Earlier this Fall, Philip reported that the Ocracoke Lighthouse was under repairs and at some point this would necessitate turning off the light. That point has arrived. Our storied lighthouse, the second oldest continuously working one on the east coast, has gone dark. I hear they hope to have it back in operation before Christmas.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Good News
The word is that Highway 12 is "functioning" again. It is not "repaired" but one stone-covered lane is open around the destroyed area. A portable traffic light is being put in place. And the ferry schedules are back to "normal".
This is very good news. Thanksgiving is coming and we hope visitors come, too.
And hats off to the Post Office crew. Our mail got here Sunday via Swan Quarter (the first delivery since Thursday) and was in our boxes that afternoon.
It is dry under our house!
And Lida and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 3:45 Tuesday morning and watched the sky for about 40 minutes. Saw 5 shooting stars. The sky was dazzlingly clear. What a place to live!
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
This is very good news. Thanksgiving is coming and we hope visitors come, too.
And hats off to the Post Office crew. Our mail got here Sunday via Swan Quarter (the first delivery since Thursday) and was in our boxes that afternoon.
It is dry under our house!
And Lida and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 3:45 Tuesday morning and watched the sky for about 40 minutes. Saw 5 shooting stars. The sky was dazzlingly clear. What a place to live!
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Leonid Meteor Shower
I understand that there is to be a meteor shower tonight. A welcome relief from rain showers!
The new moon promises dark skies. So if it isn't cloudy, we should get a show. Best viewing according to my source will be just before dawn. Happy viewing!
The waters are receding. But Highway 12 is br0ken.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
The new moon promises dark skies. So if it isn't cloudy, we should get a show. Best viewing according to my source will be just before dawn. Happy viewing!
The waters are receding. But Highway 12 is br0ken.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Let There Be Sunshine
We are still inundated with water, though the level of this morning's high tide seemed lower in our yard. (Not that I'm amused at judging tide level's in my YARD!) The forecast is for several days of sunshine; bring it on. The skies are still overcast on Sunday morning.
I haven't heard of much damage yet on Ocracoke; there will be a lot of clean-up and I'm sure there will be costly effects of the salt water getting into things it shouldn't have. But Highway 12 took major hits north of us. The Hatteras Ferry is running hourly now for emergencies, but the highway is closed near Oregon Inlet. Hatteras residents are coming to Ocracoke to reach the mainland via extra Swan Quarter Ferries for the next few days. We've had no mail since Thursday.
But folks are getting out. I spent a half hour chatting with Rob and Daphne yesterday at the intersection of Highway 12 and British Cemetery Road. I mention this because, as I remember it, we were standing in ankle deep water the whole time (shod in our rubber boots).
I loved seeing scores of ibises near the Pony Island Motel.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
I haven't heard of much damage yet on Ocracoke; there will be a lot of clean-up and I'm sure there will be costly effects of the salt water getting into things it shouldn't have. But Highway 12 took major hits north of us. The Hatteras Ferry is running hourly now for emergencies, but the highway is closed near Oregon Inlet. Hatteras residents are coming to Ocracoke to reach the mainland via extra Swan Quarter Ferries for the next few days. We've had no mail since Thursday.
But folks are getting out. I spent a half hour chatting with Rob and Daphne yesterday at the intersection of Highway 12 and British Cemetery Road. I mention this because, as I remember it, we were standing in ankle deep water the whole time (shod in our rubber boots).
I loved seeing scores of ibises near the Pony Island Motel.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
Friday, November 13, 2009
More High Water
Water from Pamlico Sound continues to push its way across Ocracoke. School closed after about two hours this morning. There is no mail service in or out as Highway 12 is closed. Chuck said he drove north to see how it looked and found a couple of feet of sand across the highway.
I walked out of our neighborhood after lunch and found significant water already across the road in front of The Variety Store, the Post Office and Howard's Pub and around Silver Lake. I am told this is water being pushed up the creeks and across the lowlands from the Sound. And we are still several hours away from high tide.
The weather service is warning of continuing extreme high tides through the next 3 cycles.
We are moving our cars to high ground to try and keep salt water out of the engines, and hunkering down with whatever comfort food and movies we have on hand...and looking forward to drier times.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
I walked out of our neighborhood after lunch and found significant water already across the road in front of The Variety Store, the Post Office and Howard's Pub and around Silver Lake. I am told this is water being pushed up the creeks and across the lowlands from the Sound. And we are still several hours away from high tide.
