All permanent residents, non-resident property owners, and all other Priority Two and Three personnel will be allowed reentry to the Outer Banks, north of Oregon Inlet, tomorrow, starting at 7 a.m., according to Dare County Emergency Management. All visitors will be permitted into the northern Outer Banks starting 7 a.m. Sunday.
Priority One or “essential” personnel are currently allowed on the Outer Banks north of Oregon Inlet.
These county orders are based on the latest reports from the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center and could change if weather conditions change. But I think it’s safe to say that Hurricane Flo is a no-show, and, except for some minor beach road overwash in Kitty Hawk and Nags Head, the northern Outer Banks escaped unscathed.
According to The Weather Channel, Hurricane Florence made landfall at Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, at 7:15 a.m. today. As of this writing (about 12:30 p.m. Friday), it is heading south toward Myrtle Beach, S.C.
There currently is no access to Hatteras Island because of ocean overwash on N.C. Hwy. 12, which has been closed. According to Emergency Management, the N.C. Dept. of Transportation must clear the roads and bridges of debris, inspect them for structural damage, and do necessary repairs before access to the island will be permitted.
Priority Two personnel include permanent residents and essential personnel for critical businesses. For reentry, such personnel must have a valid N.C. driver’s license with a local address or a current Dare County property tax bill or parcel data sheet. Non-resident essential personnel of critical businesses, such as food service/supply, pharmacies, banks, gas stations, property management, building supply, and hotels will be allowed reentry only with a permit, according to the county website.
Priority Three encompasses non-resident property owners and non-resident employees of non-critical businesses. Non-resident property owners must display a reentry permit (see photo above) or have a current tax bill or parcel data sheet with matching government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license.
Reentry permits from previous years will not be accepted. However, those with an April 1, 2018 expiration date remain valid until Dec. 30, 2018.
For more details about reentry, see:
https://www.darenc.com/departments/emergency-management/hurricanes/reentry.
I will provide information specific to Southern Shores when it is available.
Ann G. Sjoerdsma, 9/14/18
The Southern Shores Beacon 