Fort Raleigh |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2025. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Thursday, January 23, 2003 All facilities in parks in the Outer Banks Group - Cape Hatteras NS,
Fort Raleigh NHS and Wright Brothers NM - are closed today due to a
significant winter storm. Roads and bridges are covered with snow and
ice, and forecasters are predicting that between eight and ten inches of
snow will fall on the Outer Banks by noon. Gale warnings have also been
forecast, and Pamlico Sound may flood Hatteras Village and Ocracoke
Island as the storm moves to the northeast. Temperatures are expected to
remain in the 20s today and drop into the teens tonight, with wind chill
values near zero. The Outer Banks Group activated its ICS plan yesterday
afternoon; Jeff Cobb is IC. All non-emergency staff have been released
for the day today.
Frigid temperatures, record setting snowfall and whiteout conditions
enveloped the Outer Banks Group this past Thursday, with snow falling at
a rate impressive even by New England standards. Facilities at the three
parks were closed, and ICS was put into operation. The 12 inches of snow
that fell on Cape Hatteras NS broke the old one-day record there of 8.2
inches recorded on December 23, 1989. Winds gusting to 35 mph and
sometime higher quickly piled the rapid snowfall into drifts of two to
three feet. Blizzard conditions persisted on the Outer Banks through
midday. As the weather cleared on Friday, the Big Kill Devil Hill at
Wright Brothers NM, used by the Wright brothers in glider testing,
turned into a sledding and "snow-surfboard" heaven for Outer Bank
flatlanders. Albemarle Sound, which banks Fort Raleigh NHS to the north
and west, froze to a point 100 feet out from shore by Friday morning.
Much more of the sound was expected to freeze on Friday night, as cold
temperatures continued.
Damage assessments and the organization of repair and rehabilitation operations are underway at parks throughout the Mid-Atlantic states. Assisting with and supporting these efforts are JD Swed's Type 1 team (currently relocating from Charlotte to Williamsburg), Rick Brown's Type 2 team, and Clay Jordan's Type 3 team at Shenandoah. Here's a rundown on the current status of affected parks (south to north): Outer Banks Group (Cape Hatteras NS, Wright Brothers NM, Fort Raleigh NHS) Almost all employees from the three parks have been contacted, and so far no serious problems have been reported, with one exception - an employee injured his arm while clearing debris at home, underwent surgery Sunday evening and is expected to do well. Several employees had damage to homes and vehicles, and others will be without power for several weeks. Some park housing is still uninhabitable due to power outages, flooded septic fields, and lack of drinking water. Here's a rundown on damage to the parks, based on an initial assessment conducted over the weekend:
For a map of the park, go to http://www.nps.gov/caha/map.htm. Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations, which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential documents from the incident management teams will be available at the IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/. Please check if for additional details. Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Ken Garvin, SERO; Don Boucher, NCRO; Bob Martin and Doug Wallner, NERO; Mary Doll, PIO, Outer Banks Group; Wouter Ketel, IC/Chief Ranger, and Donna Tipton, PIO, CALO; Laura Joss, Superintendent, FOMC; Vidal Martinez, Superintendent, GEWA/THST; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH/MAWA; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Laurie Coughlan, Superintendent, HAMP; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; Bill Sanders, Superintendent, HOFU; Mike Hill, Superintendent, ASIS.
Overview Crews and other resources have been arriving at the Williamsburg ICP for JD Swed's Type 1 IMT since Wednesday, bringing the total number of personnel currently assigned to the incident to 131. Early work efforts are focused on orienting personnel to the operations, with a heavy emphasis on safety due to the increased hazards involved in tree removal operations, especially with vehicle traffic. Team members are also holding short training sessions on ICS for newly-arrived personnel, as there are many people coming to this incident with minimal previous exposure to the system. The FMSS team continues to compile and input facilities assessment information received from the 38 park units that sustained hurricane-related damage. The preliminary assessment has been 100% completed by the parks. The FMSS team members are going out to parks beginning today to conduct comprehensive condition assessments. Crews will continue work on clearing the Yorktown Battlefield tour road in Colonial NHP. Additional crews and other resources were dispatched yesterday to Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Richmond NB and Petersburg NB to work on tree clearing and other cleanup operations. Many employees working in the parks being managed in this incident are still without power at home. These same employees have been working for extended hours with little or no time off for over a week. A three-person Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) team was scheduled to arrive in Williamsburg yesterday. They will make arrangements to provide assistance to park employees dealing with incident-related stress Rick Brown's Type 2 team, which is focusing on four sites in what's being called the North Carolina Seashore Area, is divided into two branches. The Outer Banks Group branch has four divisions - one for Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh, one for Bodie Island, one for Hatteras Island, and one for Ocracoke Island; the Cape Lookout branch has two divisions - one for Core Banks and one for Portsmouth Village. Principal problems confronting personnel on this operation have to do with the time and distances between locations and the amount of travel required. Operations are underway in all divisions. Park Updates The following reports were received from parks and regions over the past 24 hours. They are listed from south to north. This information either supplements or revises information previously reported; no effort is being made to recap earlier submissions with each new summary.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Don Boucher, NCRO; Zeke Seabright, NCR Communications Center; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO.