The weather service is warning of continuing extreme high tides through the next 3 cycles.
We are moving our cars to high ground to try and keep salt water out of the engines, and hunkering down with whatever comfort food and movies we have on hand...and looking forward to drier times.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
High Water
This morning's high tide brought the highest water I've seen in my two years living on Ocracoke. Here's what I mean.
We have a small "canal" behind our house which is connected to the marshes that spread between our neighborhood and the sound. The water level in the canal rises and falls with the tide. (This system of canals was built by the CCC during the 1930's; I'm told the driving principal was mosquito control, but that's another story.)
This morning when I awoke, I looked out to see the canal water spread out across the yards and roads around out house. Fortunately the water level was not high enough to get into automobile engines!
Hyde County is under a coastal flood advisory until tonight. The high tides are being pushed much higher today by the storm out in the Atlantic (even though we are only experiencing light winds here on Ocracoke.) The rainwater puddles I mentioned in our roads are now "gone" as the low stretches are fully covered with brown brackish water. I imagine there is salt water in Highway 12 in the Village, but I'm not driving through it to find out! I'll watch for the water to recede as the tide falls through the morning.
Yesterday, as we were creeping along in our car through one of those "puddles" covering Loop Road, we encountered about a dozen beautiful ibises who had been attracted by this new wetland area. Most were white, but some were smaller and brown and they all had the typical down-turned bill of the ibis. An unusual traffic hazard!
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
We have a small "canal" behind our house which is connected to the marshes that spread between our neighborhood and the sound. The water level in the canal rises and falls with the tide. (This system of canals was built by the CCC during the 1930's; I'm told the driving principal was mosquito control, but that's another story.)
This morning when I awoke, I looked out to see the canal water spread out across the yards and roads around out house. Fortunately the water level was not high enough to get into automobile engines!
Hyde County is under a coastal flood advisory until tonight. The high tides are being pushed much higher today by the storm out in the Atlantic (even though we are only experiencing light winds here on Ocracoke.) The rainwater puddles I mentioned in our roads are now "gone" as the low stretches are fully covered with brown brackish water. I imagine there is salt water in Highway 12 in the Village, but I'm not driving through it to find out! I'll watch for the water to recede as the tide falls through the morning.
Yesterday, as we were creeping along in our car through one of those "puddles" covering Loop Road, we encountered about a dozen beautiful ibises who had been attracted by this new wetland area. Most were white, but some were smaller and brown and they all had the typical down-turned bill of the ibis. An unusual traffic hazard!
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
More Storm Reporting
We're now getting patches of sunshine and it's a warm, muggy 70 degrees.
Tommy at the Variety Store reports that the food delivery and newspaper trucks got through so Highway 12 is open.
Dale reports that he had about 3.3 inches in his rain gauge at midnight; we've had a lot more since then. He says there was some minor over-wash at the north end, but it's already cleared up. This afternoon's high tide (around 4) could be trouble here and to the North, but so far no reports of major damage to the Outer Banks.
I drove out to the beach. The new bike path along the ocean-side of highway 12 was completely under water (rain, not ocean water) and in places only one lane of the highway was "dry". Several people had gathered at the beach to check out the conditions. I believe you would call this "an angry sea" with big waves breaking not just near shore but for several hundred yards out. The receding tide had left pools of water at the base of the dunes.
Our power outage last night was not due to anything on Ocracoke. Our power comes all the way down the Outer Banks from Virginia. The problem was somewhere north of here.
Bottom line: so far Ocracoke has been spared the brunt of this storm for which we are very thankful. We'll settle for the annoyance of deep puddles in our roads. Our thoughts are with you folks to the north where the conditions seem to be worse.
(I asked about mail delivery today and was told our postal workers will go to the ferry to meet the truck so it won't have to hang around here and risk not getting back to Hatteras. And since they'll be picking up two days worth, don't expect it all to be in the boxes until after 4:00.)
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
Tommy at the Variety Store reports that the food delivery and newspaper trucks got through so Highway 12 is open.
