The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-10-22
HURRICANE BRINGS HIGH
TIDE TO OCRAcOKE ISLE
Baby Born at Height of Storm
Road Damaged; But Overall
Losses Light

Road Damaged; But Overall
Losses Light
Ocracoke, Oct. 18-Washing-
ton, D. c., Weather Bureau re-
ported that had the northwest
cold wave come a little faster
and sooner, the now famous
Hurricane Hazel would have
struck full force at Cape Hat
teras and Ocracoke. AS it was,
compared with the devastation
wrought on the mainland, Ocra-
coke Jared well indeed.
Old timers say we had the
worst sea tide since 1918. Any
way, the Atlantic Ocean came
rolling across cutting it's way
through to the harbor and Pam
leo Sound wherever it could
find a low spot, and making
deep ravines and gullies along
the concrete highways and un-
dermining the road in many
places, causing a number of
cave-ins. Damage to the roads
is estimated at between eight
and fifteen thousand. At several
points the highway is entirely
impossible Many homes, parti-
cularly those on the east side of
the village, were flooded with
from four to fifteen inches of
water. Fishermen at Wahab Ho-
tel were sloshing around in four
inches of water. One boat was
sunk in the harbor. A jeep was
caught in the surf between Ocra-
coke village and Hatteras, and
pretty much damaged before it
was rescued by4 the coast guard.
During the height of the hurri-
cane, Nurse Kathleen Bragg, was
called out to officiate at the birth
of Phil Monroe Styron, son of
Mr.. and Mrs. Norman Styron.
Several Islanders were caught
away from home. Mr.. an d
Mrs. R. S. Wahab weathered
the hurricane at Beachcomber's
Club, ten miles north of the vii
lage. Irwin Garrish made it back
as far as Hatteras with a truck
load of goods, but was forced to
bring the goods from there down
by boat on Sunday, due to the
condition of the beach between
Hatteras Inlet and Oeracoke
Village.
Many sportsfishermen wer e
marooned on Ocracoke an d
could not heed the coast guard
warning to tourists: Get out of
the low places and stay out"
One Salem group left
Thursday afternoon by truck,
but were rumored to have reach
ed only Hatteras Island. Many
left after the storm on the
Ocracoke-Atla mailboat, on
ly to discover that they could
not get their cars out of Atlantic
to Beaufort due to the fact that
North River Bridge had been
washed out Others coming in on
the Saturday afternoon boat re-
ported that they had left their
cars on the other side of the
North River and come across in
a small motor boat and thence
by hired taxi to Atlantic.
Everything was back TO nor
NAL, except the village high
ways, on Saturdays. Capt. Thur
ston Gaskill's party brought in
thirteen big channel bass from
Ocracoke Inlet and fishing has
continued good since then.
Hurricane Carol had flooded a
good many homes, but Hazel
flooded still more. Water at the
schoolhoLse was just below floor
level. Otd-tiners also say that it
was lucky the storm hit from the
southeast; had it struck, as did
the 194i hurricane, from the
northwest, the Island "'ould
have really been Inundated. Ex-
perienciag as it has the brunt of
many tropical storms, Ocra-
cookers are thankful that this enc
was more merciful. At the same
time they can fully sympathize
with those on the mainland who
suffered its fury
See OCRACOkE, Page Five