All are confused by beacon blackout after island is illuminated. Ocracoke Village has been unusually dark, even after power was restored following the Outer Banks Blackout of 2017.
The longest operating lighthouse in North Carolina has gone dark, but the United States Coast Guard is diligently working on getting the solid beam back up and running. Chief Manuel Gonzales – Officer in Charge at the Aids to Navigation Team in Wanchese – hopes power will be restored sometime tomorrow afternoon.
So, what caused the light to go out? Until the technicians arrive tomorrow morning Chief Gonzales can only speculate. The lighthouse is connected to commercial power – meaning Ocracoke’s power supply – and it appears there isn’t a battery back-up, so reasoning would tell us the village generators kept the beam going for some time.
When asked about the kind of bulb used to light the tower, Chief Gonzales explained that within the Fourth Order Fresnel lens are four separate lamps. One lamp is lit at a time, and when one goes out, another comes on. All four bulbs could possibly need to be replaced before we will see the Pearl of the Outer Banks light up the sky.
The USCG estimates the lighthouse will be up and running by tomorrow afternoon!