Cape Hatteras Closes and Dare County Orders Visitors Off Hatteras Island

Cape Hatteras National Seashore closed its campgrounds, off-road vehicle ramps and visitor facilities at noon Saturday, October 17, along with Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial, the Park Service said. They will reopen after conditions improve and post-storm assessments are done.

Dare County has declared a state of emergency and ordered a mandatory evacuation of visitors from Hatteras Island, and Hyde County, which includes Ocracoke, has issued an urgent warning to residents, property owners and visitors, according to the park.

The Weather Service expects a prolonged low-pressure system to affect eastern North Carolina from this weekend into next week, with north to northeast gusts of 45 to 55 mph, high surf, ocean overwash and coastal flooding. Wind, coastal flood, high surf and storm-force wind watches and advisories are in effect.

Several privately owned oceanfront houses in Rodanthe are structurally compromised and at risk of collapse, the park warns, with exposed septic systems. If one collapses, stay away from the site and downwind of it, including in the water, because debris can travel for miles along the seashore. For roads, use drivenc.gov; for forecasts, weather.gov/mhx.