Category: Lou’s Views

12 – News & Views

Lou’s Views
News & Views / December Edition

Calendar of Events 

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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Discover a wide range of things to do in the Brunswick Islands for an experience that goes beyond the beach.
For more information » click here.

Calendar of Events Island

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The Chapel Choir Christmas Musical Performance
The Holden Beach Choir is preparing for its fifth annual Christmas concert with a live orchestra. On Sunday December 21st at 7:00pm, the choir will present the musical  In Adoration of the King of Kings, accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra.

A couple dancing joyfully against a city skyline.Shag Lessons
The Town of Holden Beach is taking an interest list for beginner shag lessons running for six weeks,  January 8th – February 12th. The class will be held at Town Hall at 6:00 p.m. The cost is $60 per person for residents and $70 per person for non-residents. Chuck Boney and Sandy Boney will be the instructors. 

Email Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com if you are interested.

Parks & Recreation / Programs & Events
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Reminders

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.News from Town of Holden Beach
The town sends out emails of events, news, agendas, notifications, and emergency information. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please go to their web site to complete your subscription to the Holden Beach E-Newsletter.
For more information » click here

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Paid Parking

Paid parking in Holden Beach
Paid parking will be enforced from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily with free parking before and after that time. All parking will use license plates for verification.

Rates
Parking rates for a single vehicle in all designated areas will be:

$5 per hour for up to four hours
$20 per day for any duration greater than four hours
$80 per week for seven consecutive days

Handicap Parking
A vehicle displaying a handicap license plate and/or hang tag parked in a designated handicap space is free. Any other parking space will require a parking permit via the app.

Annual Passes
Annual permits for the calendar year allow vehicles (this includes low-speed vehicles and trailers) access to designated parking.

$175 for a single vehicle

Passes can be purchased via the app, website or by telephone.

Where to Park
Per ordinance, there is no parking on the streets or rights-of-way except in designated parking spaces identified by Pay-to-Park signs. Click here to view an interactive map. The table with authorized parking can be viewed below.

Citations will be issued for:

      • Parking without an active paid permit in a designated parking area
      • Parking within 40 feet of a street intersection
      • Parking in a crosswalk, sidewalk, or pedestrian access ways
      • Parking blocking a driveway or mailbox
      • Parking facing opposing traffic
      • Parking in a no parking zone, or within right-of-way
      • Parking on any portion of the roadway or travel lane
      • Parking a non-LSV vehicle in an authorized LSV location

How Do I Pay to Park
The Town uses the SurfCAST by Otto Connect Mobile Solution. This is a mobile app downloadable for Apple and Android devices. Download the app today. Users will setup their account, enter their license plate details and pay for parking directly on the app. Alternatively, users can scan the QR Code located on the parking signs to access a secure website.

The Otto Connect customer service team will be available to help via phone and email.

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Solid Waste Pickup Schedule
GFL Environmental change in service, October through May trash pickup will be once a week.

 

Please note:

Trash carts must be at the street by 6:00 a.m. on the pickup day
BAG the trash before putting it in the cart
Carts will be rolled back to the front of the house

GFL Refuse Collection Policy
GFL has recently notified all Brunswick County residents that they will no longer accept extra bags of refuse outside of the collection cart. This is not a new policy but is stricter enforcement of an existing policy. While in the past GFL drivers would at times make exceptions and take additional bags of refuse, the tremendous growth in housing within Brunswick County makes this practice cost prohibitive and causes drivers to fall behind schedule.

Solid Waste Pickup Schedule 

starting October once a week

Recycling 

starting October every other week pick-up

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Yard Waste Service
Yard debris is collected on the second (2nd) and fourth (4th) Fridays during the months of October, November, and December.Yard debris needs to be secured in a biodegradable bag (not plastic) or bundled in a maximum length not to exceed five (5) feet and fifty (50) pounds in weight. Each residence is allowed a total of ten (10) items, which can include a combination of bundles of brush and limbs meeting the required length and weight and/ or biodegradable bags. Picks-ups are not provided for vacant lots or construction sites.

THB Newsletter (12/11/25)
Yard Debris Service
The last yard debris pickup of the year is scheduled for December 26th. 

Curbside Recycling – 2025A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.
GFL Environmental is now offering curbside recycling for Town properties that desire to participate in the service. The service cost per cart is $119.35 annually paid in advance to the Town of Holden Beach. The service consists of a ninety-six (96) gallon cart that is emptied every other week during the months of October – May and weekly during the months of June – September.
Curbside Recycling Application » click here
Curbside Recycling Calendar » click here

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Trash Can Requirements – Rental Properties
GFL Environmental – trash can requirements
Ordinance 07-13, Section 50.08

Rental properties have specific number of trashcans based on number of bedrooms.

* One extra trash can per every 2 bedrooms
..

§ 50.08 RENTAL HOMES.
(A) Rental homes, as defined in Chapter 157, that are rented as part of the summer rental season, are subject to high numbers of guests, resulting in abnormally large volumes of trash. This type of occupancy use presents a significantly higher impact than homes not used for summer rentals. In interest of public health and sanitation and environmental concerns, all rental home shall have a minimum of one trash can per two bedrooms. Homes with an odd number of bedrooms shall round up (for examples one to two bedrooms – one trash can; three to four bedrooms – two trash cans; five – six bedrooms – three trash cans, and the like).

Upon Further Review

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Christmas Trees Recycling
Christmas trees can be recycled to help build sand dunes on the beach. It is a way to build more protection on the shore by using them as a natural and biodegradable sand fencing. The trees are positioned facing downward at a 45-degree angle. Once the trees are laid down, they are left completely exposed except for the tips, which are covered in sand. The needles of the branches catch the sand, and it starts to accumulate until gradually the sand will bury the tree and build up the dunes around them. As the tree biodegrades, it provides nutrients to the other plants and organisms around it.

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What to do with natural Christmas trees after the holidays
Whether it’s for trapping beach sand or grinding it for fresh mulch, consider upcycling that live Christmas tree you’ll be undecorating as the holiday season comes to a close. North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management has released its annual guidelines for using natural Christmas trees as a substitute for traditional sand fending on oceanfront shores. All decorations must be removed before the tree is placed at the toe of the frontal dune or erosion escarpment, according to a division release. The trees should not block public or emergency vehicle accesses to beaches, hinder recreational use of a beach, or be placed on private property. Trees should also not be placed in a way that impedes, traps or otherwise endangers sea turtles, nests or hatchlings when the nesting season returns in a few months. For more information on how to properly use a live tree on oceanfront property, contact the Coastal Area Management Act permitting authority or appropriate Division of Coastal Management district office.

Multiple hundred-dollar bills scattered randomly. Paid parking brought millions to Brunswick beach towns in 2025
After a busy summer, Brunswick County beach towns are seeing how much revenue was brought in from paid parking programs. As the holiday season is in full swing, towns are receiving year-to-date summary presentations on how well their paid parking programs did. Five waterfront towns in Brunswick County charge fees to park using OTTO Connect for their paid parking services. While some only charge the fee on a seasonal basis, one town enforces paid parking throughout the year. The towns combined to bring in more than $3 million. The municipalities of Bald Head Island, Caswell Beach, Southport, Calabash and Shallotte have not implemented paid parking programs. However, Southport considered it in 2025.

Here’s how the Brunswick County communities fared in paid parking revenue for 2025.

Oak Island
Gross revenue: $1,912,712
Total parked vehicles: 166,152
The town of Oak Island generated a total net revenue of $1,313,831 from their paid parking program, according to OTTO Connect CEO Jim Varner’s Nov. 12 presentation. Oak Island has been the only Brunswick County town with paid parking to raise its seasonal permit rate to $225. Oak Island enforces paid parking April 1 through Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Varner suggested the town consider expanding its paid parking season until October. Varner said there was an increase in parking violations in 2025 due to an increase in resident only parking spaces. Parking rates are $5 per hour, $20 per day and $80 per week per vehicle. Residents can purchase up to three resident parking permits for $10 each. Residents can start purchasing 2026 parking permits in Dec. 2025. Visitor permits will become available in Jan. 2026, per the presentation.

Where to park: All on-island public parking spaces will be considered paid parking. Details: https://www.oakislandnc.gov/residents-visitors/parking-information.

Holden Beach
Gross revenue: $1,188,392
Total parked vehicles: 66,659
As of Oct. 8, 2025, the town of Holden Beach has generated a total net revenue of $803,148 from its paid parking program, Varner said on Oct. 21. Varner said he expects the town to make $880,000 by the end of the year. This will be a small bump from the nearly $830,000 made in 2024, per Varner’s presentation. The town of Holden Beach first implemented paid parking in 2022. Originally, the town enacted seasonal paid parking from April 1 to Oct. 31 with rates of $3 per hour, $15 per day, $60 per week, or $125 per year. In 2023 and 2024, the town increased parking rates to $5 per hour, $20 per day, $80 per week and $175 for a single vehicle annual pass and transitioned to year-round paid parking. OTTO Connect counted a total of 66,659 vehicles parked on the island so far this year, a decrease of nearly 81,000 vehicles counted in 2024. Over 26,000 vehicles were counted in parking spaces in June and July alone. Annual parking permits for 2026 are to become available in December 2025. All other permits will become available in January 2026.

Where to park: Holden Beach does not permit parking on streets or rights-of-way, except where designated by signs. Map with parking details is at https://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/HB-Parking/HBParking.

Ocean Isle Beach
Gross revenue: $749,500
Total parked vehicles: 43,694
For its first time charging for parking, Ocean Isle Beach generated a total net revenue of $512,554, according to Varner’s Nov. 10 presentation. “This was probably the exceptionally best first year in a town that we’ve ever had,” Varner said. The town enforces paid parking April 1 through Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking rates are $5 per hour, $20 per day, $80 per week per vehicle and $175 per vehicle for an annual pass. OTTO Connect’s data showed the two most-used parking lots were Town Center Park and Monroe Street. Both parking lots have 30 parking spaces and Otto Connect counted over 6,700 vehicles parked at each lot throughout the paid parking season. “Most residents purchased a visitor permit and were not counted separately,” the presentation noted. Ocean Isle Beach’s paid parking season permits will become available in January 2026, per Varner’s presentation.

Where to park: Any designated parking spot on the island. Designated parking areas are free to park from 5 p.m. to midnight and 6 a.m.-9 a.m. No parking midnight to 6 a.m.

Sunset Beach
Gross revenue: $636,112
Total parked vehicles: 43,438
The town of Sunset Beach also initiated paid parking for the first time in April 2025 and fell close behind Ocean Isle Beach with a net revenue of $445,301, as of Oct. 6, 2025. “Frankly, Sunset Beach broke my model for revenue,” said Varner, noting the town exceeded his revenue expectation by almost $150,000. The town enforces paid parking April 1 through Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking rates are $5 per hour, $20 per day, $80 per week per vehicle and $175 per vehicle for an annual pass. Property owners and residents can pay $25 for up to two vehicles. However, residency is confirmed using specific Brunswick County tax parcel information. Resident permits for the 2026 paid parking season with be available in December 2025 and seasonal parking permits in January 2026, per Varner’s presentation.

Where to park: Information on parking at Sunset Beach can be found at https://sunsetbeachnc.gov.

Varnamtown
The town of Varnamtown also kicked off a paid parking program at its boat ramp in 2025 and has received a net revenue of $1,695, town clerk Sandi Parrish told the StarNews. The town did not have an end of year report detailing the program’s gross income and parking data, Parrish said. Varnamtown started the program at the boat ramp on May 5 and ended it Oct. 15. The town set its parking rates at $20 a day for single vehicles and $40 a day for truck and trailers. Property owners are allowed one free parking permit per season.

During the paid parking season, the parking lot across the road from 32 Fisherman Road is visitor parking and the parking lot at the corner of Fisherman Road and Old River Road is designated for Varnamtown property owners only.
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Corrections & Amplifications

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Zillow Removes Climate Risk Scores From Home Listings
The scores aimed to predict a property’s risk from a fires, floods and storms, but some in the real estate industry as well as homeowners have called them inaccurate.
Zillow, the country’s largest real estate listings site, has quietly removed a feature that showed the risks from extreme weather for more than one million home sale listings on its site. The website began publishing climate risk ratings last year using data from the risk-modeling company First Street. The scores aimed to quantify each home’s risk from floods, wildfires, wind, extreme heat and poor air quality. But real estate agents complained they hurt sales. Some homeowners protested the scores and found there was no way to challenge the ratings. Earlier this month Zillow stopped displaying the scores after complaints from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, which operates a private database funded by real estate brokers and agents. Zillow relies on that listing service and others around the country for its real estate data. The California listing service, one of the largest in the country, raised concerns about the accuracy of First Street’s flood risk models. “Displaying the probability of a specific home flooding this year or within the next five years can have a significant impact on the perceived desirability of that property,” said Art Carter, California Regional Multiple Listing Service’s chief executive officer. In a statement, Zillow spokeswoman Claire Carroll said the company remains committed to providing consumers with information that helps them make informed decisions. Real estate listings on Zillow now display hyperlinks to First Street’s website, and users can click through to view climate risk scores for a specific property. The development highlights a growing tension within the real estate industry. Fires, floods and other disasters are posing more risks to homes as the planet warms, but forecasting exactly which houses are most vulnerable — and might sell for less — has proved fraught. First Street models have shown that millions more properties are at risk of flooding than government estimates suggest. Other real estate sites, including Redfin, Realtor.com, and Homes.com display similar First Street data alongside ratings for factors like walkability, public transportation and school quality. When researchers randomly displayed these flood risk estimates to 18 million people browsing Redfin, those who saw the feature were more likely to search for homes with low flood risk, according to a working paper published in the National Bureau of Economic Research last November. The Redfin experiment, which lasted for three months, affected sales of 8,150 properties that were listed as being at high risk of flooding and reduced their total sales prices by about 1 percent of their value, according to the paper. Zillow’s own research has found that homes with high fire and flood risk scores were less likely to sell than homes with medium or low scores, though it did not attribute the sales trends to the climate risk scores. The California Regional Multiple Listing Service has asked the other large real estate listing platforms to remove certain details about flood risks from their listings. “When we saw entire neighborhoods with a 50 percent probability of the home flooding this year and a 99 percent probability of the home flooding in the next five years, especially in areas that haven’t flooded in the last 40 to 50 years, we grew very suspicious,” Mr. Carter said. In many states, sellers are not required to disclose information about whether a house has flooded recently or if it is vulnerable to wildfires. Other sources of data, like the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood maps, have been criticized for being out of date. “With forward-looking models, we can’t check their outputs against a record, they are necessarily forecasting events that have not yet happened,” said Madison Condon, an associate law professor at Boston University who has studied climate risk. “The First Street models might provide a good enough answer for certain questions or certain hazards,” she said. “But what level of accuracy is good enough changes substantially if the question is about one specific property you are about to spend your life savings on.” In a statement Matthew Eby, First Street’s chief executive said, “Our models are built on transparent, peer-reviewed science and the full methodologies are publicly available for anyone to review on our website.” He added that the company’s models have been validated by major banks, federal agencies, insurers and engineering firms. When Melissa Savenko, a real estate agent, listed a home in Richmond, Va., for sale last summer, she said it immediately sparked interest from buyers in California, who made plans to hop on a plane to see the property. But then the buyers saw the Zillow listing with a flood risk rating of seven out of a maximum risk of 10. They canceled their plans. Ms. Savenko, who knows the neighborhood and sold the same house 15 years earlier, thought the flood risk rating was a mistake. She tried to get Zillow to remove it. “It made no rational, logical sense whatsoever that this one house was tagged with this crazy flood risk and houses around it had a one or a two flood risk,” she said. Zillow does not allow sellers to remove climate risk data upon request. Its competitors Redfin and Realtor.com do.
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What Zillow Won’t Tell You
When Zillow, the country’s largest real estate site, added information to property listings last year disclosing flood, wildfire, heat and air-quality risks, it was following its own research: More than 80 percent of home shoppers consider climate risk in their decisions. The data allowed families to weigh these risks before signing a mortgage. Last month, the scores disappeared from the listings. The real estate brokers and agents behind the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, one of the largest housing databases in the country, had complained about Zillow’s climate scores. Zillow partly depends on C.R.M.L.S. to supply its listings, and it removed them from every home on the site. C.R.M.L.S. and a few homeowners told The Times they questioned the validity of property-level forecasts, and C.R.M.L.S. said it grew “suspicious” when models showed high flood risk in places that hadn’t flooded in decades. But when Fast Company asked the listing service for an example, it pointed to a neighborhood in Huntington Beach — one that, in fact, flooded just recently. Zillow’s climate-risk scores came from First Street, a research firm whose flood and wildfire models have repeatedly outperformed the government maps that many Americans mistakenly assume are definitive. After the Altadena wildfire in January, a Los Angeles Times investigation found that state hazard maps flagged only about 21 percent of the homes that burned. First Street’s models identified 94 percent. C.R.M.L.S.’s real objection to including the data on Zillow is apparently less scientific than financial: Climate-risk scores might lower listing prices, which affect what real estate agents earn. But suppressing verified risk information is dangerous. When buyers can’t see the risks up front, they may take on more exposure than they can afford — homes that become too expensive to insure, with costs families didn’t anticipate, and, worst of all, natural disasters they hadn’t yet thought of in personal terms. Climate change has always been a battle on two fronts: physical and informational. The physical impacts are unmistakable — extreme heat, stronger hurricanes, deadlier wildfires, chronic flooding. But the informational battle has been intense, as well, with decades of deliberate efforts to cast doubt on settled science and remove it from public view. Now the “information war” has come to real estate, where the consequences of unknown risk can be particularly severe. Before Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com started including climate risk information, most people had little way of knowing whether a property would be in harm’s way or not. About a quarter of states have no flood disclosure laws, and the federal government has said its own data is insufficient for fully assessing flood risk. Indeed, over 40 percent of flood-insurance claims made between 2017 and 2019 occurred outside its designated high-risk zones or areas that were not yet mapped, and about 75 percent of U.S. flood maps are outdated. In West Virginia, for example, a staggering 30 percent of properties face major flood risk, according to First Street, and yet sellers are not required to inform buyers about flood history or proximity to a flood zone. This means buyers could learn the truth only after the water rises, and after they’ve signed a 30-year mortgage. In many states, even homes that flood again and again can be patched up and sold to the next unsuspecting family. The financial fallout of all this is growing. Insurance premiums have soared in vulnerable regions like wildfire-prone Colorado — with median premiums up 74 percent since 2020. In some counties around the country, major insurers have withdrawn entirely. Buyers are often blindsided, learning only after closing that their insurance will double, triple or disappear. And as insurance prices rise, home values often fall. In areas like Lafitte, La., home values have dropped by 38 percent since 2020, and it’s becoming harder and harder to sell, The Times found. For home sellers and buyers in such high-risk zones, the difficult reality is that climate risks need to be both conspicuous and priced into listings. Consumers can insist that climate-risk scores return to Zillow, and in the meantime, use the platforms that still provide them, like Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com. Those companies are facing similar pressure from C.R.M.L.S., and hearing from buyers now matters. States can also strengthen disclosure laws so that a home’s flood or wildfire risk isn’t something buyers discover only after a disaster. As Susan Crawford, a climate adaptation scholar and writer, suggests, the government should fully fund a modernized flood mapping program that shows not only today’s risk, but how flooding is expected to change. Finally, real-estate platforms must stop fighting the facts and start preparing people for the dangers that already exist. Climate change is showing up as a material impact on more and more lives. The question now is whether Americans will be allowed to know the truth about it and make informed decisions to protect their financial security.
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Previously reported – October 2024
Zillow will now show climate risk data on home listings
The information is meant to help home buyers assess potential damage from extreme weather.
Potential home buyers are increasingly weighing the environmental threats their homes could face as the effects of climate change intensify across the United States. Eighty percent of buyers now consider climate risks when shopping for a home, according to a 2023 Zillow survey. To help homeowners navigate that uncertainty, Zillow is adding a climate risk threat score to every for-sale listing on its platform. Data from First Street Foundation, a nonprofit that assesses climate risk, will provide home buyers with scores that measure each property’s susceptibility to flood, wildfire, wind, heat and air quality risks. This information will be available on the Zillow app for iOS and website by the end of this year, while Android users will be able to access the data in early 2025, the company said in a release last month. Home buyers will be able to view this data on Zillow in two ways, either by looking at information within individual listings or by checking an interactive, color-coded map. The scores will display each home’s current climate risk, as well as the risk estimates for 15 and 30 years in the future — the most common terms for fixed-rate mortgages. Zillow also plans to offer tailored insurance recommendations to users alongside the risk information. First Street’s climate risk scores are established through models that measure the likelihood of a climate disaster in a given area and then the potential severity of the event, according to Matthew Eby, the company’s founder and chief executive. The company updates its models each year based on the natural disasters that have unfolded, Eby said. “This level of transparency is allowing people to choose the level of risk that they find comforting and then make an informed decision,” Eby said. “Will this change the buying experience? Absolutely.” The Zillow upgrade comes at an uncertain time for home buyers as climate change becomes more extreme. Some of the largest U.S. insurance companies have ended certain disaster protection coverage and raised premiums in response to climate risks, The Washington Post has reported. And more home listings today are affected by major climate risks compared to just five years ago, according to a report from Zillow published last month. Across all new home listings in August 2024, nearly 17 percent were at major risk of wildfire, while nearly 13 percent came with a major risk of flooding, the company said. This information could be especially valuable given that many states don’t require home sellers to disclose past flood or fire damage to potential buyers, even though more than 300,000 Americans moved to disaster-prone counties last year, The Post previously reported. A 2022 Post analysis of extreme flooding events across the country found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood maps fail to fully inform Americans of their flood risks. In a 2022 study published by real estate company Redfin, home buyers who had access to property listings that included flood risk information were less likely to view or bid on high-risk homes. That finding indicated a massive information gap for buyers regarding a home’s climate risk, according to some experts. “The information it provides is beneficial because otherwise, there’s just nothing out there for a home buyer or a renter to learn about the risk that they’re facing,” said Joel Scata, a senior environmental health attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Even if there’s debate over the methods used or the processes used, it’s better than nothing.” It’s difficult to determine the reliability of many climate risk models because the vast majority are not publicly accessible, said Benjamin Keys, a professor of real estate and finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School who has studied the effects of climate-change-fueled disasters on insurance markets. But since the amount of climate-threat information buyers typically have has been “astonishingly low” for years, any improvement would aid transparency in the industry, he added. Climate risk modeling experts are still developing the best possible way to measure the probability of flooding, fires and other natural disasters in any given area, notes Jesse Keenan, a professor of sustainable real estate and urban planning at Tulane University. The data provided from consumer-facing models can be “uneven” depending on where a person is house-hunting, because some risks have been studied more extensively in certain regions than others, he said. “They’re not great,” Keenan said. “Some places they work well, and there’s a lot of places where the uncertainty is greater than the value.” Still, most prospective home buyers will weigh climate risks early in the hunt, and data on these risks can help flag issues they should investigate further, Keenan emphasized. For example, if a score indicates that a house is at a high risk of flooding, home buyers should talk to neighbors about their experiences or show up to the property on a rainy day. The tool should signal the start of the information-gathering process about a home’s climate risk, rather than the end, Keys added.
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Odds & Ends 

County’s fire tax funding issue remains unresolved
Brunswick County leaders told commissioners Monday they may be forced to dip into county funding to meet the needs of local fire departments if a proposal to change the fire tax system is not approved. County Manager Steve Stone informed commissioners they should vote in January on a one-time general fund subsidy of at least $10 million if changes aren’t made to the system funding local fire departments. “We need 10 to 12 million dollars to stabilize our fire protection system,” Stone said. The manager recommended that the funds be made available to fire departments on July 1, 2026 as part of the 2027 fiscal year budget. The manager made it clear he only wants to dip into the fund one time. “I will state now this is a one-time proposal,” Stone said. Both county leaders and fire officials agree several factors are stretching fire department budgets. Southport Fire Chief Charles Drew, who leads the Brunswick County Fire Chief’s Association, told commissioners demand for service around the county has nearly doubled in the last several years. The demand is largely due to the county’s status as the fastest growing county in North Carolina. The county has seen approximately a 24% increase in population since 2020. “There is a high demand for fire services in our county,” Drew said. Drew also said there is a sense of urgency to the matter. It can take as long as four years to deliver new fire trucks that are ordered. “Fire department funding should not be put on the back burner,” Drew said. The need for more paid staff is also an issue. Nationwide there has been a decline in the number of volunteers serving local departments which creates a need for more paid staff. Officials have proposed moving the county from a system of fire fees to a new system implementing a fire tax based on property value. Commissioners have expressed concerns in recent months that a new fire tax might reduce the chances of passage of a much needed school bond referendum in November. While Stone’s proposal Monday didn’t require board action, several commissioners spoke on the matter. They said in unison they want to support local fire fighters and first responders. “We need a system that will support all the people of Brunswick County,” Commissioner Frank Williams said. “I cannot say enough about the commitment of those involved in the fire service,” Commissioner Marty Cooke said. “Regardless of the school bond referendum, we need to get this right.” In other action, the board voted to re-elect its top leadership. Commissioner Mike Forte was re-elected as the board’s chairman and Cooke was renamed as vice chairman. Commissioner Pat Sykes voted against both leadership positions. She did not state publicly why she was opposed to the two appointments. The board also voted to donate 17.5 acres of land to Brunswick Community College to be used for a fire service and driving pad training facility. The site is located on Galloway Road, near U.S. Hwy. 17. The board previously donated 10 acres of land for the project but that land couldn’t be used because of wetland regulations.
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Every year, the independent nonprofit ratings agencies Charity Navigator and Candid Guidestar evaluate charities nationwide based on fiscal transparency, accountability, and effectiveness. We are thrilled to share that this year the Coastal Federation earned the highest ratings from both Charity Navigator and the Candid Guidestar. Review the details on Charity Navigator and Candid Guidestar.

