2024 was a distinctive year that will be remembered for a long list of news stories that will linger in the months to come.
From the exposure of long-buried issues at Buxton Beach, to a newly-scaffolded Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, here is a roundup of the photos that captured our attention during the first few months of 2024.
Note: the following photos include the March 2024 storm that earned Island Free Press photographer Don Bowers a top honor at the North Carolina Press Association Awards, held in September 2024.
Part 2 of the 2024 year in photos story, which will cover August through December, will be published soon.
A Roseate Spoonbill makes a cheeky appearance at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in January 2024. Photo by Jeff Lewis for the Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society.Buxton Hotline in January 2024, before it closes and eventually moves to a new location. Photo by Joy Crist.Frost covered vegetation along the Pamlico sound shoreline in January. Photo by Cape Hatteras National Seashore.Coast Guard personnel in Hatteras Harbor assist a cold-stunned Loggerhead sea turtle in January. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet.Hundreds flock to the annual Hatteras Island Oyster Roast in early February. Photo by Joy Crist.Northern Ocracoke’s N.C. Highway 12 gets inundated with ocean overwash during a February storm. Image from Karen Rhodes.Northern Ocracoke on Monday, Feb. 12. CHNS photo.A deer takes a stroll through flooded Avon Village in February. Photo by Matt-Britt FarrowFebruary’s groundbreaking ceremony to mark the next wave of the ongoing Cape Hatteras Lighthouse renovation project. Photo by Don Bowers.Buxton Beach in February 2024. Photo by Joy Crist.A section of the Terminal Building at Buxton Beach in February 2024. Photo by Ed Hoyt.Buxton Beach on February 18, 2024. Photo by Joy Crist.Buxton Beach on February 22, 2024. Photo by Joy Crist.Buxton Beach on February 22, 2024. Photo by Joy Crist.Scaffolding starts to be added around the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in March. CHNS photo.The vessel of a fatal boat accident near Oregon Inlet that claimed the lives of Chad Dunn and Capt. Charlie “Griff” Griffin washes ashore at Pea Island in March. Photo from U.S. Coast Guard.Buxton’s former Terminal Building in early March 2024. Photo by Don Bowers.Drew Pearson, director of Dare County’s Department of Emergency Management, shows members of the Avon Volunteer Fire Department how to operate a new CRD. Photo by Jack Danz.Local VFDs respond to a house fire on McMullen Road. Photo by Joy Crist.Countless Scotch Bonnets was ashore after a March storm. Photo by Joy Crist.The annual HICF St. Patrick’s Day brunch is invaded by a Mrs. Roper Romp. Photo by Jennifer Paddock.Northern Ocracoke Island after a March storm.Rodanthe on March 26, 2024. Photo by Brad Hanson.Buxton Beach on March 26. CHNS photo.Buxton on March 27. Photo by Don Bowers.Buxton on March 27. Photo by Don Bowers.Buxton on March 27. Photo by Don Bowers.The closed section of Buxton Beach on March 27. Photo by Don BowersThe closed section of Buxton Beach on March 27. Photo by Don BowersBuxton on March 27. Photo by Don Bowers.Buxton on March 27. Photo by Don Bowers.Buxton Beach on March 27. Photo by Cape Hatteras National Seashore.Buxton Beach on March 27, 2024. CHNS photo.A March 28 meeting on Buxton Beach attracted an estimated 90 attendees. Photo by Joy Crist.Sawyer Harris and his dad Brian Harris speak at the April 2 Board of Commissioners meeting. Dare County image.The tower of scaffolding around the lighthouse on April 1. Photo by Don Bowers.Kelly Clark and Ed Milch with the surprisingly heavy and roughly $30,000 temporary lens that is currently serving as the lighthouse beacon. Photo by Joy Crist.Temporary Beacon attached to the lighthouse in April.Highway 12 on northern Ocracoke Island after a crack is discovered following a storm. NCDOT experts are brought in the fix the highway shortly after. Image from NCDOT.Uncle Eddy’s in Buxton catches fire in April 2024. Photo from Swell Motel in BuxtonDavid Hallac addresses a crowd at the Buxton Civic Association’s first meeting in April. Photo by Joy Crist.A wave of clouds put on an impressive show over the Outer Banks in April. Photo by Chris Joyner.A whale strands in Rodanthe in April. Photo by Cape Hatteras National Seashore.The new Oregon Inlet Fishing Center opens to the public in April. Photo by Jack Danz.SpaceX Launch over Ocracoke Island on April 28. Photo by Wes Snyder Photography.Scaffolding at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in April 2024. CHNS photo.Scaffolding at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in April 2024. CHNS photo.CHSS’ The Little Mermaid performance brings down the house in May. Photo by Blake TaftCol. Ron Sturgeon, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District , speaking at a May 2024 meeting in Buxton. Photo by Joy Crist.May meeting at the Fessenden Center in Buxton.The “new” Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum opens in May. Photo by Mandy Haage FullerThe “new” Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum opens in May. Photo by Mandy Haage FullerThe “new” Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum opens in May. Photo by Mandy Haage FullerRodanthe on Friday, May 17. Photo by Joy Crist.Excavation work for a lone pipe removal at Buxton Beach in May. CHNS photo.Rodanthe home collapse on May 28. Photo by Brad Hanson.Rodanthe home collapse on May 28. Photo by Brad HansonRodanthe home collapse on May 28. Photo by Brad Hanson.The CHSS Class of 2024. Photo by Don BowersIsland Inn and Commons in June. Photo by Joy CristOBX Shred Fest in June in Rodanthe. Photo by Actively Awkward OBX PhotographyOBX Shred Fest in June in Rodanthe. Photo by Actively Awkward OBX PhotographyNew Hotline Thrift Store on Opening Day in June. Photo by Joy Crist.Two Leatherback sea turtles nest on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore for the first time in 20+ years in June. This crawl measured roughly 5 feet across. The Leatherback sea turtle is the largest sea turtle species living today, weighing up to 2,000 pounds. CHNS photo.New landscaping outside of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in July. Photo by Joy Crist4th of July Hatteras Village Golf Cart Parade. Photo by Don Bowers4th of July Hatteras Village Golf Cart Parade. Photo by Don Bowers4th of July Hatteras Village Golf Cart Parade. Photo by Don BowersAvon’s 4th of July Fireworks. Photo by Don Bowers.Avon’s 4th of July Fireworks. Photo by Don BowersLittle Kinnakeet Station opens its doors to the public for the first time in history. Photo by Joy Crist.Miss Katie in Hatteras Inlet in July 2024. Photo by Joy Crist.
Stay tuned for Part 2, which will cover August through December, 2024.
