Tradewinds Bait & Tackle, Ocracoke NC, Fishing Report Archive

FISHING REPORT ARCHIVE

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PRESS RELEASE

Ocracoke Island, NC -- At a meeting of the Ocracoke Civic & Business Association on Wednesday, October 8, 2003, residents of the island were updated as to the current status of the mandatory evacuation order issued on Sept. 15 in anticipation of Hurricane Isabel.

Emergency Managers David Styron and Peter Stone announced to a crowd of 85 attendees that effective 5am on Friday, October 10, 2003 all restrictions on travel to and from the island will be lifted. At this time, Emergency Management personnel will no longer be in charge of day to day operations on the island. All questions and concerns should be directed to the appropriate county or state agencies.

In order to facilitate priority travel, Styron stated top priority on the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island ferries will fall to food deliveries and other supply trucks. Island residents will share priority on the first outbound run in the morning and last inbound run in the evening.

To further insure resident priority travel, the use of the reservation system is highly recommended. Officials also recommend against towing boats, trailers, travel trailers, etc. onto the ferry in the interest of space limitations.

There will be NO CHARGE FOR RESIDENT TRAFFIC until further notice. Non-residents will be charged rates based on size of vehicle.

Ferry Schedules are as follows:

Swan Quarter to Ocracoke – 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm
Ocracoke to Swan Quarter – 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm

Ocracoke to Cedar Island – 7am, 1pm, 3pm, 9pm
Cedar Island to Ocracoke – 10am, 12pm, 4pm, 6:30pm

*Ferry schedules are subject to change based on traffic demand. Reservations are highly recommended; please arrive ½ hour in advance of departure time to insure boarding.

Officials are expecting traffic to be heavy for the first week of unrestricted reentry. Please note that travel from the north via Hatteras Island is discontinued until further notice and Ocracoke Island remains under a State of Emergency until the route is completely restored.

At present, Hwy 12 is open from Ocracoke Village to the Pony Pens. NO ENTRY to Hwy 12 is allowed past the Pony Pens. NPS Ranger Kenny Ballance warned of stiff fines and Federal Court appearances for all who ignore the road and beach closings at the north end of the island.

Warning to travelers: Many outlying communities of Eastern North Carolina suffered much a worse fate than that of Ocracoke Island. Expect delays caused by tree clearing, road repair, heavy machinery, etc. Also, don’t wait until the last minute to take on fuel or supplies as shortages are now commonplace throughout the region.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore – Ocracoke District openings are as follows:

Friday Oct. 10, 2003

• CHNS Visitor’s Center
• NPS public docks, boat ramp and parking area
• Airport
• Ocracoke Lighthouse *(construction is underway on walkway -- follow signs for entry on foot)

Sat. Oct 11, 2003

• NPS Campground *(the dump station is in service)

Beach Access and Restrictions

South Point Rd – CLOSED
Ramp 68 @ campground – CLOSED
North End – CLOSED @ Pony Pens

Ramp 70 @ airport – OPEN
Ramp 67 South of Pony Pens – OPEN

*At this time most parking areas remain closed due to debris removal or storm damage, please plan accordingly.

Currently, 4WD vehicle access is limited to the 7 miles of beach from South Point to the Pony Pens with access on and off the beach at ramps 70 & 67 only. Ramp 68 at the campground is a NPS priority for repair and when reopened Ramp 67 access will be closed but vehicle traffic will still be permitted to the Pony Pens.

All beach closings are clearly posted and adherence is required for safety and/or environmental reasons.

The Nature Trail is closed until further notice.
Portsmouth Island is closed to the public until further notice.

Temporary positions with the NPS are still available; all those interested should contact Judy Lawson @ 928-5111 or apply in person at the Ranger’s office.

Emergency Management and NPS officials wish to extend gracious thanks to all who volunteered their time and effort during this crisis.

*Information gathered from Emergency Management and National Park Service officials as to the current state of emergency is subject to change. Please contact Ferry, Local Law Enforcement or National Park Service (Ocracoke District) officials by phone or log on to the following websites for updated information.

www.ocracokevillage.com
or
www.fishtradewinds.com

Information compiled by Shelby D Wright, OCBA Secretary
Questions or comments about this press release should be directed to Shelby @
252-921-0292 or 252-928-7042

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