State transportation crews were clearing N.C. Highway 12 and rebuilding dunes in the wake of Hurricane Erin’s pass offshore, as flooding conditions continued and the road remained closed Friday morning.
storms
Angry Erin heads out to sea
People on Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head watch as waves generated by Hurricane Erin crash into the concrete structure that’s part of the North Carolina Aquariums system. The storm’s center was about 260 miles east of Cape Hatteras at midday Thursday and moving out to sea, but hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 105 miles and tropical-storm-force winds extended up to 320 miles from the sprawling but weakening storm’s eye. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions will likely continue as storm surge and flood risks subside. The pier’s website provides information on current conditions and live webcam views.
No easy fix for Boiling Spring Lakes’ ongoing dam troubles
Officials in the small Brunswick County city thought the structure damaged by Hurricane Florence had been repaired, but a June storm proved otherwise and residents’ anger and frustration are boiling.
Coastal counties seek regional hazard mitigation plan input
The federally mandated Southeastern N.C. Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which identifies natural hazard risks and ways to mitigate and respond to those risks, is under review as part of a five-year update.
Proponents of Leland flood zone rules say it’s a moral issue
Advocates of the Brunswick County town’s proposal to strengthen and expand flood zone building rules say officials must ensure they are not putting property owners, emergency personnel in danger.
AG Jackson anticipates legal win over pulled federal funding
Attorney General Jeff Jackson, during a tour of Pollocksville Tuesday, said he is confident that courts will remove a block on grant awards from the administration-axed FEMA program for resilient local infrastructure.
National Weather Service staff to answer hurricane questions
The public is invited to attend one of three community forums, including one Monday in Havelock, to learn more about preparedness and effects and speak with a National Weather Service meteorologist.
UNC study: Repeat flooding more widespread than thought
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill researchers used anonymous, address-level National Flood Insurance Program records and observational damage to create maps of 78 floods that three-quarters of the state experienced over 25 years to determine which buildings experienced flooding and how often.
Flooding from storm forces closure of Manteo Library
Dare County officials announced Friday that the public library in Manteo had to close because of extensive flooding on Burnside Drive and surrounding side streets.
Water finds your weakness: Louisiana’s lessons for Down East
Former Coastal Review editor Frank Tursi recently joined Core Sound Museum Director Karen Amspacher and others on a trip to start a conversation with those who live where levees gave way and homes flooded during Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago.
Department reaches milestone in reopening Southport bridge
The bridge over Prices Creek on East Moore Street in Southport opened to drivers Thursday, marking the last of 44 damaged sites in the southern coastal region to reopen after last September’s unnamed storm.
As Brunswick building booms, existing residents see effects
In the past decade, fast-growing Brunswick County has approved projects with nearly 50,000 new homes, most still being built, amid calls for a development pause and storms that have brought unprecedented flooding.
Coastal towns awarded resilience grants see funding pulled
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grants program, known as BRIC, a funding source for communities working to be better prepared for the next flood or weather catastrophe, has been axed as “wasteful” spending, leaving local governments in financial binds.
Preventing Environmental Hazards Act a commonsense bill
Guest opinion by Congressman Greg Murphy: Allowing National Flood Insurance Program payouts to remove a threatened oceanfront structure before it collapses, rather than wait until it creates an environmental disaster, will add flexibility while mitigating risks.
Power outage times expected to improve in Ocracoke
Tideland Electric’s Project Ocracoke Resiliency will include installing underground electrical lines and equipment to help improve resilience against severe weather.
Doomed to repeat history: What’s in future for NC wetlands?
Guest commentary: Ignoring the past guarantees a grim future for our coastal communities, as the fishermen of Rose Bay warned decades ago. Will we listen now, or once again pay the price for failing to protect our way of life?
