No Visitors Through the Weekend

Hurricane Matthew Advisory #10: October 12, 2016 @ 3 p.m.

Hyde County is transitioning from response to recovery and the coalition of federal, state, local, and private partners have made significant progress. The list of accomplishments and pending items include:

• Local propane vendors are assessing damages, resetting propane tanks and making repairs. 
• National Park Service is assessing beach access ramps, boat ramps and other infrastructure. The NPS boat ramp is not accessible.
• Ocracoke Health Center is open and has received medicine and supplies with assistance from the United States Coast Guard.
• Emergency Medical Service (EMS) ground transports have resumed with the restoration of ferry services to Hatteras.
• Hyde County Department of Social Services will be initiating post-disaster programs to help those who receive food and nutrition services, once the necessary declarations have been received. Please contact Hyde DSS at 252-926-4476 for more information on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
• Hyde County has waived all permit fees for reconstruction necessary due to Hurricane Matthew, however permits are still required by the Hyde County Building Inspector's Office. 
• Insurance adjusters are being allowed access to Ocracoke if they possess valid credentials. 
• A delivery of groceries to the island will not occur until Thursday, October 20th at the earliest. 
• Hyde County Health Department and Building Inspector's Office need to visit Ocracoke to assess food and building safety. 
• Hyde County has requested an Individual Assistance declaration.

Hyde County has not yet established a date for releasing the visitor restriction, however it will not be this weekend. We will do so only after all issues regarding health and safety have been addressed.

A State of Emergency remains in effect and Ocracoke still has much work to do before lifting the visitor restriction. Hyde County's debris removal contractor will be on island this evening to determine equipment and personnel needs. Attached, please find instructions detailing how your debris should be separated and placed within the NCDOT right-of-way to be retrieved. Please do not transport storm debris to the convenience sites as the facilities have limited capacity for the volumes expected. Most Hyde County convenience sites are now open and operating on normal schedules, except the Fairfield site which remains flooded.

The Fairfield Drainage District has declared a drainage emergency due to inundation from the Alligator River which is impacting mitigation structures in the district. Hyde County is coordinating with the Fairfield Drainage District and Mattamuskeet Association to identify and obtain resources for their response and recovery efforts. There is standing water on NC Hwy 94 between Fairfield and Columbia at the Northwest Fork. NCDOT and Hyde County urge commuters to find alternate routes to and from Hyde County. 

Tideland EMC has almost completely restored services in Hyde County, however there have been intermittent power outages since restoration of transmission to Ocracoke.

NCDOT Ferry Division has restored all services to Ocracoke Island. The Ferry Division began runs to and from Hatteras this morning and for today, operations will be restricted to daylight hours only. Please refer to https://twitter.com/ncdot_ferry for the latest ferry information. 

At this time residents, non-resident property owners, vendors and essential service personnel are allowed access to the village. Please be prepared to show documentation of the aforementioned statuses to gain access to the island. Individuals wishing to gain access will need to have the appropriate reentry tag or they will be required to produce evidence of property ownership or residency. There has been no determination as to when visitors will be allowed access.

If traveling throughout North Carolina, please refer to https://www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel/ or https://tims.ncdot.gov/tims/regionsummary.aspx for the latest road closures and routes open to travel. When using the TIMS site, you must select the region or individual counties you are traveling through to obtain specific information regarding your travel plans. 

Water is still standing on many roadways and properties in Hyde County, please do not drive though flood waters or on flooded roads. Water only two feet deep can sweep away most automobiles. Death can occur as a result of careless or unsuspecting motorists who attempt to drive through flooded roads. Turn Around. Don't Drown. If your vehicle is flooded please disconnect the battery cables to prevent a fire from occurring. 

Please be advised, flood waters may contain sewage and other harmful contaminants. Keep children and pets out of flood waters. 

Please maintain awareness and monitor for further updates from Hyde County Public Information.