After a Dorian induced redesign, Ride the Wind Surf Shop awaits customers. ‘The cash register is working,’ says Bob Chestnut. Ocracoke Island opens for visitors Dec. 2. Photo: C. Leinbach
By Connie Leinbach
Since Hurricane Dorian devastated Ocracoke on Sept. 6, many friends from near and far have come to the island’s aid, and more are on the way to create a community Thanksgiving feast.
The meal will be from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Berkley Barn, and is for residents, non-resident property owners, and temporary volunteers and contractors. Invited guests of community members are also welcome. Attendees are encouraged to bring desserts and sides for the potluck portion of the event.
Liberty Christian Fellowship of Kill Devil Hills reached out to Ocracoke Disaster Relief, said Alicia Peel, who’s been helping coordinate disaster relief since Hurricane Dorian struck on Sept. 6.
Since Liberty provides a Thanksgiving meal every year at their church for the community, they decided to help Ocracoke plan their own. This happened to coincide with a Thanksgiving potluck being planned by Sundae Horn and Karen Lovejoy, so they all joined forces.
“In a way, it’s an extension of the community Thanksgiving put on by Liberty every year,” said Katie Pendry, disaster relief coordinator for Liberty. “We’re really here to provide assistance with planning and donor contacts; the vision has always been for this event to be put on by islanders, for islanders.”
Because the kitchen inside the Berkley Manor was flooded and is unusable, Disaster Relief USA is bringing a mobile kitchen Wednesday evening to ensure menu items are ready to be served by 1 p.m. the next day
John Tice, owner of John’s Drive-In in Kitty Hawk, is one of the main sponsors of the meal. He, his daughter Amanda, some of his staff and customers and the Disaster Relief USA team led by Gordon Knox will be cooking 14 turkeys as well as ham, pork butt, green beans, stuffing, mashed redskin potatoes and rolls.
Tice and Pendry will arrive on the island this Tuesday to begin prep.
Tice has also been sending used appliances that have been donated and collected with the help of Charles Hardy Moving Service.
“We have gotten a lot of great donations from restaurants and food suppliers to help with the Thanksgiving meal and to stock the pantry,” he said.
“One of the many things John is bringing down: 600 oysters. We’ll have a little oyster roast too,” Peel said.
Horn and Lovejoy are organizing the potluck element, as well as set up and tear down. They are also coordinating with Ocracoke School students to create decorations.
Horn said volunteers are needed to help move tables Wednesday night, set up on Thursday morning, organizing the potluck items, and cleanup. To volunteer, call her at 252-921-0283.
Peel noted that this is a non-stressful gathering.
“Every time the community has come together since the storm, it’s been for storm-related issues, or stressful situations,” she said. “It’s time to just have some fun together.”
Oh, and it’s BYOB-friendly, too.
Prior to the community meal, a “Potluck Pantry” will be held in the OVFD from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday (Nov. 26 and 27). If the weather is good, the Pantry will be held outside, behind the fire station.
This is separate from the Bread of Life Food Pantry that is now confined to one bay of the firehouse.
This special pantry will stock Thanksgiving-specific items, which people can use for their own celebration or to share at the community meal at the Berkley Barn.
Mike Toler Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat in Morehead City has been collecting items for this special pantry, which will be delivered today. Dixie 105.7 FM, JH Sanders Aviation Services and Elizabeth City Regional Airport are collecting items as well, Peel said.
“We also have $350, mostly in gift cards, collected by Cape Hatteras Motel to spend on fresh pantry items at Food Lion,” she said. “There’s been a lot of people donating to (this event), and we’re so grateful.”
As of Nov. 22, all ferries to Ocracoke are running to Silver Lake. Photo: C. Leinbach
From the NCDOT
RALEIGH – The North Carolina Ferry System plans on Tuesday (Nov. 26) to adjust the schedules for its Cedar Island-Ocracoke and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke routes while Ocracoke Island recovers from last weekend’s nor’easter.
Until Tuesday, Dec. 2 when the mandatory evacuation is lifted, Ocracoke remains open only to residents, non-resident property owners and personnel approved for re-entry by Hyde County.
All the ferries to Ocracoke are running to Silver Lake, which is in the village of Ocracoke. Ferry operations to Ocracoke South Dock, which is on the north end of Ocracoke Island, have been suspended while crews repair damage to N.C. 12 from Hurricane Dorian and last weekend’s storm.
