State of emergency issued for Dare County; mandatory evacuation ordered for Hatteras Island residents, visitors

In this GOES-16 satellite image taken Friday, July 31, 2020, at 8:40 a.m. EDT., and provided by NOAA, Hurricane Isaias churns in the Caribbean. Hurricane Isaias kept on a path early Friday toward the U.S. East Coast as it approached the Bahamas, parts of which are still recovering from the devastation of last year’s Hurricane Dorian. (NOAA via AP)

by: WAVY Web Staff

Posted: Aug 1, 2020 / 11:35 AM EDT

Updated: Aug 2, 2020 / 08:05 AM EDT

DARE COUNTY, N.C. (WAVY) — Local officials have issued a state of emergency for Dare County as Hurricane Isaias gets closer.

As part of the emergency declaration, a mandatory evacuation has been ordered for Hatteras Island visitors beginning Saturday, August 1 at 12:00 p.m.

The evacuation order is for Evacuation Zone A which covers all areas of Hatteras Island, including the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras Village.

Officials say now is the time for all Hatteras Island visitors to make final preparations, secure property and evacuate with all personal belongings and follow instructions from their property management company.

A mandatory evacuation order for Hatteras Island residents and property owners becomes effective on Sunday, August 2 at 6:00 a.m.

Officials will meet again on Sunday morning to receive an updated briefing from the National Weather Service and determine whether protective measures are necessary for Evacuation Zone B which covers areas north of Oregon Inlet, including the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Manteo, and all unincorporated areas including Roanoke Island and the Dare mainland.

More information on evacuations zones can be found at https://knowyourzone.nc.gov/

Due to the forecast for life-threatening rip currents along the county’s southern beaches, the state of emergency includes restrictions on ocean swimming for Hatteras Island. Everyone on Hatteras Island must stay out of the water as it is unsafe for even the most experienced swimmers.

Those evacuating to areas north of Dare County are encouraged to travel westbound on Highway 64 to Interstate 95. Evacuating through the rural areas to the west of Dare County will help avoid traffic backups and congestion that may prolong evacuation by traveling northbound through the Hampton Roads portion of Virginia.

Friday afternoon, Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Isaias for North Carolina — which is projected to go over the N.C. coast around the start of next week.

Mandatory Evacuation Ferry Information

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division is assisting with the Ocracoke Island mandatory evacuation.

Only residents, homeowners or vendors with an Ocracoke re-entry sticker on their vehicles will be allowed on ferries inbound to Ocracoke. Priority boarding will be suspended for all vessels leaving Ocracoke, and tolls have been waived for ferries heading from Ocracoke to Cedar Island or Swan Quarter.

The Ocracoke-Hatteras route will run its published schedule, with an additional ferry making unscheduled runs as necessary. The final departure to Hatteras will be Sunday afternoon or evening depending on conditions.

The schedule for the Pamlico Sound ferry routes will be as follows:

Saturday, Aug. 1: