Helene Update #1

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Severe Weather Update #13

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  • Bald Head Island Transportation, Inc. resumed its normal ferry service schedule and tram service this morning (9/22) at 6:00 a.m.
  • The Village remains under a State of Emergency – ICE restriction has been lifted. There are still homes without sewer service and those homes shall not be occupied.
  • Update on recovery – grinder pumps, stormwater pumping, road conditions.
  • Village offices will re-open tomorrow on the normal schedule.
  • Hazards – swimming advisory, mosquitos, flood water.
  • Brunswick County is Encouraging Businesses to Submit Damage Information
  • Useful links.
  • Please check our social media and/or media webpage for updates.

Ferry Service & Trams

Below is the latest announcement from BHI Transportation, Inc.:

RESUMING NORMAL SERVICE SCHEDULE – SUNDAY 9/22/24: The ferry will resume its normal service schedule and boarding procedures (reservations and general boarding) beginning with the 6:00 AM departure from Deep Point on Sunday 9/22/24. TRAM SERVICE IS AVAILABLE for those with tram service added to their ferry reservation. Please be aware, some access roads on the island remain impassable by our trams. Trams will deliver you as close to your designated address as possible, but in some instances, you may have to walk the remainder of the way to your residence/rental. Thank you for your patience as the island and surrounding communities recovered from the storm.

State of Emergency

The Village of Bald Head Island remains under a State of Emergency. The Village is still working to pump stormwater off the roads. Slightly less than 130 homes are without sewer service. Property owners are advised that these homes shall not be occupied.

The Village amended a section of its State of Emergency (Section 3. LIMITED ACCESS) to begin allowing ICE vehicles to come to the island beginning tomorrow (9/23).

There are still 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.  The Village is also updating its list of impassible/inaccessible roads, view HERE.

NCDOT reopened the Fort Fisher Ferry on Thursday. 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

Village Utilities continues to keep track of the flow to the wastewater plant since there are still submerged grinder pumps out there.  A submerged grinder pump will continuously send stormwater to the wastewater plant which can possibly overwhelm the capacity of the plant, causing a much larger issue.  Shutting them off reduces the pressure on the plant. When stormwaters recede, the grinder pumps can be turned back on, but it can be a lengthy process.  Once one is shut off, Village Utilities must check the lift station to make sure that it is operable and not still pushing stormwater into the system. 

HERE is the updated list of homes that still have inoperable grinder pumps.  The list was sent via CodeRED at 6:30 PM this evening.  About 4 grinder pumps were turned off and 6 were turned back so far today. We still have some technicians in the field tonight.  If the home is crossed off the grinder pump is determined operable and was left on. The home can now be occupied.

We will continue to provide updates via CodeRed and on the Village Utilities webpage.

A few items as we continue to receive questions:

  • 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 most recent lists 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 the 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 remaining low spots with deep pools of rainwater to recede.

The Village plans on pumping stormwater off the island until further notice.

We are on day 6 of post-storm recovery.  During Hurricane Florence, it took 3 weeks to get the water off the island.

We continue to keep an eye on disturbances that could impact our area later this week. The possibility of more heavy rainfall is a concern.

We often share US National Weather Service Wilmington Office’s social media posts and encourage folks to follow for severe weather updates (Facebook/X/Instagram/Website). NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center is another good source for tracking disturbances (Facebook/X/Website).

Road Conditions

Roads continue to improve on the island.  Most of the main roads are passable. There are a few high-traffic spots that are still not passable:

  • The westbound lane of Federal Road at Kinnakeet is closed due to high water. Folks going westbound should take South Bald Head Wynd. Federal Road is open to eastbound traffic only (see area map). We are hoping to re-open this area tomorrow.
  • A section of West Bald Head Wynd from Horsemint Trail to Cape Fear Trail south entrance is impassable, there are barricades (see area map).
  • A stretch of Stede Bonnet is impassable (south of Earl of Craven toward S Bald Head Wynd).
  • A stretch of Edward Teach is impassible (near golf cart crossing).

HERE is the Village’s latest list of impassible/inaccessible roads.

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.

Village Offices will Reopen Tomorrow

Village offices (Village Hall, Public Safety Administration, Island Package Center & Post Office) will re-open tomorrow on normal schedules.

Businesses Encouraged to Submit Damage Information

From Brunswick County’s 9/22/2024 2 p.m. update:

Brunswick County is assisting North Carolina Emergency Management in gathering information from businesses that experienced either physical damages and/or financial/economic damages due to PTC #8. This survey is for businesses only. Residential property owners that experienced damages are encouraged to take photos and notes for possible state or federal assistance opportunities should they become available for our area in the future.

Business owners or managers can click here to take the survey. The deadline to submit has been extended to Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 12 p.m.

Helpful Links

Updates on Social Media & Webpage

Continue to check our social media and/or media webpage for updates.  We have transitioned to one email announcement per day for the remainder of our response to PTC #8.  We will still be utilizing the CodeRed notification system for updates from Village Utilities. 

Publication of the monthly Village’s Voice e-newsletter is postponed.

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