The ferry schedule for runs between Ocracoke and Cedar Island, and Ocracoke and Swan Quarter starting Tuesday will be as follows:
Ocracoke-Cedar Island: 7 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Cedar Island-Ocracoke: 6:30 a.m., 10 a.m., and 4 p.m.
Ocracoke-Swan Quarter: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 7 p.m.
Swan Quarter-Ocracoke: 10 a.m., noon, and 4 p.m.
There will be additional runs for fuel and vendor deliveries Tuesdays through Fridays, departing Swan Quarter to Ocracoke at 7:30 a.m. and departing Ocracoke to Swan Quarter at 2 p.m.
Reservations on these routes are highly recommended and can be obtained by calling 1-800-BY-FERRY.
All reservation holders must arrive at the terminal one hour before departure time. In addition, same-day reservations for ferries departing Ocracoke are not available, and next-day reservations must be made before 4 p.m. Passengers without reservations will be placed in a standby line and be allowed on ferries if space is available.
One of many signs of encouragement around the village. Photo: C. Leinbach
By Kelley Shinn
Let me first state clearly that I do not advocate a staunch position, one way or another as to the reopening of this island. It matters not if you have an opinion anyhow, as the Hyde County Board of Commissioners voted on Nov. 20, with one dissenting vote, to reopen the island beginning Dec. 2.
On Nov. 18, I was one of several island voices who were featured in a news segment on WRAL. I expressed that it can be a dangerous thing for people, emotionally, if the island were to open too soon. In the days that followed, two people expressed their anger at my comments in a vicious manner.
I care deeply for my neighbors, and I understand that disaster takes an enormous toll on individuals and families within communities.
There are approximately 1,000 voices on this island. They are the voices of 1,000 people who survived a natural disaster that could have been immensely worse considering that there were no human casualties. As each of those 1,000 survivors is unique, so is their own personal disaster unique—Dorian has caused significant losses that vary greatly from survivor to survivor.
For some islanders, this is their first major trauma. Personally, I’ve had a lifetime of extensive experience both empirically and theoretically in trauma and disaster. Despite my own personal losses, I have taught trauma-related courses at the collegiate level. I’ve worked in conjunction with Landmine Survivors Network in Bosnia-Herzegovina a few years after the genocide, and I’ve worked extensively as a legal and medical liaison for breast cancer patients, cerebral palsy patients and amputees. It’s an odd feeling to be grateful to have experienced and observed multiple incidents of major trauma and disaster in one lifetime, but I find myself grateful on a daily basis because it’s provided me with a road map to healing. Understanding the processes of the neuropsychological realm following trauma is an essential key to enduring them.
In Disaster Mental Health Services: A Guidebook for Clinicians and Administrators, published by the Department of Veterans Affairs in conjunction with The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the aftermath of disasters, including natural ones such as Dorian, are defined in four phases, which I will paraphrase:
The first one is the Heroic phase, in which “individuals and the community direct inordinate levels of energy into the activities of rescuing, helping, sheltering, emergency repair, and cleaning up. This phase normally lasts from a few hours to a few days.” We’ve been there and done that, quite heroically.
Phase 2 is the Honeymoon phase, “in which survivors witness the influx of resources, national or worldwide media attention, visiting VIPS, who reassure them their community will be restored. Survivors begin to believe that their home, community, and life as they know it will be restored quickly and without complications. Generally, by the third week resources begin to diminish, the media coverage lessens, VIPS are no longer visiting, and the complexity of rebuilding and restoration becomes increasingly apparent.” We’ve seen that parade go by.
Phase 3 is Disillusionment “in which fatigue, irritating experiences, and the knowledge of all that is required to restore their lives combine to produce disillusionment. Survivors discover that significant financial benefits are in the form of loans, not grants, that home insurance isn’t what they understood it to be, that politics, rather than need, shape decisions; that a neighbor with a damaged chimney received greater benefits than a neighbor whose roof collapsed. Complaints about betrayal, abandonment, lack of justice, bureaucratic red tape and incompetence are ubiquitous. Symptoms related to post-traumatic stress intensify and hope diminishes.” Sound familiar? I believe we are here now.
Where we are going is Phase 4—Restabilization, “when the groundwork laid during the previous months begins to produce observable changes. Applications have been approved, loans worked out, and (large-scale) reconstruction begins to take place. Generally speaking, some individuals are able to regain equilibrium within six months. For others, it may well take between 18 and 36 months.”
