Key Information:
- The Village rescinded its State of Emergency declaration effective 5:00 p.m. today (October 2).
- Update on Village’s Response (pumping, mosquito control)
- The swimming advisory is still in effect.
- Southport remains congested at times, suggested routes, impact on employees.
- Submit any questions you have about the Village’s storm response.
State of Emergency
The Village of Bald Head Island rescinded its State of Emergency declaration effective 5:00 p.m. today (10/2). All but four sewer customers have had sewer service restored to their homes due to water receding around grinder pumps. However, the flows to the wastewater treatment plant are still elevated and the Village is investigating the source via smoke testing and other measures.
Update on Village Response
The Village has been pumping stormwater off the island for 16 days. The Village is now pumping at several locations to keep some of the secondary roads clear of ponding and Edward Teach Extension as needed. We will keep the pumps in place for a while longer in case we receive another tropical system over the coming weeks.
Mosquito control has been in effect since the Village’s storm response began. Public Works has been treating using several methods (spraying, mineral oil, residual bricks).
Swimming Advisory
There is still a swimming advisory in effect for BHI. As long as the stormwater is being pumped into the waterways, the potential for bacterial pollution is present.
Southport Traffic
Traffic remains congested in Southport at times. The City of Southport and others have been working with NCDOT to minimize the congestion as there is still only one way in and one way out of Southport. View this MAP for suggested routes.
The traffic is impacting commute times for many, particularly in the afternoon/evening hours. Some Village employees are on staggered on-island/remote schedules. For the remainder of this week, the Department of Public Safety administrative office is open between 10 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
According to NCDOT, the Route 211 bridges will be repaired by then end of the month (Duke Canal by 10/18 and Dutchman’s Creek by 10/31).
Questions on Storm Response
If you have any questions about the Village’s storm response, please email your questions to public.information@villagebhi.org. We are putting together a Q&A document and will be reporting on our own post-storm action review which we typically do following an event.