NPS Facilities and Beaches Prepare for Hurricane Irene

Date: August 24, 2011

The National Weather Service is predicting that the effects of Hurricane Irene will impact the Outer Banks Group units, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial, by Friday, August 26, 2011 with storm conditions continuing through Sunday, August 28, 2011.

In anticipation of this weather event, all NPS Campgrounds, Ocracoke, Frisco, Cape Point and Oregon Inlet, will close at noon today, Wednesday, August 24, 2011.The Ocracoke Campground reservation system has been temporarily suspended.The Silver Lake Marina NPS docks will close at noon today, Wednesday, August 24, 2011.The Ocracoke Visitor Center, Hatteras Island, Bodie Island and Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh Visitor Centers will remain open until close of business today, Wednesday, August 24, 2011, then will remain closed until further notice.Previously scheduled evening programs for August 24 are cancelled.Lifeguard beach operations at Ocracoke, Buxton, and Coquina Beach will close at 5:00 p.m. today, Wednesday, August 24, 2011 until further notice.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse will close at 6:00 p.m. today, Wednesday, August 24^th until further notice. All park special programs scheduled for Founder's Day, Thursday, August 25^th, have been cancelled.Regularly scheduled Fall Interpretive programming will resume after the storm passes the area.

The Flags Over Hatteras event, scheduled for August 25-28, has been postponed until further notice due to the threat of Hurricane Irene.

In preparation for the storm, Ocracoke beaches will be closed to off-road vehicles by 6:00 p.m. today, Wednesday, August 24^th; all other beaches in the National Seashore will close to off-road vehicles by 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 25^th.

For more information, listen to NOAA weather radio and local radio and media for updates and advisories.