Where: The Pearl Restaurant at the Sea Ranch Hotel, Kill Devil Hills
When: Dec. 3 – Dec. 6
Thursday, December 3, Noon-9 p.m.
Trees and gifts available to view, Holiday Bazaar with Thrift Shop finds; musical performances by local groups all day.
Portraits with Santa (courtesy of East Carolina Bank) from 6:30-8 p.m.
Suggested donations: canned goods, household supplies or pet food for local food pantries and shelters.
Friday, December 4, Noon-9 p.m.
Trees and gifts available to view; Holiday Bazaar with Thrift shop finds; musical performances by local groups all day.
Outer Banks Extravaganza: New! A donated gift or service from local businesses will be on sale at bargain prices. Proceeds to benefit Outer Banks Hotline’s crisis intervention programs. A great opportunity to shop for holiday bargains and support Hotline at the same time. “Everything must go!” countdown begins at 7 p.m.
Suggested donations: canned goods, household supplies or pet food for local food pantries and shelters.
Saturday, December 5, Noon-2 p.m.
Trees and gifts available to view, Holiday Bazaar with Thrift shop finds for sale from noon-2 p.m.
Holiday Social, a ticketed dressy event, begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 each; heavy hors d’oeuvres; mellow jazz; cash bar.
Benefit Auction: sale of donated decorated Trees and Gifts, 8 p.m. until…; George Moore, Guest Auctioneer, Heritage Auction Company.
Suggested donations: canned goods, household supplies or pet food for local food pantries and shelters.
Sunday, December 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Brunch with Santa! Tickets on sale through The Pearl Restaurant.
Trees and items from last night’s auction will be on display; Santa and photos courtesy of East Carolina Bank.
The Festival is brought to the OBX by Hotline. Hotline is dedicated to providing information and referrals, crisis intervention, temporary shelter, advocacy and prevention education services to residents of and visitors to the Northern Outer Banks. Their Mission is to promote a safe and compassionate community.
The November nor’easter is sticking around on the Outer Banks. The storm (really two systems; a high and a low pressure systems, the low being the real “nor’easter” and the remnants of Ida.) set in late Wednesday and is very reluctant to release its grip on the OBX.
The wind and rough surf have been relentless. Due to the large waves and higher tides than normal, the beach no longer serves as a boundary for the ocean; water and debris have flowed onto the streets in many areas. The damage is still being assessed and cleanup crews are diligently working to clear sand and debris from roadways, but flooded areas are slowing the process. Traffic is restricted to flooded areas. However, based on debris and some first responders able to brave the conditions, there are some severe damages in need of attention.
As of Friday morning the tide swept back into the area, and the next high tide is scheduled for about 4 pm. The high tide yesterday evening were less than a foot below hurricane Isabel in 2003. A Coastal Flood Warning and a High Surf Advisory are still in effect for the area. There is also a high threat of rip currents through Friday evening. A strong low pressure near Cape Hatteras will slowly drift east while still impacting the region through Saturday.
A State of Emergency has been issued for all of Hatteras Island, and NC Highway 12 is closed at the Oregon Inlet Bridge with no passage available through the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge to the Rodanthe area. At this time, it is not known when Highway 12 to Hatteras Island will reopen. North Carolina DOT is on-scene working to clear sand and water from the roadway.
There are no reports of power outages, but Dare County Schools are closed.
The “November Nor’easter” has arrived and is hanging over the Outer Banks area. The highest winds and the worst tides will occur today as the remnants of Ida glide by just south of Hatteras.
A coastal flood warning is in effect until 8:00am Saturday, November 14. A coastal flood warning means flooding is occurring or imminent.
A strong low pressure system will move slowly along the coast today and produce strong northeast winds of 30 to 40 mph. The strong winds and building seas could result in overwash and coastal flooding.
The low pressure will slowly move along the southeast NC coast through this afternoon as an upper level trough moves in from the northwest. Gusty winds will continue through Friday. The low will move to a position just off the Outer Banks early Friday then slowly drift further offshore Friday night. This slow movement will compound the coastal flooding impacts and keep seas in the double digits entering into the weekend, especially over the Northern Outer Banks.
Rough surf conditions are expected along with a high threat of rip currents in ocean waters.
