As of Wednesday, 9/7/11, 5 PM, the state of emergency that has been in effect for Ocracoke and Hyde County will be lifted. All traffic is allowed on Ocracoke through Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferry routes.

Please continue to be aware of recovery plans are in place to continue restoration efforts. Please be respectful of roadside crews doing clean-up. Please be aware that rescue operations and debris removal are happening.

Please note that visitor access to Hatteras Island HAS NOT been restored at this time.

Re-Entry for residents of all Hatteras Island Villages and Insurance Adjusters with identification, resumed Tuesday, September 6. NCDOT is making repairs over night to the damaged ferry dock at Stumpy Point on the Dare County Mainland.

Residents must present a driver’s license showing a local address for one of the Hatteras Island Villages.

This re-entry applies to residents in all Hatteras Island Villages. It supersedes the previously announced staged re-entry by village with alphabetically based boarding times. The resident re-entry also includes insurance adjusters with proper identification.

For ferry schedule information, call the NCDOT Ferry Division at 1-800-BY-FERRY.

Updated Information for Non-Resident Property Owners

As further progress is made solidifying the recovery infrastructure for Hatteras Island, additional re-entry procedures will be announced for non-resident property owners. Efforts are being made to accomplish this as quickly as possible.

Updated Information for Hatteras Island Visitors
Dare County Emergency Management is continuing to monitor progress in the ongoing effort to restore the services that need to be in place to support visitor re-entry. Although progress has been made and re-entry has been announced for resident re-entry, the infrastructure is too fragile at this time to allow re-entry of non-residents.

Visitors with upcoming travel plans for Hatteras Island are advised that visitor re-entry will not begin until a future date, sometime after September 17.

There are many factors to consider in determining when visitor re-entry can begin. These include reliable utility services, road conditions, debris removal, and the availability of food, water, essential supplies and other commodities. Other determining factors include adequate infrastructure to assure public health, safety and welfare as well as the restoration of vital business services that are needed to sustain and serve non-residents of Hatteras Island.

Visitors with travel plans to Hatteras Island over the next few weeks, should seek accommodations elsewhere in Dare County, north of Oregon Inlet. If you need help finding lodging, contact the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau at 1-877-629-4386 or visit www.outerbanks.org
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