Thoughts on the Passing of Sandy

     This is Bill posting. Lida and I moved here five years ago this fall. After spending threes days hunkering down against the visit of Hurricane Sandy, I have two thoughts. First, I can now say without hesitation that my least favorite weather is wind. It howled. It gusted. And my house shook and rocked. And this was not a "passing storm"; it carried on for three days. It is not relaxing to lie in bed and feel the house sway. And at several moments when I was not aware of my house swaying and rocking, and found myself standing over my toilet, I was amazed to see the water sloshing around in the bowl. That's where I actually would like to have seen Jim Cantore: down there shouting up to me about why that was happening!

     Second thought: About a year ago Lida paid good money for a pair of hip waders. At the time I thought, "What a waste of our money; we already have two good pairs of rubber boots that come up almost to our knees." Then Sunday morning I walked down my front steps in a pair of those babies. The water was within about 2 inches of over topping them and I still had another step to go!  At that point I thought "What a smart shopper Lida is!"

     Ocracoke came through well. Our thoughts are with those who did not. 

 Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoke and the War of 1812. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102112.htm. 

Ferry & Airport Information

Limited runs set for Hatteras ferry, Airport open for air traffic October 31, 2012, 4:46 pm

Routes on the Hatteras -Ocracoke ferry have resumed, observing limited runs. Only Ocracoke residents are allowed to ride the ferry to Hatteras. Riders must produce identification with an Ocracoke address. VISITORS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO BOARD THE HATTERAS FERRY AT THIS TIME. **The Dare County reentry program is being reinforced by law enforcement at the Hatteras terminal. Click here for more information from Dare County. The Hatteras-Ocracoke schedule will be: * Departing Hatteras at 6 a.m., 8, 10, noon, 2 p.m., 4, 6, 8, 10 and midnight; and * Departing Ocracoke at 5 a.m., 7, 9, 11, 1 p.m., 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Sound runs on the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke and Cedar Island - Ocracoke ferries are operating as normal, with no restrictions. Click here for more information from the NC Ferry Division Proceed with caution NC DOT has opened one lane of traffic for NC 12 on the north end of Ocracoke. Drivers are asked to proceed with caution due to DOT equipment and personnel on the road. Airspace is open The NOTAM (Notice to all air men) for Ocracoke airport was lifted at 1 p.m. The facility is now open to all air traffic.

Official NC Ferry Information

MANNS HARBOR — The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division today activated the emergency route between Stumpy Point and Rodanthe. Currently the ferries are not running a set schedule, but are taking the top three priorities as announced by Dare County and will begin a set schedule tomorrow. Also, the Pamlico Sound routes will return to a normal schedule tomorrow under specific re-entry guidelines.

Emergency Route
Wed., Oct. 31, a schedule will be in place to assist Dare County with re-entry. According to Dare County Emergency Management, Priorities One, Two and Three will have access to and from Hatteras Island. Visitors will not be allowed to enter Hatteras Island yet, but will be allowed to depart. Essential commodities, as determined by DCEM will have top priority.

•    Priority One includes - Essential personnel (utilities, government, assessment teams, medical/health care), white Disaster Re-entry Permit/Critical Personnel Pass required;
•    Priority Two includes - Hatteras Island residents (must have a valid NC driver’s license with Hatteras physical address), personnel of crucial businesses (Orange re-entry permit/Priority II personnel pass required); and
•    Priority Three includes - Non-resident property owners and employees of Hatteras Island businesses (2012-2013 Burgundy reentry permit required).

There will be law enforcement in place at the emergency route to determine re-entry status. Please contact Dare County Emergency Management at (252) 475-5655 for additional information on re-entry guidelines.

The Emergency Route schedule beginning Oct. 31, 2012, will be:
•    Departing Stumpy Point at 6 a.m., 8, 10, noon, 2 p.m., 4 and 10; and
•    Departing Rodanthe at 7 a.m., 9, 11, 1 p.m., 3, 5 and 7.

There may be areas along NC 12 that are impassable at this time due to sand and water on the road, but NCDOT continues working and expects to have all areas of NC 12 south of Rodanthe cleared before the 7 p.m. ferry departs Rodanthe.

Pamlico Sound Routes
There will be two return runs at 4 p.m. today from both Cedar Island and Swan Quarter to Ocracoke and a 4 p.m. run from Ocracoke to Cedar Island. Beginning tomorrow, the Pamlico Sound schedule will return to its normal fall schedule of four departures from each side at Cedar Island-Ocracoke route and two departures from each side at Swan Quarter-Ocracoke route. The schedule beginning tomorrow is:
•    Departing Cedar Island and Ocracoke at 7:30 a.m., 10, 1 p.m. and 4;
•    Departing Swan Quarter at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; and
•    Departing Ocracoke to Swan Quarter at 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

According to Hyde County Emergency Management, visitors will not be allowed entry at this time but will allow the following:
•    Emergency Personnel – Hyde County red re-entry tag or purple priority re-entry sticker;
•    Infrastructure – Hyde County yellow re-entry tag or purple priority re-entry sticker; and
•    Residents – Hyde County green re-entry tag or green resident re-entry sticker.
For re-entry questions, please call Hyde County Manager at (252) 542-9283 or Hyde County Public Information at (252) 542-0842.

Hatteras-Ocracoke Route
The Hatteras-Ocracoke route will begin operating once sand is cleared off NC 12 from Ocracoke Village to the ferry dock.

Ferry information is available by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 1, or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.

Sound ferrries to resume normal operations

October 30, 2012

As of tomorrow, October 31, all operations for the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke and Cedar Island - Ocracoke ferry routes will return to normal. This means all reservations - pending availability - will be accepted. There will be no re-entry permit required. The Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route remains suspended until further notice. Click here for more information on ferry schedules and reservations.

Hurricane Sandy Public Advisory 6

October 29, 2012 As of 3 p.m.

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. All Hyde County Convenience sites are operating on normal schedules. Click here for schedules. According to Hyde County Health Director Wes Smith, those with private wells must take steps to disinfect water. Click here for specifics on decontaminating wells. 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. Please tune in to local radio WOVV 90.1 FM on Ocracoke Island, or via the internet at WOVV.org, or check the Hyde County Public Information Facebook page for updates.

Tuesday Morning

All indications are that Ocracoke village has been spared major damage from hurricane Sandy. I still don't know the full extent of various problems -- flooded cars, tree limbs down, etc. -- but I believe Sandy's impact here is minimal. We are still waiting to learn about the condition of NC Highway 12 on Ocracoke and farther north on the Outer Banks.

In the meanwhile our thoughts go out to all of our friends and fellow citizens in the northeast who are dealing with deaths, severe damage, and widespread destruction from this powerful storm.

High Tide

Amy points to the high tide line for Hurricane Sandy (not as bad as it could have been):

High Tide, Hurricane Sandy

Temporary Bridge

This photo was sent to me moments ago. It is the "temporary" bridge that was erected on Pea Island after hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Sandy Public Advisory 5

October 29, 2012 As of 4 p.m.