As a Federation supporter, you can be proud to support an organization earning top marks nationwide and you can be confident that your donation will be put to good use.

Mission:
Since its founding in 1982, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has worked with citizens to safeguard the coastal rivers, creeks, sounds and beaches of North Carolina. Headquartered in Newport, North Carolina with offices in Wanchese and Wrightsville Beach, the Coastal Federation works in three key program areas: environmental advocacy; restoring and protecting habitat and water quality; and educating citizens and community leaders. Our vision is for a natural, beautiful, and productive coast that is a great place to live, work and visit. Today the Coastal Federation consists of more than 11,000 supporters, 200 partner organizations, thousands of active volunteers and a 30-member professional staff and is considered one of the most effective coastal conservation groups in the state. The Coastal Federation remains a collaborative, grassroots organization, bringing together traditional and nontraditional organizations, government agencies and businesses to leave a legacy of a healthy coast for future generations.

Noem at odds with Trump-appointed panel over future of FEMA
Instead of further shrinking and dismantling FEMA, the FEMA Review Council wants to make it more independent.
A panel appointed by President Donald Trump to review whether to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency has instead concluded in a report that the agency should be more powerful and autonomous. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, however, wants to take FEMA in a different direction. The wrangling over the FEMA review council’s long-awaited report, which has been in the works for nearly 10 months, will help determine the fate of one of Trump’s controversial efforts to reshape the government and its ability to respond to disasters such as floods, fires and hurricanes. Noem, as the council co-chair, is responsible for finalizing the report and sending it to Trump for review. Her draft, which is not finished, recommends keeping FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security and largely removing FEMA from its direct role in disaster relief, instead turning it into more of a grant-making operation, according to five people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private deliberations. The council’s earlier draft did not recommend those changes, but rather that FEMA gets elevated to a Cabinet-level office. Noem’s office also wants to reduce the federal government’s share of disaster-related costs to 50 percent, with states having to fund the other 50 percent with cash, which some council members staunchly opposed, according to a person familiar with the situation. Under FEMA guidelines, the federal government covers about 75 percent of costs, and in extreme cases it will front nearly 100 percent for a period of time. The council is recommending FEMA keep its current cost share responsibility, which is defined by the Stafford Act. A spokesperson for DHS denied Noem was trying to alter the report. “Secretary Noem is the Chairwoman of the council and has worked with committee members collaboratively on the reform report,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. She said the council has “spent months working to provide recommendations to reshape and reform the bureaucratic mess that exists at FEMA.” The negotiations over the report are still in flux, and the president’s final decision is not yet clear, according to people familiar with the process. Since he initially floated “reforming and overhauling FEMA — or maybe getting rid of FEMA” in January, Trump has met with first responders and victims’ families in disaster areas and heard from advisers and Republican officials who oppose eliminating the agency. The final report, which carries no legal weight but is a recommendation to the president for FEMA’s next steps, is expected in mid-December. The New York Times first reported details of tensions around the FEMA Review Council’s report earlier Wednesday. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson described the council’s mandate as recommending how to make sure “the federal role remains supplemental and appropriate to the scale of disaster.” “Secretary Noem is working hard to implement the President’s vision that will best serve the American public,” Jackson said. Trump, who has been highly critical of FEMA, appointed the council in part to address criticism of the way the federal government responds to natural disasters, according to people involved in the process. The 10-member council, led by Noem and co-chaired by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, is composed of Republican state and local elected officials, a veteran FEMA official and an insurance CEO. “When we first heard about the creation of this council, I think there were concerns that it would not do its due diligence,” said Pete Gaynor, who led FEMA for a time during Trump’s first administration. “But I think the council has done some pretty good work. I think they have made some positive recommendations on turning this thing from an overly complicated recovery process to something more simplified I think meets everyone’s goals.” In early November, the council submitted a 160-page draft proposal on how to revamp FEMA and improve the country’s disaster response system — the result of about 13,000 public comments and about a dozen public and closed meetings with communities, many small and rural, from Puerto Rico to Louisiana to Wyoming to California. The overarching conclusion aligned with Trump’s impulse to push more disaster-response capabilities and decisions to states. But the council, according to a person involved in the process and a review of meetings, became more focused on improving and elevating the agency, rather than shrinking or eliminating it. “President Trump is putting Americans first by creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to methodically align and strengthen how emergency management is integrated across all levels of government,” Kevin Guthrie, Florida’s director of emergency management, said during an August FEMA review council meeting in Oklahoma City. “We don’t get an opportunity to hit the reset button often, and we’ve been given that opportunity through this committee.” Some of the council’s detailed suggestions include making it easier for disaster-stricken residents and communities to get FEMA’s Individual and Public Assistance funds by accelerating the dispersal of funding to the communities and reforming how FEMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program, according to three people familiar with the report and a copy of its table of contents. It also proposed moving FEMA out of DHS and making it a Cabinet-level department. But after the report’s submission, Noem and her top adviser, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, cut the draft proposal to fewer than 20 pages, while keeping open the possibility of releasing the rest as supplemental material, officials said. Some White House officials received a copy of the council’s unedited draft, according to two people familiar with the matter. “It’s like Edward Scissorhands,” a person familiar with the situation said of Noem’s edited version of the report. “She wants to chop it up and decentralize and really drastically limit FEMA. Many members on the council are not happy with how she has put her thumb on the scale.” Noem’s revisions also include a recommendation to further cut FEMA staff by about half and have FEMA only handle debris removal and emergency protective measures when responding to a disaster, moving most of its other work — such as helping repair damaged utilities, roads and bridges, public buildings and parks — to other agencies, according to a person familiar with the reports. In addition, about a month ago, Noem announced a desire to relocate FEMA’s headquarters from D.C. to Texas, which Politico first reported. Those ideas concerned some experts on the council who warned that state and local governments lack the resources to take over those responsibilities from FEMA and that the changes needed to be phased in to give states and local communities time to shift their budgets to better support their own emergency management capabilities. After Trump commissioned the council through an executive order in January, the administration had largely pinned FEMA’s future on what the council would suggest. The members took that mission seriously, according to people familiar with the process. While it was clear to some that Trump and Noem both desired to get rid of FEMA as it exists today, members of the council spent months sifting through feedback from all corners of the U.S., including tribes that often struggle to get federal disaster assistance, and determined that FEMA needed to make its programs more accessible to rural regions, according to people familiar with the report. The council also highlighted the need to mitigate risk by enabling communities to rebuild more safely, they said. That effort, one person said, created some tension between some council members and Noem and Lewandowski, who would often come into their meetings and interject his thoughts. One example is Noem’s proposal to move FEMA to Texas, and potentially tap Nim Kidd, the head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and a member of the council, to lead the agency. She argued that relocating the agency’s headquarters was one of Trump’s desires, according to two people with knowledge of the situation, who added that some members of the council were shocked by the proposal. That shift had not been something the council was discussing, and relocating much of the agency’s operations out West seemed counterintuitive to the council’s goal of enabling FEMA to operate more efficiently and nimbly when responding to disasters across the U.S., those people said. White House officials told some council members that the relocation was not one of Trump’s priorities. Transferring much of the agency’s operations nearly across the country would make it much harder to coordinate a federal emergency response, experts and current and former officials said, especially since one of FEMA’s key responsibilities is ensuring that the executive branch can function during a national emergency, such as a terrorist attack, and overseeing national emergency communication systems. For the last few months, there has been speculation as to whether Noem would accept the council’s outline for the future of FEMA and thus the nation’s disaster response framework. At the National Emergency Management Association’s conference last month, Guthrie, the Florida emergency management director, addressed attendees, telling them about the much-awaited council report. Cameron Hamilton, FEMA’s former acting administrator whom Noem fired this spring for going against her desire to eliminate the agency, then asked him a blunt question: “What degree of confidence do you have that [the] report that you submit to DHS will be what is submitted to the president?” “[Guthrie] sighed,” Hamilton recalled. “He said he feels confident in the report that they will submit to the Secretary. And that’s where he stopped.”
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This and That

Why deer-car collisions are rising in the Wilmington area, and November is the worst month
As development pushes out from Wilmington, deer-vehicle collisions are on the rise. But the number of deer also appears to be increasing as they adapt and hunting becomes more difficult in many areas
Billy Sampson said he didn’t see much before the collision. The sun had just set as he drove on Sidbury Road in northern New Hanover County headed home from work in November 2024. Just a streak crossing the road before the crash, and then a young doe sitting on his cracked windshield, her neck broken. “You just don’t have time to react,” Sampson said. “It happens before you know it.” Luckily, the damage to Sampson’s car was minimal, and he escaped the incident with only frayed nerves. But deer-vehicle collisions are an increasingly common occurrence in the Wilmington area as the region continues to boom. With subdivisions popping up in formerly off-the-beaten-track areas, deer and human interaction are rising. And with white-tailed deer among the most adaptable of all large animals in North America, in many areas their number are increasing just as the number of residents around the Cape Fear coast and other fast-growing parts of the Tar Heel State continue to rise. The result is an increase in deer-vehicle collisions on area roads after a slight downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown due to the reduction in traveling. With November the most common month for collisions, here’s a look at why drivers might want to pay a bit more attention out driving over the next few weeks and why this could be a troublesome situation that’s here to stay.

By the numbers
According to the N.C. Department of Transportation’s latest animal-related crash report, which tracked animal-vehicle collisions stretching back to 2017, last year showed a rising trend of incidents. Brunswick County saw the highest number of collisions in the Wilmington area, with 1,422 between 2022-24, ranking ninth in the state. Pender County saw 1,103 crashes over the same three-year period. The damage caused by the 2022-24 collisions was valued at $4.6 million in Brunswick and $3.4 million in Pender, with 39 total injures in Brunswick and 49 − including one fatal − in Pender. Fast-growing Wake County, home to Raleigh and Cary, saw the most animal crashes out of North Carolina’s 100 counties in the 2022-24 period, recording 2,676. Although state collision report forms don’t distinguish between animal types, data analyses shows that approximately 90% of all reported animal related crashes involve deer. In all three counties, 2024 saw the highest number of crashes − a trend that’s been increasing since 2020. While that’s partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions earlier this decade, which severely curtailed people’s traveling, the figures also likely reflect the tremendous population growth the three counties have seen in recent years. Brunswick County, for example, has seen it’s population jump from roughly 136,000 in 2020 to an estimated 175,000 in 2025. Due to its relatively small size and largely urban nature, deer-vehicle collisions in New Hanover County aren’t as high as larger counties, but are still a worry − especially as development pushes into the undeveloped northern parts of the county. According to the DOT report, New Hanover saw 86 collisions in 2024, and 250 in the 2022-24 window. That ranked 73rd in the state.

When are collisions most common?
According to the DOT report, the most collisions, 23% of the 63,487 recorded statewide 2022-24, occurred in November. Officials say a “perfect storm” of factors is to blame for this. They include November representing the height of the deer-mating season, which sees the animals on the move more than normal. Bucks especially can act erratically and with less caution as they chase does. Throw in Daylight Saving Time, which sees the clocks moved back in early November and means shorter days and more darkness during peak travel times, and it’s harder for drivers to see deer just when they are most active. According to the DOT, tips to help lower the chance of an animal collision include slowing down in areas known to be frequented by deer; driving with high beams on as much as possible; slow down and blow your horn if you see deer on the side of the road; and keep a safe distance between vehicles to help prevent you from becoming collateral damage if the car in front of you strikes a deer. After November, the three months that saw the most deer-car collisions were October (14.6%), December (12.9%) and January (8.2%). The DOT report also listed times that most crashes occur, and not surprisingly there were centered around dawn and dusk, with 6 a.m. the worst hour with 9.1% of all crashes. Next was 8 p.m., with 8.4% of crashes.

