Beaches closed on Hatteras Island as locals buckle up for Hurricane Erin
WRAL, NEWS LIVE IN WILMINGTON.
OH, PULLING FOR THAT 4TH
FIREFIGHTER, THANK YOU TO
HEIDI. WE ARE ALMOST AN HOUR
INTO HIGH TIDE ON THE OUTER
BANKS. HERE'S A LIVE LOOK AT
HATTERAS NOW. YOU CAN SEE THE
WAVES ARE REALLY GOING HERE.
>> MANDATORY EVACUATIONS ARE
UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW WITH SO MANY
PEOPLE HEADING INLAND TODAY.
WRAL'S SEAN GALLAGHER IS NEAR
JEANNETTE'S UP HERE IN NAGS
HEAD. I SHOULD MENTION THERE IS
NO MANDATORY EVACUATION.
THEIR SHINY BEEN THERE NOW FOR
A COUPLE OF DAYS. THINGS LOOK
A LOT DIFFERENT. JUST 24 HOURS.
>> YEAH, ASHLEIGH, THE WATER'S
A LOT ROUGHER HERE. BUT YOU CAN
SEE HERE BEHIND ME, PEOPLE
TRYING TO SOAK UP THE LAST BIT
OF SUN BEFORE AARON REALLY
MAKES MORE OF AN IMPACT HERE.
BUT NOT REALLY ANYBODY IN THE
WATER HEEDING THOSE WARNINGS AS
THE SURF IS EXTREMELY ROUGH OUT
THERE. BUT A MUCH DIFFERENT
STORY TO THE SOUTH OF HERE
WHERE ALMOST ALL TOURISTS AND
RESIDENTS ARE GONE FROM
HATTERAS ISLAND THERE UNDER
THAT MANDATORY EVACUATION.
BUT WE CAUGHT UP WITH A FEW
LOCAL SEARCH CHOOSING TO RIDE
THIS OUT AGAINST THE ADVICE
OF LOCAL OFFICIALS.
>> CREWS ARE USING ALL THE TIME
THEY CAN TO TRY TO PREPARE THE
OUTER BANKS FOR WHAT'S TO COME
PILING SAND ON TOP OF THE DUNES
AS VEHICLES PASS BEHIND THAT,
SOME OF THE LAST TO GET OUT
OF TOWN. I LIKE IT. WE'RE NOT
TRYING TO FEAR MONGER PLAYING
ANY OF THAT. BUT
>> IN OTHER TALKING ABOUT WAGE
THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS
PLACE IS EVEN SEEN BEFORE IN
ITS OWN. ROOSEVELT WAS FULLY
AWARE OF HOW DANGEROUS THIS
COULD BE. HE MANAGES THE BLACK
DRUM TACKLE SHOP IN BUXTON.
THIS ONE'S GOING TO BE
DIFFERENT, THOUGH. IT'S WHY
LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE SENDING
SUCH SERIOUS MESSAGING.
>> I KNOW MANY WHO LIVE ON
HATTERAS ISLAND FEEL THEY CAN
RIDE OUT THE STORM. BUT
EVERYONE'S DIFFERENT.
>> BUT JASON IS NOT GOING
ANYWHERE NEAR STAY. WHY?
WE'RE GOING TO GO, YOU KNOW,
EVERYTHING I OWN IS IN MY
HOUSE, MY TINY HOME MILO CABIN.
>> AND MCCALL, WE'RE HERE.
I CAN LEAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, GO
DOWN MY SHIP.
>> JUST UP THE ROAD. IT'S A
SIMILAR RESPONSE. MY MOTHER
AND FATHER STARTED IN 1955,
THE OUTER BANKS VOTE ELSE.
IT'S ALMOST AS CLOSE TO THE
WATER AS YOU CAN GET. WE HAD
FOR YEARS THAT EXTEND OUT FROM
THAT BUILDING.
>> STRAIGHT OUT.
>> SO I MEAN, OUR UNITS WHERE
>> WELL, WELL OUT IN THE WHERE
THE WATER IS, WHAT THEY'RE
PROJECTING RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW,
IF TEAMS, 20 FOOT WAVES AND HOW
CLOSE WE ARE TO BE TREATED OR
BUS. WE DON'T GET OUR LOCAL.
IT'S JUST PART OF IT. IT'S PART
OF LIVING THERE. I MEAN, I'M
I'M CONCERNED WHEN WRONG.
PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE HOW STRONG
RHETORIC.
I REALLY DOUBT. THAT'S JUST THE
WAY WAY IS THE WAY LIFE.
>> BUT THE WAVES OF LIFE MAY
CHANGE THAT IN THE NEXT.
24 TO 48 HOURS.
NOW, THOSE LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE
URGING EVERYONE TO STAY OUT OF
THE WATER TO THE POINT THAT THE
HATTERAS ISLAND RESCUE SQUAD
IS NOT RESPONDING TO EVERY
SINGLE CALL. THEY'VE ENDED
THEIR REGULAR PATROLS AND SAY
THEY WILL GO OUT ON A
CASE-BY-CASE WATER, SO ROUGH
THAT EVEN THE PROFESSIONALS
DON'T WANT TO BE OUT THERE
RIGHT NOW.