Flood waters remain on Ocracoke Island, but have receded from 18-24 inches down to 6-10 inches throughout the village. Thus far, power has been mainly uninterrupted. Several businesses are open and provisions - including hot meals, gas and groceries - are available for purchase. No storm-related injuries have been reported and property damage looks to be minimal at this point. Because of limited access, Hyde County Emergency Personnel have not performed damage assessments. Staffers are making preparations to determine individual and public assistance needs as soon as conditions allow.  The United Methodist Disaster Recovery volunteers are ready to assist with cleanup efforts. Plans are in the works to mobilize a team when transportation allows. Those needing assistance can call Tommy Gilbert at (252) 542-9453. Transportation remains limited on Ocracoke Island. At this point, there is no word on when ferry service will resume. Also, NC 12 has seen significant over wash on the north end of the island, so transportation could be further compromised for those on Ocracoke. Crews with NC DOT are currently working to repair the roadway.  Due to conditions, the Ocracoke Airport is closed and air traffic is limited to government, military and emergency aircraft only. Ocracoke School was closed today. Officials will notify parents if the school is to be closed tomorrow. Sandy's updated track shows increased strength and forward speed, so forecasters are confident that the system will be moving out of the area expediently. Storm force winds are predicted to cease by 8 p.m.  Tuesday night. Flood waters may begin to recede further tomorrow, but additional flooding could take place during high tide cycles. High tide will occur tonight (Monday) around 8 p.m. and at 9 a.m. tomorrow. The National Weather Service noted because Sandy is a hybrid system, accurate forecasts can be challenging and may vary as the system progresses. Flood waters pose an additional danger to residents with private wells. According to Hyde County Health Director Wes Smith, those with private wells must take steps to disinfect water. Click here for specifics on decontaminating wells. Persons on Ocracoke Island should continue to monitor flooding and exercise caution. Rushing flood waters are extremely dangerous and debris from flooding will likely pose additional hazards. In case of emergency, dial 911. For medical non-emergencies, call 928-SICK. Hyde County Emergency Responders will make every effort to respond to emergencies. Due to conditions, however, response may be delayed. Please tune in to local radio WOVV 90.1 FM on Ocracoke Island, or via the internet at WOVV.org, or check the Hyde County Public Information Facebook page for updates.

Sailing Vessel Sinks off North Carolina

"Officials say a ship [a 180 foot, 3 masted tall ship] started taking [on] water off our coast and eventually sank, forcing the crew to abandon ship into 18-foot waves and 40 mile per hour winds off the North Carolina coast."

You can read more here:

http://www.witn.com/breaking/home/Coast-Guard-Rescue-Underway-Now-16-People-In-Lifeboats-Off-NC-Coast-176228331.html

Sandy Update

Tide is still covering most of the village, winds are steady at about 20 mph with gusts of 30-35 mph, and the temperature has been in the low to mid 60s. There doesn't seem to be much damage to homes, buildings, or trees in the village.

Our thoughts go out to our fellow citizens to the northeast as Sandy bears down on their coast.

Sandy & Portsmouth Island

From The Rocky Mount Telegram:

"South of Ocracoke, a group of people was forced to wait out the storm on Portsmouth Island, a former fishing village that is now uninhabited and accessible only by private ferry.
'We tried to get off the island and the ferry service shut down on us,' said Bill Rowley, 49, of Rocky Mount, N.C., adding that there were about 20 people on the island."

You can read more here:

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/ncwire/ferries-halted-people-stranded-ocracoke-1301637

Hurricane Sandy Public Advisory 4

October 28, 2012 As of 10:30 p.m.

With the northwest wind switch from Hurricane Sandy, Hyde County Emergency officials have observed a rise in flood waters on the island, as of 10 p.m. this evening. At this time, water levels appear to be higher than the 18-24 inches that inundated the island earlier today.  Currently, Ocracoke is experiencing light rain, with sustained winds from the north-northwest at 10-15 mph , gusting at 20+ mph. The temperature is 56 degrees. As of 5 p.m., water levels rapidly receded, dropping 4-6 inches. However, levels are steadily rising once again due to high tide and a change in the predominant wind direction. The National Weather Service predicted a sound side storm surge of 4-7 feet above ground. Additional threats could be posed at the high tide cycle at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Persons on Ocracoke Island should be aware waters may continue to rise and could encroach on low-lying properties. Please use caution during this time and remain indoors. Rushing flood waters are extremely dangerous and debris from flooding will likely pose additional hazards. In case of emergency, dial 911. For medical non-emergencies, call 928-SICK. Hyde County Emergency Responders will make every effort to respond to emergencies. Due to conditions, however, response may be delayed. Please tune in to local radio WOVV 90.1 FM on Ocracoke Island, or via the internet at WOVV.org, or check the Hyde County Public Information Facebook page for updates.

John's Enhanced Images

Photos from John

"A couple of pictures of Silver lake taken at 3:15 pm on Sunday with the wind howling from the north at 40 MPH. Quite a sight."

Advisory 3

Hurricane Sandy Public Advisory 3 October 28, 2012 As of 1 p.m.

