The Outer Banks is bracing for a long recovery after Hurricane Dorian.
Dare County estimates damages are close to $15 million, and Ocracoke Island in Hyde County was hit even harder. The region suffered from a historic storm surge last Friday that reached seven feet in two hours. It left much of the region without power, flooded businesses and homes, destroyed vehicles, and buckled portions of Highway 12. Reporter Kirk Ross has been covering the storm for Carolina Public Press and The Washington Post. He joins host Frank Stasio with an update on the damage, the island’s problem with transportation and evacuation and the need for disaster resilience. Rex O’Neal is a lifelong resident of Ocracoke and owner of Ocracoke Golf Cart Rentals. He shares the realities of Dorian and how it was the worst storm he has seen in his six decades on the island.
Note: The on-air version of this segment at 12 p.m. misreported highway damage numbers from the NC Department of Transportation. Road damage for NC 12 in Ocracoke is estimated at $4-5M while road damage throughout the state is estimated at $40M-$50M.
