RALEIGH, N.C. — Officials were assessing damage, aiding those affected by Dorian, and reopening closed roads Saturday as the storm finally moved away from the U.S. Meanwhile, Gov. Roy Cooper and others Saturday surveyed damage in the Outer Banks and Carteret County. 

Major Gen. Jim Ernst said the North Carolina National Guard had already flown half a dozen missions to Ocracoke Island, which was inundated by Hurricane Dorian's storm surge.

The missions included airlifting a 79-year-old man who suffered a medical emergency. Department of Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon said officials are working to reestablish ferry service to the island as quickly as possible.

As of Sunday afternoon, Priority Three reentry has begun for areas north of Oregon Inlet in Dare County. That includes nonresident property owners and employees of non-critical businesses. Those people must have a valid reentry permit. Unrestricted access will begin Sunday at 4 p.m.

For areas south of Oregon Inlet (Hatteras Island), Priority Two reentry has also begun. That includes permanent residents and essential personnel for critical businesses. Those people must have a valid North Carolina driver’s license or government-issued ID with a Hatteras Island address. 

Priority Three reentry will become effective for Hatteras on Sunday at noon.

 

 

All Dare County schools will be closed on Monday, September 9.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and the Wright Brothers National Memorial remain closed, including trails.

Ocracoke residents will reportedly be allowed reentry on Monday. Those seeking to reenter must have a green reentry pass or a Hatteras priority boarding pass on their vehicle.

Cooper said during a news conference Saturday afternoon that there were two Dorian-related deaths.

Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said the state is beginning to demobilize unneeded resources. He said the state's damage assessment plan has been finalized and that damage assessments will begin Saturday morning.

The North Carolina Electric Cooperatives are saying less than 4,500 members are powerless. That's down from 94,000 at its peak Friday morning.

Officials are saying the remaining outages are in the hardest hit areas, including Dare, Beaufort, and Hyde Counties. Crews are continuing to work until power is restored to all members.

Dorian officially became Post-Tropical Cyclone Dorian late Saturday afternoon as it sped away from the U.S. and past Canada. As of the 5 p.m. advisory, Dorian was 170 miles east-southeast of Eastport, Maine, heading northeast at 30 mph. It's expected to weaken fom its 100 mph sustained winds over the next couple of days and drop below hurricane strength by Sunday morning.

Trogdon said many of the state's road closures are due to downed trees blocking roadways. He said NCDOT crews are working to remove the debris and reopen the roads. He said drivers should be cautious when driving on newly reopened roads.

DAMAGE ACROSS THE COAST

Spectrum News reporter Evan Sery learned from NOAA that the agency is "very certain" a tornado tore through parts of Wilson County Thursday night. On Friday, the National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-0 tornado touched down in Mar-Mac and that an EF-1 tornado happened in Saratoga.

At one home, a tree was uprooted and another snapped and fell on a vehicle. In Mar-Mac, a vehicle was tossed several yards. Numerous hardwood trees were uprooted.

A weak EF-0 tornado briefly touched down Friday afternoon in Smithfield. At least one home was damaged, and several tree limbs were snapped.

Meanwhile, neighbors in Oak Island said they're happy the area didn’t see much damage compared with Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Back then, parts of the old pier were washed away, and it took a couple of years and millions of dollars to rebuild it with metal slates to better stand the wind and waves. The pier fared well against Dorian as well as four miles of sand dunes that were a part of the renourishment project.

And in Emerald Isle, sections of roadway near the Boardwalk RV Park will remain closed as crews secure tornado related debris. Contractors are scheduled to begin debris removal, from the public right of way only, on Monday.

There were still downed cable and phone lines in some areas of Atlantic Beach, although the town curfew has been lifted. The city deployed stormwater pumps throughout town and many of its streets.

Off Ocracoke Island, air evacuations were needed.

"Due to the conditions on Ocracoke Island, we are dispatching air transportation units to help evacuate residents that need to leave," Hyde County officials said Friday afternoon.

The air units took residents to Dare County, where there's a shelter. Priority was being given to seniors, anyone with medical needs, or those who have other special circumstances.

Hurriance Dorian made U.S. landfall over Cape Hatteras, North Carolina at 8:35 a.m. Friday.