Ocracoke United Methodist Church, 11 am Ocracoke Life Saving Church, 11 am Stella Maris Chapel: Sunday Mass time at 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Go to Masstimes.org and type in the zip code 27960, but refresh your browser for it to work properly.
While Emma Reese Ballance, second from right, was on Ocracoke visiting her dad, Alton Balance, second from left, she joined her aunt Kathy Ballance, left, and uncle Kenny Ballance, right, at the Back Porch. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
By Connie Leinbach
Well on her way to becoming a professional ballet dancer, 12-year-old Ocracoke native Emma Reese Ballance of Winston-Salem has been a ballet dancer since she was three.
She began pre-professional training earlier this month with the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City where she will spend her weekday evenings and Saturdays further perfecting her already admired ballet technique.
This is a return trip to New York City, having just completed the summer intensive program at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) there.
ABT was her choice after she was accepted into several other summer intensive programs.
“At 12, Emma Reese was eligible for a summer intensive at big city ballets around the country,” said her dad, Alton Ballance.
She auditioned for them this winter while a student at the University of North Carolina School for the Arts in Winston-Salem where she most recently lived with her mom, Trisha Caviness. While attending the JKO School, she lives in Brooklyn.
Although she left Ocracoke several years ago, when she visits, she keeps in touch with some of her island classmates.
With an interviewer, the seventh grader talks easily about her life so far and her future plans.
A dance natural with long legs and a slender body, Emma Reese, as she is called, already looks professional and had professional photos taken.
“I just loved going to class,” she said about her passion in a recent interview on Ocracoke at her dad’s house. “I would go to tap and then I would go to ballet.”
Various parts in “Nutcracker” productions locally and at the Greensboro Tanger Center cemented her performing passion.
Emma Reese Ballance strikes a pose in New York’s Central Park. Photo by Chris Stark
She entered the competitive dance world at age 9 as a member of a dance studio in Southern Pines where she took classes in hip hop, jazz and ballet. She joined their competition team and even captured some national honors.
More than the national honors, she liked receiving the judges’ choice and awards for her emotional expression.
After that, she decided to focus on ballet and began intensive ballet training at age 10.
“So, I’ve been doing that for about two years,” she said. “Everyone thinks it’s crazy.”
In New York, Emma will go to school virtually via the Scholars Academy, which is North Carolina-based but is for pre-professional dancers who can’t attend school full time.
“She was able to maintain an A-plus average these years of doing dance, which meant getting up at 5 a.m. to do homework,” Alton said.
Just like her summer intensive, she attends four hours of ballet practice five days a week and five hours on Saturdays at JKO.
Having spent the summer at ABT, returning to its school will be an easy transition.
“I just feel like ABT is such a big family and everyone knows each other,” she said. “I feel like everyone is just supportive.”
Emma expects to go pro in three to four years.
The school’s artistic director, Stella Abrera, praised Emma’s emotive dancing.
“She said when I dance I just project into the audience,” she said. “Even when she taught my class, she said that her eye just goes to me because of the way I carry myself.”
But there’s more to it.
“When you watch a dancer on stage, you can have the perfect technique,” she said, “but if you don’t have the artistry, it’s just not the whole package.”
Emma recently joined the ranks of Instagram influencers for Nikolay, a brand that sells pointe shoes and dance apparel.
For her content, she gets three boxes during the year full of pointe shoes and other new things which she shares on her social media.
“I’m so grateful I get to be a part of the Nikolay brand because it’s one of the big brands in the dancewear industry,” she said.
Her Instagram account is @emma_ballance.
Emma Reese, right, talks about her ballet career with her dad, Alton Ballance. Photo: C. Leinbach/Ocracoke Observer
Emma Reese Ballance during ballet class. Photo courtesy of Emma Ballance
Emma Reese Ballance in Times Square, New York. Photo by Chris Stark
Hurricane Humberto ramped up to a large, powerful Category 5 hurricane on Saturday.
According to the National Weather Service, it was moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph. It is expected to turn northward, moving west of Bermuda by Tuesday evening, and by Thursday will be well up in the northeast Atlantic Ocean.
Further complicating the forecast is Tropical Depression 9 (TD 9), which is being closely monitored by the National Weather Service.
The Outer Banks can expect from Hurricane Humberto several days of prolonged swells with potentially damaging impacts similar to the recent out-to-sea Hurricane Erin that passed by the OBX for several days around Aug. 20, causing road closings and suspension of the ferry service for several days.
Dangerous rip currents on the Outer Banks will be present all week. Beach walkers should be wary of the high surf and possible life-threatening rogue waves.
Travelers should prepare this week for possible disruptions to ferry service and severe overwash on NC 12, especially around high tides at the north end of Ocracoke, Hatteras village, Buxton and Pea Island. Soundside flooding could impact Ocracoke village.
The impacts of the swells will hit the Outer Banks beginning Monday and last into Thursday.
Wind gusts on Tuesday are expected to be in the 30-plus mph range, with wave swells 12 to 15 feet.
Conditions will worsen Wednesday and Thursday, with wind gusts up to 40 to 50 mph and swells 15 to 20 feet.
The amount of rainfall may depend on the tracking direction of TD 9 which is expected to become Tropical Storm Imelda. It will deliver tropical conditions to portions of the central and northwestern Bahamas through Sunday night. Tropical storm conditions are possible along portions of the east coast of central Florida beginning Monday where a tropical storm watch is in effect.
Several tracking models on Saturday indicated that TD 9 would not make a direct hit on land and would veer out to sea around Tuesday, but there was concern that it would stall off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina causing heavy rain and sustained high wave swells and result in flash flooding.
NWS cautioned that although it is too soon to specify the exact location and magnitude of impacts of these two storm systems, residents should closely monitor the latest forecast updates and ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place.