A native islander and I can tell you from experience that it only takes a few hours to have your legs cut off, but it takes a year and a half to walk again, and the walk is never the same. In order to thrive, one requires patience and a willingness to honor and embrace each step of the healing process.
Experts will tell you that until Phase 4 is reached, a community is not ready to integrate the trauma into a new normal and be ready for healthy psychosocial interactions.
In this village, the common stress reactions to disaster cited by the National Center for PTSD are prominent, including anger, helplessness, headaches, gastrointestinal symptoms, social withdrawal and increased conflict with relationships, to name a handful.
One of the reasons that a group of us went to Raleigh Nov. 13 was to advocate and ensure that Ocracoke had adequate funds appropriated for winter “insulation”—in case we were deemed not ready to open. Now, $1.7 million is to be directed to our school, and according to Rep. Chuck McGrady, almost $20 million is coming to the county to help with various forms of Individual Assistance and rebuild.
And now, the hope is that more money will pour into our island community with the opening of the island, despite not having the normal number of accommodations, shops/restaurants open to serve the public-at-large. Many of the accommodations that the public-at-large have access to will now be in direct competition with the volunteers and disaster crews who are committed to the long-term recovery of the community.
There are no easy solutions, and, as it has been since Sept. 6, each day will require immeasurable flexibility and fortitude. When members of this tight-knit community, who have all suffered together since day one, are having difficulty remaining kind and patient, it is reasonable to consider that it will become even more difficult to remain stoic when the public-at-large is present, peering at our new scars, particularly for islanders in high-profile working positions who will be asked to reiterate Dorian stories again and again.
But take heart: It’s true that Ocracoke is stronger than Dorian. It is also true that Ocracoke isn’t singular in their disaster. “Approximately 17 million people living in North America are exposed annually to trauma and disaster.” (Meichenbaum, 1995). And experts in the field of disaster and trauma have been creating roadmaps for decades to help survivors regain stability and a sense of normalcy.
Be kind and patient with yourself. If you are only able to move some rubble for an hour, then congratulate yourself for the progress. If you are only able to make one necessary bureaucratic phone call for the day, then congratulate yourself on the patience that requires. If you can’t even get out of bed for a day, then congratulate yourself on the ability to listen to the needs of your body, mind and soul. Remember, slow and steady wins the race, and at the finish line is a loving, island village that will be stronger and more compassionate than we already knew it to be.
The following chart is a list of Common Stress Reactions to Disaster. This chart, as well as all of the quotations not cited in this piece are courtesy of Disaster Mental Health Services: A Guidebook for Clinicians and Administrators. (Young, Ford, Ruzek, Friedman & Gusman, 1998).
If any of the above symptoms are affecting you, then please visit the websites following the charts to get your road maps, to help you understand that your reactions are normal, and that there is hope and help available.
(Disaster hotline numbers so that you can call someone and just talk! Free! Multilingual! Specifically created in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.)
OCRACOKE REBUILDS. David Scott Esham, owner of the Pony Island Motel, supervises the rebuild of the first floor of the motel. Photo: C. Leinbach
First published on Nov. 22, 2019; further updated/corrected Feb. 25. This list will continue to be updated.
Now that Ocracoke Island is open to visitors (since Dec. 2), the island looks very different as repairing and rebuilding activities from the inundation Sept. 6 by Hurricane Dorian will continue for many months.
Debris from building tear-outs and demolition will be along the roads throughout the village. So extreme caution is advised. As islanders are busy repairing their homes and businesses visitors are advised to be respectful of private property. Gas, food services and lodging will be limited and visitors are advised to prepare accordingly.
Ferries from Hatteras, Swan Quarter and Cedar Island are operating on regular schedules and tolls apply to these routes. Please click here for the current ferry schedules. Be aware that weather and maintenance issues may sideline the ferries at any time.
What to Expect
National Park Service All ocean and sound side beach areas are open and the NPS campground will open in the spring. The NPS visitor center will open in a trailer but the associated restrooms are open.
The Ocracoke Day Use Area (Lifeguard Beach) and its parking lot will not be accessible until later in the spring because they are being used for debris staging. The Ocracoke lighthouse grounds will be open, but the light keeper’s quarters were badly flooded.
What’s open now
Lodging: The Anchorage Inn, Berkley Manor Suites, Bluff Shoal Motel, Blue Heron Vacations, the Castle Bed & Breakfast & Courtyard Villas, Ocracoke Island Realty, Ocracoke’s Lightship Realty, Ocracoke Harbor Inn, Pam’s Pelican B&B and Pony Island Motel & Cottages.
