Isabel leaves Outer Banks alive and - well, not so good

The Outer Banks Sentinel will continue publishing and posting to the website in an effort to keep our readers informed.

As of 2 p.m. Sunday, entry into the county remains limited to emergency service personnel, residents and employees. Entry to South Nags Head is limited to emergency workers and residents. Hatteras Village, which can only be reached by air or boat is also limited to residents. Boats wanting access to the village must have an entry permit and should enter through Oden's Docks.

There are many navigational hazards due to shoaling, changing bottom and storm debris.

The Sentinel will post information as it becomes available.

Several pictures that are representative of the heaviest damaged areas can be accessed by clicking HERE. More pictures will be posted Monday.

Help your neighbor and stay out of the way of emergency workers.

-Sandy Semans and the Sentinel staff.


Following is current information.

Access denied

Boat access to Hatteras Village is restricted to residents of Hatteras Village and essential personnel.

Authorized boats access is allowed only through a check point at Oden's Dock. Law enforcement will be patrolling the area and denying access to all unauthorized boats and visitors.

Boaters beware

The Coast Guard is urging mariners to use extreme caution when transiting near the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the eastern shore of Virginia due to potential shoaling and missing, damaged or moved aids to navigation.

The primary areas of concern are the Oregon, Ocracoke, Hatteras, and Chincoteague inlets.

There is risk of shoaling and shifting of bottom topography, and the Coast Guard aids to navigation should be considered unreliable until further notice. Coast Guard aids to navigation teams are working around the clock to get all of the buoys, markers and lights in position and working properly.

Dare information

The Town of Kitty Hawk has established a curfew within its town limits east of Highway 158 from sunset to sunrise until further notice.

Customers on the public water system in Dare County do not need to boil their water. Those with private wells need to continue boiling their water before use. Contact the Dare County Health Department at 475-0126 for testing and disinfection procedures.

Dare County Public Works will run on a regular schedule beginning on Monday, Sept. 22 and will provide garbage collection to accessible customers.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife is not allowing any beach driving from Rodanthe north to Oregon Inlet. All motorists must stay on N.C. 12. U.S. Fish and Wildlife officers will be issuing tickets to persons driving on the beach in this area.

The Dare County Animal Shelter is available to assist with requests for care of stray or displaced animals, sick or injured animals, and pet owners who need animal care supplies. The Animal Shelter can be reached at 1-888-876-5942.

The Dare Volunteer Center has established a volunteer and donations hotline to connect individuals and organizations in the area with those seeking assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel. If you or your organization want to provide relief through volunteer support or a contribution to support the relief effort in Dare County, call 480-0500 or 480-2561.

The Dare County Health Department provides the following safety tips:

1) Do not walk in, play in, or drive through flooded areas. Flood waters contain hidden hazards and may be deeper and faster-moving than it appears. Wear shoes at all times.

2) Any foods (including those in cans, plastic or glass) that have come in contact with flood waters should not be eaten. Throw them away.

3) Medicines and cosmetics that have been in flood waters should be thrown away.

4) Protect yourself from mosquito bites as the mosquito population is increasing due to standing water.

Dare Schools

Dare County Schools will continue to be closed for students on Monday and Tuesday.

The school re-opening date will be announced as soon as possible. An announcement regarding employees' status for Monday and Tuesday will be made on Sunday, Sept. 21.

Donations

On behalf of the Dare County Emergency Management Office, the Dare Volunteer Center has established a volunteer and donations hotline to connect individuals and organizations in the area with those seeking assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel.

If you or your organization want to provide relief through volunteer support or make a contribution to support the relief effort in Dare County, call 480-0500 or 480-2561.

The volunteer line will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, serving as a conduit to connect you with folks here in Dare County who need our assistance.

Council meets

The Kitty Hawk Town Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday, Sept. 22 at 8:30 a.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss damage caused by Hurricane Isabel.

Nags Head information

The Town of Nags Head will resume collection of residential and commercial refuse on Tuesday, Sept. 23. All accessible residences and businesses will be picked up. Town personnel will run both the west route (west of the U.S. 158 Bypass/Croatan Highway and west of Whalebone Junction on U.S. 64/264) and the east route (east of U.S. 158) for residential collection. No routine refuse collection will be conducted in South Nags Head until further notice.

Residents are asked not to place any storm debris (vegetation or building materials) in their automated carts. Businesses are asked to not place any storm debris in their dumpsters. The trucks that empty both of these types of containers may be damaged if they pick up these materials. Automated carts must be placed within five feet of the cleared portion of the roadway. Food that has spoiled due to the lack of refrigeration can be placed in residential carts and commercial dumpsters. If businesses have large quantities of such waste food, call Public Works at 441-1122 for a special pick up on Monday, Sept. 22.

Storm debris pick up will continue Wednesday, Sept. 24. Collection will begin at 8 a.m. in the neighborhoods west of U.S. 158 from Eighth Street moving south. Following pick up west of U.S. 158, the area between the Bypass and the Beach Road (N.C. 12) will be cleaned up. It is the property owners responsibility to place their debris at the edge of (but not on) the pavement.

Debris must be placed in separate piles if both vegetation and building materials are placed out for pick up. Please do not place your vegetation adjacent to your neighbor's building materials pile. These materials must be picked up by separate trucks. It is not necessary to call Public Works to arrange for storm debris pick up. The town will pick up in all neighborhoods at least twice.

Ocracoke under generator power

Residents of Ocracoke Island are now operating under generator power. At 2:50 p.m. Friday a North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation technician was able to power up the generating station, allowing Tideland EMC crews to re-energize utility lines serving the village.

Sixty-eight new poles have been ordered to replace those on the northern end of the island that were swept away by the storm surge that accompanied Hurricane Isabel.