The following reports reflect the status of operations through early Monday: Type 1 Team (JD Swed) Work continues at a rapid pace. Crews have made additional progress on clearing roads, overlooks, trails and other areas of fallen trees. The roads in Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP have been cleared and are now open. Workers accessed the Glass House restroom in Jamestown on Sunday to determine what repairs are needed and will continue to make repairs on the historic Archer House in Yorktown. Two injuries occurred on Sunday. An FMSS team member stepped on a nail at Jamestown, and a park maintenance worker at Petersburg NB had the pad on a finger tip sheared off while feeding material into a chipper. He was taken to the hospital, where it was stitched on. He was scheduled for surgery on Monday. The cultural resource team, made up of employees of the NPS, Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA), and a private salvage firm, continued to pack up and move the 600,000 piece Jamestown artifact collection to Fort Lee near Richmond. They expected to finish the relocation of the artifacts yesterday. The collection will be housed in a secure site while curatorial staff continue to triage the damage and provide stabilizing treatment. It is estimated that three-fifths of the collection was underwater for some period of time and suffered damage due to immersion, while a fifth was not immersed but was damaged by high humidity. The remaining fifth of the collection appears to be undamaged. For a related newspaper story, see the "In the Press" section of today's InsideNPS. The FMSS crew continues to compile incident costs on park assets and assist parks with condition assessments. Parks being assisted include Colonial NHP, Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Petersburg, NB, George Washington Birthplace NM, Richmond NB and C&O Canal NHP. The assessment at Colonial, including the Jamestown Visitor Center, was scheduled for completion on Tuesday. All other assessments are scheduled to be done by October 5th. An additional park unit, the Presidential Park near the White House in Washington, DC, has reported some hurricane-related damage. Five additional Type 1 and Type 2 crews arrived yesterday. Some will remain in Virginia; the others will be sent to assist with recovery efforts at Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores. Type 2 Team (Rick Brown) Sections of Cape Hatteras NS opened to the public on Monday after a 12-day closure due to Hurricane Isabel. Two ramps, about 11 miles of beach and the Hatteras Island Visitor Center were included in this first phase. Coquina Beach is now open as well, though minor repairs are still needed at the bathhouse. The Bodie Island Visitor Center opened yesterday morning, as did the NPS campground at Oregon Inlet and the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. Much of Cape Lookout NS is open to pedestrians. Exceptions are Portsmouth Village, the area surrounding concession facilities at Long Point, and the Great Island fishing camps. Joining NPS workers are many local hire who were laid off from their regular jobs because of the hurricane. Some tree work remains at Fort Raleigh NHS. Damage assessment continues at the seashores as well as restoration work in all three parks. Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Rick Brown, IC, Type 2 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT.
The following reports reflect the status of operations through early Monday: Type 2 Team (Rick Brown) Some tree work remains at Fort Raleigh NHS. Damage assessment continues at the seashores as well as restoration work in all three parks. Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Rick Brown, IC, Type 2 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT.
The following reports reflect the status of operations through late Tuesday. Please note that a number of new photos of the impacts of Hurricane Isabel have also been added to the photo gallery found at http://inside.nps.gov/ people/hurricane/ Type 1 Team (JD Swed) Crews continue to make good progress in all areas, including Colonial NHP, Petersburg NB, Richmond NB and Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP. The crew clearing the Jamestown tour road discovered that two of the bridges on the loop road have been moved from their original locations and are impassable. One bridge is approximately 200 feet in length and the other about 400 feet long. This damage had not been seen during aerial overflights of the site on Saturday. The relocation of the Jamestown artifact collection to Fort Lee is on schedule, and is expected to be completed by mid-day Tuesday. Triage of the artifacts will be continued there. The materials will be stored there until they are shipped to other facilities for restorative treatment. Assessment field teams continue to assist parks with condition assessments. Parks being assisted include Colonial NHP, Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Petersburg, NB, George Washington Birthplace NM, Richmond NB, and C&O Canal NHP. Six additional crews and other resources arrived on Monday, which significantly increased the people and equipment that will be working in the various divisions. Some of these crews had just been released by FEMA. One hotshot crew will begin cleanup work along the Colonial Parkway in non-traffic areas, clearing away fallen trees and other debris from parking lots, interpretive pullouts, and off-road areas. Cleanup work along the road itself will begin later in the week. Traffic delays of up to 15 minutes may occur, as both lanes may need to be closed during some of the clearing operations. A total of 216 people are currently assigned to this portion of the recovery efforts. The cost to date is $1,606,910. Wright Brothers NM and Fort Raleigh NHS reopened last week. Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO; John Storke, GEWA; Michelle Fidler, PIO, CALO.
Hurricane Charley's passage up the East Coast affected more than a dozen NPS areas. Here are reports from parks that were in or near the storm's path, south to north: Outer Banks Group — All three parks closed to the public and shutdown at 5 p.m. on Friday. Earlier that day, the remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie passed over the area, bringing heavy rains and tornado warnings. Since all forecasts called for Hurricane Charley to bring an additional four to eight inches of rain and hurricane force winds, the Outer Banks Group activated its storm plan and put ICS into effect (Dann Trexler, IC). All areas were closed and secured by Saturday morning. The hurricane, fortunately, did not hit as hard as predicted. Winds and rains were limited to periodic squalls from noon until about 7 p.m. The maximum recorded gusts on Ocracoke Island were about 50 mph, and less than an inch of rain fell throughout the area. Most park facilities were to be reopened yesterday. Cape Point campground, Ramp 4, Pole Road and all Ocracoke sound side accesses remain closed due to the cumulative impacts of Hurricane Alex, Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley (the park is hoping its streak — three for three — does not continue). Due to the combined effects of these three storms, Wright Brothers remains closed. Roads in that park and the surrounding area are under six to eight inches of water. Sewage lift stations and septic fields are currently being evaluated. HVAC systems have been shut down, along with other electrical equipment, due to the high water. The visitor center, pavilion and fee booths all have minor leaks from windblown water working under and around doors and windows. It appears that Wright Brothers received more rain than other parks in the group, and that it may be several days before waters recede. Fort Raleigh has reopened and is operating on a normal schedule. The above report was based on submissions from the following people: Ken Garvin, Southeast Regional Office; Bob Panko, IC, EVER; Mark Hardgrove, Deputy Superintendent, Outer Banks Group; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU; Jon Anglin, Acting Chief Ranger, CAHA; Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO; Michelle Oehmichen, BISC; Charlie Fenwick, Superintendent, DESO; Gordie Wilson, CASA/FOMA; Barbara Goodman, Superintendent, TIMU/FOCA; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; Timothy Morgan, Chief Ranger, CANA; Mary Doll, Management Assistant, Outer Banks Group; Larry Belles, BICY
Parks continue to assess Hurricane Charley's impacts. Here are reports from several parks that were in or near the storm's path, south to north: Outer Banks Group — Wright Brothers NM reopened to the public yesterday morning. Cape Hatteras NS is also open, but the Cape Point campground remains closed. Ramp 4 and Pole Road remain closed due to flooding, but Ramp 2 has been opened to provide ORV access to Oregon Inlet beaches. Fort Raleigh is open and operating on a normal schedule. The above report was based on submissions from the following people: Ken Garvin, Southeast Regional Office; Willie Lopez, DRTO; Mary Doll, Outer Banks Group; John Tucker, FOSU; Mike Tennent, FOFR; John Breen, FOPU.
