The Stormy Outer Banks

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is one of the darkest areas on the east coast and only a short 5 hour drive for me. I've started spending a bit of time out there trying to capture nightscapes. Since this past week was fall break for the kids I decided to rent a house and stay a few days. It would give me a chance to explore a bit and shoot some sunrises and sunset as well.

Hurricane Ian or the low that followed him had other ideas. Sunday I was able to capture a decent sunset in Buxton but by Monday morning the rain and wind had set in. All of our plans to spend some time on the water and enjoy the OBX without all the crowds quickly went away.

Always ready to make the best of a situation we did get out and explore a little and even managed to get some shots. Monday afternoon, when conditions were at their worst, we were out at Oregon Inlet Life Saving Station and Ramp 27 photographing the GA Kohler. You could kind of see a little bit of what it must have been like a century or more ago as a surfman manning the station or a survivor struggling to find shelter in the dunes.

Monday night was one of those uniquely Outer Banks experiences. The roads in the neighborhood were flooded, water was rising under the house, 12 South was closed and ferry service had been suspended. You don't really think about being on an island until you can't get off.

Our trip didn't go quite as planned but that's life on the OBX. We'll be back out next month to hopefully do a bit of fishing, fingers crossed for clear skies and calm seas.

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