Category Archives: Outer Banks

Moving Toes in the Sand

Last year Magnum photographer David Harvey asked me to help him on an assignment for a National Geographic story about rising sea level. He wanted to shoot the ocean encroaching on the Mirlo Beach subdivision in north Rodanthe, a familiar place.

The oceanfront at Mirlo has had a history of erosion for as long as I can remember, and the wave action there has attracted surfers for years. In 1984 Hurricane Josephine took out a protective dune line, and it has been a more vulnerable spot ever since.

Not only has the paved highway been taken out numerous times, but some homes have fallen into the sea as well. A few homeowners have moved their buildings to somewhat safer ground. The first house to be built on the Mirlo Beach oceanfront was called East Wind. It was built by developer Roger Meekins as a spec house. Later sold to new owners, it was renamed Toes in the Sand. It became the second house to be saved on that ill-fated oceanfront. Serendipity moved in 2009, was the first.

With Toes scheduled for relocation to another lot, David wanted to document it. Knowing that Cape Hatteras Electric Membership Co-op was going to be involved moving power lines, I contacted CHEMC to see if David could use of one of their bucket trucks in the process. Everything fell right into place.

Just before the house was pulled off the beach, David waited with Carroll Midgett.

With the house was underway, I drove David down the road to the bucket truck.

Once up in the air, he got the desired perspective.

Backing in was a piece of cake for Abode House Movers.

In the end, David was pleased.

After a job well done, David pauses with Candy, his assistant… before going off to Mac’s for lunch.

For a look at the story, go to this web address:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/special-features/2014/07/140725-outer-banks-north-carolina-sea-level-rise-climate/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20140725news-outer-banks&utm_campaign=Content&sf3855533=1

Hurricane Hangover

The radar image taken at 11:15 shows the eye of Arthur directly on Cape Lookout, zeroing in toward Pamlico Sound. By 2AM we began to feel the increasing power of the storm. By 4 AM, we were in a full blown hurricane.

The morning after Arthur came through, I went outside and felt as if I had been spun around and around. There was an air of confusion and destruction. The conditions were not quite on par with Hurricane Irene in 2011, but there was more wind damage this time.

I video surveyed my property briefly, then got out to venture about town.

2014-07-04 07_28_48 – Medium

2014-07-04 07_34_12 – Medium

They were telling us this was going to be a slow hurricane season, and that’s a little hard to take right now. So far we’re one for one and counting. Tropical systems usually don’t affect us this time of year, but cleaning up after a flood isn’t good anytime.

My place had fairly little damage considering the event. Like many other residents, I do need to make some minor roof repairs. During the height of the storm, the house was getting pelted by branches and pine cones. There was little rainfall, and it was a good thing it moved in and out quickly.

Several weeks ago a couple of young feral kittens began hanging around. On June 24th we caught them and took them to a TNR clinic sponsored by Friends of Felines. They were fixed, got shots, microchipped and left ear clipped. The release part didn’t quite work out, as they got comfortable here. With the hurricane heading right at us, I put them in an enclosure under the house.

At 4 in the morning, the water poured in and they had the sense to climb through an opening to another room where they remained high and dry for the duration. There they stayed all through the following day, and were clearly traumatized but okay.

With the salt water intrusion, my petunias didn’t fare so well.

Waterfront property for sale. Sorry, Spinnaker Realty. No buyers today.

A runaway dumpster blocked Sea Vista Drive.

Parking on high ground was at a premium. These vehicles survived.

These vehicles at the post office did not… that WAS a nice Mustang.

Highway 12 Waterway.

Kayak ecotours took on a new meaning.

My friend Tom gave me a lift to see other parts of town.

Roof damage was common.

Trees were downed at Mac’s garage.

A rack line got caught up in a chain link fence near Kitty Hawk Kites.

Andy Fox from WAVY News was on the scene making interviews.

As the daunting clean up began, Scott Caldwell squeegeed the parking lot at Island Convenience.