Here are today's updates from North Carolina parks in Ophelia's probable path: Outer Banks Group - Yesterday Dare County declared a state of emergency for the county and issued a mandatory evacuation order for Hatteras Island. The latter went into effect at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The evacuation order covered the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras. The park has accordingly closed Frisco campground on Hatteras Island, the Oregon Inlet campground on Bodie Island, the visitor centers on both islands, Cape Hatteras lighthouse, the Salvo day use area, facilities on Ocracoke, and the other two parks in the Outer Banks Group - Wright Brothers NM and Fort Raleigh NHS. [Dare County Emergency Management; Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO; Bruce Rosel, CANA; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR]
Here are today's updates from North Carolina parks in Ophelia's probable path: Cape Lookout NS - Final preparations for shutdown of park headquarters were completed on Monday. The park is closed and all park operations have been shut down. [Dare County Emergency Management; Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO; Bruce Rosel, CANA; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR]
Initial reports from parks affected by Hurricane Ophelia have been received: Cape Lookout NS - Although the park did not suffer the level of damage that it did from Hurricane Isabel in 2003, Hurricane Ophelia's slow passage over the length of the seashore exerted tremendous force on the barrier islands. A damage assessment overflight conducted by the park last Friday revealed that Ophelia's fury cut a channel across Cape Lookout Point, created a new inlet a mile-and-a-half south of New Drum Inlet, and significantly widened Old Drum Inlet, which had been almost closed. In addition, there is evidence everywhere that the seashore experienced a significant amount of storm overwash. The passage of Hurricane Ophelia's eye over the cape and the rest of the seashore are dramatically shown by the wind speed and barometer graphs from the weather station located near the Cape Lookout lighthouse. On Wednesday, September 14th, as Ophelia approached, the barometer dropped steadily and the wind speed peaked at 8 p.m. at just over 90 mph. With the approach of the eye, the wind quieted down to 20 mph, while the barometric pressure continued to fall. Early Thursday morning, it was quiet, but the barometer began to rise again as the eye moved on and the winds increased steadily to a second peak of 70 mph at 7 a.m. In all, from one peak to another almost 12 hours had passed, and about 24 hours for the entire storm. [Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO; Mary Doll, Outer Banks Group; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR]
Initial reports from parks affected by Hurricane Ophelia have been received: Outer Banks Group - Facilities that were temporarily closed during the hurricane's passage began to reopen on Friday morning. Fort Raleigh NHS resumed normal operations. Wright Brothers NM and Cape Hatteras NS, however, remained temporarily closed. No significant damage has been reported so far. [Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO; Mary Doll, Outer Banks Group; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR]
A strong nor'easter moving up the Atlantic coastline last week caused damage, closures and evacuations at several areas: Outer Banks Group - High winds and heavy rain caused the closure of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial on Wednesday, November 22nd. Only essential personnel reported to work. The storm caused power outages, dangerous surf, flooding, and wind damage throughout the Outer Banks. The parks were to remain closed on Thursday so that park staff could evaluate conditions and determine when it would be safe to reopen them. [Jon Pierce, RLES, SERO; Barry Munyan, Chief Ranger, CALO; Karen Gochenour, SHEN]
In the early morning hours of September 11th, a resident of Villa Dunes spotted a fire across Roanoke Sound on the northern end of Roanoke Island and called 911. The famed Lost Colony's maintenance shed and Irene Rains costume shop were in flames. All fire departments north of Oregon Inlet responded. The swift reaction of the firefighters and Dare County emergency management saved the Waterside Theatre and remaining structures, but the maintenance shed and costume shop were completely destroyed. The value of the lost buildings has been estimated at about $1 million. Although the historical association built the 1,300-square-foot costume shop, the Lost Colony buildings, located within Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, are the property of the federal government. Approximately 80% of the active costumes used in the summer production of The Lost Colony drama, stored in the costume shop, were lost. No other structures were damaged and the Waterside Theatre was unharmed. The official cause of the fire is still under investigation and is undetermined at this time. A relief site is located on The Lost Colony website at HYPERLINK "http://www.thelostcolony.org". [Cyndy Holda, Outer Banks Group]
Hurricane Earl passed over the eastern Caribbean yesterday and is at present headed toward the Carolinas. Here's a summary of reports received yesterday: Outer Banks Group - The superintendent has issued a delegation of authority and put ICS into place (Paul Stevens, IC) for the three parks in the group - Cape Hatteras NS, Wright Brothers NM and Fort Raleigh NHS - due to the expected arrival of the hurricane by week's end. Additional updates will be posted in tomorrow's edition. [Mark Hardgrove, VIIS; Aleta Knight, SAJU; Elizabeth Centeneo, CHRI; Paul Stevens, CAHA; Mark Ruggiero, SERO]
Hurricane Earl, now a Category 4 storm, continues on its northwestward track toward the Carolinas, and parks in its projected path are in the midst of making all necessary preparations. Reports have also been received from Caribbean parks affected by the hurricane. Here's today's summary: Outer Banks Group (Cape Hatteras, Fort Raleigh, Wright Brothers) - The hurricane is forecast to begin affecting the Outer Banks tomorrow, with storm conditions continuing through Friday. In anticipation of Earl's arrival, the Ocracoke Visitor Center will close at noon today and the Hatteras Island, Bodie Island, Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh Visitor Centers will close at 5:00 p.m. The Ocracoke, Frisco, Cape Point and Oregon Inlet Campgrounds will close at oon. The Ocracoke Campground reservation system has been temporarily suspended. The last climb for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse will be at 2:00 p.m. today and the lighthouse will close at 3:00 p.m. By Thursday, expected ocean overwash and rough surf conditions will create unsafe conditions on seashore beaches and off-road vehicle use will be prohibited until safe conditions allow for this recreational activity. [Cyndy Holda and Paul Stevens, CAHA; Barry Munyan, CALO; Elizabeth Centeneo, CHRI; Mark Hardgrove, VIIS; Mark Ruggiero, SERO]
