Helene Update #1

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Severe Weather Update #11

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  • Ferries are running today (9/21) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Still no tram service.
  • The Village remains under a State of Emergency, as does Brunswick County and the City of Southport. Traveling to BHI is not advised.  
  • Update on recovery – grinder pumps, stormwater pumping, road conditions.
  • Hazards – swimming advisory, mosquitos, flood water.
  • GFL will be picking up household trash today, Saturday (9/21).
  • The IPC/PO is open today (9/21) from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Useful links.
  • Please check our social media and/or media webpage for more frequent updates.

Ferry Service & Trams

BHI Transportation, Inc. is running the ferries again today. They started at 10:00 a.m. from Deep Point and the final departure from BHI is at 5:30 p.m. Tram service remains suspended due to the conditions of the island’s roads. As a reminder, the Department of Public Safety does not provide personal transport to the marina.  Please continue to check the BHIT website or app for updates.

State of Emergency

The Village of Bald Head Island remains under a State of Emergency. The Village is recommending that visitors not travel to the island at this time.  There are still many roads closed in the area. You can view the road conditions for the entire County, including Bald Head Island HERE it is being updated as conditions improve.

NCDOT reopened the Fort Fisher Ferry on Thursday. The ferry is essential for ongoing emergency response effort as it provides critical access to Southport. NCDOT is asking that unless your needs are urgent, please refrain from using the ferry to allow a faster recovery.

Updates on Recovery

Grinder Pumps

The Village will not be shutting off more grinder pumps through the weekend as previously stated.  HERE is a link to the final list.

A few items as we continue to receive questions:

  • Some see their neighbors on the list and are wondering why they aren’t on it and are unsure if the sewer service is on.  If there is a doubt, assume it’s off.  You should not stay in your home or allow visitors there. 
  • The crews are very busy working the grinder pumps and servicing the lift stations in the impacted areas. We may not be able to respond to all inquiries about individual properties, be patient.  Again, if there is a doubt, assume your service is out.
  • The Village will turn on grinder pumps as stormwater recedes and the equipment is serviceable. There is no need to contact Village Utilities to have a grinder pump turned back on we will restore service to islanders as quickly and efficiently as possible.
  • You should not be living in a home that does not have an operating grinder pump.  Please check the list before you make your way or send someone to the island. 

Stormwater Pumping

Both 10-inch pumps have been pushing stormwater off the island at the ocean outfalls since 6:00 p.m. Tuesday (9/17). The BHI Club and the Village continue to coordinate to push water through lagoon bypass and outfall at BHI Creek.  

Please be patient as we continue to pump water off the island to lower the water table which will allow the rainwater to percolate into the sandy soil. This is key to getting the low spots with deep pools of rainwater to recede.

We are now on day 5 of post-storm recovery.  During Hurricane Florence it took 3 weeks to get the water off the island.

We are keeping an eye on the two disturbances in the Atlantic currently forecast to approach the Gulf of Mexico next week. Possible back-to-back events are another reason to pump stormwater off the island.

Road Conditions

The Village is still updating the road conditions through the Brunswick County Emergency Operations Center so they can be shown on the County-wide Road Conditions and Closures map. You can view the map HERE.  Our list of impassible/inaccessible roads is being updated regularly and can be viewed HERE (update coming soon – we’ll push it out on social media and media webpage).

As roads are being cleared of water, Public Works will be coming behind to sweep the roads of debris (this will proceed on Monday).

Hazards

  • There is still a swimming advisory in effect. 
  • Mosquito spraying began Thursday. Not all mosquitos carry diseases, but since there is a possibility, they could, this measure is taken to protect the public’s health.  HERE are a few tips for mosquito bite prevention
  • Contact with flood water can be hazardous because there may be contamination, potentially causing illness. Please use extra caution. There may also be wildlife displaced by the flooding. HERE is more information and tips on what to do if you come in contact with flood water.

Trash Pickup

The Village’s contractor, GFL will be picking up household trash today (9/21). Please make sure you put out your YES sign if you have waste in your bins.

Village Services

The Island Package Center and Post Office will be open today (9/21) from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. USPS mail and packages will be available for pick up and any packages that arrived at the IPC before the storm. Check the package tracker (HERE) to determine if your packages made it there.

We expect to re-open Village offices on Monday, September 23.  There is a Village Council Meeting scheduled for Monday at 10:00 a.m. at the Department of Public Safety Multi-Purpose Room (agenda/Zoom link).

Helpful Links

Updates on Social Media & Webpage

Continue to check our social media and/or media webpage for more frequent updates We aim to provide an email blast update every morning and evening as we recover from this event.

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