Seas through this afternoon are expected around 10-15 feet, highest along northern waters. The long northeast fetch through Friday afternoon will drive high seas towards the northern OBX. Breakers could build as high as 8 to 10 feet generating high surf and dangerous rip currents. By the weekend, high pressure builds over the area and seas will begin to subside.
Nights in Rodanthe The rough seas pose a serious threat to houses located on the oceanfront. A great example of the potential for property damage from a coastal storm is the very well-known house from Nights in Rodanthe.
The Nights in Rodanthe house sits directly on the beach at the northern tip of Hatteras Island. It is precariously perched in the pounding surf, and its days seem numbered. It’s tragic to see property damaged, especially a gorgeous oceanfront home, but nature is a force much greater than our construction materials.
It’s sort of like watching a car accident (albeit in very slow motion), but you can view real time video of the famous house with this webcam; as of now, the webcam is faced directly at the house. The southern Outer Banks is doing pretty well in comparison to the northern Outer Banks in this system, so this could be good news for the famed house. Perhaps this is not the storm that takes it down, but odds are nature will claim it at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Relatively good news for southern Outer Banks: The low (remnants of Ida) has gotten close enough to the southern part of the Outer Banks to allow the pressure gradient (difference in pressure) to relax greatly; so the wind hasn’t been too bad along the southern Outer Banks. However, the northern Outer Banks is experiencing more severe weather. While Hatteras has been experiencing 25 mph wind gusts, Duck to Corolla has been experiencing 50 mph gusts. The pressure gradient has a huge effect; the greatest pressure gradient leads to the highest winds, hence the biggest waves, and the biggest problems with flooding, overwash, and coastal property damage.
In addition to the pressure gradient, high tides play a significant role in severity. This storm system will extend through four high tide periods.
High tides for Oregon Inlet in this period include:
Forecast
The set up Wednesday through Friday is somewhat grim. The perfect ingredients for a strong nor’easter are forming along the OBX coast.
A strong high pressure system to the north of the area is pumping in strong winds. Mix in the remnants of Ida stalling out east of the Georgia coast and wind is pumping in from the north and the south. It’s the perfect set up for a rather large, long nor’easter for the local area. Winds are expected to reach speeds of 40-50 mph.
This would be less of an issue if it lasted 10 or 12 hours; it would most likely only generate some minor tidal flooding and rain. But these systems are creating a much different scenario. Forecasts have the pattern stalling out, bringing terrible conditions for 72 hours, leading to more significant coastal flooding, beach erosion and possibly causing some homes perched too close to the ocean to collapse.
Most coastal flooding will occur during high tide cycles and get increasingly worse Wednesday through Friday.
What is a nor’easter?
A “nor’easter” is an intense low pressure area that forms in the winter along the east coast of the Unites States, producing strong northeasterly winds and sometimes heavy snowfall and rainfall. This is a favored region for winter storm formation, where the warm ocean water and airmass along the coast meets cold air pouring down out of Canada.
These storms often travel up along the coast, eventually affecting the entire eastern seaboard. Persistent strong winds with these storms can cause beach erosion and damage to houses along the coast from large waves and high water levels that result from the ocean water being piled up against the coast by the wind. The nor’easter is usually followed by unusually cold weather as the cold high pressure area that helped create the strong winds moves into the region.
Interesting facts:
THE PERFECT STORM – The movie “Perfect Storm” was based upon the true story of a swordfishing boat, the Andrea Gail, that was caught in an intense nor’easter in October 1991.
The Outer Banks was recently featured in StandUp Paddle Magazine, a publication that focuses on Stand Up Paddle Boarding.
All of the conditions that make the Outer Banks a classic surf destination, friendly locals, uncrowded breaks (most of the year), consistent surf in a variety of conditions, and potential for amazing waves under perfect conditions, also apply to Stand Up Paddle Boarding (aka SUP).
From a broad perspective, SUP is pretty much longboarding while holding a large paddle, but there’s more than meets the eye. SUP is a fantastic full body workout that focuses on “core” muscles, and you don’t need waves to enjoy a paddle and a workout….although it is much more fun (and challenging) with waves. SUP can be fun and physically challenging on flat water as well as in hefty waves.
SUP also allows experienced paddlers to catch waves earlier than traditional surfers, giving the advantage of a longer ride. SUP boards are long, usually 10 foot plus, and the paddle allows you to pick up speed faster than paddling with your arms like traditional surfers, both aspects that help catch waves early.