Why are collisions on the rise?
In many areas of Southeastern North Carolina, deer have always been a common part of the landscape. But as areas that used to be forest are turned into subdivisions and shopping centers, people and deer are coming into contact more often. That, however, doesn’t mean deer numbers are dropping per se. Deer, like coyotes, are very adaptable, and can easily live among human development, sharing parks and wooded areas just around the corner or even within neighborhoods. Limits on hunting in many areas due to public sentiment and safety concerns along with a lack of natural predators, aside from cars, also has allowed deer numbers to explode in many areas. That many yards and gardens include deer-friendly shrubs and flowers also has helped keep the mammals close to suburbia, since finding food is no longer a problem. According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, there are an estimated 1 million white-tailed deer in the state, a figure that’s remained relatively stable for a few decades. But while some rural areas have seen deer numbers fall slightly, the opposite has been happening in some of the state’s fast-growing metro areas. “Those areas where populations are rapidly increasing are typically urban/suburban areas where the utilization of hunting as a management tool has been greatly hindered,” the wildlife commission stated on its website. The combination of a lack of predators, a hunting ban and a deer smorgasbord of tasty garden treats saw Bald Head Island’s deer population surge in the late 1990s and early 2000s, prompting the ritzy Brunswick County island to turn to contraception to try and control its herd. But that isn’t an option, due to cost and questions of its effectiveness, for most communities. In areas where hunting remains popular, harvest numbers appear to be rising even as deer-vehicle collisions also are ticking up. In Brunswick County, for example, 2,128 deer were harvested in the 2024-25 season. That compares to 1,737 a decade before in the 2014-15 season, according to the wildlife commission. Pender County showed a similar trend, with hunters taking 3,070 deer in 2024-25 compared to 2,622 in 2014-15. Overall, N.C. hunters harvested nearly 189,000 deer during the 2024-25 season.
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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Fear the deer: Crash data illuminates America’s deadliest animal
Behold the deer, the deadliest beast in North America. Deer are responsible for the deaths of about 440 of the estimated 458 Americans killed in physical confrontations with wildlife in an average year, according to Utah State University biologist Mike Conover, employing some educated guesswork in the latest edition of “Human-Wildlife Interactions.” Those deer-inflicted fatalities are not, so far as we know, caused by deer-on-human predation. They’re the unfortunate result of more than 2 million people a year plowing into deer with their sedans and SUV’s, usually on a two-lane road, often at high speed. You might wonder: Where and when am I most likely to hit a deer? And how can I avoid it? To shed light on this herbivorous hazard, we turned, of course, to data. Specifically, we analyzed more than 1 million animal-vehicle collisions compiled by Calumn Cunningham, Laura Prugh and their colleagues at the University of Washington for a recent paper published in Current Biology. They estimate deer were involved in more than 90 percent of the collisions, which occurred in 23 states between 1994 and 2021. With a few exceptions, the data show deer are at their most dangerous in November. Indeed, the deer threat peaks just before Thanksgiving typically Nov. 7 through 14 when you’re about three times more likely to hit a deer than at any other time of year. Experienced deer hunters can probably guess why driving in November can turn into Russian roulette on certain highways and byways: In much of the country, that’s rutting season. And during the rut, deer focus on procreation, not self-preservation. Marianne Gauldin of the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division compares rutting bucks to teenage boys. “They are hyper-focused on the opportunity to breed, and they therefore lose some of their wits,” Gauldin said. “They are full tilt looking for does, chasing does and running after does for the opportunity to breed. And they are doing this with tunnel vision … literally running across the road.” Does share similar distractions. They’re either in estrus  hormonally receptive to sex and looking to breed or fleeing hot-and-bothered bucks until their cycles catch up. Collisions occur more often in states with the most white-tailed deer which experts say tend to have a shorter, sharper rut than the western mule deer and in states with long stretches of busy rural roads. Separate insurance claim data from State Farm, which is widely cited in academic research, shows a driver out minding her own business on the wending, bending roads of West Virginia had a 1 in 35 chance of hitting an animal between June 2021 and June 2022, making the Mountain State easily the most dangerous in terms of deer-car collisions. Montana and Michigan were next. D.C. drivers, by contrast, had only a 1 in 907 chance of stopping a buck while driving down Pennsylvania Avenue, or anywhere else. Fun fact: Deer are responsible for at least 69 percent of animal-related accident claims, according to State Farm. Another 12 percent of claims involve unidentified animals, many of which could be deer that bounded off before the driver got a good look at them or were mangled beyond recognition in the crash. The third-most-dangerous animals on the road are undifferentiated rodents, which are cited in 5 percent of all animal-related accident claims. However, State Farm spokesperson Dave Phillips noted that many of the drivers never make contact with said rodent: The vast majority of those accidents occur when motorists swerve to avoid a suicidal squirrel or moseying marmot. Our more calendar-conscious readers will note that peak deer-crash season coincides with another big moment in November: the first week of daylight saving time, which begins the first Sunday of the month. And the University of Washington team has found that the two events are not unrelated. To understand why, we need to spelunk deeper into their data, which breaks new ground by including the exact location, date and hour of all these deer disasters. When we glance at a chart of accidents that includes time of day and time of year, one fact strikes us right between the headlights: Evening, the twilight of each day especially in November is the hour of the  Gotterdeermmerung. Conveniently for us, the University of Washington scholars used accident coordinates and some basic weather math to calculate exactly when the sun would have risen or set at each location. It turns out that deer danger skyrockets about 30 minutes after sunset and remains extraordinarily elevated for almost half an hour. Those with deer-behavior expertise say drivers should be on high alert as darkness falls in autumn especially when careening through the deer’s favorite transitional habitats, the forest-edge ecosystem created by roads and other developments. But they urge us to take a lesson from the thousands of people who land in hospitals and body shops each year after attempting to avoid a turtle or chipmunk: If you do see a deer, don’t swerve. “Slow down as much as you can, obviously, coming up to it,” said Karlin Gill of the National Deer Association, a hunting and conservation organization. “But if it’s unavoidable and you’re going to hit the deer, don’t try and swerve out of the way. That can cause an even worse car wreck, and you still might hit the deer regardless.” Deer crashes also rise in the morning, about 30 minutes before sunrise, but the number is significantly lower than after sunset. To understand why, we need to dig deeper into both deer and human activity patterns. Biologist after biologist told us deer are crepuscular, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk. When Texas A&M University wildlife scientist Stephen Webb and his colleagues fitted GPS trackers onto white-tailed deer in Oklahoma, they found deer movement peaks at both sunrise and sunset. “Deer, unlike humans, don’t lay down for eight hours at night and then get up and move throughout the day,” said Gill , who, as a hunter, closely examines deer behavior. “They actually go through a cycle where they’ll lay down, bed, get up, eat, lay down, bed, get up, eat, and they’ll do this throughout a 24-hour period.” But if deer are equally active at dawn and dusk, why are they so much more likely to be hit in the evening? To untangle that one, we need to examine another somewhat crepuscular species: the American commuter. Our commutes also peak in the morning and evening, but we’re much more likely to be driving at dusk than we are at dawn, and we stay on the roads even as darkness falls, and the deer start moving often squarely into our headlights. It’s a matter of visibility. Deer are just as active two hours before dusk as they are two hours after, yet we’re about 14 times more likely to hit a deer after sundown than we are before. And, as Cunningham notes, right at the peak of the whitetail rut, we throw another variable into the stew: We end daylight saving time. Suddenly, as far as the deer are concerned, our 6 p.m. commute happens an hour later. Millions of drivers find themselves contending with lower visibility just as sex hormones flood the local deer population. “It’s like one of the grandest-scale natural experiments that we can come up with, where humans impose these very arbitrary and abrupt changes on the wildlife,” Cunningham told us from his native Tasmania (he’s at the University of Washington as a Fulbright fellow). People living on the far eastern side of a time zone are about 1.35 times as likely to hit a deer as folks on the far western edge, since folks in the east are more likely to be driving home in the dark. Similarly, folks in Northern states, where days are short and darkness rules the winter, are 1.86 times more likely to hit a deer than their friends in America’s sunny South. Taking these effects into account, the University of Washington team estimates that “falling back” causes a 16 percent jump in deer carnage in the weeks after the shift. It’s possible that adopting permanent daylight saving time would thus save the lives of more than 36,000 deer and 33 humans each year. On the down side, chronobiologist Eva Winnebeck of the University of Surrey argues that any gains might be offset by an increase in deaths spurred by the chronic drowsiness that would inevitably set in if our solar-powered circadian rhythms were forced to endure a never-ending disconnect between the sun and clocks set permanently to daylight saving time. Here at the Department of Data, we’ve found a strong connection between happiness and the great outdoors. So, we’re partial to any move that would give us more daylight hours to get out after work and fish, run or dominate the competitive wood-chopping circuit, circadian rhythms be darned.
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Watch out for deer
NCDOT warns motorists across North Carolina to stay alert for deer now that fall has arrived. Every year during late autumn, auto and body shops across the region brace for a bumper crop of business, comprised of an influx of cars with damage from collisions with deer. Beginning in October, roads across the state become hazardous as North Carolina’s deer population fans out, lurking on highway shoulders in search of food and potential mates. It’s the deadliest time of the year for deer, which also pose a particular danger to motorists. Nearly half of vehicle accidents involving white-tail deer occur from October to December. Deer accidents typically begin rising in October, peak in November and begin dropping off after December, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Deer are crepuscular mammals, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk which, following the onset of daylight savings time, places them near roads and byways precisely when large numbers of residents are commuting to and from work.

NCDOT has some helpful tips for motorists in regard to deer-vehicle crashes:

    • Although it does not decrease the risk of being in a crash, wearing a seat belt gives you a better chance of avoiding or minimizing injuries if you hit a deer or other animal.
    • Always maintain a safe amount of distance between your vehicle and others, especially at night. If the vehicle ahead of you hits a deer, you could also become involved in a crash.
    • Slowdown in areas posted with deer crossing signs and in heavily wooded areas, especially during the late afternoon and evening.
    • Most deer-vehicle crashes occur where deer are more likely to travel, near bridges or overpasses, railroad tracks, streams, and ditches. Be vigilant when passing through potentially risky landscapes.
    • Drive with high beams on when possible and watch for eyes reflecting in the headlights.
    • Deer often travel in groups, so if you see one deer near a road, be alert that others may be around.
    • If you see deer near a road, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast.
    • Do not swerve to avoid a collision with deer. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle, increasing the risk of it flipping over, veering into oncoming traffic, or overcorrecting and running off the road and causing a more serious crash.

Officials say the most crashes occur between 6 p.m. and midnight, accounting for about 45% of the overall total. With the end of daylight savings time at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, the time shift increases the chance of deer being by roadways when drivers are traveling in the dark, especially for their evening commute. If your vehicle does strike a deer, officials say do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can be dangerous or further injure itself. Get your vehicle off the road if possible and call 911.
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Factoid That May Interest Only Me 

Where is Everyone Moving? Unpacking the Top Migration Trends of 2025
Historically, Americans haven’t shied away from charting new courses, and U.S. residents’ interest in migrating to new areas of the country continues to follow that path. In the first half of 2025, we tracked migration interest, or curiosity about living in a new city or state, among U.S. residents via online searches. Our data on the top cities and states that U.S. adults have searched online through June 2025 shows a heavy focus on the South, as well as a few states in the Northeast and West and coastal regions across the country. We looked into the possible reasons these regions are so appealing to residents wanting to make a move, whether it’s for their milder weather, more affordable housing or lower taxes, for example.

The Most Sought-After States: Diving Into the Top Tier
The most interest is directed at Southern states, with the Northeast, Midwest and West regions also represented. Ranging from South Carolina to Alaska, the most searched states vary in climate, lifestyle and job availability, but they all provide plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities, with half offering many miles of ocean coastline.

