NAGS HEAD, N.C. — A push to ban helium balloons releases in Outer Banks communities is gaining momentum. On Wednesday, Nags Head became the latest community to ban them.
Duck has already done so, and Southern Shores is expected to formally adopt a similar ordinance next week.
Violations in Nags Head would face a $50 fine; the fine in Duck is $250.
Norfolk
State funding for Norfolk flood project comes in lower than forecasted
Balloon releases are a common way to celebrate events or remember loved ones, but it can also be damaging for the environment.
“They wind up in the ocean; they become entangled for shore birds and sea life,” said Debbie Swick, a Southern Shores resident.
Swick launched a petition drive and has spoken at several town council or commission meetings seeking to get balloon releases banned.
She said she’s also reached out to officials in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties and encourages tourists to tell folks back home that a lot of the balloons released to the west end up on the shores of the Outer Banks.
Outer Banks
Whale death at Pea Island part of 'unusual mortality event' among humpbacks
“I personally found one at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head back in December that was released from Birmingham, Alabama,” she said.
Legislators in Raleigh have also drafted a billthat would enact a statewide ban. A similar law in Virginia took effect in 2021. While Virginia’s ban calls for a $25 ban per balloon, people in North Carolina would face a $200 fine for an initial violation.
