Update 8:45 a.m. Friday:
A U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit from Norfolk, Virginia, confirmed that the object found on a Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach is a live military ordnance, the National Park Service said late Thursday.
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The U.S. Navy EOD unit has placed the unexploded ordnance, a 100-pound aerial bomb from the World War II era, deep inside the beach near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach Access parking area. At around 9 a.m. Friday, the unit will detonate the ordnance in place.
No damage to nearby structures is expected but Buxton residents and visitors may hear the detonation.
Dare County planned to send out a mass phone notification warning to all nearby residents and visitors at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Original Post:
The National Park Service has put in place a half-mile safety perimeter around a potential unexploded ordnance discovered Thursday morning on the beach near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse beach access parking area in Buxton.
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A U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or EOD, unit from Norfolk, Virginia, is expected to arrive around 3:30 p.m. Thursday to remove the device, according to the National Park Service.
“The discovery of old military devices is not uncommon along the Outer Banks. Cape Hatteras National Seashore visitors should always be on the lookout for beach hazards, especially during and after periods of rough surf,” National Parks of Eastern North Carolina Superintendent David Hallac said in a statement.
The following areas are closed until the device is removed:
- Cape Hatteras Light Station grounds and parking area
- Old Cape Hatteras Lighthouse parking area and beach
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach Access and parking area
- Buxton Beach Access and parking area
