Hatteras Island residents waiting at the emergency ferry terminal in Stumpy Point on Monday afternoon expressed both appreciation for the route and staff and frustration that a more permanent road solution is not underway.

Dare County announced Tuesday that entry to Hatteras Island would expand at 7 a.m. on Wednesday to include Priority Three individuals (non-resident property owners and non-resident employees of non-critical businesses), and then on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7 a.m., all entry restrictions would be terminated, meaning visitors will be able to gain access to the island for the first time in a week.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) launched emergency ferry routes beginning Sunday morning between Rodanthe and Stumpy Point in Dare County, with an increased number of routes run starting Monday, as roadway access to the island remains unavailable following a strong multiday nor’easter.

Atlantic Ocean overwash on N.C. Highway 12 on Pea Island damaged part of the roadway, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) closed the road early Thursday morning between the Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe, as a nor’easter continues to affect the Outer Banks.