The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division announces it will run an amended Pamlico Sound schedule Tuesday to take residents and emergency personnel to Ocracoke.
Hyde County Emergency Management will allow only vehicles with a purple sticker or green sticker entry back onto the island, with purple stickers, emergency personnel, given priority.
Residents with a current valid driver’s license are also allowed. At this time, Hyde County is not allowing non-resident property owners or visitors onto the island.
The Cedar Island-Ocracoke schedule will be as follows:
Departing Cedar Island at 7 a.m., 10, 1 p.m. and 3:30; and
Departing Ocracoke at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30.
The Swan Quarter-Ocracoke schedule will be as follows:
Departing Swan Quarter at 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4:30; and
Departing Ocracoke at 6:30 a.m., 9:30, 12:45 p.m. and 4.
The Stumpy Point-Rodanthe emergency ferry route is currently transporting emergency responders and essential commodities only. According to Dare County Emergency Management, it has not been determined when ferry service will be available for all Hatteras Island residents. However, for those with special medical needs such as vital medical appointments or scheduled surgery, an appointment for special ferry services can be made by calling Dare County Social Services at 252-475-5500 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Currituck-Knotts Island, Southport-Fort Fisher and Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach routes are operating and are open to the public. The Cherry Branch route is experiencing some large debris obstacles in the Neuse River and may at times only run one boat and may not run after dark for safety reasons.
The Bayview-Aurora route is currently not operating due to electrical and structural problems with the ramps. The Hatteras-Ocracoke route will begin operating once sand is cleared off NC 12 from Ocracoke Village to the ferry dock.
Ferry information is available by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 1, or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.