Building in the harsh hatteras conditions

As a result of Tropical Storm Helene, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has opened a grant opportunity for Dare County homeowners to elevate their houses above base flood elevation through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funding to local and state governments so they can develop hazard mitigation plans and rebuild in [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

Heaven gained the sweetest angel on November 18, 2024. Anne Elizabeth Riffe, 85, passed away peacefully in her home. She was born in North Hamptonshire, England to the late Leonard and Agnes Manning. She met her late husband, Jack, there while he was serving in the Air Force. They had been married 50 years at [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

John Patrick Canning Sr., of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on November 18, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. Born on August 9, 1947, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Edward and Margaret Canning, John was the fifth of eight children in a close-knit Irish family. John graduated from Father Judge High School in 1966 [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

KILL DEVIL HILLS — William Thomas Grace, 58, passed away November 19, 2024 in Chesapeake surrounded by loved ones. Bill was born on January 3, 1966, in New Jersey to the late William and Betty Lou Grace. Bill loved fishing, cooking and was a loyal Dallas Cowboys fan. Bill is survived by his wife, Bonnie; [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

January 25, 1959 – October 31, 2024 Elaine Jordan sadly passed away at the age of 65, surrounded by her family in the United Kingdom. Surviving is Julie (Sister), Steve (Brother-in-law), Samantha (Neice), and Bradley (Nephew). Elaine was the eldest of two children of Jean and Wally and was born in Chatham, Kent, England, and [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

The Dare County Tax Department has announced that the countywide 2025 Dare County property revaluation will become effective on January 1, 2025. By North Carolina law, revaluation is required to be completed at least once every eight years. Dare County is currently on a five-year revaluation schedule, with the last revaluation implemented in January 2020. Revaluation is the process [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

June 16, 1960 – November 15, 2024 OCRACOKE — John Edward Simpson, beloved father, brother, partner, and friend, passed away peacefully on November 15, 2024, in Ocracoke, N.C., at the age of 64. Born on June 16, 1960, in St. Petersburg, F.L., John lived a life rich with passion, dedication, and love. A proud graduate [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

With 2,509,873 visitors recorded in the first 10 months of 2024, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) is on track to have another busy year. Per statistics from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, CHNS recorded the following monthly totals for 2024: January – 77,193 February – 79,256 March – 154,935 April – 197,239 May – 267,243 June – 404,323 [...] Local News |  Full Article

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com The possibility of minor soundside flooding along the Outer Banks has shifted to the end of the week. After a strong cold front passes through the region early Thursday morning, winds will shift to the west. A more powerful, yet dry, cold front will roll across the region on Friday followed by strong [...] Local News |  Full Article

CHSS DECA is hosting a Thanksgiving lunch fundraiser on Saturday, November 23, at noon at Frisco Woods Campground Pavilion, 53124 Hwy. 12 in Frisco. The lunch includes chicken, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and many others. Apple and pumpkin pies will also be available. Tickets are $16 a person. All are [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

May 3, 1936 – November 18, 2024 KITTY HAWK — Our dad, Richard S. Lawrenson, Jr. of Kitty Hawk, was peacefully transferred into the presence of his God and Savior on Monday, November 18, 2024. He moved to the Outer Banks from Durant, OK, recently after the death of his wife of almost 70 years [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station (CLSS) is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, as one of the seven original Life-Saving Stations to be built in North Carolina in 1874. As such, the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station and Historic Site in Rodanthe will be sharing stories about the seven 1874 Outer Banks stations until the end of 2024, to celebrate and mark this [...] Island Features |  Full Article

From CoastalReview.org The National Park Service’s historic architect overseeing structural rehabilitation at the Ocracoke Light Station is the featured speaker this week for the “Science on the Sound” lecture series at the Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus. Historical Architect George Jaramillo of the park service’s Outer Banks Group will present “Elevating [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

From OuterBanksVoice.com The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Dare County have confirmed that a second Miss Katie dredging permit that had been suspended for “noncompliance” has now been restored. According to USACE Public Affairs Specialist Jed Cayton, the suspension of the second permit was lifted on Nov. 1 to allow dredging in the [...] Local News |  Full Article

From OuterBanksVoice.com A Nov. 19 story by investigative reporter Dan Kane of the Raleigh News & Observer reports that six Dare County Commissioners have been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury. The story noted the grand jury “recently obtained hundreds of records related to $50 million in state funds for dredging and affordable [...] Local News |  Full Article

An extended period of moderate westerly winds is expected mid to late this week, which could lead elevated water levels for soundside areas from Hatteras Village to Duck, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). “At this time, we do not expect this to be a significant coastal flooding event, but we will continue to [...] Local News |  Full Article

The Cape Hatteras Secondary School’s (CHSS) Student Government Association is sponsoring a Holiday Donation Drive in order to spread some holiday cheer to the residents of Burnsville, a Western N.C. community that was devastated by 2024’s Hurricane Helene. Holiday decorations can be dropped off at the CHSS foyer during the school’s hours of operation from [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com The N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency is seeking public comments through Dec. 14 on a proposed amendment to the action plan for administering HUD Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation funds. The proposed action plan amendment is intended to address homeowner mitigation needs, including establishing the Residential Property Elevation Fund, which will be used to [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

