Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene

Seaside Vacations is joining local efforts to assist Hurricane Irene victims by promoting their “Vacation with a Purpose” campaign.

Seaside Vacations, a leading vacation rental company located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is using their “Vacation with a Purpose” program to support those in the community that need a helping hand due to Hurricane Irene. They are encouraging employees, homeowners and guests to join their mission by participating in the program.

Seaside Vacations guests can make a difference just by booking an Outer Banks vacation. From September 1 – 30, 2011, Seaside Vacations will donate a portion of its revenue for all September vacations to the Outer Banks Relief Foundation. By booking an Outer Banks vacation with Seaside, guests will be helping hurricane victims rebuild their lives and helping the Outer Banks rebuild their community.

In addition, guests and homeowners may also donate directly to the Outer Banks Relief Foundation by sending a check made out to the Outer Banks Relief Foundation to Seaside Vacations, Attn: Hurricane Irene Relief, P.O. Box 3339, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949. Any amount would be greatly appreciated and the donation is tax deductible.

“Each of us has an Irene story. Many of us have suffered damage, seen strange things, lost valuable stuff and even experienced injury. Regardless of what our own individual situation may be, even those who may have come through relatively unscathed, we have all experienced individual and collective trauma. The loss in our tight-knit community is extensive and the need for assistance is great,” says Gordon Jones, President of Seaside Vacations and Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty.

For more information on Seaside’s “Vacation with a Purpose” campaign, and how you can help, please visit http://www.outerbanksvacations.com/hurricane-irene-support.htm.

For more information on Seaside Vacations and their wide selection of Outer Banks vacation rentals, visit http://www.OuterBanksVacations.com – where you can search a wide variety of homes, book online with real-time availability, view up-to-the-minute Outer Banks specials and check out local Outer Banks events.

About Seaside Vacations: 
Founded in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1990, Seaside Vacations is a full-service vacation rental management company representing homes from Corolla to Nags Head. Seaside Vacations offers a complete selection of Outer Banks vacation rentals. Guests can choose from 1 – 10-bedroom private vacation rental homes, condominiums, town homes and villas. Explore our homes in Duck and Corolla as well as numerous vacation rentals in Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head.

For more information on Seaside Vacations and their wide selection of vacation rentals, visit http://www.OuterBanksVacations.com or call one a Vacation Specialist at 877.816.9576.

Outer Banks: Good Night Irene

Ok, it’s not Barack, but he’s awful important to the world of Seaside Vacations.

Seaside Vacations’ President, Gordon Jones, shared the below message with his employees today, and I want to share it with you because it helps demonstrate how difficult it is to work through a major hurricane event like Hurricane Irene.

My hat goes off to all Seaside Vacations employees (really all Outer Banks residents as a whole) for staying positive during the tireless work that has engulfed us over the last week. There’s still much to do, but we are getting closer to “normal” everyday.

Here’s the SSV Presidential Address :

Hi Seaside,

All I can say is “Wow”.

Wow because Irene kicked our butt.

Wow because of all of the work we all accomplished together.

Wow because of the dedication and heroic measures exhibited by our team.  You all amaze me!

We had many things go wrong and things certainly could have been better organized, but so many things went right.  And so many of you did such a great job.  I want to thank each of you.

Bob, Bill, Gary, Paul and Mark worked tirelessly on both ends leading teams to get them homes tightened up, and then back opened up.  Mark went out at 7 am the morning after to secure a home whose door had blown open.  Now Mark is knee deep in sand in most of our pools and getting them straight.

Gwyn was phenomenal as a solo air traffic controller for property services while Deborah and Brandon were out in the field- then Deborah came back and did a great job coordinating work orders as the damage reports started coming in.

Sarah and Kristy somehow got all of the homes cleaned with crews working until 9 or 10 Monday night. I’m still not sure how they made that happen.  Fay was a huge help before the storm helping her new best buddy, Bob closing up homes.  Fay then suffered much damage from the storm -as did Karen…

Donna, Josh, Mallory, Holly, Missy, Nancy, Melinda and Barb handled a gargantuan load of calls, voice mails and emails- staying late late on several nights to get it all done… on top of several of them pitching in out in the field in a huge way.

Melinda had the emergency phone through much of the storm and deserves recognition for taking that huge responsibility without complaint!

Bob L. and Missy stayed out till 10PM the night before the storm closing up homes and are now best friends.  In fact, the accounting team stepped up big time out in the field with Bob running work orders- opening and closing homes and JacE out opening homes as well.  Jen was able to recruit some housekeeping crews that were desperately needed on Monday!

