BUXTON, N.C. — The stream of overwash and flooded side roads near the oceanfront was on display in Buxton on Tuesday, with an evening high tide giving the area its first look at the potential impacts of Hurricane Erin off the coast.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, coming after Dare and Hyde Counties both declared mandatory evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands on Sunday.
Both evacuations instructed visitors and residents to leave the area by Tuesday due to the expected impacts of Hurricane Erin.
A tropical storm and storm surge warning is also in effect for Dare County starting on Tuesday.
News 3 stopped into the Outer Banks Motel in Buxton on Tuesday and spoke with Carol White Dillon, who opened the business in 1955.
Weather
Live blog: Tracking Hurricane Erin in Virginia & North Carolina
“We're getting water over now, and it's not even high tide, so I expect it to come through here at high tide today. And we have to take it because, I mean, there's nothing else we can do," said Dillon.
Dillon has seen countless storms come through in her more than a century of being here.
"One time I had it break the window in the back bathroom of this building, and the ocean waves just came in and filled this place," said Dillon.
But something she says she’s never done when a storm comes is leave.
"I've never left, and I won't leave. My house is on a hill, so I don't think it'll ever get as high as my third floor. I'm not ever leaving because I can't leave my animals," said Dillon.
Watch related coverage: North Carolina under state of emergency as Hurricane Erin makes way towards East Coast
Though she’s staying put, there are worries about what the storm might bring. Especially along an already rapidly eroding shoreline here in Buxton, which includes a number of threatened oceanfront structures.
"I worry about losing my beach houses, because there's no beach at all. But you take what comes in life and try and smile about it," said Dillon.
As the hurricane approaches, Dillon feels they’ve done everything they can to prepare for it, including pushing as much sand up near the oceanfront of the property as possible.
Watch related: Hurricane Erin prompts closure of Cape Hatteras National Seashore's beaches, ORV ramps
"I don't know how bad it's going to come through here, but there's nothing we can do about it. We've done everything we can," said Dillon.
NC-12 is one of the main worries for county and emergency officials; it’s the lifeline of Hatteras Island. Emergency officials are still pushing all visitors and residents of Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands to evacuate for their safety.
Many locals, who choose to stay, hope they can withstand what Hurricane Erin might bring. However, they worry that coastal flooding and overwash might make the road impassable for days.
Dare County continues to provide updates as the storm approaches on their Facebook page here and YouTube page here. Residents will be able to see the most up-to-date information locally on these pages.