Ocracoke Island is currently experiencing extreme sound side flooding, with some areas presently inundated with more than 18 inches of water. Several homes and businesses are threatened at this point. With an anticipated 45 hours left in the weather event, Hyde County Deputy Emergency Operation Center is active and resources are staged to respond to hazardous conditions and emergencies related to Hurricane Sandy. As of the 11 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, the forecast track has been slightly shifted to the east and Sandy continues to move northeast at 14 mph. The eye of Sandy will pass about 230 miles away from Hyde County at its closest point. The National Weather Service has upped the storm surge forecast to 4-7 feet above ground on the sound side of Ocracoke Island, with peak surge times to take place at the next high tide cycle on Monday morning. Ocean storm surge is predicted to be 2-4 feet above ground. Minor storm surges are projected for mainland Hyde County. High tides for today are 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. tomorrow. Winds are not forecasted to let up over the next 24 hours, but they will slowly change to a northwesterly and westerly direction. Currently, sustained winds are projected at 40-55 mph for Ocracoke and Engelhard, with gusts up to 50-70 mph. Other areas of the mainland are seeing winds of 25-35 mph, gusting 40-55 mph. Rainfall accumulations are expected to be 1.25 to 4 inches on Ocracoke and .75 to 3 inches on the Mainland over the next five days. Impacts are expected to decrease tomorrow afternoon into tomorrow night as the system pulls out of the area on Tuesday morning. Ground service for Emergency Medical Service remains suspended, however resources are in place should citizens have acute medical needs. On Ocracoke, persons needing medical attention are directed to call 911 and will be asked to provide their own transportation to the EMS Station for on site treatment. Transportation is extremely limited on the island. NC 12 / Irvin Garrish Highway is flooded with 18-24 inches of water in the village and at least 2 inches of moving water on the highway north of the village. All ferry routes have been suspended, as of 2 p.m. Saturday. Reports from Dare County indicate transportation on NC 12 on Hatteras Island has been compromised due to ocean over wash at several points on the road and the highway has been closed from the Oregon Inlet Bridge to Rodanthe. Parts of Ocracoke village lost power this morning from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Tideland EMC has an unconfirmed report of a power pole down in the water. As a result, service may be suspended for repairs. Tideland has assured they will activate the generator on the island should service be interrupted. Hot meals are available for purchase at Ocracoke Station and Topless Oyster. Reports from mainland Hyde indicate little or no damage. Please tune in to local radio WOVV 90.1 FM on Ocracoke Island, or via the internet at WOVV.org, or check the Hyde County Public Information Facebook page for updates.

A View From the Wahab Home

This gives a whole new meaning to harbor front property!

Photo by Helena Stevens

And Even More

These photos are thanks to Amy Howard.

Blanche's Driveway

High ground parking

From the parking lot of the Ragpicker to the harbor

Ride the Wind kayaks...Hope they are tied down

In front of the Slushy Stand

Harbor flowing in

Blurry from the wind and rain, but dry

Also dry on the corner of Lawton Ln. and Howard St.

School River...I mean School Road

Still rising

School Road in front of Natural Selections

More Photos

Melissa Garrish Sharber shared these photos with us.

Hwy 12 towards the Variety Store

A back yard

Corner of Back Rd and Hwy 12 (@ Pirate's Chest)

Hwy 12 (looking into the Pony Island Motel lawn)

Hwy 12 from Pirate's Chest looking toward the harbor

Hwy 12

Hwy 12 looking away from the harbor

Almost 8 Years and 3 Months From Alex

Sandy is reminding us all of Hurricane Alex. There are reports all over the island of Sound water pouring in. Some are without power, but in our little nook here on Howard St. we are dry and somewhat protected from the winds. I'm not sure how much longer we will be dry as the water is creeping down Blanche's driveway and School Rd. looks like School River instead.

This photo selection is thanks to Miggy O'Neal. Following posts will have photos from other friends as I get them.

An angry Pamlico Sound

 

Where is the dock?

Oops...

This gives the buoy a whole new meaning.

Waterway, not driveway anymore.

"At least it's old"

British Cemetery Road (around the corner on the left is the British Cemetery)