States with the highest domestic migration interest, based on total internet searches in the first half of 2025, are:

      1. South Carolina
      2. North Carolina
      3. Tennessee
      4. Delaware
      5. Idaho
      6. Alabama
      7. Minnesota
      8. Maine
      9. Arkansas
      10. Alaska

Coastal States
The appeal of coastal areas in popular state destinations like Delaware, Maine, North Carolina, and South Carolina is clear. With their natural beauty, all of these states are also popular vacation destinations. The Atlantic Ocean coastline provides recreational opportunities as well as fresh seafood. However, the climate varies widely from Maine to South Carolina, so the reasons for moving to a particular coastal state may come down to factors like weather, affordability, and job market. Topping the list of states with the highest migration interest, South Carolina is popular for retirees because of its low property tax rates and tax exemptions for older adults. It’s also popular for its mild climate, recreation possibilities, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and economic opportunities. North Carolina offers the Atlantic coast on the east and mountains to the west, with countless opportunities to enjoy its scenic beauty. The state’s Research Triangle provides employment opportunities, so moving to this state could benefit individuals and families looking for a higher quality of life. Moving to the north, Maine is a more affordable option compared to other East Coast states like Massachusetts. Unlike other popular coastal states, its features include a rugged coastline and a network of more than 2,000 coastal islands, giving it a distinctive look. Delaware is tax-friendly, as there’s no sales tax or state tax on Social Security benefits. Add that to the miles of beaches in the state, and it’s easy to see its appeal for a diverse population. In fact, Delaware’s popularity is increasing, jumping from the 22nd most popularly searched state in the first six months of 2024 to No. 4 in the first half of this year.

Southern States
Besides South Carolina and North Carolina, Alabama also has small coastal areas to the south, although most of the state is landlocked, as are Arkansas and Tennessee. Some reasons these states may be rising in popularity include the milder weather that living in the South affords, along with recreation opportunities and a lower cost of living. Tennessee is also known for its rich musical heritage, culture and natural wonders, including the Great Smoky Mountains along its North Carolina border, making it a popular state for outdoor enthusiasts. Alabama offers affordable housing and a diverse landscape, making it ideal for both families and nature enthusiasts. Ranking No. 1 in affordability in U.S. News and World Report’s Best States rating, Arkansas has a low cost of living and affordable housing, perfect for people wanting to start fresh, as well as families hoping to stretch their budgets.

Midwest States
Minnesota is the only Midwest state on our list of the most popularly searched states, and it has some good things going for it, despite its harsh temperatures and heavy snowfall during the winter months. Like Delaware, it jumped in popularity from the first half of 2024 to the first half of this year, from No. 32 to No. 7. Known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota has abundant natural resources for recreation like hiking and fishing, as well as a strong economy and low unemployment rate.

Western States
It’s not surprising Idaho is popularly searched for people looking to move to another U.S. spot, since it offers a relaxed lifestyle and lower cost of living than many other mountain states, as well as geography that allows for many different types of outdoor activities. Idaho also appears in the No. 6 spot in U.S. News’ rating of states with the best economies. Perhaps more surprising is Alaska, which rounds out the top 10 most-searched states. The 49th and largest state in the U.S., it’s certainly a draw for those who want to immerse themselves in nature and live a simpler lifestyle, offering abundant coastal and forested areas in its more temperate southern climate zone, such as in Sitka and Anchorage. However, it has a high cost of living, extreme temperatures in parts of the state and limited transportation options in some areas, including no road access. In addition, like other coastal areas that have seen flooding and erosion due to rising temperatures, Alaska is experiencing this as well, but at a faster pace.

The States With Less Appeal: Exploring the Bottom of the List
States that were the least searched online for relocations in the first half of 2025 – starting with the least searched – include:

      • New Jersey
      • California
      • New York
      • Connecticut
      • Nebraska
      • Maryland
      • Massachusetts
      • Rhode Island
      • North Dakota
      • Virginia

High Cost of Living
Something most of these states have in common – except for Nebraska and North Dakota – is a high cost of living. This can also translate into less affordable housing, especially for people on a limited income, like retirees. The areas with the highest cost of living include Massachusetts, California and New York.

Extreme Weather
Most of these states also experience periods of extreme cold during the winter along with heavy snow. North Dakota, in particular, sees an average of 50 days per year with below zero temperatures. For those looking for year-round sunshine, most of these states won’t make ideal options.

Population Density
People who want to relocate to less populated areas should avoid the following states or regions, which have the highest population density: New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maryland, with New York also included in the top 10.

Tax Burden
California, Rhode Island and New Jersey have high sales tax rates, which increase the price of goods and services. New Jersey also has high property tax rates, as do Connecticut, Nebraska and New York. New Jersey hits the trifecta with one of the highest income tax rates in the country as well. Other states that have high enough income taxes to likely discourage some potential new residents include California and New York.

Hotspots Across the Nation: Unpacking the Top 50 Cities
The most popular city destinations in our research showed clusters in specific regions of the country. Here’s more factors that may be driving interest in some of the most-searched cities.

Top-searched cities in the first half of 2025:

1. Conway, South Carolina
2. Wake Forest, North Carolina
3. Eagle, Idaho
4. Caldwell, Idaho
5. Calabash, North Carolina
6. Green Valley, Arizona
7. Johnson City, Tennessee
8. Fairhope, Alabama
9. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
10. Little River, South Carolina

Northeast
Lewes, Delaware, and West Hartford, Connecticut, appear in the top half of our list in the 12th and 22nd spots, respectively. Lewes is a historic community situated in the southeast portion of the state, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Delaware Bay, so its appeal may revolve around its coastal lifestyle and small-town feel. Connecticut’s capital city, Hartford is in the central part of the state and features all four seasons, summer and winter outdoor recreation and a lower cost of living than some other Northeastern cities.

Midwest 
While no cities in the Midwest made our top 50 list for the first half of 2025, Minnesota was a top-searched state, and its Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul made our list of the most-searched cities for the first quarter of this year. The Midwest can be a draw for those who like four distinct seasons and enjoy participating in snow sports. While some Minnesota cities can see extreme conditions during the winter months, the region is family-friendly with job opportunities in key industries like medical technology and manufacturing.

South 
The Eastern Sun Belt region is the most popular in terms of internet searches for potential moves. South Carolina has the largest number of cities in the top 50, with nine total, while North Carolina and Florida follow with seven each (though Florida doesn’t have any cities in the top 10). South Carolina’s Conway, Myrtle Beach, Little River and Calabash all ranked highly. Myrtle Beach has miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline and mild winters, along with abundant indoor and outdoor activities due to its booming tourism industry. Located about 15 miles inland, historic Conway is adjacent to all that Myrtle Beach has to offer but removed from its hustle and bustle. It’s also home to Coastal Carolina University. Interestingly, many of the people searching for a move to Conway live a few hours away in Aiken, South Carolina. Also close to the Myrtle Beach area is Little River, situated inland from family-friendly North Myrtle Beach. Residents here are able to enjoy a slow pace of life but can easily access all sorts of indoor and outdoor activities. Calabash is a coastal town just north of Little River that has a mild year-round climate and an economy that centers on fishing and tourism. Wake Forest, North Carolina, is also in the top 10. Northeast of Raleigh, the state capital, Wake Forest provides the best of both worlds – a charming small-town atmosphere and all of the amenities that a large city affords. With Raleigh being one part of the Research Triangle, Wake Forest also has job opportunities in fields including higher education, advanced manufacturing, technology and life sciences. Rounding out the top 10 cities in the South are Johnson City, Tennessee, and Fairhope, Alabama. Johnson City is located in the top right corner of Tennessee, about 100 miles from Knoxville. It has a lower cost of living, a small-town way of life and a mild climate that allows year-round outdoor activities. Fairhope, Alabama, offers coastal living with a small-town feel on the east side of Mobile Bay. Its major industries include educational services and health care, with low unemployment and a lower cost of living compared to the national average.

West
A suburb of Boise, Idaho, Eagle is fast-growing, which means expanding job opportunities. It also has easy access to four major transportation corridors, low income taxes, family-friendly activities and close proximity to all a big city like Boise has to offer. Caldwell is also a suburb of Boise but is more rural than Eagle, featuring industries like agriculture, education and tourism. Older adults seeking a retirement community offering warm and dry year-round weather will find that in Green Valley, Arizona. Situated about 30 miles south of Tucson, Green Valley is surrounded by the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area, with an abundance of scenic beauty and outdoor recreation available.

Interesting Themes and Correlations
Looking at the 50 most-searched cities, some interesting trends appear:

Waning Interest in Some Regions
Of the top 50 cities searched, none are located in the Midwest. The Midwest’s declining population numbers somewhat stabilized in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with the population even growing by about 0.1% in large Midwestern cities. Past powerhouse areas of industry – places like Detroit, Michigan, and Akron, Ohio, once so integral to the auto industry – saw companies and jobs move elsewhere. Add to that a climate that sees harsh winters, and it’s easy to see why some Rust Belt snowbirds want to make Sun Belt states their permanent home. Besides the shift in Midwest outmigration, the popularity of suburban areas over large urban centers is also shifting. Many of the cities on the top 50 list are suburbs of metro areas, where residents can avoid the higher costs and denser populations of large cities while also having more family-friendly recreational opportunities available. This additionally reflects the lifestyle of remote workers, who don’t need to be tied to a city for their job or commute a long distance to get there.

Sun Belt Maintains Retiree Appeal
Communities in the Sun Belt, comprising roughly the bottom third of the U.S., are surging in popularity, particularly with retirees looking for areas with a lower cost of living. Among the top 50 states, a whopping 38 are located in the Sun Belt. These states typically attract year-round outdoor enthusiasts. In addition, some large retirement communities, such as Green Valley in Arizona and The Villages in Florida, have sprung up that offer a lifestyle geared toward retirees.

Strong Interest in Coastal Locations
States and cities near coastlines are drawing new residents, showing that waterfront living is still desirable, despite potential concerns about erosion or severe weather events like hurricanes. Coastal cities from Delaware down to Florida all appeared on the top 50 most-searched cities list.

Affordability Key to Migration
Affordability is the No. 1 factor for many when choosing to move to a different area. High costs of living are untenable for people on a fixed income, such as retirees, and the least searched states reflect this. New Jersey, California, New York and Connecticut – the bottom four states on the list of relocation interest by internet searches – are all expensive places to live. Moving to a state with a lower cost of living and locating outside of major urban areas are two ways through which U.S. residents can cut their living expenses.

Political Leanings May Drive Some Relocations
It’s difficult to determine how much politics plays in terms of relocations, but it’s certainly a factor for some. Among the top 10 states searched, most are Republican-leaning, including South Carolina, Tennessee, Idaho and Alabama. The other two – North Carolina and Arizona – are more purple than red or blue.

Conclusion

      • U.S. residents are on the move toward Southern states in the U.S., favoring coastal areas and places with natural beauty that allow year-round outdoor activities. Sixteen of the top 20 most-searched cities in the first half of 2025 are in the Sun Belt. Seven of these are also listed in U.S. News’ Best Places to Live in the U.S. rating.
      • Driving these trends in relocation interest are likely local climate, cost of living, job availability, lifestyle and recreational opportunities and population density.
      • Though the outmigration occurring in some regions of the U.S., such as the Midwest, has stabilized, ongoing interest in the Sun Belt region indicates Southern states will likely see continued population growth. How climate changes and worsening weather events affect these migration trends remains to be seen.

Read more » click here

Storm Events 

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Hurricane Vehicle Decals
Property owners were provided with four (4) decals that were included in this month’s water bill. It is important that you place your decals in your vehicle or in a safe place. A $10 fee will be assessed to anyone who needs to obtain either additional or replacement decals. Decals will not be issued in the 24-hour period before an anticipated order of evacuation.

The decals are your passes to get back onto the island to check your property in the event that an emergency would necessitate restricting access to the island. Decals must be displayed in the driver side lower left-hand corner of the windshield, where they are not obstructed by any other items. Officials must be able to clearly read the decal from outside the vehicle.

Property owners without a valid decal will not be allowed on the island during restricted access. No other method of identification is accepted in an emergency situation. Click here to visit the Town website to find out more information regarding decals and emergency situations.

EVACUATION, CURFEW & DECALS

NC General Statute 166A-19.22
Power of municipalities and counties to enact ordinances to deal with states of emergency.

