A recent a rainstorm that one transportation engineer described as “an extreme circumstance” nearly impossible to plan for surprised even the most seasoned Outer Bankers when it closed N.C. Highway 12, although more weather like this is to be expected.
Outer Banks
‘150 years of negative impacts’ to New Jersey coast: Corbett
The longstanding state law banning permanent erosion control structures in an ocean shoreline was based on extensive studies and data documenting their detrimental effects and temporary protection, Dr. Reide Corbett said during a recent talk at Harkers Island.
Officials plan public meetings to address new ferry tolls
The 2026 budget mandates that NCDOT begin collecting tolls for the currently free Currituck-Knotts Island, Bayview-Aurora, Hatteras-Ocracoke and Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach ferries by Jan. 1, 2027.
Found archival photos add new wrinkles to Pea Island story
Historical columnist Joan Collins shares a collection of recently discovered photographic negatives stored in tins at the State Archives with 19 images depicting the Pea Island U.S. Coast Guard Station crew in 1938 and the new questions the photos bring to light.
Dare to host community meeting on recent NC 12 closure
Dare County and N.C. Department of Transportation officials will discuss monitoring procedures and take feedback from the public on ways to enhance communication before, during and after future weather-related closures to portions of N.C. Highway 12 at an Aug. 18 community meeting.
Annual ‘Day at the Docks’ features work, life on Hatteras
The 23rd annual Day at the Docks, which showcases the traditions of Hatteras Island Watermen and islanders, has been set for Sept. 18-19.
Outer Banks organization asks lawmakers to delay ferry tolls
Pushing the North Carolina Ferry Division’s deadline to enforce toll fees at all of its ferry routes by one year would give officials the time they will need to develop, test and deploy a new collection system, the Ocracoke Access Alliance says.
Dare seeks input to identify pedestrian improvement needs
Residents, property owners and visitors of Dare County may submit suggestions in an online survey created to identify where crosswalks or other pedestrian improvements are needed in unincorporated areas of the county.
Coastal Review wins five 2026 NC Press Association awards
Coastal Review photographer Dylan Ray is the North Carolina Press Association’s 2026 Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year — one of five awards for Coastal Review announced Thursday.
Budget, donors, grants total $31 million for wildlife crossings
Wildlife advocates are hailing the recently approved state budget for including $10 million of a $31 million project to build 11 protected road crossings for wildlife with corresponding fencing along 2.5 miles of U.S. 64 from the east end of East Lake on the Dare County mainland to west of Robertson Landing Road by 2031.
Reide Corbett to pause move to ECU main campus to give talk
Oceanographer Dr. Reide Corbett, who is transitioning to a new leadership role within ECU, will lead a talk this week on Harkers Island about how the North Carolina coast is changing and why those changes matter for places like Down East Carteret County.
Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry resumes summer schedule
The vehicle ferry that carries travelers between Hatteras and Ocracoke is back to the full summer schedule now that nighttime dredging of Sloop Channel is complete.
Tabb’s Trails: Resilience, beauty, variety in Nags Head Woods
Coastal reporter Kip Tabb explores Nags Head Woods Preserve, The Nature Conservancy’s 14-acre protected maritime forest on the Outer Banks.
Commentary: A personal journey ‘Beyond Pea Island’
Contributing columnist Joan Collins explains her decision to step back from her 16-year role on the board of directors of the Pea Island Preservation Society Inc. and focus her energy on documenting her ancestors’ Coast Guard service.
Dare to host post-disaster response role-playing simulation
The simulation in Dare County June 18 will show participants the challenges and hurdles faced by those affected in the weeks following a disaster.
Science panel to present hardened structure report findings
The North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission is expected to hear from its science advisory panel its findings on the effects hard structures have on sandy, open-ocean coastlines.
