Crews Assess Damage to Power Cable

The latest information we have on the repair efforts are that crews from PCL Construction, Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative and New River Construction have exposed one of the transmission lines and discovered that it is completely severed and missing a two foot section.

Crews are setting up to test the integrity of the remaining two lines, which remain buried underground, to ensure that they were not also damaged. They will have a better estimate on the repair time frame after this testing is done, which is expected to happen on Saturday weather permitting. The crews on site will continue to work around the clock until repairs have been completed.

Tideland EMC has procured three emergency mobile generators that arrived on the island between Thursday, July 27 and Friday, July 28. As of 4:00pm today all three of these generators were operational and providing power for the residents. Several large facilities on the island are remaining on their own private generators and that is helping to maintain a healthy load on the ones providing service to the rest of the island. 

The occasional maintenance outage is to be expected from time to time but their goal is to keep them brief. At this time they are not operating on a rotating service schedule and all circuits are energized. The success of operating the island on generator power relies on citizens using strict conservation habits. We would like to thank Tideland EMC and their employees for their continued support during this crisis.

The mandatory evacuation of visitors from Ocracoke Island has been completed but will remain in effect until further notice. Only individuals who are Ocracoke residents, seasonal residents, non-resident property owners, vendors, and emergency personnel who display a valid re-entry pass, or who possess some form of documentation proving residency and/or employment, will be allowed access to the island. Any seasonally employed residents that arehaving issues producing documentation to gain access to the island should call 252-926-4374 for assistance. All renters should be aware that, pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 42A-36 of the North Carolina General Statues, travel insurance claims may be made when a claimant is complying with a mandatory evacuation. Please contact your travel insurance policy provider after evacuating from the island.

As of 4:00 pm, the NC DOT Ferry Division reported that they had evacuated 3,783 people and 1,485 vehicles. Any reservations for ferry service to and from Ocracoke have been cancel for today and tomorrow. Starting tomorrow the Ocracoke to Hatteras ferry route will start operating on their winter schedule. They will resume operating on the normal summer schedule once the evacuation order has been lifted. If you have any questions about ferry reservations, cancellations, or refunds, please contact the NC DOT Ferry Division at 252-928- 5311. We would also like to thank the NC DOT Ferry Division and their employees for their assistance in the evacuation of the island and their continued support in getting much needed supplies to the citizens of Ocracoke.