3:15 P.M. UPDATE: Internet and cell phone service has been restored. If you’re still experiencing issues, please contact your service provider. A communications outage was reported on Monday afternoon, affecting cell phone and internet service on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, which may include limited 911 service. According to an alert from the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, [...] Local News |  Full Article

Meet the Outer Banks SPCA pet of the week, courtesy of their latest video produced by Dare County’s CURRENT TV. For more information on this pet, and the many other Outer Banks pets currently up for adoption, visit the Outer Banks SPCA website at https://www.obxspca.org/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/obxspca/  

All Dare County offices and facilities will be closed on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. These closures include the Dare County C&D Landfill in Manns Harbor, the Buxton Transfer Station and the Manteo Recycle Yard, which will reopen and operate with regularly scheduled hours on Saturday, November 30. All [...] Local News |  Full Article

The Dare County Parks & Recreation Department reminds residents and property owners to complete the Dare County Parks & Recreation needs assessment survey before Friday, November 22, 2024. The feedback gathered from the results of this needs assessment survey will be used to aid in the prioritization of future Dare County Parks & Recreation projects, programming and initiatives. Please [...] Local News |  Full Article

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com The National Parks Conservation Association has announced that Dave Hallac, Superintendent of the Outer Banks Group of National Parks, is one of two recipients of this year’s Stephen T. Mather Awards for unparalleled dedication to protecting unique national park resources at all odds. The Stephen T. Mather Award, first presented in 1984 and [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The only local election without an official result was decided over the weekend with the announcement that Hatteras Island resident Brian Harris had won the Dare Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor race in the 2024 General Election. The Dare County Soil and Water race was a write-in only race, which is rare when it [...] Local News |  Full Article

Hyde County and the Ocracoke Mosquito Control Board are currently working with Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investments Program (LASII) funding to find solutions to stormwater issues within the village of Ocracoke. The survey for priority areas on Ocracoke has been scheduled for the week of November 18th. The engineering firm, WithersRavenel, will fly a [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

N.C. Highway 12 has reopened on Ocracoke Island as of 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, and Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry service has resumed, according to an update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the North Carolina Ferry System. The highway has been periodically closed between the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry terminal and the National Park Service pony [...] Local News |  Full Article

A fundraising concert will be held on Friday, November 29, at the Hatteras Village Civic Center featuring the award-winning Songs From The Road Band, with proceeds to benefit Hatteras Island Meals (HIM) and Samaritan’s Purse for Western North Carolina. This is the second year in a row that the Songs From The Road Band has hosted [...] Island Features |  Full Article

As the 2024 hurricane season winds down, the Dare County Waterways Commission is already taking steps to be prepared before next June rolls around by making sure emergency access to and from Hatteras Island is maintained. “We were very fortunate to dodge a major bullet,” member Danny Couch said during the commission meeting held Tuesday [...] Local News |  Full Article

N.C. Highway 12 is open on Hatteras Island as of Saturday morning, however, ocean overwash was reported in northern Buxton and Pea Island before and after the 7:00 a.m. high tide, and standing water and sand was reported at multiple locations and across both lanes, especially between Rodanthe and Oregon Inlet. If travel is necessary, [...] Local News |  Full Article

Get your pets ready to say “Cheese!” The Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Civic Association is proud to announce its first “Pawliday” Photo Shoot Fundraiser will take place on Sunday, November 24. A $20 donation will get you a 20-minute mini photo session and 3-5 edited photos of your pets in a festive, holiday set, currently planned for the [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

June 23, 1946 – September 10, 2024 NAGS HEAD — Margaret “Peggy” Freeman Gladden, the loving wife of Eric Gladden for 21 years, passed away on September 10, 2024, at her home in Nags Head, NC, after a battle with cancer. Her husband and best friend, Sue Mullen of Virginia Beach, VA, were by her [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

April 29, 1943 – November 14, 2024 KILL DEVIL HILLS — Jacquelyn Ann Williamson Fitton, cherished wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, passed away peacefully on November 14, 2024, in Kill Devil Hills, NC, at the age of 81. Born on April 29, 1943, in Pittsburgh, PA, she lived a life full of love and dedication [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

May 1, 1951 – November 12, 2024 KILL DEVIL HILLS — Marna Glazebrook Gegenheimer, age 73, departed this life on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, after a long battle with heart disease. Born on May 1, 1951, in Hopewell, VA, to the late Richard Royster Glazebrook Jr. and Nellie Gray (Emerson) Berry, she leaves behind her [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

December 14, 1925 – November 1, 2024 NAGS HEAD — Wilma Gladden, a wonderful wife, mother, aunt, friend, and neighbor, passed away peacefully at her home in Nags Head, NC, on Friday, November 1, 2024. She lived a life of unconditional love and always put others above herself. Born on December 14, 1925, in Soddy-Daisy, [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