Food & Drink: The Magic Bean Coffee Bazaar, School Road. Plum Pointe Kitchen (Inside 1718 Brewing Ocracoke): 5 to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday; Saturdays: Noon to 8:30 p.m. 252-928-7586 Sorella’s Pizza & Pasta: Closed until March 4. 1718 Brewing Ocracoke: 5 to 9 p.m. daily. 252-928-2337 Zillie’s: 4 to 8:30 p.m. daily. 252-928-9306 The Flying Melon: open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday through March 7. Closed March 8 to 25; reopening Thursday, March 26.
Taqueria Suazo’s Mexican food truck on Creek Road. The Ocracoke Variety Store and ABC Store are open.
Ocracoke Cigars: 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. 972-814-0886
Shopping Ride the Wind Surf Shop Tuesday – Saturday 1 to 7 p.m., Books to be Red, Down Creek Gallery open every day, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Over the Moon, Island Artworks: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fishing Drumstick Sportfishing, Dream Girl Sportfishing, Gecko Sportfishing, Fish Tales Charter Fishing and Tradewinds Tackle (Phone number posted on the door).
Services: Angie’s Gym, Ann Ehringhaus (wedding minister), Yoga with Amy/Deep Blue Bodywork & Massage, Beach Ride Rentals, Harrell & Associates, OBX Rentals and Shuttle Services, Ocean Atlantic Event Rentals, Ocracoke Observer, Ocracoke Current, Ocracoke Alive, Ocracoke Island Yoga, Stillwater Spa & Wellness, Jimmie’s Garage.
Gasoline is available by credit card only at Jerniman’s. Ocracoke Health Center, 305 Back Rd. 252-928-1511. M-F, 8 am to noon & 1-5 pm. After hours: 252-928-SICK (7425) Island Mobile Medical Care, Gail Covington, family nurse practitioner. 252-996-0511. Laura L. Trent, DVM, 252-923-3787. Ocracoke mobile veterinarian. Roanoke Island Animal Clinic: Every third Wednesday of every month at 9 am. Ocracoke Community Center.
Beach Ride Rentals is back and open for the season. If you need a 4×4 to drive on the beach, contact 252-916-0133 for rates and availability.
Opening spring 2020
Hotels Blackbeard’s Lodge (June), Cove Bed & Breakfast (March), Captain’s Landing Waterfront Inn (Office open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to take reservations; leave a message), Crew’s Inn B&B (April), Oscar’s B&B, Sand Dollar Motel, Harborside Motel and Gift Shop, Silver Lake Motel, Edwards of Ocracoke Cottages (March) and Teeter’s Campground (March 1).
Restaurants Howard’s Pub (March 3), Back Porch Lunchbox, DAJIO, Eduardo’s (early March), Sweet Tooth and Fig Tree Bakery & Deli, Gaffer’s (April), Graceful Bakery, , Jason’s Restaurant (March), Jolly Roger Restaurant & Marina, Ocracoke Coffee Co. (April 1), Ocracoke Oyster Company (March 1), Pony Island Restaurant (April), Slushy Stand (March), Ocracoke Fudge & Ice Cream Shop (mid-March), SmacNally’s, the Back Porch.
Shops The Community Store, Harborside Gift Shop, Mermaid’s Folly, Ocracoke Preservation Museum & Gift Shop, Ocracoke Seafood Co., Ocracoke Island Trading Co., Village Craftsmen, Moonraker Tea Shop, the Sunglass Shop, Kitty Hawk Kites, Island Artworks.
Recreation Native Parasail, Ocracoke Island Golf Carts, Rascal Charter Boats, Wheelie Fun Golf Carts, Anchorage Marina (March 15).