Hurricane Earl will approach the North Carolina coast late today and move near or over the Outer Banks tonight. The center is then expected to pass near or offshore of the Delmarva Peninsula. The hurricane will then track northeast along the coast, probably passing over Cape Cod. Parks along the coast from North Carolina to Maine are watching the storm closely and taking necessary actions. Here's today's summary: Outer Banks Group (Cape Hatteras, Fort Raleigh, Wright Brothers) - Dare County announced a mandatory evacuation for all residents and visitors on Hatteras Island effective at 6:00 p.m. yesterday evening. The evacuation order for both residents and visitors of Hatteras Island does not apply to areas north of Oregon Inlet. At present, the order does not include the towns of Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Southern Shores, Roanoke Island or mainland Dare County. All park visitor centers in the three parks closed at 5 p.m. yesterday and will remain closed until further notice. All park campgrounds in Cape Hatteras National Seashore were also closed yesterday and will remain closed until further notice. The reservation system for Ocracoke Campground has been temporarily suspended until further notice. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is closed and will remain closed until further notice. All ocean-side beach access for off-road vehicles in Cape Hatteras were closed yesterday at 5 p.m. At Oregon Inlet, high tides on Thursday are scheduled for 2:06 a.m. and 2:52 p.m. and high tides on Friday are scheduled for 3:13 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Severe coastal storm surge flooding is expected beginning on Thursday. If conditions permit, pedestrian access will be allowed. All remaining non-essential staff for Cape Hatteras, Fort Raleigh, and Wright Brothers were released at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. All essential ICS and LE personnel remain on duty. [Barry Munyan, CALO; Cyndy Holda and Paul Stevens, CAHA; Stuart West, ACAD; Skip Brooks, COLO; Bob Grant, CACO; Peter Totorell, GATE; Carl Zimmermann, ASIS; Jay Lippert, FIIS; Stephen Clark, NERO]
The center of Hurricane Earl was expected to pass near the Outer Banks last night and approach southeastern New England on Friday night. Tropical storm and hurricane warnings extend from North Carolina almost all the way to New Hampshire. Affected parks were for the most part too busy yesterday to elaborate on preparations or current conditions. Here are today's updates: Outer Banks Group (Cape Hatteras, Fort Raleigh, Wright Brothers) - Early yesterday morning, Dare County ordered a mandatory evacuation of all visitors throughout the entire county. The evacuation ordered yesterday for visitors and residents on Hatteras Island remains in effect. In addition, residents along the oceanfront are advised to relocate due to coastal flooding and ocean overwash that will occur. All previously noted closures at the three parks remain in effect.
Parks from Big Cypress to Acadia are in the midst of completing preparations for Hurricane Irene. All three East Coast regions - Southeast, National Capital and Northeast - held regionwide telephone conferences yesterday that collectively included representatives from the scores of potentially affected areas. Without exception, they reported that they were putting hurricane or emergency plans into effect, mobilizing local incident management teams, making or planning closures as needed, and otherwise taking all necessary steps to protect facilities and assure public and staff safety. The following reports are from areas where there have been closures and/or are from locations potentially most exposed to the storm, particularly parks bordering the ocean. They are listed from south to north: Outer Banks Group (Cape Hatteras NS, Wright Brothers NM, Fort Raleigh NM) - All NPS campgrounds - Ocracoke, Frisco, Cape Point and Oregon Inlet - closed at noon yesterday. The Ocracoke Campground reservation system has been temporarily suspended. The Silver Lake Marina NPS docks also have been closed. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the Ocracoke Visitor Center, and the Hatteras Island, Bodie Island and Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh Visitor Centers closed at the end of the day and will not reopen until further notice. Lifeguard operations at Ocracoke, Buxton, and Coquina Beach have been suspended, also until further notice. All park special programs scheduled today for Founder's Day have been cancelled; the "Flags Over Hatteras" event has been postponed. Ocracoke beaches were closed to off-road vehicles yesterday, and all other beaches will close to off-road vehicles by 6 p.m. this evening. The regions have incident management and damage assessment teams on standby for deployment as needed. The National Interagency Fire Center has prepared a list of available resources, which include an area command team, a NIMO team, five Type 1 and five Type 2 incident management teams. [Regional, WASO and FAM reports]
Most parks affected by Hurricane Irene have reopened and returned to normal operations, but several continue to deal with serious issues. Today's status reports follow. As of yesterday morning, a total of 173 NPS employees were committed to hurricane recovery operations. Here are updates from parks reporting significant issues, as of yesterday morning (south to north): Outer Banks Group - The three parks in the group - Cape Hatteras, Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh - are being supported and assisted by the Eastern IMT (Zeph Cunningham, IC), a SETT team, a regional assessment team and sawyer teams - a total of 80 people from 22 parks and 13 states. Damages confirmed so far to park and concession/permitted service providers include damaged rooftops, water intrusion either through flooding or roof leakage in numerous facilities, scattered debris and tree limbs, and missing or damaged boardwalks, signs, posts and fencing materials. Resource advisors are in the field assessing natural and cultural resource impacts as well. Efforts to open additional ramps to popular park beaches are moving forward. On Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches, all ocean and sound-side beach areas have been evaluated for safe access for both pedestrians and vehicles. Beaches are open to pedestrian access throughout the park unless otherwise posted, but park visitors can expect to see some resource protection closures in effect. Many boat ramps have been reopened. Fort Raleigh and Wright Brothers are open and have resumed normal hours of operation. All park facilities on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands remain closed. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Recovery operations continue in parks in Northeast and Southeast Regions. Today's status reports follow. As of yesterday morning, a total of 242 NPS employees were committed to hurricane recovery operations. Here are updates from parks reporting significant issues, as of yesterday morning (south to north): Outer Banks Group - The three parks in the group - Cape Hatteras, Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh - are being supported and assisted by the Eastern IMT (Zeph Cunningham, IC), a SETT team, a regional assessment team and sawyer teams. A total of 94 NPS employees are committed to recovery operations. Here's today's update: Efforts to open additional ramps to popular park beaches are moving forward. All ocean and sound-side beach areas have been evaluated for safe access for both pedestrians and vehicles. Beaches are open to pedestrian access throughout the park unless otherwise posted. Park visitors can expect to see some resource protection closures in effect for resource protection. For additional beach access information, visitors are encouraged to see the latest Google Earth beach access maps at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/googleearthmap.htm". All park facilities on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands remain closed, including airports. Damages confirmed so far to park and concession/permitted service providers in the Outer Banks Group parks include damaged rooftops, water intrusion either through flooding or roof leakage in numerous facilities, scattered debris and tree limbs, and missing or damaged boardwalks, signs, posts and fencing materials. Resource managers completed turtle surveys on Bodie Island. Thirteen of twenty duck blind were checked - six were destroyed, six were still functional, and one was found to have been moved 16 feet. An assessment of Bodie Island lighthouse was completed. Artifacts were moved from the lighthouse to museum storage. Assessments were completed at Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh, both of which are now open and have resumed normal hours of operation. A visitor drowned at Coquina Beach yesterday afternoon. Rangers, SETT members and local emergency service providers responded. Oregon Inlet Fishing Center bathrooms have been cleaned and reopened. Coquina Beach was cleaned up and power has been restored. Campground cleanup on Ocracoke Island has been completed and hazard tree removal has been completed along the roadways. Debris removal from beaches has also been completed. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Hurricane Irene recovery operations continue in parks in Northeast and Southeast Regions. Today's status reports follow. As of yesterday morning, a total of 242 NPS employees were committed to these efforts. Here are updates from parks reporting significant issues, as of yesterday: Outer Banks Group - The three parks in the group - Cape Hatteras, Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh - are being supported and assisted by the Eastern IMT (Zeph Cunningham, IC), a SETT team, a regional assessment team and sawyer teams. A total of 112 people are currently committed to the recovery operation. The park has reopened beaches and many ramps, but access to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands remains open only to residents already on the islands due to damage to roads and other infrastructure in this area. For updated beach access information for the park see the latest HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/googleearthmap.htm" Google Earth beach access maps. The Oregon inlet campground and all other campgrounds remain, but Coquina Beach and all its facilities and many ramps have also reopened. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial are open and have resumed normal hours of operation. Bodie Island Lighthouse and facilities and all park facilities on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands remain closed, including airports. For more information, contact 252-473-2111. Meanwhile, the incident IMT reports the following actions undertaken or completed yesterday: Bodie Island - Coquina Beach opened and is fully operational. Resource management completed duck blind assessments - 12 of 20 are missing, six are functional and two were moved a distance of 16 to 50 feet from their original positions. Debris lean up and saw operations continued at the visitor center and started at the campground; 35 hazardous trees were trimmed or removed. The lift station at Oregon Island Fishing Center was fixed. Seasonal quarters 117 and 118 were evaluated by the electrician and can be used for housing again. A small fire was reported on Boneyard Road that was started due to a downed power line. Hatteras Island - Another ramp was opened. The group supervisor coordinated and facilitated transportation for an assessment team and gave a FEMA representative a tour. Cleanup was begun of the Frisco pier parking area, employing heavy equipment. Superintendent Murray conducted a site visit and held an all employees meeting. Ocracoke Island - Debris clean up and saw operations occurred around the lighthouse and visitor center. The group supervisor coordinated and facilitated transportation for a cultural assessment team and is interacting with local emergency management on a daily basis. A lighthouse assessment was conducted - cracks were observed requiring evaluation by an engineer. A radio tech evaluated the repeater and determined a new antennae is required. Air Operations - Forty-two passengers were transported yesterday. Employee Assistance - Transition occurred to a new group supervisor. Three employee homes were checked on Hatteras. Resource Advisors - Checked on tree cutting operation at Wright Brothers. Assessed cultural features around areas of flooding at Bodie Island. Assessment Team - The eight members of the team flew to Hatteras Island and conducted assessments of all facilities and assets and then began to process the information at the office. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Park staffs and supporting incident management and other teams worked throughout the holiday weekend to repair facilities and restore services at parks hit hard by Hurricane Irene, particularly at Delaware Water Gap, Cape Lookout and the Outer Banks Group. Significant progress has been made, with many reopening announced. Although personnel were busy throughout the Labor Day weekend, today's summary focuses largely on yesterday's operations: Outer Banks Group - The three parks in the group - Cape Hatteras, Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh - are being supported and assisted by the Eastern IMT (Zeph Cunningham, IC), a SETT team, a regional assessment team and sawyer teams. A total of 159 people were committed to the recovery operation as of yesterday. Assessments to facilities continued yesterday and safety concerns were addressed. Hazard tree removal continued near high traffic areas as visitation increased over the holiday weekend. On Ocracoke Island, employee residential area repairs and maintenance operations continued. The IMT continued to work closely with the community and other government agencies. Here are some specifics: Bodie Island - Safety fencing was installed at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center boat ramp. The lift station at the fishing center was repaired and is now operational. An assessment began of the dump station for the campground. Lighthouse complex power and HVAC are again operational. Assessment of the lift station at the lighthouse is ongoing and the lift station is still on generator power. Damaged fencing was removed from the Bodie Island Lighthouse area, rebar was removed from the lighthouse parking area due to safety concerns, and hazard tree removal was completed around the lighthouse loop area. Bucket truck operations were completed along the boneyard road; chipping operations will begin after the chipper is repaired. Hazard tree removal was completed at Fort Raleigh. Rangers counted 145 ORV's on the beach. During a license and safety check on Ramp 4 on Sunday, rangers checked 254 vehicles. Four DUI arrests and one drug arrest were made; two citations for open containers were issued. Hatteras Island - Saw work and chipping operations continued on the Hatteras Island trails. The lighthouse steps and landing were cleared and swept. Rangers continued patrols and conducted inventories of lost or damaged signs. Ocracoke Island - Repairs were completed on seasonal quarters and boat ramps. Cleanup was completed along the back side of the campground. Rangers continued patrols and posting of beach closure areas and conducted an inventory of missing mile post signs along the beaches. Resource management staff completed turtle patrols. The saw team completed cleanup operations at the employee residential area. Air Operations - Logged 2.8 hrs of fixed wing flight time and 1.2 hours of helicopter flight time and transported 12 passengers and 260 pounds of cargo. Employee Assistance - The team worked on debris cleanup at two employee residences in the Mann's Harbor/Manteo areas. Resource Advisors - Work continued on a final report. Hatteras resource advisors conducted turtle patrols. An evaluation of duck blind removals was completed and submitted for review. Assessment Team - The team continued bundling work orders into projects and inputting data for emergency projects. Two team members demobed. