Because of persistent and deep standing water at Ramp 49 in Frisco, the National Park Service this morning opened the emergency ramp at the Frisco Pier parking lot to off-road vehicles.
According to Hatteras Island District Ranger Joe Darling, Ramp 49 has 8 to 12 inches of standing water from recent rains, which will only get worse with another inch or two or rain forecast for today. Darling said the ramp is flooded from Billy Mitchell Road all the way to the Inside Road.
The ramp at the Frisco Pier is usually for emergency vehicles only and is blocked with a cable that was removed this morning.
We will continue to monitor and evaluate the water levels at Ramp 49 as to when the temporary access through the Frisco Pier parking lot will be closed,” Darling said.
At this morning’s high tide, the waves were up to the dunes at the Frisco Pier emergency access ramp.
“Opening the emergency access ramp will allow greater flexibility to access off-road vehicle users to avoid driving through deep water,” Darling said in an e-mail. “However, many routes, especially directly under the Frisco Pier itself, will be inaccessible during many tide conditions.”
He said that Ramp 49 will remain open in its flooded state as an ORV route and may be the only safe point of egress during certain tide cycles.
