Hurricane Irene Closures at Cape Lookout

Date: August 28, 2011
Contact: Wouter Ketel, 252-728-2250, Ext. 3005
Contact: Jean Schaeppi, 715-491-6809

Harkers Island, NC -The Cape Lookout National Seashore remains closed to all visitors (including overnight guests staying in the cabins and day visitors) and all services are shut down until further notice.

Hurricane Irene made landfall on the island Saturday. All park staff were accounted for by Sunday morning.Park staff and National Park Service staff assisting from other NPS areas began a quick overview of park facilities and the islands on Sunday.The Midwest Incident Management Team has been assisting from Guilford Courthouse National Military Park and began arriving at Cape Lookout on Sunday.

The Cape Lookout lighthouse is standing.All docks appear impacted with varying amounts of damage and should be considered dangerous. Structures have roof and siding damage. Infrastructures, including the back roads, have also sustained damage.In the following days more detailed examinations of island facilities will occur. Once it is known that conditions are safe the park will reopen.

The National Park Service staff will post updates as more information becomes available on the park website at www.nps.gov/calo and via Twitter at twitter.com/CapeLookoutNPS.