Entertainment Deepwater Theater, Coyote Music Den
Special Events The Oyster Roast is canceled for 2019. But most events on Ocracoke Island, including Ocracoke Preservation Society’s Art Auction in January, will take place as usual. Events scheduled in 2020 include: OPS Art Auction Fundraiser – January 25 Portsmouth Island Homecoming – April 25 Ocracoke 5k/10K Race- April 25 Ocracoke Half Marathon – April 26
Ocracoke Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament – April 29 to May 1 Waterfowl Festival – May 2 British Cemetery Ceremony – May 8 OVFD Fireman’s Ball – May 23 Ocrafolk Festival – June 5-7 Women’s Arm Wrestling – June 11 Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks – July 3-5 Fig Festival – August 7 & 8 Health Center Seafood Festival – Sept. 5 Ocrafolk School – Oct. 18-23 Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree – Oct. 29-Nov. 1 Festival Latino de Ocracoke – November 6-8 Parade of Boats – November 28 Oyster Roast – TBA
Ocracoke Alive Deepwater Theater shows (8 p.m.) June to September (Wednesday: Dingbatter’s Guide to Ocracoke (Season 2); Thursdays: Molasses Creek Band in concert
Local resources for travelers VisitOcracokeNC.com for more information. 252-928-6711 N.C. Department of Transportation (https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/ferry/) for status and schedule of all ferries to and from the island. Hyde County http://www.hydecountync.gov/ 252-475-5655
Ocracoke’s county commissioner Tom Pahl, right, listens to his commissioner colleagues via teleconferencing in the Ocracoke Community Center. Hyde County EMS Director Justin Gibbs is at left. Photo: C. Leinbach
By Connie Leinbach
The Hyde County board of Commissioners Wednesday night voted to open Ocracoke Island to visitors at 5 a.m. Dec. 2.
The meeting was a continuation of Monday’s monthly board meeting where the board tabled a vote in order to determine the status of the repair of N.C. 12 at the north end of Ocracoke. The road was further compromised by the weekend nor’easter which punched two more dune breaches in addition to the two created when Hurricane Dorian lashed the island Sept. 6, inundating the village from which recovery is continuing.
Wednesday night’s vote was not unanimous as Commissioner James Topping voted against the action, arguing that the island was not ready to take visitors.
Ocracoke’s County Commissioner Tom Pahl noted that the Dec. 2 date is a compromise between those who want the island opened now and those who do not, which he said was about even from all of the calls and text messages he’s gotten since Monday.
“Quite honestly, it cuts right down the middle,” he said about island sentiments. “There’s no way that this decision can be made and make everybody happy.”
Hyde County Manager Kris Cahoon Noble explained that one of the milestones (as stated in the Nov. 4 meeting) needed in order to open the island on Friday was for the repairs to N.C. 12 at the north end to be completed.
Friday was the expected completion date, but the weekend nor’easter washed that away by opening up two new dune breaches.
“(The nor’easter) has also helped us to realize that the milestone is reliable transportation,” Noble said. “Highway 12 and all the Hatteras and Ocracoke ferry routes are very fragile, and they’re going to remain fragile all winter.”
Not having N.C. 12 access has put a tremendous amount of pressure on the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island ferries, she said.
“Every ferry moving out of Swan Quarter this week has been at capacity, using every boat, using every crew, using every viable housing option for ferry personnel,” she said.
Then there’s the constant daily coordination to get all the supply and trash removal trucks onto the ferries without leaving anyone behind.
“Without that reliable 12 route that ferry is our transportation back and forth,” she said.
The extra time between now and Dec. 2 will allow Hyde County ask the Ferry Division what kind of tweaks can be done to the schedule to make it as responsive as possible to the new scenario, Pahl said.
“And Ferry Division has agreed to have those conversations,” he said.
Commissioner Shannon Swindell advocated for opening the island immediately, as did Benjamin Simmons III.
The other milestone to opening the island was debris removal, both along the side of the road and the growing mountain of debris on the Lifeguard Beach parking lot.
“At last count we estimated that debris pile as it stood when we last counted a month ago, would take 240-plus hauls to get that off of the island,” Noble said.
Some of the approximately 30 islanders who attended were puzzled afterwards that they didn’t get a chance to speak.
But Pahl said that they were able to speak at Monday night’s meeting. He also said earlier that there had been no lack of input with himself and the other commissioners.
“I think the idea of trying to have some kind of a vote, in some respects, it has already taken place,” he said. “Everybody’s felt very free to express themselves on this issue and I appreciate that.”
Kari Styron, the rental manager at Ocracoke Island Realty, said in an interview that every island family that’s in a rental house will be allowed to stay when the island reopens.
“Homeowners and guests have been very understanding and kind about this situation,” she said.
To catch up on Ocracoke news and much more, click here
The following is a report from the Outer Banks Community Foundation in Southern Shores with additional information from the Ocracoke Interfaith Relief & Recovery Team.
The Outer Banks Community Foundation has allocated and awarded more than $625,000 from its Ocracoke Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Dorian recovery.
