Nearly 10 weeks after Hurricane Dorian struck North Carolina’s coast, Ocracoke Island is still under an evacuation order blocking visitors and tourism. On Monday, Nov. 11, the Hyde County Board of Commissioners agreed to allow visitors starting Nov. 22, which is the same day the island’s main road is expected to reopen.
Many businesses pushed to reopen the island to tourists before Thanksgiving to recoup lost profits, but concerns remain about whether the influx of visitors will delay repairs for permanent residents. Host Frank Stasio talks with Connie Leinbach, the editor and co-publisher of the Ocracoke Observer, as well as Tom Pahl, Ocracoke's elected representative to the Hyde County Board of Commissioners, about engaging democracy during disaster recovery.