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Hurricane Irene recovery operations have been completed in most parks, but incident management teams and park staffs continue their ongoing efforts at Cape Lookout and the Outer Banks Group. Here are today's updates. Outer Banks Group - The three parks in the group - Cape Hatteras, Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh - are being supported and assisted by the Eastern IMT (Zeph Cunningham, IC), a SETT team, a regional assessment team and sawyer teams. A total of 113 people were committed to the recovery operation as of yesterday. Maintenance teams continue to work diligently to restore facilities to operational status, including functioning restroom facilities on Bodie Island, and removal of 60 hazardous trees within Fort Raleigh. Ocracoke Visitor Center, lighthouse and other visitor facilities will open today. Aircraft assigned to the team provided transportation to Dare County emergency medical service teams as part of the continued support the team has provided the community and other government agencies. Concerns today include very high surf due to Hurricane Katia. Accomplishments yesterday included the following: Bodie Island - Law enforcement rangers continued to staff the checkpoint and conduct beach patrols. An assessment of the lift station revealed that it was operational, so restrooms were opened. HVAC was cleaned at the maintenance compound and HVAC work was completed at Whalebone Junction. Wright Brothers AC is now functioning. Maintenance completed the front part of the lighthouse fence, continued cleanup at the maintenance compound and bulkhead, and continued riprap work at Off-Island Road. Sawyers mitigated 63 hazards in the Fort Raleigh area. Chipping work continued. Saw work was completed on Lighthouse Road and it was opened yesterday afternoon. Hatteras Island - The lighthouse and visitor center remain closed to visitors. The Ramp 43 parking lot was cleared of debris and reopened. A good deal of debris remains in the old lighthouse parking lot, but it is open. Maintenance worked on repair of the Frisco bathhouse steps and should finish by today. Ocracoke Island - Water and electric work continued on the dock. Work on the AC and electric in the lighthouse keeper's house continued. Large signs were installed on South Road. Installation of carsonite posts and "No Vehicle" signs continued on the beach. Cleanup of downed limbs was completed behind the Ocracoke Preservation Society. Shingles and roof repairs were completed on the visitor center. The lighthouse and visitor center are now open. Air Operations - Conducted five hours of helicopter flight time and transported 23 passengers. Employee Assistance - Remaining team members demobilized. Resource Advisors - Work continued on a final report, submitting it to park staff for their comments and edits. Assessment Team - All assessment team members have demobilized except one. The remaining members continued to work on damage assessment project statements. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
The Midwest incident management team at Cape Lookout has completed its work and will be demobilizing this afternoon, but the Eastern team continues to provide support to staff in the Outer Banks Group parks. Here are today's updates. Outer Banks Group - The three parks in the group - Cape Hatteras, Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh - are being supported and assisted by the Eastern IMT (Zeph Cunningham, IC), a SETT team, a regional assessment team and sawyer teams. A total of 89 people were committed to the recovery operation as of yesterday. On Thursday, rangers conducted beach patrols to inform visitors of rip current advisories. Maintenance teams continued work to restore remaining visitor facilities and other park facilities to operational status. Ocracoke Visitor Center and campgrounds are now open, but all beach access ramps were closed due to high surf conditions and rip tide advisories. The resource advisor team assisted park management staff with sea turtle nest excavation and uncovered 90 live turtles and 9 eggs inside the nest. The team continues to operate with an eye on changing weather conditions and other safety concerns. Accomplishments yesterday included the following: Bodie Island - Rangers continued to staff the checkpoint and conduct beach patrols. They also conducted roving patrols and made numerous public contacts regarding high surf and rip current advisories. Fence repair operations continued at the Bodie Island Lighthouse complex. Bulkhead and riprap work was completed on the Off-Island Road. The roll-off dumpster was filled at the boneyard. Two replacement dumpsters were ordered to complete the cleanup operations. Sawyers mitigated hazards in the Fort Raleigh area. Chipping work continued. Shutter opening and repair were completed at the Bodie Island employee housing area. Hatteras Island - Installation of temporary fencing at the Salvo cemetery was completed. Heavy equipment was used to complete the cleanup operations at the old lighthouse parking area. Debris cleanup operations continued at the Salvo day use area. Ocracoke Island - Gately Communications technicians completed the installation of a radio antenna; one more trip will be required to fine tune the system. Vent stacks at the day use area were repaired. All beach access ramps were closed due to high surf conditions. Rangers continued patrols and conducted public contacts advising of high surf and rip tide advisories. All Ocracoke boat ramps remain closed due to 9- to 13-foot surf at high tide from Hurricane Katia. Air Operations - The team's airplane logged 3.3 hrs of flight time and transported eight passengers. Employee Assistance - The group supervisor finished reports and completed demob. Resource Advisors - Assisted park resource management staff with turtle nest excavation at Coquina Beach. A total of 90 live turtles and 9 eggs were discovered inside the nest. The live turtles will be released after high tide this evening. Assessment Team - One assessment team member continued to work on damage assessment project statements. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
The Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) and the Eastern IMT (Zeph Cunningham, IC) have demobilized, respectively, from recovery operations at Cape Lookout and the Outer Banks Group. The Eastern IMT has filed one last report, the highlights of which follow: One assessment team member will remain at the incident command post to work on damage assessment project statements and contract documents. Protection rangers on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands have returned to normal duties. Ocracoke rangers will resume delivery of ORV permits; Bodie rangers will continue to assist the North Carolina Highway Patrol with traffic control at the checkpoint on heavily damaged NC Highway 12. Rangers will post "No Vehicle" signs and establish ORV routes on beach areas parkwide, and will also continue beach patrols and contact all visitors to inform them about high surf and rip tide warnings in effect. Maintenance in all groups will be returning to normal operations. The saw crew will complete hazard tree removal operations at Fort Raleigh with Genie operations for overhead hazards. A park Type 3 IMT (Jon Anglin, IC) has assumed responsibilities for further cleanup operations. