NPS Prepares for Hurricane Matthew

As of 8:00 am today, regional forecasts show that Hurricane Matthew is projected to approach and impact the Outer Banks at the end of this week. Park staff at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Wright Brothers National Memorial are currently preparing for potential storm impacts.

Campgrounds: This afternoon, campers at Cape Point, Frisco, Oregon Inlet, and Ocracoke campgrounds will be notified by park staff of the projected path and possible impacts of Hurricane Matthew. All Seashore campgrounds are now operating on a one-day availability basis.

Visitor Services: Based on this morning’s 8:00 am regional forecast, visitor services on Ocracoke Island may be suspended on Wednesday, and visitor services may be suspended on Hatteras Island, Bodie Island, at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and at Wright Brothers National Memorial on Thursday. Additional information will be sent out once Outer Banks Group management has made a determination based on current storm forecasts. The parks’ social media sites on Facebook and Twitter will also be updated with current information.

Beach Access Ramps: Daily beach access ramp status updates are posted on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Facebook page at http://facebook.com/capehatterasns.

Rip Currents: There is currently a moderate-to-high risk of dangerous rip currents along Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches. A high risk of rip currents will continue throughout the storm period. For more information on rip currents safety go to http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov.

Weather Updates: Visitors currently in the parks, or who are planning on visiting the parks within the next week, should closely monitor NOAA weather radio and websites (http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=35.21933901200049&lon=-75.69015697799966#.V_OyDPkrKUk), local radio, and media for updates and advisories. They should also heed notices issued by Dare County Emergency Management (http://darecountyem.com) and Hyde County Emergency Management (http://www.hydecountync.gov/departments/public_information.php).