The fund for Ocracoke now totals $1 million, according to MaryAnn Toboz, the foundation’s development and communications manager.
The fund began as thousands of generous donors across the country wanted to help Ocracoke following the disastrous inundation on Sept. 6.
Those funds are being released to Ocracoke via the Firehouse Committee–a group made up of members of the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department.
The allocation includes $200,000 earmarked to install temporary housing trailers purchased by Hyde County. At least 35 families will be able to live in these trailers while their homes are being repaired or rebuilt. The allocation will subsidize utility hook-ups, like septic, water, gas, and power.
Additionally, the Ocracoke Disaster Relief Fund has pledged $300,000 for materials and supplies for repair and rebuilding projects. In partnership with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Community Foundation money will be used for building supplies and materials for storm victims, including sheet rock, lumber, shingles and more, with priority focus on helping the elderly and people with medical needs.
“We’re delighted to partner with UMCOR on this rebuilding project, which will benefit at least 60 Ocracoke families,” said Lorelei Costa, the Community Foundation’s executive director. “UMCOR will be leveraging a national pool of volunteers, who will travel to Ocracoke to help families repair and rebuild their homes. With our funds, UMCOR will be able to purchase deeply discounted building materials in bulk, allowing us to help even more families.”
In addition, the Firehouse Committee continues to approve monetary assistance to additional storm victims each week to help them pay bills. Funds have been awarded for roof repairs, appliances, furniture, vehicle replacement, utilities, rental assistance, wheelchair ramps, medications, medical equipment, insulation, electrical repairs and much more.
Additionally, the Firehouse Committee recently purchased 60 space heaters, which were distributed to families in time for the approaching winter.
But the Disaster Relief Fund is only one of several sources of aid Ocracoke has leveraged since the storm.
The Ocracoke Interfaith Relief & Recovery Team (OIRRT) is carrying forth Ocracoke’s recovery. If you have concerns or immediate emergency needs please email unmet@oirrt.org or admin@oirrt.org or call 833-543-3248 and a case worker will contact you.
Residents are then assigned to caseworkers who work to fulfill the needs whether by donated goods or application to the Ocracoke Disaster Relief Fund, also known as the Fire House Fund.
Most of the individual applications that are being reviewed by the Firehouse Committee were submitted through the Ocracoke Recovery Center and vetted by volunteer caseworkers. As caseworkers continue meeting with victims to ascertain needs, the Firehouse Committee meets several times each week to review cases, award monies and write checks.
Any storm victim who did not apply for help through the Ocracoke Recovery Center can still request assistance from the Ocracoke Disaster Relief Fund. Full-time residents are invited to contact the Firehouse Committee by emailing ocracokerecoveryfund@gmail.com.
The Outer Banks Community Foundation continues to collect financial contributions to assist individuals and families in Dare County and Ocracoke who have been devastated by Hurricane Dorian.
All contributions to the Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund are tax-deductible, and every penny of every gift will be used to directly assist local individuals and families. Neither the Community Foundation nor any of its nonprofit partners are using disaster relief donations for fees, salaries, or administrative or operating expenses.
Teresa Adams, the Hyde County liaison to Ocracoke, is now in the Life Saving Church from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, to help with all applications and information. The deadline to apply for SBA loans is Dec. 16.
NCDOT crews have been working since last weekend’s storm to clear sand and debris from N.C. 12. The road between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe was reopened at noon today. NCDOT photo
This news story has been updated, Nov. 20, 7:18 p.m.
From our News sources
Nov. 20 The Hatteras-Ocracoke-Silver Lake ferry route resumed today after being suspended for several days but access is still restricted to Ocracoke residents, non-resident property owners and people permitted by Hyde County.
Later this afternoon, the NC Ferry Division released this tweet: Operations are still suspended on NCDOT’s Hatteras-Ocracoke South Dock ferry but will resume when NC 12 on Ocracoke can be reopened. Last weekend’s storm delayed Friday’s planned reopening of NC 12 on Ocracoke. The road has been closed since Hurricane Dorian in early September.
N.C. 12 reopened between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe at noon today. Motorists are cautioned to drive slowly and stay alert as some water and sand remains on the road and maintenance crews are still working nearby to fortify damaged dunes.
N.C. Department of Transportation crews have been working since last weekend to remove sand from N.C. 12.
A section of the road between the Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe closed Saturday afternoon due to the powerful storm that pounded the Outer Banks highway with ocean overwash and wind-blown sand.
