The final internal
tropical advisory for Hurricane Sandy was issued at 9 p.m. Monday night. Current
weather conditions are clear and calm and there is no more tropical weather in
the forecast at this time.
Overall, there was minimal
property damage on Ocracoke Island from Sandy. Six homes and three businesses on
Ocracoke had water enter the structure. Flooding was minimal on the mainland,
with several low-lying properties in Engelhard seeing high water. No homes were
affected on the mainland. In addition, no injuries were reported in all of Hyde
County from Hurricane Sandy.
Water is still standing in
several low-lying areas in Ocracoke village and Engelhard. Citizens are still
urged to be cautious when walking or driving.
Transportation on NC 12 on
the north end of Ocracoke is currently compromised due to a 400-yard section of
dune line that has been washed out. Crews from NC DOT are working to fix the
problem.
The Hatteras-Ocracoke route
remains suspended due to limited transportation on NC 12 at the north end of
Ocracoke. NC Ferry Division officials reported Rollinson's Channel is navigable,
but service is pending safe transportation on NC 12. Hyde County emergency
personnel are communicating with the necessary agencies to evaluate the
situation. The ferry route will likely be activated once NC 12 is deemed
safe.
Sound routes are running a
limited schedule today and will resume normal operations tomorrow. At this time,
only residents, essential personal and infrastructure-related personnel are
allowed to enter Ocracoke. Residents must show re-entry tags to board the ferry.
Tolls will be exempt for residents with re-entry tags at this time. There are no
restrictions on leaving the island.
Today's routes for the Swan
Quarter - Ocracoke ferries are as follows:
-
Leaving Swan Quarter at 4 p.m
Today's routes for the
Ocracoke-Cedar Island ferries are as follows:
-
Leaving Ocracoke at 4 p.m.
-
Leaving Cedar Island at 4 p.m.
Normal winter ferry
schedules for sound routes will resume tomorrow.
The emergency ferry from
Rodanthe to Stumpy Point has been activated and is running routes at this time.
NC 12 is passable from Hatteras village to Rodanthe, but closed from Rodanthe
north to the Bonner Bridge. The Bonner Bridge is also closed.
The National Park Service
has closed beaches to vehicular access until further notice. Pedestrian access
is not restricted. NPS officials also reported the Ocracoke Ponies survived the
storm and are well.
Hyde Emergency officials
are working with state and federal agencies to determine eligibility for
individual and public assistance.
Air traffic at the Ocracoke
Airport remains limited to government, military and emergency aircraft.
Hyde Transit is providing
service for Ocracoke residents wishing to go to Washington NC tomorrow. The
transit bus is scheduled to be on the island this evening, and will be leaving
tomorrow on the 7 a.m. Swan Quarter ferry. To reserve a space, call Lorenzo
Farrow at 944-1875
The Ocracoke Health Center
is operating under normal business hours, but medications and services may be
limited. Those with acute medical needs can call 928-SICK.
Ground operations for EMS
resumed this morning at 8 a.m.
Early voting on Ocracoke
Island has been rescheduled to Thursday at the Ocracoke Community
Center.
Volunteers from the
United Methodist Disaster Response team are waiting to assist Ocracoke residents
with clean up. They also have supplies - including buckets, mops and cleaning
solution - available free of charge. Those in need can call Tommy Gilbert at
(252) 542-9453.
Hyde County District Court
will convene as scheduled on October 31, at 9:30 a.m. Those that have
difficulties traveling to Swan Quarter from Ocracoke and the Outer Banks are
asked to call the Clerk of Court's office at (252) 926-4101 for further
information.
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