The OBX offers ideal SUP conditions. There is plenty of great scenary around the Sound to enjoy an interesting paddle, which is a great way to learn the sport and gain experience. And there is 200 miles of coast that offers the potential to enjoy great waves.
Congratulations to the 2009 Outer Banks Marathon, Half Marathon, 8K, Fun Run & 5K runners!
There were over 6500 participants this weekend…the biggest turnout yet!
It was a classic fall day on the Outer Banks with sunny skies, warm weather, and a light westerly breeze. Possibly a bit warm for the runners, but not too bad, and the enthusiastic spectators definitely enjoyed the race and the weather.
Incredibly, most (meaning more than half) of the course is shaded, either in neighborhoods or on wooded trails or roads.
There WERE spectators! And they were enthusiastic. I taught a few little kids how to high-five, or I could hear their parents teaching them after I had swished by with my hand out.
There are some small, rolling hills on a road that goes through the woods, and there is a tall bridge, but otherwise it’s really quite flat.
There is a REAL expo. Not a huge one, and some of the booths were selling real estate, but running gear was plentiful too.
They started the race in corrals, honor system, two minutes apart, which worked fine. I like that, even with just 1800 runners. My corral started 10 minutes after the first one, but it was the right place for me.
Transportation is an issue in point-to-point marathons, and they did it well. We parked at the finish and took a bus to the start, but you could do it the other way too.
They had put out “Burma Shave” signs along the way, telling facts about the area (highest sand dune in the USA, first flight, whatever, even some bad jokes. If you don’t know what a Burma Shave sign is, your youth may be a minor hindrance in reading this blog
Example series of signs:
First successful flight
in motor driven heavier
than air machines by
Orville and Wilbur Wright
December 17, 1903
Kill Devil hills, just south of Kitty Hawk
There is a lot of history here, including the first powered flight and Roanoke Island. It might be worth an extra day (or several) just enjoying the Outer Banks. The beaches are delicious – be sure to get a motel with access.
The race goes right through the Wright Brothers Memorial.
And it goes along the waterfront for some distance (unlike Kiawah Island, you can actually SEE the water!).
There is a swashbuckling pirate theme to the whole marathon (arrrrgh!).
Nice booty bag (expo bag), nice long-sleeve tech shirt.
People were very nice to my sweeties, even though they were near the end of the race.
The Outer Banks ranks high on most surf lists; Surfer even named Kill Devil Hills number six on its list of “Top Ten Surf Towns.”
It offers world-class surf conditions; ideal conditions for beefy, fast waves, and shifting sandbars that create the strong potential for heaving, chocolate colored “barrels” (i.e. the hollow area inside the wave that is created when a select few waves crash) if you are lucky enough to be in the right spot under the right conditions. A short continental shelf, winds out of every direction, and 200 miles of curving coastline hanging into the Atlantic Ocean come together to create quality waves in a variety conditions, and on the days when the stars align, the OBX has waves that match most spots around the world.
Two professional surfers developed and honed their skills along the OBX coast, and along the way they earned their “stripes” among a grizzled but caring local surf culture. Noah Snyder and Jessie Hines grew up on the Outer Banks and learned their way among the waves at all of the local spots. Both have achieved great success in the professional surfing world; Jessie was even featured on the cover of Surfer last fall displaying his proficiency in the coveted barrels.
A great demonstration of the Outer Banks’ incredible surf and surf culture can be found in Noah’s Arc, a professionally developed surf film that documents Noah’s development as a professional surfer. Another great exhibit of Outer Banks surf is a narrated slideshow created by Surfline and narrated by Noah and Jessie. The slideshow offers great insights on the local surf and culture from Noah and Jessie, and the end of the slideshow gives a great description of the elements that come together on the Outer Banks to offer such impressive surf.
John Coen, an ESPN Surf columnist, has spent the last week on the Outer Banks chasing waves, taking in the unique OBX culture, and reporting his experiences. Coen’s expose on the Outer Banks’ surf and culture spans four articles, including an in-depth interview with Noah Snyder.