NCDOT crews also inspected N.C. 12 on Ocracoke Island and saw no additional structural damage. However, the storm did cause some dune breaches on Ocracoke Island within the area still being repaired from Hurricane Dorian. This will delay Friday’s scheduled reopening of the Ocracoke Island section of N.C. 12. Officials are still assessing the road to determine what repairs are needed to reopen the road.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore has reopened today the Frisco and Cape Point Campgrounds following the recent coastal storm. The Ocracoke Campground remains closed post-Hurricane Dorian.
Some upcoming events on Ocracoke this week and next.
Wednesday, Nov. 20:
Hyde County Elections Office Director Viola Williams will be at the Community Center from 1 to 5 p.m. to register new voters and update voter registration information. She will also provide information on North Carolina voter ID requirements.
Resumption of Hyde County Board of Commissioners meeting to discuss the status of N.C. 12 and possible reopening of the island to visitors. 6 p.m. Ocracoke Community Center.
Thursday Nov. 21 Small Business Workshop: a discussion and question and answer session for business related topics as you work towards recovery. 6 to 8 p.m. Community Center. The Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) is a business counseling service that provides free confidential business counseling to our clients, which range from start- ups to small-medium sized businesses. It is not a funding source. Some of the services that the organization offers for startups include, but are not limited to business-counseling sessions that focus on concept feasibility and guidance through the startup process. Also business plan reviews and guidance through developing financial projections and the funding process, assistance in completing a loan application. For existing businesses, they provide assistance in management counseling, financial analysis, market research, government contracting assistance, strategic planning, international business development and much more.
Saturday, Nov. 23: The Glow Party, family friendly laser light dance party with Emerald Owl Productions. (Rescheduled from Nov. 15). Free. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Berkley Barn.
Sunday, Nov. 24: Combined churches community Thanksgiving fellowship 11 a.m. service at the Berkley Barn. Lunch to follow
Tuesday, Nov. 26: Grief support group. 9:30 a.m. The Castle
Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 26 & 27: Potluck Pantry at the firehouse. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Islanders can choose items for the community Thanksgiving dinner or for their own gatherings. This special event is separate from the Bread of Life Food Pantry, and items will be available as an amount per family, rather than on a Food Hamper basis.
A community Thanksgiving (for locals and their invited guests) in the Berkley Barn with the main course by John’s Drive-In (Kitty Hawk) cooked by Liberty Christian, Operation Blessing and a locally organized pot luck of side dishes. 1 to 3 p.m. To volunteer with the event, contact Sundae Horn at 252-921-0283.
Saturday, Nov. 30: Annual Holiday Boat Parade 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. All boats are welcome to enter.
N.C. 12 north of the pony pens on Sunday, Nov. 17. Photo by Tom Pahl
By Connie Leinbach
The Hyde County commissioners last night decided to postpone a decision to reopen Ocracoke Island until another meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The special meeting last night was recessed while Hyde County Manager Kris Noble and Ocracoke’s commissioner Tom Pahl get more information about the state of damage to NC 12 at the north end from the weekend nor’easter and if the N.C. Ferry Division can add more ferries.
Early in the meeting, Noble said the highway will not open as planned on Nov. 22 and that NCDOT’s Highway Division has not forecast a new date for the repair completion.
Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 6 breached NC 12 on Ocracoke north of the pony pens in two locations, closing it down. Road crews have been working on getting the road completed with a target date of Nov. 22, which also is the tentative reopening of the island to visitors.
When Pahl inspected the damaged road Sunday afternoon around low tide, he noted two more sections of the dunes were knocked down spilling water and sand onto the road.
Noble said Monday’s assessment showed that the area is still experiencing overwash, that 80 percent of the sand that had been placed there during the repair has washed away but the sandbag contractor got back to work on it Monday.
“We have no idea what the pavement looks like under there,” she said, and won’t until DOT excavates the sand on the road.
Moreover, NC 12 on Hatteras between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe also is dealing with overwash following the weekend storm. As of today, it is still closed, and a press release today said it may open Wednesday if no additional damage is found. The press release also said “no additional structural damage” was found at the Ocracoke repair area.
Pahl and Noble said they would work today and Wednesday to get more information before Wednesday’s reconvening. The meeting will be held in the Government Services Center in Swan Quarter and in the Ocracoke Community center via teleconferencing.
