Welcome Back, Y'all

Repairs to the main transmission lines are complete and full power has been restored to Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands.

Recent news from Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC) and Tideland EMC regarding the status of the main transmission line supplying electricity to Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands is very positive. We are happy to report that the transmission line repair has been a success, and both islands are receiving power from the mainland. 

As such, the Mandatory Evacuation Order for Ocracoke Island shall expire on Friday, August 4th, 2017 at 12:00 PM. This means that there will be no restrictions on who may travel to or from Ocracoke Island, nor shall any individual need to seek authorization from the Hyde County Department of Emergency Services to enter the island. The Hyde County Board of Commissioners has determined that the State of Emergency will, however, remain in effect due to the personal and economic losses faced by members of the Ocracoke Community. 

On Thursday, August 3rd, 2017, at 5:00 PM, The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, County Commissioners, County Manager, Ocracoke Deputy Control Group, Tideland EMC, and representatives from the NC DOT Ferry Division and Emergency Services Department convened a telephone conference to discuss the lifting of the Mandatory Evacuation Order for Ocracoke Island. As the call's membership agreed that the threat to public safety and security from an increased population on the Island was no longer enhanced, the decision was made to discontinue the evacuation. Just prior to the Hyde County conference call, officials in Dare County also decided to lift the Mandatory Evacuation Order for Hatteras Island tomorrow at noon. 

For residents and business owners on the island, there will be multiple resources available tomorrow. The Hyde County Manager, Director of Planning and Economic Development, and the Public Information Officer will be at the Ocracoke Community Center at 10:00am to collect information on financial loss from residents and business owners to help the county begin building a case for restitution of economic losses. There will also be a Mobile Crisis Counselor from Trillium Healthcare Services at the Community Center starting at 10:00am. The counselor will be in a private office so that individuals who need someone to speak to about their experiences with this event can do so in confidence. The Ocracoke Community Center is located at 999 Irvin Garrish Hwy, Ocracoke, NC, 27960. 

The County of Hyde wishes to extend its deepest thanks to those organizations and individuals who have donated their time, money, and resources to the Bread of Life food bank at the Ocracoke Assembly of God. Today alone, volunteers from the food bank distributed over 4,000 pounds of donated food to residents of Ocracoke Island who were in need. Among others, The Food Bank of the Albemarle, The Source Church, Lake Comfort Farms, Mattamuskeet Seafood, Manns Harbor VFD, and the NCDOT Highway Division all contributed to this effort. Anyone that would like to contribute to the Bread of Life food bank is encouraged to do so.

The County also wishes to extend our thanks to the residents, business owners, vacationers, and others who have patiently waited for the County, Tideland EMC, and CHEC to ensure that the power situation on Ocracoke Island was safe and secure enough for all who wish to come and enjoy beautiful Ocracoke Island. The County also wishes to extend our thanks and praise to the employees and representatives of the NCDOT Ferry Division who have, once again, calmly and professionally helped the County to perform its evacuation of Ocracoke Island. We also appreciate our regional partners in Dare and Carteret Counties, and state partners with the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management and North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and our federal partners with the US Coast Guard who have worked around the clock to ensure that Ocracoke Island's evacuation and following re-entry ban went smoothly.

With emergency evacuation orders set to be lifted for both Hatteras and Ocracoke islands at noon, the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division will be resuming a regular schedule on the Hatteras-Ocracoke, Cedar Island-Ocracoke, and Swan-Quarter Ocracoke routes as of 4:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4. In accordance with proclamations from Dare and Hyde counties, visitors will be allowed to board Ocracoke-bound ferries beginning at noon.

“We’re very happy to be welcoming our summer visitors back on our ferries and back to Hatteras and Ocracoke,” said Ferry Division Interim Director Jed Dixon.

Ocracoke Island has been under a mandatory evacuation order for visitors since 5 p.m. July 27, due to a weeklong power outage. During the evacuation period, North Carolina ferries carried 3,783 people and 1,485 vehicles off of Ocracoke Island.

Visitors can download and print ferry schedules at https://www.ncdot.gov/download/transit/ferry/ferryschedule.pdf

For any additional information about the re-entry of Ocracoke Island, please contact the Hyde County Emergency Operations Center at 252-926-4374. For any inquiries regarding re-entry to Hatteras Island, please Contact Dare County Emergency Management at 252-475-5655. Information regarding ferry operations or reservations should be directed to the NC DOT Ferry Division by calling 1-800-ByFerry or by visiting www.ncferry.org

National Park Service Campgrounds Reopening on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands

Outer Banks Group Superintendent David Hallac is pleased to announce that Cape Point, Frisco, and Ocracoke Campgrounds will reopen at 12:00 pm on Friday, August 4, 2017. The three Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) campgrounds were temporarily closed after Dare County and Hyde County issued mandatory non-resident evacuation orders for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands in an effort to protect life safety during a period of lost and unreliable electrical service. Both counties have announced that visitors will have unrestricted access to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands starting at noon tomorrow.

Once all three campgrounds are reopened, it will mean that all Seashore facilities and visitor services have returned to normal operations. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Visitor Centers, off-road vehicle permit offices, and other Seashore facilities on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands remained open to permanent residents and non-resident property owners while electrical service was being restored.

“Seashore staff look forward to welcoming back visitors and thank Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative, Tideland Electric Membership Corporation, Dare County, Hyde County, North Carolina Department of Transportation, and contract crews, for their exceptional efforts to restore power and welcome back visitors,” said Superintendent Hallac.