Coen’s first article touches on some of the basic elements of youthful surf trips to the Outer Banks; great waves, communing with nature, and nights spent braving the elements in rickety tents in one of the local campgrounds. Coen moves on to focus on one of the Outer Banks’ most basic and enduring features; wind. Some level of wind is pretty much a constant everywhere, but the wind seems more pervasive and more forceful on the Outer Banks.
Fortunately, wind is one of the critical elements of great surf. Wind has the potential to wreak havoc on waves, but if it is blowing mildly off shore (westerly winds on the Outer Banks), the wind can create smooth glassy waves that offer the potential to carry for great distances. Coen goes on to explain that the Northeast winds ruined the potential for surf on his first day of the trip, but all was not lost because it was a classic fall day on the Outer Banks with sunny, 80 degree weather.
Coen’s second piece focuses on the art of photography. The Outer Banks has a tremendous amount of pristine natural environments, including multiple nature preserves, and a National Seashore. In addition, there is opportunity for photographs of sunrise and sunsets over large bodies of water that can create dazzling natural effects.
Coen focuses on the art of surf photography, and highlights two local talents; Mickey “2M” McCarthy and Matt Lusk. Coen interviews Mickey, who has been a part of the Outer Banks’ surf culture for 29 years. Mickey goes on to say, “What attracted me as a surfer and photographer to the Outer Banks some 29 years ago, was the power and consistency of the surf — the natural beauty, the no man’s land of Pea Island, the wildlife and the sunsets.”
An interview with Noah Snyder encompasses Coen’s third article. The interview starts by discussing some of the great OBX swell from October, and Coen then steers the discussion towards the local culture; construction, tourism, changes Noah has seen over the years, before circling back to surfing and touching on Noah’s surf film, Noah’s Arc, and Noah’s desire to remain part of the Outer Banks.
Coen wraps up his four-part coverage of the Outer Banks surf and culture with a piece that finishes where he started; wind. The wind was less than ideal for Coen’s surf trip to the Outer Banks, but as Coen points out, “There was something to ride all week here, and true to the legend, this place really does pick up swell from every direction (thanks to its positioning and that narrow continental shelf).”
Yellowfin tuna catches continue to be outstanding. Limits of fish have been the norm.
Quite a few blackfin have been in the mix.
A wahoo or king mackerel is still a possibility.
Billfish are becoming more scarce.
Along the coast, red drum, bluefish, speckled trout and a possible rockfish will highlight catches. There have been a few good runs of Spanish mackerel.
Pier & Surf:
Catches have been decent, with action provided by croaker, small black drum, sea mullet, bluefish, speckled trout, puppy drum and small striper.
Sound:
Puppy drum, speckled trout and good numbers of small rockfish have been available.
Big City Wine Warehouse Native Vine Tasting Room 252-491-5311
This weekend will be the 4th Annual Holiday Tasting Fest. This event has moved to the Point Harbor location this year. Come by between 12-5 on Saturday or Sunday and taste approximately 15 wines that will match up well with the upcoming Holiday meals and festivities……all for ONLY $10!! Please call for reservations to 252-491-5311 or just come on by. On Friday night there will also be a reserve tasting at 6:30 pm for $15.
On Friday, November 20th, Craig Baker will be back to lead a tasting of Holiday wines as well.
On Friday, November 27th, there will be a reserve tasting of wines from the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2009!!
Now taking reservations for tastings at the end of December, which are looking like this:
Sat. December 26th 5pm Grand Reserve Tasting $35
Tues. December 29th 6:30 pm Grand Reserve Tasting $35
New Year’s Eve 6pm Ultimate Grand Reserve Tasting w/ Heavy Hors d’ouerves $60 pp
New Year’s Eve 8:30pm Super-Ultimate Grand Reserve Tasting w/ Heavy Hors d’ouerves $75 pp
The Know Your Park citizen science series for the North Carolina coast begins its third season with a discussion of Raleigh After Roanoke.
The National Park Service Outer Banks Group sponsors the series, which begins the new season Monday at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Visitor Center near Manteo. The president of the board of directors of the First Colony Foundation, Phil Evans, will speak.
Phil Evans’ presentation will compare maps to show Roanoke Island’s geography and terrain have changed. In addition, foundation archaeologists will update the audience on upcoming field excavations.
The foundation is conducting research with the goal of locating habitation areas of England’s first and second New World settlements sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 1580s.
2009 Festival of Trees Schedule
Forecast
