Hurricane Earl may vacation on the Outer Banks

Ok, everyone should come to the Outer Banks at least once. But Earl is simply not invited. When we locals heard that hurricane Earl may vacation on the Outer Banks we began making signs to tell him to stay out to sea.

While we are watching the NOAA tracking reports and our emergency folks are keeping us advised, friends and family are getting their weather news from the national media.

Here I go again! I can't help it. To me some of the information provided nationally is simply wrong. Friends and family depend on the newscast to make sure loved ones are safe ... all across the country.

Yesterday evening my sister called to tell us to get in the car with my pets and head for her home in West Virginia. She heard that all of the Outer Banks was under mandatory evacuation. WRONG. Wrong. Wrong.

If you are familiar with the long thin stretch of land known as the Outer Banks, you know it is about 125 miles long. It seems further when you want to see it all. What happens in a northern area will not impact a southern place.

As of just an hour ago here is what is happening:

• Ocracoke Island(the most southern part of the Outer Banks) is under mandatory evacuation for both visitors and residents. Just remember this is an island with access only by ferry. Ferries cannot run in heavy seas, so folks have no way to leave if needed.
• Hatteras Island is under evacuation orders for visitors only. This is because of low lying roads that flood easily blocking traffic from leaving the island.
• From Oregon Inlet through Corolla at this time there are no evacuation orders for anyone.
• The 4 wheel drive area north of Corolla may have evacuation orders in place because the beach will be closed for driving. That's the only way in or out.

Hurricane Earl may vacation on the Outer Banks but our emergency preparedness folks are all over this storm and will do their best to keep all of us safe.