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Site SearchRODANTHE, N.C. — The damage left behind by remnants of Tropical Storm Ida was slowly disappearing from the Outer Banks Tuesday.
The state Department of Transportation reopened a stretch of N.C. Highway 12 north of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island and ended emergency ferry routes used to connect Rodanthe and the Dare County mainland.
Gov. Bev Perdue toured the area Tuesday. She has said she would seek federal help for Dare County residents to clean up after recent flooding.
The county was the hardest hit when Ida drenched the coast last week. While much of North Carolina received between 2 and 5 inches of rain, most of the northeastern portion of the state and the Outer Banks received 6 to 10 inches of rain during the three-day period.
A flood warning remained in effect for Martin County Tuesday. Lingering rough surf and rip currents were present along the coasts of Dare, Hyde and Carteret counties, the National Weather Service reported.
The reopening of N.C. 12 means the end of a temporary access road available only to four-wheel drive vehicles heading to and from Nags Head. Ferry service was expected to resume a normal schedule Wednesday morning.
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I'm quite fine with it. Birds and sea turtles have been dealing with it for eons. I think they will adjust.
November 18, 2009 1:44 p.m.
So this is categorically untrue. Early settlers were intelligent enough to find shelter, i.e. a protected harbor or behind an inlet. I mean, have you not heard of Roanoke Island? It is protected from direct impact of coastal storm by a barrier island (peninsula actually). Even those who made their living by the sea had the good sense to hide from direct impact. Living on a barrier island came from early lighthouses. It is a relatively new phenomenon. Recall, as recently as 100 years ago, most rural folks grew their own food. Hard to grow food in sand.
November 18, 2009 1:41 p.m.
I was joking. It was a joke. Of course we should clean up the rock slides. And we should continue to clean up the coast. Yes, there are a few people who think the coast should look like it did when Verrazano, Raleigh and the others found it 500 years ago. Sorry folks, it ain't gonna happen. There is a local economy. There are people just like you who live there, whose families have lived there for centuries. Many of these people are relatively poor. Even if they wanted to "just move" as you would have them do, they have no monetary means to do so. Why should we all shoulder part of the cost of caring for this area. For the same reason that I pay for national parks that I will never visit, or even have any desire to visit. Yep, there are a few wealthy indiviuals who have homes on the beach front. Good for them. At least we have a place to spend the night instead of every visit being a day trip.
November 17, 2009 5:10 p.m.
November 17, 2009 3:31 p.m.
Not all property on the beaches belong to millionaires. Most of the ancestors of these outer bankers were the first ones to live in our state. How many of you would want to leave where your family has lived for centuries? Oh, that's right all you transplanted North Carolinians...
November 17, 2009 3:16 p.m.