Our marketing team jumped all over Facebook, which became the most reliable way for guests to connect with us.  You should really take the time to look at our page and read through some of the conversations- it is truly remarkable what Adam, Brittany and Chelsea were able to accomplish- plus all three worked in the field securing, opening and even cleaning homes.

Greg, Colleen, Gloria and Brennan all worked incredibly hard both in the field and in the office while coordinating their areas of responsibility and skillfully handling all of the many many guest and owner escalations- with Stephanie playing a well needed backup role.

If I missed anyone, I apologize.

Again, you all continue to amaze me and I can’t thank you enough for your hard work, long hours and personal sacrifice to make all of this happen.

Each of us have an Irene story, many of us have suffered damage, seen strange things, lost valuable stuff and even experienced injury.  Regardless of what your own individual situation may be, even those who may have come through relatively unscathed, we have all experienced individual and collective trauma.  Every day brings life a little closer to normal.  In the meantime, take care of yourself- get caught up on sleep- ask for help if you need it.

Thanks again to Our Beautiful Seaside Family!

XXOO

Gordon Jones
President
Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty
Seaside Vacations
www.coldwellbankerobx.com
www.outerbanksvacations.com

Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene, After. Dad & child take in the devastation.

Hurricane Irene has come and gone. And she left quite a path of destruction in her wake.

There was a lot of hype leading up to Ms. Irene’s arrival. A potential Category 3 or 4 storm eventually landed on the OBX as a Cat 1. We were all very happy to see Irene’s intensity diminish as she drew close to shore, but the realism of a major storm was always in the back of our minds. Unfortunately, even that realism did not prepare us for the destruction that was about to arrive.

Last Friday (Irene arrived late that night), I took a trip to Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head to get a pre-Irene beach report. It was a nice day, but the conditions were worsening, and it was clear some funky weather was on the way. So, I asked a professional OBX photographer to tag along to capture some of Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene, “Before.”  Luckily, Whitney of Whitney Norko Photography agreed to come, and we got some amazing before pictures.

Our plan was do to a “before” and “after” shoot of the same OBX landmarks. In a typical Outer Banks hurricane a before and after route along the “Beach Road” would make sense. But Hurricane Irene was not the typical OBX hurricane. This beast decided to attack the Sound instead of the ocean.

Around midnight on Friday the winds and rain began to pick up, and it was clear Ms. Irene had arrived. The winds and rain remained high throughout the night, but not overwhelmingly so. Around lunch time, my family and I decided to take a trip to the beach to see how things were, and to be honest, they were not terrible. The wind was whipping, and the sand felt like it was piercing my skin, but the beach and “Beach Road” were not seeing too much damage…some siding and shingles coming off homes, but not much significant damage. Here’s a link to my UStream video of the beach…not much to see, but you can get the effect of the wind.

After the trip, we adjourned home to take in the sites and sounds of the afternoon hurricane on the Sound. And the sites and sounds were eerily quiet. Foreshadowing of what was to come?

We took a walk out to the Sound, and it was amazingly empty! When Hurricane Irene began, here winds were blowing hard out of the East, and as a result, she blew almost ALL of the water out of the Sound. We walked 200 – 300 yards past the normal water line and THERE WAS NO WATER!

Here’s a link to my UStream video on the Sound. Unreal is all I can say.

Within a couple hours after I shot that video, everything changed for the worse. Fast! And with force!

Once the eye moved passed, the winds switched to the west/northwest, and all of that Sound water that was pushed out came back, with a vengeance.

Sound-side on the Outer Banks took a beating for about 6-8 hours before the water – and 4-6 foot waves – started to recede. As a result, there is extensive damage on the Sound-side.

Here’s my UStream video of some of the relentless water (storm surge) attacking the OBX…unfortunately, it cuts off, but you’ll get the point.

As a result of the Sound-side destruction from Hurricane Irene, our plans for a “before” and “after” photo shoot needed to be adjusted. Luckily, Whitney Norko Photography agreed to tag along again, and we were able to capture a lot of the OBX damage and devastation first hand.

I’ll warn you upfront, it’s ugly. Let the healing begin!

Filed under: weather Tagged: after, damage, destruction, hurricane, Irene, OBX, outer banks, photos, picture, pictures, Sound, Storm, surge, water ]]> http://blog.outerbanksvacations.com/2011/08/29/outer-banks-hurricane-irene-after-8-28-11/feed/ 7 36.089543 -75.708907 36.089543 -75.708907 seasidevacations Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene, After. Dad & child take in the devastation. http://blog.outerbanksvacations.com/2011/08/27/outer-banks-photography-hurricane-irene-before-8-26-11/ http://blog.outerbanksvacations.com/2011/08/27/outer-banks-photography-hurricane-irene-before-8-26-11/#comments Sat, 27 Aug 2011 06:05:10 +0000 Seaside Vacations http://blog.outerbanksvacations.com/?p=6818 Continue reading →]]>

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!