N.C. Highway 12 has reopened between Rodanthe and Oregon Inlet on Hatteras Island as of Friday at 2:00 p.m. The highway was closed Friday morning due to ocean overwash that breached the dune line near the Pea Island Visitor Center. Saltwater and sand remain on the highway and travelers are advised to slow down, use caution, [...] Local News |  Full Article

Debris field after home collapse on Surf Side Drive. Video from @hurricanetrack An oceanfront home located at 23241 Surf Side Drive collapsed in northern Rodanthe overnight due to an ongoing coastal storm. Additional homes in the area were also inundated with water, and visitors should avoid the shoreline due to dangerous debris and continual ocean [...] Local News |  Full Article

2:15: P.M. UPDATE:  N.C. Highway 12 has reopened between Rodanthe and Oregon Inlet on Hatteras Island as of Friday at 2:00 p.m. Saltwater and sand remain on the highway and travelers are advised to slow down, use caution, and watch for North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) personnel as they continue to clear the road. N.C. [...] Local News |  Full Article

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com A coastal storm will likely cause soundside flooding along southern Hatteras Island and Ocracoke and ocean overwash from Oregon Inlet to Buxton starting early Friday morning. “With strong northerly winds gusting to 50-70 mph expected, move vehicles to higher ground and get stuff up off the ground, better safe than wet,” said Dare County Emergency Management [...] Local News |  Full Article

With the holidays just around the corner, The Island Free Press (IFP) is happy to announce that a limited supply of our 2025 IFP calendars is still available for folks who want to celebrate the beauty of Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands all year long. Our IFP readers submitted all the photos for the 12-month 2025 [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) is urging caution on roads and beaches from tonight into this weekend, due to the potential for strong wind gusts, elevated tides and heavy rainfall associated with a low-pressure system. As of this morning, the National Weather Service has issued the following updates: Strong Force Wind and Gale Warnings, High [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The North Carolina Coastal Federation is set to begin its 11th year of the Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project in January 2025. But before the effort can get underway, the Federation needs the help of commercial watermen and women along the northern and central coast to sign up to help us find and collect lost [...] Fishing |  Full Article

N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles operations are being severely impacted by N.C. Department of Information Technology mainframe computer connection issues. After dealing with sporadic connections to the mainframe for the last 24 hours, NCDMV has stopped processing transactions at the state’s 112 driver license offices until the problem is resolved. License plate agencies, online services, [...] Local News |  Full Article

All Dare County Schools will have a remote learning day on Friday, November 15, due to anticipated inclement weather. Additionally, all after-school programs and activities scheduled on Friday are also canceled. Students will receive further instructions from their teachers regarding expectations for the school day. “Tomorrow remains a regular workday for staff,” stated Dare County Schools [...] Local News |  Full Article

A non-tropical low pressure system will impact the Outer Banks Thursday evening and Friday, bringing the potential for multiple hazards including strong winds, coastal flooding, and heavy rain, per an update from the National Weather Service. Minor to locally moderate coastal flooding (soundside and oceanside) is expected, with inundation of 2-4 ft. above ground level. [...] Local News |  Full Article

CHEC has awarded $3,387 in grant funding to local K-12 educators in support of two innovative projects that will positively impact students on Hatteras Island. These grants bring creative projects to life inside classrooms and expand learning opportunities for local students. Grants are awarded for projects in all subject areas, including music, art, history, reading, [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

The Dare County Water Department has announced that water main repairs have been completed and has issued a Water System Pressure Advisory for Avon water customers located off of Harbor Road in Avon—as indicated by the yellow highlighted area on the map below—whose water service was temporarily disrupted yesterday due to a water main break that occurred at approximately 3:15 [...] Local News |  Full Article

7:15 P.M. UPDATE: The Dare County Water Department has announced that water main repairs have been completed and has issued a Water System Pressure Advisory for Avon water customers located off of Harbor Road in Avon—as indicated by the yellow highlighted area on the map below. Because the system was not open to contaminants at any time [...] Local News |  Full Article

January 7, 1945 – November 9, 2024 KITTY HAWK — Patricia Louise Pielmeier, born on January 7, 1945, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, passed peacefully from this life on November 9, 2024, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, at the age of 79. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and aunt, Patricia was known for her warmth [...] Obituaries |  Full Article

The public is invited to attend the first-ever Hatteras Island Museums Open House Fall Extravaganza, which will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Explore your favorite Hatteras Island museums during this full-day event, including the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, Frisco Native American Museum, Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, and The Lost Colony Museum, as all four [...] Community News Brief |  Full Article

A low pressure system will bring some much-needed rain and the potential for coastal impacts along the Outer Banks on Friday, November 15, according to an update from the National Weather Service. The low will move through eastern North Carolina on Thursday night and rapidly strengthen as it moves offshore on Friday, bringing a dramatic [...] Local News |  Full Article