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Is Ocracoke lighthouse on the Outer Banks moving? Officials weigh preservation options

The Ocracoke Light Station has been guiding ships off North Carolina’s Outer Banks for two centuries, serving as both an icon and a safe haven for residents throughout its long history.

But powerful storms and rising sea levels threaten the future of the lighthouse, the smallest but oldest of seven on the Outer Banks.

Park officials are weighing how best to preserve the historic site, including potentially moving it to higher ground. Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which manages the nearly 200-year-old lighthouse and its surrounding buildings, has invited the public’s input on preservation options until May 28.

“We’re putting everything on the table,” Dave Hallac, superintendent of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, told the Virginian-Pilot.

Why is the Ocracoke Lighthouse in peril?

Ocracoke Island — which is home to fewer than 1,000 year-round residents — was battered by by Hurricanes Matthew, Florence and Dorian between 2017 and 2019.

Flood levels the likes of which longtime residents had never seen reached a historic peak after Dorian struck in September 2019.

The only way on or off the island is by ferry, and it took months to recover. The lighthouse was no exception: Hallac said “the entire property was completely underwater” after Dorian, The Island Free Press reported.

According to the Ocracoke Observer, the keepers’ house — a duplex on the historic site designed for the families of the lighthouse keeper and an assistant — still hasn’t been repaired.

Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department chief Albert O’Neal, in blue shirt, boats down Sunset Drive on his way to seek out islanders stranded in their flooded homes in the aftermath of Hurricane. Dorian Friday, Sept. 6, 2019 on Ocracoke Island, N.C.
Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department chief Albert O’Neal, in blue shirt, boats down Sunset Drive on his way to seek out islanders stranded in their flooded homes in the aftermath of Hurricane. Dorian Friday, Sept. 6, 2019 on Ocracoke Island, N.C.

Rising sea levels on the coast also pose a significant threat. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted water levels on Ocracoke alone could rise an additional 2 feet in the next 30 years, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Park officials said they believe those waters will overtake the light station “at some time in the future.”

“The writing is on the wall, the tides keep getting higher,” said Amy Howard, manager of the Village Craftsman in the Ocracoke community and chairperson of the Ocracoke Tourism Development Authority, according to the newspaper.

Ocean waves flow over N.C. 12 on the Outer Banks Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 after Hurricane Dorian washed over several sections of the highway.
Ocean waves flow over N.C. 12 on the Outer Banks Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 after Hurricane Dorian washed over several sections of the highway.

What are the preservation options?

Park officials have outlined four potential options to ensure the Ocracoke lighthouse remains open for visitors.

Repair the existing storm damage and preserve the site as is.

Repair the storm damage, replace existing concrete at the lighthouse and elevate the surrounding structures — except the lighthouse itself.

Rehabilitate the entire site to its original 1823 design, including redoing the keepers’ quarters. Under this plan, park officials said all structures except for the lighthouse would be elevated, the original stone foundation at the lighthouse would be exposed, and the metal staircase inside the light station would be replaced with a wooden staircase.

Relocate the lighthouse and the keepers’ quarters to a “more storm- and flood- resistant location on Ocracoke Island.”

During a May 10 meeting, Hallac cautioned the specifics of potentially moving the site weren’t yet known.

“We’re in the very early phases of the project, so the idea of moving the lighthouse is just that – an idea,” he said, The Island Free Press reported.

At a previous meeting, the grandson of Ocracoke’s second to last lightkeeper said he’d rather see the grounds repaired and left as is, according to the Ocracoke Observer.

About the Ocracoke light station

The Ocracoke lighthouse was built on a two-acre plot at the south end of island in 1823, according to the park service. It was accompanied by a one-bedroom light keeper’s cottage and stands about 75 feet fall.

An assistant keeper position was later established, and the living quarters were expanded to house the second keeper and his family. Along with the double keepers’ quarters, the grounds include a carpenter’s shop, store house, cisterns, privy, oil house and generator house.

The light keeper job went away when the lighthouse became fully automated. Its light is now operated by the U.S. Coast Guard.

When Ocracoke was hit by the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, The Ocracoke Observer reported many of the island’s residents “fled to the lighthouse for safety.” During the May 10 meeting, a current resident called it “the heartbeat of the community” and “the one constant thing we have.”

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