Outer Banks Photography: Hurricane Irene, Before - 8.26.11

Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the Outer Banks. It’s almost midnight on Friday, August 26, 2011, and the wind, waves, rain, and lightning are starting to show up on the OBX.

Within hours we will be engulfed in what some were calling a “50 year storm.”

Perhaps that was hyperbole, or perhaps it is the result of a 24-hour, 7 days per week news cycle that relishes in a high profile “crisis” to boost ratings.

Then again, perhaps it is a “better safe than sorry” mentality that the collective public embraces in times of emergency to protect the thin line between calm reality and chaos that a natural disaster can bring.

At any rate, Hurricane Irene doesn’t seem to be the “50 year storm” that some were predicting. This statement isn’t meant to diminish the threat that the beast Irene is currently bearing down on the OBX. It’s just that the predictions of a Category 3 or 4 storm when it makes landfall on the Outer Banks have adjusted to Category 1, maybe Category 2.

And for this, we are all amazingly thankful. Thank you Mother Nature for showing your kinder, gentler side.

However, I don’t want to jump the gun. While we are thankful that the intensity of Hurricane Irene has diminished, we are still a very realistic lot, and a Cat 1 or 2 hurricane can still bring much destruction…just ask the Cat 1 Hurricane Isabel from 2003.

We’re still asking Ms. Irene very nicely to be gentle to the OBX, and we’re asking you to send us all the good vibes you can spare.

In return, we offer a first-hand, inside look at the Outer Banks during a major hurricane.

Earlier today I made my way to Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head to check out the scene and give a video Hurricane Irene update. As I hit the road, I asked a fabulous Outer Banks photographer, to tag along…and luckily, Whitney of Whitney Norko Photography obliged.

As a result, I have an awesome slide show of “Hurricane Irene, Before” photos to share with you.

We started at Jennette’s Pier and traveled north along the “Beach Road” to capture the feel of the OBX before a giant storm rocked our world.

Our intention is to travel this same route after the storm to share the before and after photos and give us all the impression of what a beastly hurricane can do to the delicate islands of the Outer Banks.

Enjoy! And thanks to Whitney Norko Photography for sharing the great pics!

Please be kind Hurricane Irene!