The late September nor’ easter that smashed into the Outer Banks and isolated Hatteras Island triggered the first activation of emergency ferry service since 2013, when the then Bonner Bridge was closed due to severe sand scour and erosion around its support pilings. On Monday, Oct. 12, NCDOT released the final figures on how busy that route was between Sept. 27-30. Here’s the information.

September 30 to October 7, 2026

By Loring Spencer | Outer Banks Voice
Robin and Kevin Carey are selling Outer Barks, their dog-supply shop with an in-house bakery for canine customers. But they’re not abandoning the dog-loving community they’ve spent nearly three decades bringing together.

This week in the Meeting Room, October 12-16 • Dare County Board of Education • Duck Planning Board • Kill Devil Hills Commissioners • Kill Devil Hills Planning Board • Kitty Hawk Planning Board • Manteo Planning Board • League of Women Voters of Dare County Ed Board candidate forum • Waterways Commission Meeting.

The expansion of drug recovery courts in northeastern North Carolina reached another milestone when the first session of the Pasquotank County Recovery Court convened on Oct. 6.

On the same day Dare County kicks off three community meetings on the proposed sales tax increase on the November ballot, Currituck County has released a message making the case for approving a similar referendum there.

The first of three Dare County community meetings on the Nov. 3 sales tax referendum will be held on Monday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at the Fessenden Center, 46830 N.C. Highway 12, Buxton. That will be followed by a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Lions Club Center, 1000 Westcott Park Road, Manteo. One day later, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, the last meeting will be held at the Dare County Youth Center, 602 Mustian Street, Kill Devil Hills.

After assessing input gathered through five community meetings and a county-wide survey, Currituck County reports that “residents consistently raised concerns about the relationship between residential growth, infrastructure capacity and the preservation of community character.”

September 23 to September 29, 2026

Listings to this week’s meetings include • Dare County Board of Commissioners • Hatteras Island Community Meeting: Learn More About the Sales Tax Referendum • Roanoke Island/Mainland Community Meeting: Learn More About the Sales Tax Referendum • Northern Beach Division Community Meeting: Learn More About the Sales Tax Referendum • Dare County Planning Board • Duck Town Council • Kitty Hawk Town Council • Nags Head Board of Commissioners • Manteo Board of Commissioners • Southern Shores Town Council • Currituck County Board of Commissioners. • The Public is invited to a Town Hall Meeting about HWY 12.

On Friday, Oct. 2, NCDOT provided this update on its ongoing work on NC12 in the wake of the nor’easter that slammed into the OBX last week.

Dare County's State of Emergency for Hatteras Island remains in effect
This is the most recent update from Dare County, released on Thursday, Oct. 1, regarding the situation on Hatteras Island. Here are the key messages.