8.26.11 - Ms. Irene is on the Way!

Here’s the Outer Banks Hurricane Irene Update as of 5:30 PM on Friday, August 26, 2011.

This video was shot at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head at 3:00 PM.

Ms. Irene is on the way! Some Irene conditions are starting to show up; clouds, wind, and waves are starting to arrive.

The good news for the day is that Irene’s eye wall has broken down. The hurricane has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm, and with less than 24 hours before it makes landfall, it is unlikely that it will have time to intensify.

It seems that Hurricane Irene will land on the Outer Banks as a Category 2, and as it bounces up the East Coast, it should downgrade to a Category 1 pretty quickly. There is still strong potential for significant impact on the OBX, but this is much better than yesterday’s predictions of Category 3 or 4.

There is a mandatory evacuation for the entire Outer Banks. Dare and Currituck counties are requiring that guests and residents evacuate. As a result, it is pretty quite on the OBX.

Our family has decided to stick around to hold the fort down, so over the next few days, I’ll do my best to give updates as I can…while being safe of course.

After the quick report, I traveled up the “Beach Road” to capture some “before” shots. I had a professional photographer with me, so I’ll get a great slide show of “before” images out to you ASAP.

I wish you and yours the best wherever you are. Please stay safe, and please continue to send good vibes to the OBX. Hopefully Irene is gentle.

Please stay tuned for updates as much as I can.

See you soon!

Seaside Vacations
OuterBanksVacations.com
Blog.OuterBanksVacations.com
Facebook.com/SeasideVacationsOBX

Hurricane Irene Projected Path - 8.24.11 - 9 PM

It sure is gorgeous on the Outer Banks right now. Perfect end of summer beach weather.

Unfortunately, that could all change very soon. Hurricanes tend to be pretty erratic. Their path can change drastically, and computer models tend to have a wide range of error. However, as the storm draws closer, the models get stronger, and Hurricane Irene is getting pretty consistent.

At this point, Hurricane Irene is a category 3 hurricane, and the projected path brings it to Ocracoke late Saturday night and into Sunday.

However, it’s too early to know for sure. We are starting to implement emergency plans. As of tomorrow (Thursday, 8.25.11) at 8:00 AM, all Dare County guests are required to evacuate.

From Dare County:

The Dare County Control Group has ordered a mandatory evacuation for all visitors throughout all of Dare County effective 8:00 a.m., Thursday, August 25.

All visitors are urged to make preparations and leave the area. Dare County Emergency Management urges visitors to take all personal belongings with them during evacuation. Other preparation steps are available at www.ReadyNC.org and www.darenc.com

Although the mandatory evacuation order is for all Dare County visitors, residents are advised to take proper precautions and make general storm preparations. This effort should include securing all loose items outdoors. Monitor local news outlets for further advisories from the National Weather Service and state and local emergency management officials.

The Dare County Control Group will meet again on Thursday, August 25 after the 5:00 p.m. storm advisory has been issued by the National Hurricane Center. Further evacuations should be anticipated as Irene moves closer to the Outer Banks.

At this time there are no new reentry stickers being issued. The previously issued stickers, for 2008/2009, are still valid. Residents can also use a North Carolina driver’s license showing a Dare County address. Property owners may use a Dare County tax bill with proper identification for reentry.

Updates and bulletins will be issued on an as needed basis and will be available on www.darenc.com and Government Access Channel 20.

From The Weather Channel:
Hurricane Irene, a large, powerful Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, continues to plow through the Bahamas, with more impacts in its sights.

As you can see on our projected path map above, Hurricane Irene will track towards the East Coast this weekend. It is still too early to determine the exact path and the potential impact to the Outer Banks. 

Outer Banks: 8.24.11 - Gorgeous OBX Sunrise

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Wednesday, August 24, 2011.

This video was shot at the Carlow Ave. beach access in Kill Devil Hills at 6:15 AM.

I made it to the beach early this morning to catch the sunrise, and it was well worth it. Gorgeous OBX sunrise, and a gorgeous OBX day.

I’ll move through the beach report quickly so I can get to Hurricane Irene since that’s the main topic on our minds today.

We’ve had perfect beach weather the past week, and it will continue today and through the next couple days. Humidity has dropped, and temps are in the mid 80′s. Bright sun and almost no wind this morning.

