Dare County Emergency Mgmt released this bulletin today at 4:15pm that states:

Visitors with travel plans to Hatteras Island, anytime 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

Here is the bulletin in its entirety.

Bulletin Number: 27

Date/Time: 9/2/2011 4:15:00 PM

Vendors Requested to Use Special Hours

Vendors carrying commodities to resupply Hatteras Island from Stumpy Point are asked to use the hours of 12 midnight Saturday night, September 3 through 4:30 am Sunday morning and thereafter between 10:00 pm and 4:30 am.

Vendors using the early morning ferry routes will help the recovery effort and benefit from a less congested trip with faster turnaround times between Stumpy Point and Hatteras Island. The early morning hours are intended to help vendors avoid being intermingled with the staged re-entry of residents that starts at 6:00 am beginning Sunday morning.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR HATTERAS ISLAND VISITORS

In response to requests from visitors with upcoming travel plans for Hatteras Island, Emergency Management advises that visitor re-entry will not begin until a future date, sometime after September 17. As vital services are restored and the infrastructure is in place to support visitor re-entry, announcements will be made.

Visitors with travel plans to Hatteras Island, anytime 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

STAGED RE-ENTRY FOR RESIDENTS OF HATTERAS ISLAND

A staged re-entry for residents of Hatteras Island begins 6:00 a.m. Sunday, September 4. The staged re-entry will start with the villages of Buxton, Hatteras, and Frisco. Conditions, utility service and other supporting infrastructure in those villages is the most conducive for re-entry at this time. As conditions improve in the remaining villages, re-entry will be established and announced as soon as possible.

Re-entry will originate at the NCDOT Ferry dock at Stumpy Point, on the Dare County Mainland. The re-entry times are staggered throughout the day in order to avoid long lines and further inconvenience.

Prior to entering the ferry, the vehicle operator must present a driver’s license showing a local address for the Village designated for re-entry with a last name matching the alphabetically indexed ferry boarding times. Following is the staged re-entry schedule –

Sunday, Sept 4 – Buxton residents
• Residents with last names, A through D – boarding at 6:00 am
• Residents with last names, E through H – boarding at 10:00 am
• Residents with last names, I through L – boarding at 12:30 pm
• Residents with last names, M through P – boarding at 4:00 pm
• Residents with last names, Q through T – boarding at 6:30 pm
• Residents U through Z, & any other Buxton residents – boarding at 10:00 pm

Monday, Sept 5 – Hatteras residents
• Residents with last names A through D – boarding at 6:00 am
• Residents with last names E through H – boarding at 10:00 am
• Residents with last names, I through L – boarding at 12:30 pm
• Residents with last names, M through P – boarding at 4:00 pm
• Residents with last names, Q through T – boarding at 6:30 pm
• Residents U through Z & any other Hatteras residents – boarding at 10:00 pm

Tuesday, Sept 6 – Frisco residents
• Residents with last names A through D – boarding at 6:00 am
• Residents with last names E through H – boarding at 10:00 am
• Residents with last names, I through L – boarding at 12:30 pm
• Residents with last names, M through P – boarding at 4:00 pm
• Residents with last names, Q through T – boarding at 6:30 pm
• Residents U through Z & any other Frisco residents – boarding at 10:00 pm

NEW CURFEW HOURS FOR HATTERAS ISLAND – 12 midnight to 5:00 am
The curfew on Hatteras Island remains in effect with new hours announced today by the Dare County Sheriff’s Office. Effective immediately the new curfew hours will be from 12 midnight to 5:00 a.m. until further notice. During the curfew period, individuals should remain indoors. Those who violate the curfew are subject to criminal prosecution. The curfew also applies to anyone attempting to gain access to Hatteras Island by watercraft or any marine vessel during the curfew period.
The Dare County Sheriff’s Office advises everyone to stay out of the way of utility and other work crews laboring to restore essential services

CAPE HATTERAS SCHOOLS – Will be closed on Tuesday, September 6.

CAPE HATTERAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE – UPDATE
On Thursday afternoon crews were able to parallel the two 2 megawatt Caterpillar generators to power all four circuits in the tri-villages. Shortly after CHEC’s Thursday update, the second generator failed. Currently, all four tri-village circuits are running on one generator. Gregory Poole, the Caterpillar distributor, is sending another unit to the island on Friday afternoon. Residents of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo can expect temporary loss of power Saturday morning while crews connect the new generator. Although one generator is handling the load of all four circuits now, CHEC must ensure that there is enough generation of power to carry the growing load demand as re-entry begins. All Hatteras Island villages south of Salvo are receiving continuous emergency power from the diesel generator in Buxton. CHEC continues to urge all members to conserve use of electricity until permanent transmission service is restored. Crews working at the Pea Island inlet continue to make significant progress in their efforts to temporarily restore the 115kV transmission lines. This afternoon they began securing a second set of poles to carry transmission lines across the compromised area. CHEC will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.

UPDATE – HIGHWAY 264 SOUTH OF STUMPY POINT
Highway 264 south of Stumpy Point is closed for travel to Hyde County. NCDOT does not anticipate having service to this area restored for at least several days. As progress is made, further updates will be issued.

FEMA ASSISTANCE
Individuals and businesses owners can begin applying for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of Hurricane Irene. To begin the application process, register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center has been opened at The Dare County Center at 950 Marshall C Collins Drive, Manteo, NC 27954. FEMA teams are in Dare County and going door to door. ALL FEMA personnel will have proper identification. Citizens are encouraged to ask for their identification. Learn more at www.darenc.com

DISASTER RELIEF
Interfaith Community Outreach (ICO) is staffing a telephone information center to coordinate disaster relief services throughout Dare County for all those needing help.

If you need assistance – call 252-475-5758 or 475-5759

If you would like to make a donation or volunteer
your time or labor to help those in need – call 252-475-5758 or 475-5759

IMPORTANT RECOVERY INFORMATION – Online 24 hours per day at www.darenc.com