A new season brings some changes to Ocracoke businesses By CONNIE LEINBACH

March 20, 2012 | Local News | By: Connie Leinbach

The sounds of spring—hammering and sawing—are in the air on Ocracoke, and visitors will notice some changes in island businesses.  George and Janille Turner have been busy the last couple of months giving a facelift to their new restaurant, the Topless Oyster, along Irvin Garrish Highway in the former Jimmy’s Buffet, which had been Captain […]

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Do you ever wonder how much rainfall you received from a recent thunderstorm? How about snowfall during a winter storm? If so, then a new volunteer weather observing program needs your help! The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network, or CoCoRaHS, is looking for new volunteers across Eastern North Carolina. The grassroots effort is part of a growing national network of home-based and amateur rain spotters with a goal of providing a high density precipitation network that will supplement existing observations. CoCoRaHS came about as a result of a devastating flash flood that hit Fort Collins, Colo., in July, 1997. A local severe thunderstorm dumped over a foot of rain in several hours while other portions of the city had only modest rainfall. The ensuing flood caught many by surprise and caused $200 million in damages. CoCoRaHS was born in 1998 with the intent of doing a better job of mapping and reporting intense storms. As more volunteers participated, rain, hail, and snow maps were produced for every storm showing fascinating local patterns that were of great interest to scientists and the public. North Carolina became the 21st state to establish the CoCoRaHS program in 2007, and by 2010, the CoCoRaHS network had reached all 50 states with 8,000 to 10,000 observations being reported each day.  Through CoCoRaHS, thousands of volunteers, young and old, document the size, intensity, duration and patterns of rain, hail and snow by taking simple measurements in their own backyards. Volunteers may obtain an official rain gauge through the CoCoRaHS website (http://www.cocorahs.org ) for about $27 plus shipping. Besides the need for an official 4-inch plastic rain gauge, volunteers are required to take a simple training module online and use the CoCoRaHS website to submit their reports. Observations are immediately available on maps and reports for the public to view. The process takes only five minutes a day, but the impact to the community is tenfold. By providing high quality, accurate measurements, the observers are able to supplement existing networks and provide useful results to scientists, resource managers, decision makers, and other users. “North Carolina has the most complex climate in the eastern U.S.,” said Ryan Boyles, state climatologist and director of the State Climate Office, based at North Carolina State University.  “Data gathered from CoCoRaHS volunteers are very important in better understanding local weather and climate patterns.” “An additional benefit of the program to the National Weather Service is the ability to receive timely reports of significant weather (hail, intense rainfall, localized flooding) from CoCoRaHS observers that can assist forecasters in issuing and verifying warnings for severe thunderstorms,” says David Glenn, CoCoRaHS state coordinator and meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City. How does one become a CoCoRaHS observer?   Go to the CoCoRaHS website and click on the “Join CoCoRaHS” emblem on the upper right side of the main website.  After registering, take the simple online training, order your 4-inch rain gauge and start reporting! “We are in need of new observers across the entire state. We would like to emphasize rural locations and areas near the coast, especially on barrier islands,” added Glenn. FOR MORE INFORMATION To watch a short video on the CoCoRaHS program, go to http://youtu.be/M5-XXg9M30. 

March 19, 2012 | Local News

Do you ever wonder how much rainfall you received from a recent thunderstorm? How about snowfall during a winter storm? If so, then a new volunteer weather observing program needs your help! The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network, or CoCoRaHS, is looking for new volunteers across Eastern North Carolina. The grassroots effort is […]

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He soon met his first prospective mate, Luna, a white pony who will hopefully soon be carrying his foal. It is hoped that this foal, and others like it, will carry on the heritage and history of Ocracoke’s beloved wild ponies. FOR MORE INFORMATION You can see a video about Alonso’s trip to Ocracoke at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSbzE7gdInc&feature=share For more information, go to the Corolla Wild Horse website at: http://www.corollawildhorses.org/  or for information about the Ocracoke ponies, go to http://www.nps.gov/caha/historyculture/ocracokeponies.htm.

March 19, 2012 | Local News | By: Pat.Garber

By PAT GARBER The wild ponies of Ocracoke Island and Corolla have been an important part of Outer Banks heritage for centuries. Separated by two major inlets and a distance of more than 100 miles, the two herds have, until now, had no contact with each other. That changed in February when the National Park Service, which […]

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He soon met his first prospective mate, Luna, a white pony who will hopefully soon be carrying his foal. It is hoped that this foal, and others like it, will carry on the heritage and history of Ocracoke’s beloved wild ponies. FOR MORE INFORMATION You can see a video about Alonso’s trip to Ocracoke at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSbzE7gdInc&feature=share For more information, go to the Corolla Wild Horse website at: http://www.corollawildhorses.org/  or for information about the Ocracoke ponies, go to http://www.nps.gov/caha/historyculture/ocracokeponies.htm.

March 19, 2012 | Local News | By: Pat.Garber

By PAT GARBER The wild ponies of Ocracoke Island and Corolla have been an important part of Outer Banks heritage for centuries. Separated by two major inlets and a distance of more than 100 miles, the two herds have, until now, had no contact with each other. That changed in February when the National Park Service, which […]

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Dredging improves shoaling in Hatteras ferry channel, and more is planned BY CATHERINE KOZAK

March 16, 2012 | Local News | By: Catherine Kozak

BY CATHERINE KOZAK BY CATHERINE KOZAK As the dredge Merritt chugged away from Hatteras yesterday after 14 days working in Rollinson Channel, conditions in the ferry passage, at least for now, had considerably improved. And after next week, they should be getting even better. Shoaling created by Hurricane Irene in late August had created hazardous […]

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