Off-road vehicle permits will be required for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore effective Feb. 15. Permits will cost $120 per year or $50 per week and may be purchased at Coquina Beach, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Visitor Center (Buxton) and the Ocracoke Visitor Center from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily (except Christmas Day).

More information:
Island Free Press
National Park Service

The temporary bridge that NC DOT constructed across the Hwy 12 breach is now open. Visitors are being welcomed back to Hatteras Island with open arms. We put a video of the new bridge on our Facebook page if you want to take a look.

Here are some reasons to visit Hatteras in November:

• November 2-15 54th Annual Anglers Club Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament
• November 8-13 Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival
• November 19 3rd Annual Bike the Light
• November 19 1st Annual Hatteras Island Community Fair
• November 25-26 Hatteras Island Arts & Craft Guild Holiday Show

There seems to be a lot of confusion about the current state of the island, so here’s a quick summary:

• NC-12 is still closed north of Rodanthe.
• There is an emergency ferry running between Rodanthe and Stumpy Point, but it is only available to Hatteras Island residents, non-resident property owners and commercial vehicles carrying critical equipment and supplies.
• Visitors are allowed on the island BUT they can only go to Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras Village. There is a checkpoint manned by a state trooper just south of Salvo to keep visitors out of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo.
• Visitors must enter the island via the ferry from Ocracoke, which means they have to first take a ferry to Ocracoke from Swan Quarter or Cedar Island. Reservations on the Swan Quarter/Cedar Island ferries are MANDATORY for visitors at this time.
• NCDOT is anticipating that NC-12 will reopen in October.

Hatteras Island got hit HARD by Irene. The southern part of the island (Hatteras Village, Frisco and Buxton) made out okay. The northern part of the island (Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo) is devastated and looks like a war zone from what we hear. Avon experienced a lot of soundside flooding. Sound Mind & Body sustained minor damage and repairs are already underway. Some of our neighbors lost everything.

The Salvation Army and Red Cross are feeding more than 800 people three meals a day at the Avon fire station and the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Center. Food Lion primarily has canned goods at this point. They are giving out free tetanus shots because of the yucky stuff people are having to deal with while they are cleaning up their houses and yards.

NC-12 washed out in five places between the Bonner Bridge and Rodanthe. They have begun filling in the smaller breaches and will install a temporary bridge over the largest one (see video showing how the temporary bridge will be constructed). They hope to have that done within a month. Then they have to figure out what they are going to do with the road long-term. We’ll be using ferries between Stumpy Point and Rodanthe until the temporary bridge is in place.

Residents are being allowed back on the island today for the first time. There is no word when visitors will be allowed back in, but it will not be before Sept. 17th.

We are posting regular updates to Twitter (@hatterasHaps) and to Facebook.

Please contact us at info@hatterasislandhouse.com if you have any questions.

We added a new sign to the face of Sound Mind & Body. Let us know what you think.

From the Island Free Press:

Federal district court Judge Terrence Boyle has scheduled a status conference on Thursday, April 7, on the consent decree that settled a lawsuit against the National Park Service over its lack of an off-road vehicle management plan at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore…

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The National Park Service web site reports that several road construction projects are scheduled to begin in the Bodie Island area on February 14, 2011:

Beginning Monday, February 14, 2011, the section of NC 12 just south of Whalebone Junction Visitor Center to the intersection of SR1243 (Old Oregon Inlet Road) will be closed to traffic for approximately 30 days and all traffic will be detoured to SR 1243 during this period. A single lane of traffic will reopen on NC 12 as soon as possible.

In addition, on February 21, 2011, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will begin construction along NC 12 from SR 1243 to the Oregon Inlet Bridge. This section of road will be open to single lane traffic.

The total road construction project from Whalebone Junction to Oregon Inlet Road will extend from February 14, 2011 through May 27, 2011. Motorists may encounter temporary traffic delays of up to 20 -30 minutes for north and southbound lanes while the projects are being conducted.

We just wanted to let you know in case you are planning a visit to Hatteras Island before Memorial Day.

Hatteras Island received about 7 inches of snow on January 22. It was all gone about two days later.

Sound Mind & Body in the snow.

CC Gray Rd heading towards Pamlico Sound.

CC Gray Rd heading away from Pamlico Sound.

Sound Mind & Body will be an owner-managed home renting exclusively through VRBO in 2011.

Book before 11/15/2010 and get the 2010 rate.

Visit us on VRBO or contact us at info@hatterasislandhouse.com to reserve your week.