In a lengthy discussion Monday night, Commissioner James Topping said it’s not about Highway 12 but about the state of the village.
“The island itself is still in shambles,” he said. “There’s a lot of trash along the road. The island is simply not ready to accept visitors.”
Ninety percent of the calls he’s getting are from islanders who say the island is not ready.
“I’ve gotten just the opposite,” said Benjamin Simmons III. “I don’t know what’s going to be accomplished by not opening.”
He and Commissioner Shannon Swindell and said they didn’t like government dictating when the island could reopen, that businesses should be allowed to make money and that the island should be opened now.
“I’m well beyond telling people to wait,” Swindell said.
Emergency Services is concerned about emergency medical transportation without Highway 12 access, although ambulances can use the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island ferries. EMS does call in helicopter medevacs in dire medical emergencies.
Hyde County EMS Director Justin Gibbs noted that a second EMS crew is on the island because of the still-declared emergency. They are scheduled until Nov. 22.
The larger issue that the commissioners discussed was the continual damage of NC 12 from storms and that Ocracoke has to start thinking differently about Highway 12
After Hurricane Florence in September 2018, the same narrow section of the highway was over washed. Sections of the asphalt were damaged.
The dune repair held through last winter and this year up until Hurricane Dorian struck Sept. 6.
“There’s nothing to say that two weeks after they complete that work, we aren’t gonna have another nor’easter and knock that right back down,” Pahl said.
He noted that there’s a limited amount of sand in the dredge spoil mound at the north end that is being used for this project.
Before the weekend storm, Pahl considered Highway 12 as a reliable means but now he doesn’t.
“A reliable 12 is not what we have anymore,” he said. “Considering how much damage the repair work sustained from just a weekend nor’easter, I think we have to start thinking differently about highway 12, and the reliability of that going forward.”
Commissioner Chair Earl Pugh Jr asked Noble and Pahl to talk to the Ferry Division about adding more ferries to make up for the inaccessibility of NC 12.
Pahl said the Ocracoke Control Group would also convene before Wednesday to discuss the situation.
In the public comment section, Sundae Horn asked that the Control Group announce when they’re having meetings and issue statements after them, even if that statement simply says that no new decisions have been made.
She also noted that as a resident who evacuated, she was not allowed back on the island until Monday, Sept. 9.
“I spent all of Saturday and Sunday trying to figure out why I wasn’t allowed to return to the island, and I wasn’t given any clear answers,” she said. “And so part of my frustration with the control group not being very transparent was that I was never given a good reason for why the wait was so long for us to not be allowed to come back until Monday.”
That’s the reason why many don’t evacuate, she said.
“And I think that not letting people back on the island is just driven home that they won’t evacuate next time,” she said. “And it was a punishment for the people who did what the county told them to do.”
Darlene Styron noted that we’re already having issues with getting workers and supplies here and asked that the DOT to increase the number of ferry runs should the commissioners reopen the island soon.
Gibbs said that he will talk to the Coast Guard and Dare County about collaborating with transporting potential medical emergencies.
Ivey Belch, chair of the Ocracoke Interfaith Relief & Recovery Team, noted the problems that workers have coming to the island visitors also will have.
“If you can’t get people over here for one day to work, how are you going to address visitors coming over here?” he asked
Simmons responded that he thinks the free market system should not be hampered.
Greg Brown, a contractor who’s been on the island since the storm, said when the ferry tolls resume, he and other contractors might not be able to make as many trips due to not being able to get reservations plus the added cost, or they will transfer the added cost to their customers.
He’s also concerned that the homes contractors have been paying to stay in wouldn’t be available once visitors are allowed back.
Robin Macek, owner of Oscar’s House B&B, told how difficult it’s been for her to get supplies to rebuild. She also suggested finding out how people on the island feel about reopening.
B.J. Oelschlegel asked if the county tells visitors to “go at their own risk,” can that legally release the county from its responsibility.
This information session was canceled last week due to ferry access problems from Swan Quarter. It will be tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 15.
It’s not too early to be thinking about voting.
First class 1964 postage stamp
Hyde County Elections Office Director Viola Williams will be at the Community Center from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday to register new voters and update voter registration information.
She will also provide information on North Carolina voter ID requirements.
Beginning in 2020, voters will be required to provide photo identification before they vote. This includes both in-person and by-mail voting, with some exceptions.
Voter Information for Hyde County can be obtained by visiting the Hyde County websiteor calling the office: 252-926-5280.
