HATTERAS VILLAGE, NC — Hurricanes are nothing new for Outer Banks residents, but the National Weather Service is expecting an above average storm season and with the Dare County Department of Emergency Management, are hosting Hurricane Preparedness Forums around OBX.
"We are the most impacted stretch of coastline in the entire United States. ...We're especially concerned with this upcoming season. We really tell people each and every year they should prepare no matter what. But when you see 85%, we're kind of waving our hands and saying really need to pay attention to the season," said Erik Helend, warning coordination meteorologist for NWS Newport/Morehead City.
Watch: NWS hurricane preparedness forums coming to the Outer Banks
More than 30 Hatteras residents piled into the Avon Volunteer Fire Department for the forum Tuesday afternoon. Most attendees have lived on the island for decades, but a handful of newer residents joined the forum.
“Hatteras Island is at the top in terms of vulnerability. We're on an island, we're susceptible to storms, we've had bad storms in the past. So that's why we're really trying to increase that awareness," said Heden.
Hurricane season is every year from May to October, but the peak of it is usually in September. The NWS and Dare County Department of Emergency Management want residents to know exactly how they should be preparing.
Watch: Start prepping now for North Carolina hurricane season, officials say
"Disaster preparedness kit, the supplies that they need to protect, take care of their family, their pets, their loved ones, from canned foods, water, medicines, everything they need, that will they sustain themselves without help for three to seven days and down here, maybe even longer, they may be cut off for a longer period of time," said Drew Pearson, director of Dare County Department of Emergency Management.
The Hatteras area is unique in the fact that there is one road in and out. During a major storm, a mandatory evacuation is possible and the best way to stay safe. During those storms, emergency crews face challenges getting back onto the island.
“The reality is if you're here, and we've had significant impacts, you may be on your own. So, it's a unique, dynamic environment. And people need to heed those warning orders and those evacuation orders," said Pearson.
Watch: Outer Banks prepares for weekend's coastal storm impact
One resident attending has been coming to the Outer Banks for decades, but just moved here full-time in 2023.
“I haven’t lived here during a hurricane and I know they are not something to be taken lightly and I would like to know how I can be better prepared for that," said Leslie Kriewald.
The next Hurricane Preparedness Forum will be held in-person and online at the Dare County Emergency Operations Center in Manteo on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