Synopsis – The governing body may impose by declaration or enacted ordinance, prohibitions, and restrictions during a state of emergency. This includes the prohibition and restriction of movements of people in public places, including imposing a curfew; directing or compelling the voluntary or mandatory evacuation of all or part of the population, controlling ingress and egress of an emergency area, and providing for the closure of streets, roads, highways, bridges, public vehicular areas. All prohibitions and restrictions imposed by declaration or ordinance shall take effect immediately upon publication of the declaration unless the declaration sets a later time. The prohibitions and restrictions shall expire when they are terminated by the official or entity that imposed them, or when the state of emergency terminates.

Violation – Any person who violates any provisions of an ordinance or a declaration enacted or declared pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Hot Button Issues

Subjects that are important to people and about which they have strong opinions

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Climate
For more information » click here.

 

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear

Top Scientists Find Growing Evidence That Greenhouse Gases Are, in Fact, a Danger
The assessment contradicts the Trump administration’s legal arguments for relaxing pollution rules.
The nations leading scientific advisory body issued a major report on Wednesday detailing the strongest evidence to date that carbon dioxide, methane and other planet-warming greenhouse gases are threatening human health. The report, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, is significant because it could complicate the Trump administrations efforts to revoke a landmark scientific determination, known as the endangerment finding, that underpins the federal governments legal authority to control the pollution that is driving climate change. The finding dates to 2009, when the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that planet-warming greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare and so should be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The Obama and Biden administrations used that determination to set strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants and other industrial sources of pollution. But in July, the Trump administration proposed to rescind the endangerment finding and contended that subsequent research had cast significant doubt on its accuracy. The proposal is one of President Trumps most significant steps yet to derail federal climate efforts. If the move is held up in court, future administrations would have no authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The new National Academies assessment contradicts the administrations claims. The 136-page report, assembled by a committee of two dozen scientists, concludes that the original endangerment finding was accurate and has stood the test of time. It says that there is now even stronger evidence that rising greenhouse gas levels can threaten public health and well-being, and that new risks have been uncovered. The report notes that multiple lines of evidence now show that human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation are producing greenhouse gases that are heating the planet, and that climate change is exacerbating a wide variety of health risks like intense heat waves and increased wildfire smoke. Climate-driven changes in temperature and rainfall patterns have also led to negative effects on crops and less water availability in some places, among other disruptions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is a nongovernmental body that was originally chartered in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln to advise the nation on scientific and medical questions. The influential body issues roughly 200 reports per year on a range of topics from particle physics to neurobiology, and its members are elected each year. In August, the National Academies announced that it was fast-tracking its study on the endangerment finding so that it could inform the E.P.A.‘s decision-making process. Under federal law, the E.P.A. needs to solicit public comment on its proposal to revoke the finding and then must respond to all of the comments it receives. Some Republicans in Congress criticized the National Academies for racing to complete the report. Representative James Comer of Kentucky, the leading Republican on the House Oversight Committee, wrote in a recent letter to the body that the decision was a blatant partisan act to undermine the Trump Administration and said that some of the members overseeing the report had shown partisan bias. The committee that oversaw the report was led by Shirley Tilghman, an emeritus professor of molecular biology and public affairs and former president of Princeton University. While the committee was largely made up of academics, it also included a former employee of Chevron and a former executive at Cummins, a manufacturer of truck engines. This study was undertaken with the ultimate aim of informing the E.P.A., following its call for public comments, as it considers the status of the endangerment finding, Dr. Tilghman said in a statement. We are hopeful that the evidence summarized here shows the strong base of scientific evidence available to inform sound decision-making. In response to the report, Carolyn Holran, an E.P.A. spokeswoman, said, The endangerment finding has been used by the Obama and Biden administrations to justify trillions of dollars of greenhouse gas regulations covering new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines. As we saw in the 16 intervening years since the endangerment finding was made, many of the extremely pessimistic predictions and assumptions E.P.A. relied upon have not materialized as expected. She said the E.P.A. looks forward to responding to a diverse array of perspectives on this issue, when the public comment period ends on Sept. 22. To justify its proposal, the E.P.A. cited a variety of legal and technical arguments, saying among other things that the greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles on American roads are only a small sliver of total global greenhouse gas emissions. But the agency also tried to argue with the mainstream scientific view that climate change poses a significant risk to humanity. It cited a report that the Energy Department commissioned by a working group of five prominent researchers who dissent from the mainstream scientific view of climate change. They were handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and while their report acknowledged that the Earth is warming, it said that climate change is less damaging economically than commonly believed. In response, a team of more than 85 scientists wrote a 439-page reply, saying that the Energy Department analysis was riddled with errors and cherry-picked data to fit the president’s political agenda. Separately, two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court charging that the formation of the Energy Departments working group violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act and that the E.P.A. should not rely on its analysis. That case is ongoing. Mr. Wright disbanded the working group this month in the wake of the lawsuit. But the Energy Department has said it has no plans to withdraw its report. In a statement, Andrea Woods, an Energy Department spokeswoman, said that the agency had determined that the working group had achieved its purpose, namely to catalyze broader discussion about the certainties and uncertainties of current climate science. We will continue to engage in the debate in favor of a more science-based and less ideological conversation around climate science. Some legal experts said that the Trump administrations attempts to argue against longstanding scientific findings on climate change could create problems in court for its deregulatory efforts. It might have been a better strategy if they tried to sidestep the arguments about climate science altogether, said Patrick Parenteau, an emeritus professor at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. Instead, they’ve taken shots at climate science and thats triggered an enormous response from scientists, and now they’re going to have to carefully respond to all of these comments, Mr. Parenteau added.  And if they shortchange any of them, that creates a legal vulnerability. Courts are going to be very leery if the E.P.A. tries to ignore or reject the findings of the National Academies of Sciences.
Read more » click here

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Flood Insurance Program
For more information » click here

 

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National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On  November 12, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to January 30, 2026.

Congress must now reauthorize the NFIP
by no later than 11:59 pm on January 30, 2026.

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GenX
For more information » click here

 

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Homeowners Insurance
For more information » click here

 

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Hurricane Season
For more information » click here

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30

2025 Atlantic hurricane season marked by striking contrasts
Seasonal activity fell within NOAA’s predicted ranges
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends on November 30, was notable for its striking contrast — wavering between periods of relative calm and bursts of intense activity, generating very powerful storms. Overall, the season fell within the predicted ranges for named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes issued in NOAA’s seasonal outlooks. “For the first time in a decade, not a single hurricane struck the U.S. this season, and that was a much needed break,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Still, a tropical storm caused damage and casualties in the Carolinas, distant hurricanes created rough ocean waters that caused property damage along the East Coast, and neighboring countries experienced direct hits from hurricanes.” “The 2025 season was the first year NOAA’s National Hurricane Center incorporated Artificial Intelligence model guidance into their forecasts,” added Jacobs. “The NHC performed exceedingly well when it came to forecasting rapid intensification for some of the more impactful storms and provided critical decision support for our Caribbean partners.” The Atlantic basin produced 13 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), of which five became hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater), including four major hurricanes with winds reaching 111 mph or greater. An average season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. “Throughout the hurricane season, and all year long, the National Weather Service works around the clock to meet our mission of saving lives, protecting property and enhancing the national economy,” said Ken Graham, director, NOAA’s National Weather Service. “I’m grateful to this talented team for their steadfast dedication to the safety of the American public.” While the climatological peak of the hurricane season was quiet with no tropical activity, the season generated three Category 5 hurricanes, the second-most on record in a single season. “Fortunately, short-term weather patterns largely steered tropical systems away from the United States,” Graham added.
Read more » click here

The 2025 hurricane season is over. It was worse than you might think.
Storm after storm missed the U.S. in a season that forecasters feared could have been far worse. But many storms that missed were alarmingly powerful.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season that ends Nov. 30 was one for the record books, but maybe not in the way anyone expected when it began June 1. For the first time in a decade, no hurricane made landfall in the United States, a welcome respite to beleaguered communities across the Southeast still recovering from earlier hurricanes. But that didn’t mean it was a quiet season overall. The season with “striking contrasts” ultimately is ending pretty much within the ranges predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, except fewer hurricanes overall than seasonal outlooks suggested. Hurricane scientist Brian McNoldy summed it up as “a slightly above-average season with some strange characteristics.” The number of Category 5 storms was one of the most striking of those characteristics. Usually, only a small fraction of hurricanes ever become a Category 5 storm. This year, 23% of the named storms reached that status, with winds of 157 mph or more, often rapidly intensifying in warm ocean waters. In the mainland United States, Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall near Litchfield, South Carolina, on July 6 and moved over North Carolina and Virginia. Its flooding rains were blamed for at least six deaths. The effects from hurricanes far offshore in the Atlantic, combined with other storms and seasonal high tides, pummeled beaches, especially along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where 16 houses collapsed between Sept. 16 and Oct. 28. Jamaica and other islands in the Caribbean faced terrifying Hurricane Melissa in late October, which claimed at least 90 lives as it rapidly intensified and moved across Jamaica and Cuba and through the Bahamas. The hurricane with sustained winds of 185 mph at its center caused massive destruction across western Jamaica. NOAA had forecast a 60% chance of an above-average season, with 13 to 19 named storms in the Atlantic basin. It predicted six to 10 hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes. The season wound up with 13 named storms and five hurricanes, but four major hurricanes, with winds of 111 mph or more. That’s one less named storm and two fewer hurricanes than average, but one more major hurricane than average and slightly more than average overall cyclone energy. Still, the conversation persists about how “quiet” the season was in the United States considering the buzz at the beginning.

Something to be thankful for
After years in the National Weather Service in Florida, Brian LaMarre got used to people questioning why it seemed like a “quiet” season when a busy season was forecast, even if their area was just barely missed by a major storm, or when the Caribbean was getting repeated landfalls. LaMarre, founder of Inspire Weather, said that even when a storm damages areas just a few miles away, if it doesn’t happen in their neighborhood, people tend to think of it as a miss. “I always respond that’s something we should all be thankful for,” he said. That is certainly true in 2025. If not for a persistent East Coast trough, this season’s storms “would have either been coming into the Gulf or the southeastern United States,” he said. That trough created “anomalous counterclockwise steering winds around it,” McNoldy said. That effectively directed “approaching hurricanes northward well before they had a chance to reach the U.S.” LaMarre describes meteorology and human forecasting as “trying to forecast a twig moving in a river.” “Within that river, there are large rocks that change the course and create circulations and mini-eddies in the water,” he said. That’s essentially what happens in the atmosphere, and the rocks are high-pressure systems. Such subtle nuances are not predictable when the hurricane season forecasts arrive, he said. They are “short-term weather factors that fine-tune the (season) forecasts.” Many factors make the 2025 Atlantic season stand out, LaMarre said. Among them: People now know what the “Fujiwhara effect” is, he said. The meteorological phenomenon occurs when two vortices, such as tropical cyclones, approach each other, then tend to orbit a common center point. Imelda and Humberto came within 465 miles of each other and started spinning around each other.

Melissa’s intensity
Hurricane Melissa matched, set or nearly set several records, including:

    • With Erin and Humberto, the season produced the second-most Category 5 storms in the modern record, behind only 2005, which produced four.
    • Melissa tied the record for lowest central pressure at landfall. The only other storm with such low pressure at landfall was the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 in the Florida Keys.
    • A gust measured about 700 feet above the ocean in Melissa’s eyewall just before landfall in Jamaica – 252 mph – was the highest ever recorded by dropsonde, an instrument dropped from a Hurricane Hunter aircraft to measure the storm’s environment.
    • Melissa’s strongest sustained winds reached 185 mph, tying several other Atlantic hurricanes, and trailing only 1980’s Allen for the strongest Atlantic storm on record.

The team at Colorado State University, which pioneered the seasonal hurricane forecast, listed the following key points of the season, which ultimately produced fewer storms than the team initially projected in April:

    • The Accumulated Cyclone Energy, an index used by NOAA to describe overall hurricane activity, was 133, about 108% of average.
    • Of the past 10 seasons, nine have been either above normal or extremely active. This season wound up with more major hurricanes and more major hurricane days than average.
    • No named storms formed in the Atlantic from Aug. 24 to Sept. 16. The last time there were no known storms in that same period was 1992. Before that, the last time was in 1939.

