UPDATE: The summer seasonis back in full swing
Tideland Electric Membership Cooperative restored power to Ocracoke Island about 9:30 last night, and about 30 minutes later, Hyde County re-opened the island to visitors.
Ferries today are running on normal schedules, and businesses on the island, many of which were closed because they had no electricity, are open again.
Dare County allowed residents and essential personnel back on Hatteras Island at noon yesterday and re-opened the island to visitors at 4 p.m.
Re-entry was slow going in the late afternoon and early evening. By 4’oclock traffic was lined up from the checkpoint at the north end of the Bonner Bridge to Whalebone Junction. Then at least one accident and one-lane traffic at the Pea Island Inlet Bridge slowed down the flow and vehicles were backed up again.
The one area on Hatteras still struggling with hurricane clean-up is the tri-villages of Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo, an area that had the highest storm surge from the Pamlico Sound early Friday morning during Hurricane Arthur.
The National Weather Service in Newport, N.C., said today that the storm surge in the tri-villages was about 3 to 4 feet and possibly up to 5 feet in some areas. A team of from the Weather Service will be in the area tomorrow to get more information about the water level rise in the village.
Residents of the villages are still trying to clean up the debris and damage — even as visitors began arriving.
Several folks have posted on social media or contacted Island Free Press to say that they are desperately in need to volunteers to help with the clean-up in the villages.
Meanwhile, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial, and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, have resumed normal operations with the exception of Ocracoke Campground, which expects to reopen at 5 p.m. today.
Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site are open and have resumed normal hours of operation. In Cape Hatteras National Seashore, all facilities in the Bodie Island District, the Hatteras District, and the Ocracoke District are open and have resumed normal hours of operation, with the exception of Ocracoke Campground.
On Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches, all ocean and soundside beach areas have been evaluated for safe access for both pedestrians and off-road vehicles. The beaches are open to pedestrian access through-out the park unless otherwise posted.
The following beach access ramps are open to off-road vehicles (ORVs):
Bodie Island/Oregon Inlet Area: Ramp 4
South of Tri-Villages: Ramp 27 and Ramp 30
Near Village of Avon: Ramp 38
Buxton: R. amp 43 and Ramp 44
Frisco and Hatteras Village: Ramp 49 and Ramp 55
Ocracoke: Ramp 67 and Ramp 70
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is open for climbing. The Hatteras Visitor Center and bookstore and the Buxton off-road vehicle permit office reopened on normal schedules today. The Lighthouse beach lifeguard operation has returned to normal hours of operation.
EVENT NEWS
Fireworks will be Monday, July 7, at 9 p.m. at Avon Pier.
The Carey Fest scheduled for Thursday, July 10, at the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Building has been postponed because of storm damage in the tri-villages. It will be rescheduled soon. Watch IFP’s Event Planner for more information.
