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Emergency Ferry Links Hatteras to the Mainland as NC 12 Stays Closed
Three boats run around the clock between Stumpy Point and Rodanthe from Thursday morning. Visitors still cannot go to Hatteras Island.
With a damaged stretch of NC 12 still cutting the road between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe, the North Carolina Department of Transportation started emergency ferry service between Stumpy Point on the Dare County mainland and Rodanthe at 5 a.m. Thursday, October 22, Dare County said. Three boats are running around the clock, and each trip takes about two hours, WCTI reports.
The ferry is not for visitors. Dare County's state of emergency and its mandatory evacuation of Hatteras Island visitors remain in effect, and only people in the county's Priority One, Two and Three reentry categories may board for Rodanthe: essential personnel with a permit, permanent Dare County residents, critical-business staff, nonresident Hatteras Island property owners and island business employees. Anyone can leave the island.
The county says visitors with Hatteras Island reservations should not travel toward the island, and that it will announce when restrictions are lifted. The Weather Service's beach hazards statements for the Outer Banks run through Thursday evening as the storm winds down; NCDOT posts NC 12 updates on DriveNC.gov.
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