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Hurricane Sandy, a HYPERLINK "http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" Category 1 system with current maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph, continues on a north-northeasterly course. As of 11 a.m. this morning, it was projected to be abreast of the Outer Banks in the early hours of Monday morning and come ashore somewhere near southern New Jersey late Monday evening. According to NPS meteorologist Denver Ingram, the winds will still be in the 65 mph to 75 mph range when the hurricane moves inland. It will bring seas of around 25 feet, rip currents, and coastal flooding of three to five feet on top of an already above average high tide due to Monday's full moon. The storm's tropical storm force wind field, says Ingram, is already of "unprecedented" size, extending about 450 miles from its center. As of 11 a.m. tropical storm warnings were in effect for an area from South Santee River in South Carolina to Duck in North Carolina, for Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, and for Great Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands. Watches were in effect for the coastal area from the Savannah River to the South Santee River and for Bermuda. Since the hurricane is likely to evolve into a "cold core" storm, the National Hurricane Center probably will not be posting watches and warnings along the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast coastline. Instead, the National Weather Service will be posting high wind watches and warnings. Those are likely to cover a very large area - as far west as Greensboro (NC), Roanoke (VA), Charleston (WV), Erie (PA), and Buffalo (NY). They will also encompass most of Vermont and New Hampshire and will extend into southern Maine. The storm is expected to bring from seven to twelve inches of rain to the coastline when it comes ashore. These amounts could extend into northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New York. Areas elsewhere will likely see three to five inches of rain. Park status reports remain about the same as they were in the Friday afternoon edition, with the following parks providing updated reports: Cape Hatteras/Outer Banks Group - The park's Type III team has been activated. The county's emergency operations center opened morning and the park will be coordinating actions with them. Expectations are that NC 12, the North Carolina highway that runs north-south through the park, will be breached. Ocracoke Campground will close at noon and remain closed for the season (all other NPS campgrounds closed earlier in September and October). All NPS visitor centers, including Ocracoke Visitor Center, Hatteras Island, Bodie Island and Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh Visitor Centers, will remain open until close of business today and will remain closed until further notice. Park beaches will be closed to off-road vehicles by 5 p.m. today and will remain closed until further notice. Emergency preparedness staff in the three affected regional offices - Southeast, National Capital and Northeast - will be working through the weekend. Three NPS Type II incident management teams - East, Intermountain and Midwest - are fully staffed and on standby for use as needed. Another Morning Report 'extra' will be posted tomorrow around noon.
On the afternoon of Thursday, April 18th, an off-duty ranger was exercising near the park housing area when a man and woman drove into the area and parked at the end of the road. As the ranger watched, four more vehicles pulled up and the man exchanged items with their occupants in what appeared to be drug deals. The ranger returned to his residence, prepared for duty, called another ranger, informed him of his suspicions, and asked him to respond and assist. As both rangers approached in a marked patrol vehicle, they saw the man - subsequently identified as C.E.M. - throw items into the woods in front of the parked vehicle. When the rangers contacted C.E.M. and began questioning him about his activities, he became agitated and began yelling at them. The rangers gave C.E.M. several commands to place his hands behind his back, which he refused to do. They then grabbed his arms and a struggle ensued. C.E.M. broke free and began to flee when one ranger fired his taser and subdued him. A search of C.E.M.'s person and the area revealed 96 individual packages of heroin and a large sum of cash. C.E.M. also had a felony warrant for his arrest for similar narcotics distribution charges. [Ben McKay, District Ranger]
Parks on the Outer Banks are preparing for the arrival of what is expected to be a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph hour winds tomorrow: Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. Previously scheduled evening interpretive programs have been cancelled until further notice. Follow-up reports on the storm's impacts will appear after the holiday weekend. [Pat Kenney, CALO; Paul Stevens, Outer Banks Group]
Hurricane Arthur passed over the Outer Banks late last week, causing some damage but not significantly affecting park operations at either Cape Lookout or the Outer Banks Group. Cape Lookout NS - Effective yesterday, the following areas resumed operations on their normal schedules: Harkers Island, Beaufort, and Light Station Visitor Centers. Passenger ferry service provided by Island Express Ferry Service from Harkers Island and Beaufort to the Cape Lookout Light Station, and Shackleford Banks. Vehicle ferries departing from Davis and Atlantic. Keepers' Quarters Museum. South Core Banks and North Core Banks. Camping permitted under normal regulations. Portsmouth Village. Off-road vehicles were again permitted to operate as normal on North and South Core Banks. These areas were partly opened: Shackleford Banks opened to day use, but no camping was permitted. Long Point Cabins 5 through 20 reopened for occupancy Sunday night. Cabins 1 through 4 remained closed pending repairs. Great Island Cabins 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 26 reopened for occupancy on Sunday night. Cabins 1, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, and 19 were closed until repairs could be completed. Due to damages, safety concerns or resource protection needs, the following areas remained closed: Cape Village Historic District Old Drum Inlet beach area North Core Banks for a quarter mile south of Ocracoke Inlet due to a deep tidal cut. Outer Banks Group - The Outer Banks Group of national parks - Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site - have resumed normal operations: [Cyndy Holda, Outer Banks Group; Pat Kenney, Cape Lookout]
Hurricane Arthur passed over the Outer Banks late last week, causing some damage but not significantly affecting park operations at either Cape Lookout or the Outer Banks Group. Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site are open and have resumed normal hours of operation. [Cyndy Holda, Outer Banks Group; Pat Kenney, Cape Lookout]
The National Weather Service is predicting that the North Carolina coast will experience significant impacts from Hurricane Maria for the next few days — heavy rain, flooding and overwash, high waves, rip currents, and high winds. Mandatory non-resident evacuation orders have been issued for Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands by Hyde and Dare Counties. Outer Banks Group — All three parks in the group — Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site — have been closed. Visitor services and facilities have been closed at Cape Hatteras NS. ORV beach access ramps have been closed and cabled and beaches are open only for walking. Cape Lookout National Seashore — Due to storm conditions, which are expected to last through the week, the park has issued a mandatory evacuation order. Cabins in the park were closed on Tuesday. Reservations at Great Island and Long Point Cabin Camps have also been canceled until further notice. Sources: Cape Hatteras, Wright Brothers, Fort Raleigh and Cape Lookout.
