Natural Disaster

Hurricane Erin is expected to impact the Outer Banks in North Carolina, sending massive waves crashing into the islands. Officials have ordered evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, anticipating damage to the highway that connects the islands to the mainland. Residents are used to isolation, but vacationers are not. The Outer Banks are vulnerable due to rising sea levels and erosion. Despite these challenges, many residents cherish the unique lifestyle and community on the islands. The area generates significant tourism revenue, so the cycle of repair and maintenance continues.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Helene has left millions without electricity, water and phone service across the Southeast in the six days since making landfall. Now many people are relying on old-fashioned ways of communicating and coping. In one North Carolina town, local leaders are updating residents at meetings in the town square. Message boards list the names of the missing. Mules delivered medical supplies to mountaintop homes. The death toll has topped 180, and many people remain unaccounted for. President Joe Biden surveyed the devastation in the Carolinas from the air on Wednesday and plans to tour disaster areas in Georgia and Florida on Thursday.