Concluding Colorado State’s forecast was a reminder that only five months remain until the team’s first forecast for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, planned for April 9.
Read more » click here

No hurricanes hit the U.S. this year, but the storms that formed sent a warning
It’s the first time in a decade no hurricane has made U.S. landfall, even as near-record high ocean heat fueled monster storms.
This year marks the first time in a decade that there hasn’t been a hurricane landfall in the United States. That’s true even as several massive and menacing storms formed, many tracking perilously close to the United States. The Atlantic season, which officially ends Nov. 30, saw the likes of Hurricanes Erin and Imelda, as well as Melissa, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record that devastated Jamaica. But it didn’t take a hurricane landfall to have dangerous consequences in the United States. In July, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry contributed to deadly and devastating flooding in the Texas Hill Country and Tropical Storm Chantal caused destructive and fatal flooding in North Carolina, amid a global trend toward a moister atmosphere. “This season was a weird one,” said Philip Klotzbach, a senior hurricane research scientist at Colorado State University. Three storms catapulted to Category 5 intensity — the second-highest number on record for storms of that intensity within a single season. Four storms reached at least Category 4 strength. Four storms also rapidly intensified — Erin, Gabrielle, Humberto and Melissa — meaning that their winds accelerated by at least 35 mph in a day. Klotzbach emphasized that even a small number of intense storms could be more hazardous than many milder ones. “If those massive storms happen to hit something, the potential damage is a lot higher,” he added. In total there were 13 storms — one less than the long-term average. Early forecasts predicted as many as 19 storms this season, well above the number that have since formed. The exact number of storms is challenging to predict months in advance, so scientists often focus more on accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), which is a measure of storm wind strength and duration. Klotzbach added that the year had slightly more ACE than normal, even with fewer storms, underscoring the strength of the systems that did form. No tropical activity is expected in the next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Fueling the monster storms
This year’s powerful array of storms was linked by a factor that lies deep below the ocean — high ocean heat. This excess heat is fuel for storm intensification. More than 80 percent of the Atlantic was covered by above-average ocean heat during the season, the third-highest amount on record since records began in 1958, behind only 2023 and 2024. Part of a concerning trend, the near-record high ocean heat — in the top 10 percent of historical observations — covered almost 40 percent of the Atlantic basin. Before 2022, this metric had never been higher than 30 percent, making the recent ascension of ocean heat particularly notable. Instead of churning up cooler waters from below, violent storm winds instead found more warm water beneath the surface, enabling storms to remain or become more intense. But high ocean heat alone doesn’t cause storms to form. A tropical storm begins as a cluster of thunderstorms. When that cluster taps into an unstable atmosphere — one in which warm, buoyant air is rising — it can organize and intensify. That instability is driven by the temperature difference between the warm ocean surface and the much colder upper atmosphere. This vertical gradient, known as the lapse rate, helps set what experts call the potential intensity — the upper limit on how strong a hurricane’s winds can get. “The thing that really powers the hurricane is how fast you can transfer heat from the ocean to the atmosphere. The bigger the temperature difference, the faster you can transfer heat. The faster you can transfer heat, the more powerful the hurricane can be,” said Kerry Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But that gradient was not particularly strong this year in some parts of the Atlantic, illustrating why this temperature difference matters more than the sea temperature alone. And it forms part of the reason a warming planet may have fewer tropical storms, but more intense ones overall. “This past summer, the sea surface temperatures across much of the tropical Atlantic were warmer than normal, which is part of what led people to predict that there would be a very busy season,” Emanuel said. But because the air above was also warm, potential intensity was lower than normal. That was partly responsible for why there were fewer than normal storms originating in certain parts of the tropical Atlantic, he said. Then there was the Caribbean, where monster Hurricane Melissa formed. There, the potential intensity was high. There’s little to suggest that this extra ocean heat will subside in 2026, which means it will probably be a key factor again next hurricane season. However, one climate driver that contributed to conditions that were more conducive to hurricanes in 2024 and 2025 — La Niña — will probably fade early next year. It’s unusual to have at least two consecutive years without a hurricane landfall in the United States. It has happened only six times since records began in 1851, the last times in 2009 and 2010.
Read more » click here 

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Inlet Hazard Areas
For more information » click here

 

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Lockwood Folly Inlet
For more information » click here.

 

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Seismic Testing / Offshore Drilling
For more information » click here.

 

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Offshore Wind Farms
For more information » click here

 

Things I Think I Think

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Eating out is one of the great little joys of life.

Restaurant Review:
The Dinner Club visits a new restaurant once a month. Ratings reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, ambience and service, with price taken into consideration.
///// October 2025
Name:           Olivera
Cuisine:        Italian/Spanish
Location:     522 South Third Street, Wilmington, NC
Contact:       910-399-2961 / https://www.oliveroilm.com/menu
Food:             Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service:        Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience:   Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $36     Inexpensive <=$18 / Moderate <=$24 / Expensive <=$30 / Exorbitant <=$40
Rating:         Three Stars
/////
Olivero, which opened in the fall of 2023, is recognized as one of the top places to eat in the country according to USA Today. The menu is limited, only offering nine (9) entrée choices. They have an innovative menu which is a fusion of Spanish and Italian cultures with a New Orleans influences. The restaurant feels cozy, with Moroccan tile walls around the open kitchen, and exposed brick walls throughout the rest of the space. There are two bars – a traditional bar by the windows and a chef’s bar where diners can watch the kitchen staff at work on the wood-burning grill.  Reservations are a must. Olivero offers an exceptional dining experience with top-notch food, service, and ambiance.

Dining Guide – Local
Old places, New faces
Name:         The Wharf
Location:   1045 B-Var Road, Supply NC
Contact:     910.842.9999 / https://www.thewharfinhb.com/
This spot on the intercoastal waterway was once known as Betty’s Waterfront Restaurant. SmacNally’s has permanently closed, after just two (2) years, and a new eatery The Wharf was announced for the space.

Dining Guide – Local * Lou’s Views

Dining Guide – North * Lou’s Views

Dining Guide – South * Lou’s Views

Restaurant Reviews – North * Lou’s Views

Restaurant Reviews – South * Lou’s Views

Book Review:
Read several books from The New York Times best sellers fiction list monthly
Selection represents this month’s pick of the litter

AN INSIDE JOB by Daniel Silva
This is the twenty-fifth entry in the bestselling Gabriel Allon series, which chronicles the adventures of an art restorer, assassin and master spy, former chief of the Israel intelligence secret service, now retired.  In this latest installment Gabriel comes out of retirement to investigate the mob’s theft  of a newly discovered Leonardo da Vinci painting from the Vatican.

 

That’s it for this newsletter

See you next month

Lou’s Views . HBPOIN

                    • Gather and disseminate information
                    • Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
                    • Act as a watchdog
                    • Grass roots monthly newsletter since 2008

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11 – Town Meeting

 

Lou’s Views

“Unofficial” Minutes & Comments

BOC’s Regular Meeting 11/18/25

Board of Commissioners’ Agenda Packet » click here

Audio Recording » click here 

1. Conflict of Interest Check

2024 Rules of Procedure for the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners
(e) Conflict Check. Immediately after the approval of the agenda, the Presiding Officer shall poll each member to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. In the event that a potential conflict is disclosed, the members will vote on a motion to allow or excuse that member with respect to the agenda item. If excused, the member may not participate in any discussion, debate, or vote with respect to the agenda item.

The Board was polled by Heather our Town Clerk. All of them declared that there was no conflict of interest with any agenda item at this meeting.

2. Presentation of Fiscal Year 2024 – 2025 Audit Results – Elsa Swenson, Martin Starnes and Associates – (Finance Director McRainey, Town Manager Chadwick)

Agenda Packet – pages 22 – 36, plus separate packet

Audit 2025 DRAFT Report » click here 

Audit Presentation » click here

Martin Starnes and Associates, CPAs and PA

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Martin Starnes and Associates to present the draft of the fiscal year 2025 audit.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The audit was presented to the audit committee on 11/6/25. This audit is a draft as it cannot be finalized until the government shutdown is over.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Recommend accepting the draft audit.

Financial Highlights

      • The assets and deferred outflows of resources of the Town of Holden Beach exceeded its liabilities and deferred inflows of resources at the close of the fiscal year by $47,713,244 (net position).
      • The government’s total net position increased by $5,796,947, primarily due to an increase in the governmental activities of $4,146,835 and increases in the business-type activities of $1,650,112.
      • As of the close of the current fiscal year, the Town of Holden Beach’s governmental funds reported combined ending fund balances of $20,486,001, an increase of $2,726,531 in comparison with the prior year. Of this amount, $3,410,317 is available for spending at the government’s discretion.
      • At the end of the current fiscal year, unassigned fund balance for the General Fund was $3,410,317, or 82%, of total General Fund expenditures for the fiscal year.

Economic Factors and Next Year’s Budgets and Rates
The following key economic indicators impact on the potential growth and prosperity of the Town:

      • Occupancy tax revenues continue to remain strong with collections exceeding $4.1 million. Holden Beach continues to be a popular tourist destination  with rental property tax revenue collections continuing to spread into the traditionally off-season months.
      • Construction revenues on the island remain strong. People continue to build and remodel houses on the island.

Previously reported – November 2024

Financial Highlights

      • The assets and deferred outflows of resources of the Town of Holden Beach exceeded its liabilities and deferred inflows of resources at the close of the fiscal year by $42,043,999 (net position).
      • The government’s total net position increased by $4,509,963, primarily due to an increase in the governmental activities of $4,346,045 and increases in the business-type activities of $163,918.
      • As of the close of the current fiscal year, the Town of Holden Beach’s governmental funds reported combined ending fund balances of $17,759,470, an increase of $2,752,842 in comparison with the prior year. Of this amount, $5,347,024 is available for spending at the government’s discretion.
      • At the end of the current fiscal year, unassigned fund balance for the General Fund was $5,347,024, or 146%, of total General Fund expenditures for the fiscal year.

Economic Factors and Next Year’s Budgets and Rates
The following key economic indicators impact on the potential growth and prosperity of the Town:

      • Occupancy tax revenues continue to remain strong with collections exceeding $3.9 million. Holden Beach continues to be a destination for those seeking to escape the confines of larger cities with rental property tax revenue collections continuing to spread into the traditionally off-season months.
      • Construction revenues on the island grew by almost $200k even with high interest rates people are continuing to build and make improvements to their homes.

Update –
Auditor’s report for fiscal year 2024 – 2025 audit was presented by Elsa the project manager. At this time, they can only issue a draft audit because a required document from the federal government is still pending. The auditor Martin Starnes was able to render an unmodified/clean opinion, which is considered the best possible outcome that you can receive.

3. Annual Monitoring Report Results – Fran Way, Applied Technology and Management (Assistant Town Manager Ferguson, Town Manager Chadwick)

Agenda Packet – pages 33 – 48

Beach Monitoring Report Presentation » click here 


ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Fran Way (ATM) will attend the meeting to discuss the annual monitoring analysis.


BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The purpose of the presentation is to provide an overview of the status of the strand and dune system. Our beach engineer will cover accretion and erosion that occurred this year by different sections of the beach.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Accept report as given.

Annual Monitoring Analysis

    • Volume Change
    • Shoreline Change
    • Annually since 2001
    • Nourishment Planning & FEMA Eligibility

Ongoing Beach Management Activities

    • USACE 50-year Study
    • FEMA Coordination
    • LWFIX & Bend-Winder
    • LWF Outer Channel Dredging/Navigation
    • West End Analysis (OIB Terminal Groin)
    • Permit Application for Offshore Borrow Area
    • Likely Next Offshore Borrow Located

ATM Logo on a white backgroundApplied Technology Management
ATM is a coastal engineering firm hired by the town to do the following:

    • Annual monitoring, data collection and reporting
    • Assess sand erosion
    • Evaluate nourishment
    • FEMA projects cost reimbursement support
    • Meet government regulatory permitting conditions

Annual monitoring has been occurring since 2001. We have an engineered beach – which means it has been nourished and is being monitored.

Update –
Fran presented the annual beach monitoring report, emphasizing the importance of the town’s participation in annual beach monitoring for maintaining a healthy beach and dune system, as well as retaining our engineered beach status. The report, which is used for nourishment planning and FEMA eligibility, serves as a baseline for sand volume comparisons after storms. The latest survey found that most sections of the beach strand remain stable, with accretion observed compared to baseline conditions. Beach equilibration has occurred as designed, and ongoing management activities have resulted in the beach strand being wider and healthier than it was twenty years ago.

4. Police Report – Chief Jeremy Dixon

Agenda Packet – pages 49 – 56

Police Report » click here 

Holden Beach Police patch with sunset and birds design.