Reports are beginning to come in on Hurricane Florence's impact on parks, most of them pertaining to closures and reopenings. At the time of writing (Tuesday morning), however, the storm's remnants were still moving up through New York toward New England and hadn't yet brought anticipated heavy rains to a number of sites along its projected route. Over the weekend, the NPS mobilized an incident management team to begin coordination of recovery operations for affected parks. Plans called for it to move to a location in North Carolina sometime on Monday. Here are reports from some of the larger areas in or near the storm's path — see the link below for further reports from smaller sites and additional details and updates from all areas: Outer Banks Group — The majority of visitor services and facilities at Cape Hatteras, Fort Raleigh, and Wright Brothers reopened on Sunday. Source: NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response webpage.
Forecasters continue to predict that Hurricane Dorian will closely follow the coastline from Florida to North Carolina before it moves out into the open ocean. Watches and warnings have been issued for portions of the Florida coast and evacuation orders are in place for coastal areas in the Southeast. National parks from Big Cypress to Cape Hatteras are preparing for potential impacts and implementing storm plans. The parks below have closed or will soon close in preparation for the storm: North Carolina — Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Moores Creek National Battlefield, Wright Brothers National Memorial Source: National Park Service.
After sweeping along the southeast coast from Florida to South Carolina, Hurricane Dorian made landfall over Cape Hatteras on the morning of September 6th, battering NPS areas in the Outer Banks with damaging winds, heavy rains, and severe flooding. It knocked out power, flooded homes and businesses, and temporarily trapped residents of remote Ocracoke Island, where floodwaters reached up to seven feet. After the storm's passage, helicopters brought in food and supplies and evacuated the island's most vulnerable residents (about 800 people had remained on an island whose permanent population hovers around 950). The Service's Eastern Incident Management Team was mobilized to support parks with recovery operations and is operating out of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, with resources committed to parks as needed. The following updates have been taken from NPS and media sources: Outer Banks Group — Most visitor areas on Hatteras Island, including those in the villages of Frisco and Hatteras, reopened to visitors on September 12th, but visitor areas and services on Ocracoke Island remain closed. Fort Raleigh and Wright Brothers have reopened. Source: National Park Service. Images of the impacts of Dorian on a number of parks can be found on the Eastern IMT's Flickr page; as of yesterday, there were about 75 images posted to the page. Updates can also be found on the National Park Service's hurricane and severe weather response webpage. Sources: National Park Service; New York Times.
The park is seeking assistance from the public for three recent incidents: 1) Vandalism and an attempted theft in Waterside Theatre on March 24. 2) Theft of an NPS arrowhead from the entrance on March 13. 3) An attempted break-in that was thwarted due to activation of an alarm system on February 27. Source: Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Many NPS units along the southeastern seaboard closed or advised strong visitor caution ahead of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Idalia, which was expected to bring high winds and many inches of rain to the area. Additionally, Hurricane Franklin has caused elevated tides and "life threatening rip currents." Fort Raleigh reopened on September 1.
Due to hazardous conditions predicted from the impact of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ophelia, several parks closed on September 22 and 23. Cape Hatteras, Fort Raleigh, and Wright Brothers reopened on September 24, except for Cape Point Campground, which opened several days later after flooding was abated. Moores Creek reopened on September 25. Source: Cape Hatteras National Seashore (9/22, 9/23), Moores Creek National Battlefield (9/23, 9/25)
On December 17, the three parks announced they would have a delayed 12 p.m. opening on December 18 due to forecasted strong winds and heavy rainfall due to "a strong coastal low-pressure system." Cape Hatteras sustained "serious ocean overwash flooding," including a breach of the dunes on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. N.C. 12 remained closed until 4 p.m. on December 18 between Hatteras Village and Frisco. The north end of Ocracoke Island remained closed until the following day to clear sand and assess damage. Source: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, The Virginian-Pilot
The above parks closed on January 8 due to anticipated impacts from a storm predicted to bring a cold front, strong winds, coastal flooding, and ocean overwash January 9 and 10. Source: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cumberland Island National Seashore
On April 14, two wildfires were started adjacent to the Freedom Trail. Due to quick response by the NPS, Roanoke Island Volunteer Fire Department, Dare County (NC) Sheriff's Office, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the North Carolina Forest Service, the fires were contained quickly. The fires burned a cumulative 0.13 acres. The fires are suspected to be human caused and the NPS is looking for any information the public might have. Source: Fort Raleigh National Historic Site | |