HURRICANE ARTHUR ADVISORY #6

July 3, 2014 5:30 p.m.

Curfew And Alcohol Sales Ban Countywide, Call for Energy Conservation on Ocracoke

As Hurricane Arthur approaches the North Carolina coast Hyde County is bracing for potential impacts of the storm. Hyde County officials have announced a curfew for Ocracoke Island between 8:00 p.m. tonight and 8:00 a.m. Friday morning.  A curfew for mainland Hyde will be effective as of 10:00 p.m. tonight through 8:00 a.m. Friday morning.  Sale of alcohol in Hyde County is prohibited between 5:00 p.m. today through 8:00 a.m. Friday. View the proclamation here.

For those staying on Ocracoke Island during the storm please take all necessary precautions.  Secure loose outdoor objects and be well stocked with drinking water, non-perishable food items, and batteries.  Move your car to high ground and do not park your car under a house. Disconnect your battery if your car might be flooded.  Turn off your hot water heater. Open fires and fireworks are not allowed on Ocracoke at any time. Go to ReadyNC.org for ideas on emergency supply kits and more information about hurricane preparedness. Please be alert, be prepared, and be smart!

As power outages are likely, Tideland EMC strongly urges all customers on Ocracoke conserve energy throughout the storm limiting usage to only refrigeration and fans.  Ocracoke residents and guests will have to practice extreme conservation efforts for Tideland's generator to successfully energize the Island. Please share this message with guests staying in cottages and other lodging facilities. 

Hurricane Arthur is expected to be a Category 2 hurricane when it passes over or near the North Carolina coast. Tropical storm force winds are expected to affect Ocracoke Island beginning tonight at 8:00 p.m. and subside around 8:00 a.m. Friday. Hurricane force winds are expected between 2:00-4:00 a.m. Friday with peak wind projected around 103 MPH at 3:00 a.m. Friday. 15-20 foot seas are expected with storm surge projections ranging between 0-5 feet above ground. Isolated tornados are also possible over portions of coastal North Carolina through Friday morning.

   

Reminder

  

There is no pre-equipped storm shelter on Ocracoke and people who choose to stay should be prepared to be self-supporting.  County officials ask all lodging establishments on Ocracoke take every effort to keep their clients out of harms way from 8:00 p.m. Thursday to 10:00 a.m. Friday morning.

Additional Information

Preparation Measures by Tideland EMC:  Tideland is preparing for the storm by sending additional resources to Ocracoke. Tideland has no plans to shut power off in advance of the storm and is prepared to run the Ocracoke generator in the event of a prolonged outage. However, the ability of the generator to power the island in an emergency situation will largely depend on electric load. Therefore, island residents will be asked to practice extreme conservation efforts if the generator is called into service. Power restoration activities do not begin until storm conditions have sufficiently subsided to ensure safe working conditions for utility crews. More information available here.

Preparation Measures by NCDOT:  Along the Outer Banks, crews are staging motor graders, excavators, bulldozers and front-end loaders in Buxton, Kitty Hawk, Ocracoke and Pea Island. NCDOT has more equipment ready to mobilize, if needed, as well as employees prepared to patrol N.C. 12 during and after the storm. More information available here.

NPS Park Closures:  The Outer Banks Group of the National Park Service announced the following park closures on Ocracoke Island. As of 12:00 p.m. Noon Wednesday, July 2, 204: the NPS campground, NPS docks in Silver Lake, NPS visitors center and ORV office, as well as NPS lifeguard operations will be closed until further notice. All NPS beaches are closed to off-road vehicles as of 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, 2014 until further notice. More information available here.

Ocracoke Independence Day Celebration:  The Ocracoke Independence Day celebration has been reschedule to Saturday, July 5th when the weather is expected to clear up.  More information: http://www.ocracokecurrent.com/

Next update from Hyde County Emergency Services is expected late Friday morning July 4, 2014.