KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC — The sun was shining and the weather seemed to be improving in the Outer Banks Friday as Hurricane Erin continued to move farther out sea.
The wind was still noticeable Friday, but calmer than it was just 24 hours earlier when Erin came within about 200 miles of the Outer Banks.
Watch: Cape Hatteras Motel dealing with sand, flooding damage from Hurricane Erin
“As of right now, this was a close call but I think we’re pretty comfortable," said Avalon Fishing Pier Manager Chrissy Sawyer.
This Sawyer’s first close call.
“Right before I started working here was Dorian. Dorian gave us a little bit of a shake. Took off quite a bit of the pier," Sawyer recalled.
When asked if having experienced a close call before made this time any less nerve-wracking, she said no.
"It’s something that’s expected," Sawyer said.
Out on the pier Friday, Julien Arsenaul was trying to make the best of his vacation. He was in the OBX for two weeks hoping to surf, but he had only been able to surf one day because of the rough water created by Erin.
Watch: Buxton motel owner plans to stay put as Outer Banks prepares for Hurricane Erin
"I can’t decide it. It’s dependent on the weather, so you can’t predict it," said Arsenaul.
This was not his first trip to the Outer Banks, and he said the close call won’t keep him away in the future.
"Yeah. I hope," he responded when asked if he hoped to go surfing again.
As of Friday, the last time North Carolina took a direct hit from a hurricane was in 2020 with Isaias. Since then, the state has had multiple close calls.