Dale reports that he had about 3.3 inches in his rain gauge at midnight; we've had a lot more since then. He says there was some minor over-wash at the north end, but it's already cleared up. This afternoon's high tide (around 4) could be trouble here and to the North, but so far no reports of major damage to the Outer Banks.
I drove out to the beach. The new bike path along the ocean-side of highway 12 was completely under water (rain, not ocean water) and in places only one lane of the highway was "dry". Several people had gathered at the beach to check out the conditions. I believe you would call this "an angry sea" with big waves breaking not just near shore but for several hundred yards out. The receding tide had left pools of water at the base of the dunes.
Our power outage last night was not due to anything on Ocracoke. Our power comes all the way down the Outer Banks from Virginia. The problem was somewhere north of here.
Bottom line: so far Ocracoke has been spared the brunt of this storm for which we are very thankful. We'll settle for the annoyance of deep puddles in our roads. Our thoughts are with you folks to the north where the conditions seem to be worse.
(I asked about mail delivery today and was told our postal workers will go to the ferry to meet the truck so it won't have to hang around here and risk not getting back to Hatteras. And since they'll be picking up two days worth, don't expect it all to be in the boxes until after 4:00.)
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
Storm Report
I've just rolled out of bed after a rainy and windy night (it's Thursday morning) and want to post a preliminary report on the storm situation.
Apparently the damaging part of this storm has been north of Ocracoke. We have had heavy rain since Wednesday about noon. I drove around the village last night about 10 and there were several inches of water in all the usual low spots, but there has been no water from storm surge.
The wind was pretty calm all day Wednesday; it finally kicked up about 11 Wednesday night. I can't tell you how strong it was because the power also went out about 11 and came on around 5 AM. We're showing 12 mph winds now on my computer but just a breeze in my yard.
Weather alerts for Hyde County were dropped last night, but two just popped up: high surf warning and high wind warning until Friday.
I'll ask around about any damage up the beach and report more later.
Apparently the damaging part of this storm has been north of Ocracoke. We have had heavy rain since Wednesday about noon. I drove around the village last night about 10 and there were several inches of water in all the usual low spots, but there has been no water from storm surge.
The wind was pretty calm all day Wednesday; it finally kicked up about 11 Wednesday night. I can't tell you how strong it was because the power also went out about 11 and came on around 5 AM. We're showing 12 mph winds now on my computer but just a breeze in my yard.
Weather alerts for Hyde County were dropped last night, but two just popped up: high surf warning and high wind warning until Friday.
I'll ask around about any damage up the beach and report more later.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Birding
This is Bill, again.
I usually go to the beach to walk, look for shells, watch for dolphins and generally enjoy the beauty of it. This past Sunday, Lida and i enjoyed a time at South Beach with Peter Vankevich and Carol and Tom Pahl who all know their birds.
I could already tell a sea gull from sandpiper and a pelican from a dolphin, but with their help I learned to distinguish between a Black-bellied plover and a Ruddy Turnstone. I was shown the difference between Herring gulls, Great and Lesser Black-backed gulls (check out the color of the legs!), the Laughing gull and the Ring-billed gull (check out their bills).
We saw thousands of cormorants flying over and hundreds of Brown Pelican hanging out on the flats.
What a treat this was! It was a warm, sunny day with just a whisper of wind. And we got to see several dolphins swimming by. Now I have another reason to head to the beach: to practice my fledgling birding skills.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
I usually go to the beach to walk, look for shells, watch for dolphins and generally enjoy the beauty of it. This past Sunday, Lida and i enjoyed a time at South Beach with Peter Vankevich and Carol and Tom Pahl who all know their birds.
I could already tell a sea gull from sandpiper and a pelican from a dolphin, but with their help I learned to distinguish between a Black-bellied plover and a Ruddy Turnstone. I was shown the difference between Herring gulls, Great and Lesser Black-backed gulls (check out the color of the legs!), the Laughing gull and the Ring-billed gull (check out their bills).
We saw thousands of cormorants flying over and hundreds of Brown Pelican hanging out on the flats.
What a treat this was! It was a warm, sunny day with just a whisper of wind. And we got to see several dolphins swimming by. Now I have another reason to head to the beach: to practice my fledgling birding skills.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcript of a letter written in 1949 by a visitor to the island. You can read the letter (which provides a glimpse into Ocracoke life sixty years ago) here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102509.htm.
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