Scott’s daughter Myra, also had a big job and tried to make the most of it.

Thousands of fish were washed in with the storm surge, and left stranded.

Meanwhile the clean up at home continues to progress.

Meet Hurricane Barbie, a new concept doll.

Leaving no stone unturned, Arthur toppled the headstones at the Midgett Cemetery in Rodanthe.

Flowers from the graves are still strewn across the landscape.

Just like Hurricane Irene, it’ll take a while to regain some sense of normalcy.

Arthur’s Passing, the Video

Time looses meaning in the middle of a storm. I felt disoriented and way out of my norm.

Sleep was marginal. I got up several times to look out a window or check the barometer. The pressure dropped and winds accelerated, and for a brief time it fell out dramatically. Then it switched more westerly and picked up to hurricane force again, the Pamlico Sound rising 8 feet in what seemed only minutes.

I went to check on things, heading to the gallery door, in the lee of what seemed like a jet engine next to the house. Power lines were sparking like stars in the sky (upper left corner in video). The water came in very fast, bringing in a tide of vegetation and mud.

Click link below for video clip. It was shot at 4:45 not 5:30 as mentioned.

2014-07-04 04_45_30-2 – Medium

To be continued…

Jim Cantore Sighting

I’ve never had a 4th of July celebration quite like this year. It came with a big bang. Hurricane Arthur was a little too much, too soon. Winds began to really wail at around 2 in the morning, and by 4 or so they were approaching, possibly exceeding 100 mph. I drifted in and out of sleep, winds buffeting the roof over my head.

The wind fell out briefly then switched back to hurricane force, pushing the Pamlico Sound waters across our vulnerable village. My barometer read 978 millibars and gradually began to rise around 5:00 or so.

Midgett Way

At dawn Arthur revealed her wrath. It was a wind and storm surge flooding event, and I knew from experience this would make for an arduous clean up. I’ll continue this blog after I’ve had time to pick up the pieces and regain my composure.

The day after the storm, Denise and I went to the Waves Market for a sandwich from their Deli. The Weather Channel was out front preparing for a broadcast. I spoke to an assistant as meteorologist Jim Cantore walked up to say hello. Denise came over and said she had placed our order at the Deli. Jim replied that he’d just eaten there and that “their sandwiches are phenomenal”. That’s an endorsement we agree with.

We spoke of storm surges and flooding. Cantore added that this time the hurricane’s speed of movement was our friend. I couldn’t agree more with him. It made the effects much less than it could have been.

To Be Continued…

New Spat in Town

A friend of mine once made the observation that tourists, hot weather and mosquitoes get here at about the same time each year. That acquaintance was John Gillikin of Buxton. He’s no longer with us, but you have to admit his tongue in cheek statement is pretty true. When I have more time, I’ll have to tell you a little bit about Gillikin. He was one of the more colorful characters of Hatteras Island and deserving of remembrance.

Getting back to this time of year when all those things happen, I need to throw in another item… new oysters. They’re called spat, and as the rising water temperatures of the sound hit around 70, oysters here begin to spawn. Male and female oysters emit sperm and egg into the water and wherever they meet, an eyed larvae is the result. It swims in search of substrate to attach and grow. Mortalities are high and those that find attachment, develop a shell and begin their life cycle as a true oyster.

Last week I found 8 new ones on my research tiles out in Pamlico Sound. About a half inch in size, they were just weeks old, perhaps 4 or 5. That was about the time the water temperature was spiking from the low 50’s in mid April to upper 70’s by the end of May.

Oyster spat is set on substrate along with calcareous worm tubes.

Similar spat information is collected by dozens of volunteers up and down the North Carolina coast, and goes into a research program with the Benthic Lab at UNCW.

There’s no doubt that we’re hitting our peak season. With plenty of vacationers, the heat and a few mosquitos, the oysters should be spawning for the while.

Michael Halminski Photographer

Waves, North Carolina