Island Free Press ...Local News

Hanna threatens Hatteras and Ocracoke with high winds and rain

By IRENE NOLAN

With Tropical Storm Hanna heading toward the Carolina coast last evening, The National Hurricane Center extended a hurricane watch north – to the Currituck Beach Light, including the Pamlico Sound. A tropical storm warning was also issued for much of northeastern North Carolina.

The storm was predicted to make landfall in southeastern North Carolina and could still become a weak hurricane before it comes onshore, probably tomorrow night or early Saturday morning, the hurricane center said.

Neither Hyde nor Dare county has issued an evacuation order, but is advising residents and visitors to stay informed about the forecasts and conditions. However, the National Park Service has closed its campgrounds in Ocracoke and Frisco and will close all seashore beaches Friday at 1 p.m.

The storm and beach closure will also bring an early end to the popular and well attended Hatteras village surf fishing tournament after just one session that is scheduled for tomorrow morning from 6:30 until 11 p.m.

The official track of the storm has shifted slightly west, said Mark Willis, a forecaster at the National Weather Service office in Newport, N.C. The storm, he said, is predicted to track north through eastern North Carolina tomorrow night or Saturday morning, inland from Hatteras and Ocracoke.

The Outer Banks, he said, “will not receive the brunt of the storm,” but he added that the area “was not out of the fire yet.”

Willis said Hanna was a large storm with tropical storm winds extending out for several hundred miles. Hatteras and Ocracoke, he said, will be on the eastern side of the storm, where there are often higher winds and heavier rain. He said the forecast was calling for tropical storm force winds of 45 to 55 mps with higher gusts for Friday night and early Saturday. Storm surge of 2 to 4 feet is predicted, especially for south facing beaches.

But, he warned, that could change, depending on the track and intensity of the storm.

Dare County Emergency Management issued a statement this afternoon, saying that the storm is expected to pass through the area late Friday through Saturday afternoon with Hatteras Island feeling the first effects of the storm approximately 10 p.m. Friday with steadily increasing winds through Saturday afternoon. No evacuations were planned as this evening.

”Dare County Emergency Management is advising residents and visitors to closely monitor local media outlets for the latest developments that may affect travel plans,” the statement said. “It is recommended that anyone planning to travel on Saturday consider adjusting plans to avoid poor travel conditions.”

Updates on the storm, Dare County Emergency Management bulletins, and safety recommendations are available at www.darenc.com, Cable Channel 20, and NOAA Weather Radio.

In Hyde County, Emergency Services Director David Warren said, “As many people who live on Ocracoke already know, strong winds oftentimes lead to ocean overwash of NC 12 on Ocracoke and Hatteras islands. This can lead to loss of access to northern beaches until NCDOT can restore drivable conditions.”

Warren urged people with special medical needs and visitors who are concerned about being able to leave Friday night or Saturday morning to consider their options. He said that no evacuations were anticipated unless the forecast changes. And he added that ferry service from the island will be halted when conditions are no longer safe.

Some island rental management companies were passing the word to their guests that they might want to alter their travel plans if they are to check out Saturday morning.

“We are calling all our guests to make sure they know something is on the horizon and that weather conditions could go down downhill quickly. So if they want to get out ahead of the weather, they need to leave early.”

Outer Beaches Realty had a recorded message with a lot of information about the storm for callers and guests.

“Hanna is not expected to have a direct impact on Hatteras,” the message says, but then it warns that ocean overwash, soundside flooding, and miserable weather condition are possible late Friday and into Saturday.

“Packing your car on Saturday morning in the rain and high winds could be an unpleasant experience,” the message continues.

In addition to the already closed Frisco and Ocracoke campgrounds and the closing of beaches at 1 p.m. Friday, the Park Service will close its Visitor Centers at noon and close the Oregon Inlet Campground at 10 a.m. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse will be closed all day.