No surf to report today, but the forecast gets gnarly over the next few days as Hurricane Irene approaches. Surf grows to double overhead by the weekend!

OBX fishing is going great. Offshore is catching dolphin, wahoo, black and yellow fin tuna, and some bill fish mixed in. The piers, bridges, surf, & Sound are all very consistent with a wide variety of fish – spot, croaker, flounder, sea mullet, Spanish mackerel, blue fish, cobia, trigger fish, spade fish, pompano.

But the main topic on everyone’s mind is Hurricane Irene. What path will Hurricane Irene take? Will it impact the Outer Banks? A direct hit to the OBX?!

Hurricanes are pretty erratic. Their path can change drastically, quickly.

At this point, Hurricane Irene is a category 2 hurricane, and the projected path brings it to Ocracoke late Saturday night and into Sunday.

However, it’s too early to know for sure. We are starting to prepare, and think through emergency plans, but there is still ample time for things to change. It’s only Wednesday, so we have 3-4 days for predictions, computer models, and the actual path that can change considerably.

It’s more “wait and see” than anything at this point. Preparations are being made, but the hope is the beast of a storm will continue to move east and head out to sea. Some great waves and no impact to land would be awesome!

Ocracoke is in the process of being evacuated starting today. Guests must leave the island today, and permanent residents are being asked to leave tomorrow. But this is just a precautionary step. The emergency planning needs to give enough time for everyone to evacuate if need be, and this is just the first step in the process.

We’ll keep you updated as things progress. Please keep an eye on our website (www.OuterBanksVacations.com) for the most current updates, and we’ll also update Facebook (www.Facebook.com/SeasideVacationsOBX) along the way.

Please keep the OBX in your thoughts, and send good vibes to push Hurricane Irene out to sea.

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

PS – How about that earthquake yesterday?! That was wild. Definitely a first for this East Coast kid.

Here’s the projected Hurricane Irene paths as of 8:00 AM 8.24.11:

Hurricane Irene Project Path - 8.24.11

Here’s the Outer Banks surf forecast for Hurricane Irene as of 8:00 AM on 8.24.11:

Outer Banks & Hurricane Irene Surf Forecast - 8.24.11

Seaside Vacations
www.OuterBanksVacations.com
Facebook.com/SeasideVacationsOBX

Outer Banks: 8.23.11 - Peaceful in Kitty Hawk

Such a great summer day. August is winding down, but we still have plenty of great OBX summer days ahead. September and October are amazing on the Outer Banks – warm air, warm water, empty beaches, great fishing, fun surf…welcome to the OBX “shoulder season.”

Today is picture perfect. Sun, 80′s, light onshore breeze out of the east.  No surf, but the fish are biting.

Despite the perfect day today, the question on everyone’s mind is: what will Hurricane Irene do? Is this just the calm before the storm?

It is still far too early to know if/when the Outer Banks will be affected by Hurricane Irene. Hurricanes tend to be pretty erratic and unpredictable. It seems like we are still about four or five days from the potential impact from the storm, so there is plenty of time for the beast to change it’s course significantly.

At this point, the forecasts do indicate the OBX could see some impact, but based on the six computer models, only one projects a direct hit. So there is still a lot of hope for limited impact.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for some much needed rain and some fun waves, but hopefully Mother Nature will keep the storm out to sea.

Here are the projected Hurricane Irene tracks:

Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene Projected Path - 8.23.11

Here’s the Outer Banks surf forecast based on the impact from Hurricane Irene:

Outer Banks Surf Forecast - Hurricane Irene - 8.23.11

Kitty Hawk Pier From a Distance

Good Afternoon everyone! Here is the Outer Banks beach, surf and fishing report for Friday April 29th, 2011.

This video was shot at the Eckner St. beach access in Kitty Hawk.

Gorgeous day today with temperatures in the low 70′s and expected to remain pretty close throughout the weekend. The sun is shining and people are out enjoying this beautiful Friday out on the beach. Yesterday we had some serious storms rolling through the area with Tornado warnings in effect throughout Currituck and Dare counties most of last night. There were some reported tornados that touched down but thankfully still no damage reported for any of our area.

Surf was pretty nice today, had a fairly clean waist high wave coming in this morning with winds NW around 5 to 10 mph. Waves are supposed to be calm this weekend so not much to look forward to there until next week.

As for fishing you can tell that summer is just around the corner. We are continuing to get reports of blue fish getting caught off the piers and this morning Nags Head pier was reporting some dogfish catches and the Outer Banks pier was reeling in some sea mullet. Offshore fishing is still going strong with reports of tuna and even some cobia moving into the area.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Enjoy!