HATTERAS, N.C. — The views are unforgettable for anyone driving down North Carolina Highway 12 along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in the Outer Banks. But it's also a lifeline for residents and visitors to Hatteras and Ocracoke Island's that, during even normal weather events, can be entirely cut off at the Marc Basnight Bridge towering over Oregon Inlet.
Some of the most significant hot spots impacted by ocean overwash are at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, Rodanthe, Buxton, Hatteras and on the north end of Ocracoke Island. Over the last few months, there has been a push for an emergency declaration to protect and preserve NC 12.
"I think we're looking at, how do we maintain access to Ocracoke for 50 to 75 to 100 years?" said Justin LeBlanc, executive director of the Ocracoke Access Alliance.
LeBlanc has called Ocracoke home for 15 years and is the executive director of the Ocracoke Access Alliance. The OAA is an Ocracoke Island resident advocacy group formed this fall to be a voice alongside local and state leaders in the mission to preserve access to the island.
"What we're really trying to do is become an increased voice and advocate for not just Ocracoke Island, but for the ferry system and NC 12, anything that really affects and impacts access to our island community," LeBlanc said.
Ocracoke Island is accessible only by ocean or air, with the majority of residents and visitors traveling down NC 12 to get to the Hatteras Ferry Terminal that takes them to the island. The OAA is becoming another voice asking North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein for an emergency declaration for NC 12.
"There are opportunities for the governor to make some declarations about, not a disaster declaration per se, but an emergency declaration. It says, look, the NC 12 hot spots are in an emergency situation. Therefore, we need to expedite some of the mitigations. I think that's really what we're focused on, let's do some things short term, to save and protect the road so that we can begin to deal with a long-term solution, which we think as a local community, is beach nourishment," LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc says an emergency declaration could help accelerate permitting processes for current, upcoming and potential projects like beach nourishment, sandbag replacement and dune rebuilding, and open up state and federal funding to protect these vital accesses to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
"Our hot spot is important, of course, but really they all are important because if folks can't get to the Hatteras ferry, they can't get to us at all," LeBlanc said.
During ocean overwash events, NC 12 on the north end of Ocracoke Island is usually one of the first parts of the highway to close and leads to suspension of ferry operations from Hatteras to Ocracoke.
"If it gets to be spring and we lose two to three weeks of business on Ocracoke due to the road being washed out, that's devastating to this island community," LeBlanc said.
The alliance is hoping it will be able to speak to Stein and state leaders on these issues soon — issues that are front and center for every island resident.
"It's not just about restoring access, it's about maintaining sort of resilient access. And so that we don't have overwashes, and we don't have three days where you can't take that route, or two weeks where you can't take that route. And so really creating some sustainability and some resiliency in the system is our our long term goal," LeBlanc said.
For now, NCDOT has plans for a sandbag replacement project on Ocracoke Island in the coming months once permits are secured. The OAA hopes a beach nourishment project will happen on their island in the future and plans to advocate for funding for the project at the state and federal level to make it a reality.