Jeremy reviewed the actions that were taken by them last month

 

 

Business as usual, normal amount and type of activity for this time of year

Korey Bishop is our new officer in the Police Department that makes ten (10)

They are interviewing internally for the open Detective position

Car break-ins are happening on multiple islands including ours

Crime Prevention 101- Don’t make it easy for them
Don’t leave vehicles unlocked
Don’t leave valuables in your vehicles

Public Service Announcement 

Low Speed Vehicle Safety » click here
Low-speed vehicles (Golf Carts) are required to follow the same traffic laws as every other motor vehicle, including travel lane regulations. They are required to be registered with the DMV and all operators must possess a valid driver’s license.All occupants MUST wear a seat belt, including children who must be secured in an age/weight appropriate child safety restraint.

Download our free app for important updates and notifications.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

Staffing

Having the full complement of eleven (11) police officers seems to be an elusive goal.

What he did not say 

Public Service Announcement
Hunting season is underway, it is prohibited within Town limits
Hunting season runs from October till the end of January
Please notify the Police Department if you hear shots being fired

§130.01 DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS PROHIBITED; EXCEPTIONS.
It shall be unlawful for a person to shoot or project any stone, rock, shot, or other hard substance by means of a slingshot, bean shooter, air rifle, popgun, bow, or other similar contrivance, or to fire any pistol, gun, or other firearms within the town except on archery ranges, firing ranges, or in legally-established shooting galleries or ranges, or in the discharge of duty by law enforcement officers, provided that the use of firearms in the destruction of rodents, pigeons, squirrels, or similar animals or birds or reptiles that are considered to be a menace to public health or property may be permitted by special permission of the Chief of Police.

§130.02 HUNTING PROHIBITED.
It shall be unlawful for any person or group of persons to do any hunting of wildlife with dogs or without dogs within the town limits.

If you know something, hear something, or see something
call 911 and let the police deal with it.

5. Inspections Department Report – Inspections Director Evans

Agenda Packet – pages 57 – 59

Inspections Report » click here 

ACTIVE NEW HOME PERMITS                                                                = 30
OTHER ACTIVE PERMITS                                                                         = 560
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $30,000                                                             = 66
.     • AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED OVER $100,000                                                           = 6
.     • AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS                            = 2
.     • AMOUNT INCLUDED IN ACTIVE TOTAL
PERMITS ISSUED WAITING PICK UP                                                     = 45
TOTAL PERMITS                                                                                         = 635
PERMITS IN REVIEW                                                                                = 9
CAMA ISSUED                                                                                            = 2
CAMA EXEMPTIONS                                                                                 = 12
ZONING ISSUED                                                                                         = 10
NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS                                                                          = 6
DELINEATIONS                                                                                          = 8
CAMA SITE INSPECTIONS                                                                        = 18

PERMITS SERVICED FOR INSPECTIONS FROM 10/01 – 10/31           = 91
TOTAL INSPECTIONS MADE                                                                    = 216

Update –
Timbo briefly reviewed department activity last month, the department is staying busy.

Construction Too Box Vector ImageContractors Information Seminar
The Planning & Inspections Department, supported by the town staff, hosted the fourteenth annual Contractors Information Seminar. Contractors and electricians were able to earn two (2) hours of continuing education credits.

6. Finance Department Report – Finance Officer McRainey

Agenda Packet – pages 60 – 65

Finance Report » click here 

Update –
Daniel briefly reviewed the Finance Report

7. Public Works Department Report – Public Works Director Benton

Agenda Packet –  pages 66 – 67

Public Works Report » click here 

Department Overview
The Public Works Department continues to focus on maintaining the quality of life for residents and visitors to Holden Beach through consistent operations and upkeep of town infrastructure . Our activities this month included routine maintenance, repairs, and preparedness for weather events .

Key Activities and Accomplishments

Roadway Maintenance & Repairs

    • Boat dock: Crew went and cleaned the kayak launches from all algae and
    • Bridgeview Park: Crew water sealed the picnic
    • Road repair: Graded all dirt streets on east end of
    • Campground: Brought in coquina and releveled camp sites and replaced
    • Jordan Blvd Access: Crew trimmed the hedges and leveled dirt around the new
    • Grounds: Mowed and trimmed entire

 Festival and Holiday Prep

    • Maintenance: Crew took blowers and our sweeper and swept roadways for festival
    • Barricades: Placed out barricades and filled them with
    • Holiday Lights: Crew has worked diligently getting all the snowflakes working and we are currently placing them

 Water and Sewer

    • Water Meters: Crew installed 6 new water services this
    • Water Leaks: We had 4 water leaks. 2 of which were the little hydrants at the end of streets that had been hit with
    • Water Meter Changeouts and Rereads: Crew completed a list with around 186 meters that needed to be reread. Crew repaired 43 meters and changed out l O
    • Sewer Pits: No new pits this month.
    • Service Calls: Crew ran close to 50 service calls this month . This included calls just to speak with a customer or cut the water on and off, sewer pit calls, (A lot slower than last month which is a good thing)

Capital Projects & Long-Term Maintenance

Ongoing Projects

    • Meter Maintenance: We are continuing to repair and replace meters in an effort to get the reread numbers

Upcoming Projects

    • Fire Hydrants: We are preparing to begin grinding and painting all of our Our plan is to be finished early spring.
    • Lift Station 1: We are looking to replace vacuum pumps in Station l and  re plumb  the station as we go

Conclusion
The Public Works Department remains committed to serving the Holden Beach community with quality, timely services. Our team is focused on ensuring safety, cleanliness, and effective infrastructure. We continue to work diligently on ongoing projects and are prepared to tackle any issues that arise in the future..  

Update –
Chris briefly reviewed the Public Work Report

8. Town Manager Report – Town Manager Chadwick

Agenda Packet – page 68

Town Manager Report » click here

Bryan reviewed the Town Manager Report

Greensboro Street / Sewer Lift Station #2
Staff met with the contractor on 11/3/2025
Flood door delivery issues and punch list completions
CO has not been issued yet, they are still waiting for the elevation certificate

Previously reported – October 2025
Staff met onsite with contractor and engineer on 9/23/2025
Contractor did not meet October 1st construction ending deadline
.    •..flood door order error means projected delivery date of November 14th

Construction workers installing a roof on a new house framed with wooden trusses.

Block Q Restrooms & Parking
Contractor is now moving toward completion by of the middle of December
Grant extension was applied for with the state and timeline has been extended

Previously reported – October 2025
Contractor is moving toward completion by the end of October

Previously reported – September 2025
Apparently vendor still having issues
Contractor had to have structural engineer back out to reevaluate some work performed
Optimistic that they will still meet the grant deadline

Previously reported – August 2025
They have had numerous construction issues
Contractor had to have structural engineer back out to reevaluate some work performed.
Meeting with contractor, Pinnacle, and structural engineer occurred on August 7th
Contractor was at the meeting to address the BOC’s concerns
Timbo is monitoring the situation very closely and is confident we are back on track
The estimated completion date is now not till the end of September
The BOC’s are concerned about the work being completed as required
If the project is not done by the deadline it could jeopardize the grant funding

Previously reported –  July 2025

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.
Breaking News now the vendor is saying completion will be sometime late in October, which may create some problems for the Town

 

Contractor struggled early to meet expectations but staff has engaged in several meetings and things appear to be improving
Deliverable for completion remains optimistic for end of August but money will need to be reallocated for contract at July meeting
Pouring concrete, the week of July 1st

Previously reported –  June 2025
They have some serious concerns about the work that is being done there
New project superintendent taking over

Previously reported – May 2025
The bathroom on Block Q is scheduled to be completed by August 20th
There will be a Ground Breaking ceremony on June 4th at 10:00am

Previously reported – April 2025
Extension applied for with the state

Ocean Boulevard Stormwater
Staff has facilitated data flowing from the engineer to the Corps

Previously reported – October 2025
PPA has been executed on both sides
A meeting is being scheduled with the staff and the Corps for next steps

Previously reported – September 2025
Corps developed PPA
McGill presenting on additional areas of concern as part of September agenda

Previously reported –  August 2025
Awaiting Project Partnership Agreement from Wilmington District

Previously reported –  July 2025
The Letter Report that Bob Keistler mentioned had the financial certification completed by finance officer
Wilmington District was submitting the Draft Letter Report for review

Previously reported –  June 2025
The Town was awarded $2.2M in Environmental Infrastructure Disaster Relief Funding for stormwater projects. To get started USACE requires the execution of the Project Partnership Agreement. The Town portion of the 2.2 million dollar project is 25%, which would cost us $550,000. The motion was made to approve the project partnership agreement with the USACE and have the town staff execute the paperwork.

Pier Site
Future Scope of Work discussion TBD in the future

THB Newsletter (04/15/25)
Work has been completed and the pier parking lot and walkways are now open.
Please be mindful not to stand or sit under the pier structure.

NC Resilient Coastal Communities Program
Engineer contacted Tim with next steps, which includes forming a working group
Phase 1 of the program is being implemented
They need to select three (3) members of the community as team members

Previously reported – October 2025
Engineer to contact town staff once contracts are signed with the State

Previously reported – September 2025
The Town participated in an orientation session regarding Phase I of the program on September 9th

Previously reported –  August 2025
The Town was selected to receive a technical assistance award through the program
ESP Associates has been assigned as our engineer firm and will receive $70,000
Staff will have an orientation session regarding our phase of the program on 09/09 

Previously reported –  April 2025

N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program » click here

North Carolina Division of Coastal Management is accepting applications from eligible communities for no-cost technical assistance to complete Phases I and 2 of the Resilient Coastal Communities Program. The motion was made to complete an application to Resilient Coastal Communities Program by the deadline of April 25th, if it is  at all possible.

LWF/Bend Widener Project
Funds have been sent to the USACE from the Town
The State has sent a check to them as well and they are awaiting confirmation of receipt
The sidecaster dredger Merritt was in the inlet on 10/25

Previously reported – October 2025
The County voted to provide funds back per our request

Previously reported – September 2025
The motion was made to approve Ordinance 25-14 to provide funds for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) Crossing/Bend Widener Project which is for the Lockwood Folly Inlet dredging. Christy is working with the county to recoup a percentage of the 25% local share.

Employee Updates
Christy Ferguson is now a liaison with local engagement of the ASBPA Coastal Advocacy Network

ASBPA / American Shore & Beach Preservation Association

Korey Bishop is our new officer in the Police Department
Jana Pigott has received her Plumbing & Inspection Level I certification
The Public Works department by recycling scrap metal   generated revenue of $10,000
He pretty much recognized the entire staff for all they do

Previously reported – October 2025
Carey Redwine received her Electrical Inspector Level I certification

Previously reported – September 2025
We filled the vacant Public Works Supervisor position by promoting from within
Mark Thomas Senior Public Service Tech was promoted to Supervisor

County Fire Services

Previously reported – October 2025
Attended a meeting with the County and other municipalities to discuss fire services

In Case You Missed It 

Snow Flake Decorations for Boulevard Light PolesPublic Works have put up snowflake decorations on the boulevard light poles
.     • Purple streetlights are not part of the holiday decorations they are the LED’s failing

THB Newsletter (09/09/25)
PUBLIC NOTICE
Every year, Brunswick County Public Utilities and the towns, cities, and other utilities that purchase water from Brunswick County implement an annual flushing program. Public Utilities employees flush the water mains by opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely for a short period of time. The flushing cleans out sediment and allows routine maintenance of the more than 1,440 miles of water lines and over 7,789 fire hydrants in the Brunswick County service area. Flushing may result in discoloration and presence of sediment in your water. These conditions are not harmful and are temporary. During the annual flushing program, a slight change is made in the water treatment process to facilitate an effective flushing program. Throughout the year, Brunswick County Public Utilities adds combined chlorine (in the form of chloramines), to the water as the primary disinfectant. During the annual flushing program, chlorine is added in an uncombined state, commonly referred to as free chlorine. Free chlorine is more effective than combined chlorine at reacting with sediments suspended during flushing. This common practice is also used as preventive maintenance to kill bacteria that, though harmless when consumed by humans, can introduce unwanted taste and odor, and create issues with maintaining a disinfectant residual. Brunswick County will use free chlorine as the primary disinfectant from October 7, 2025, through November 2025. Depending on your location within the distribution system and usage patterns, it could take 7 to 10 days for your drinking water to transition from combined chlorine to free chlorine at the beginning of the flushing program. The annual change from chloramines to free chlorine for this brief period is required by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to promote optimal disinfection throughout the water distribution system. You may experience a change in the taste or smell of your drinking water while free chlorine is being used as the primary disinfection agent. If you are especially sensitive to the taste and odor of chlorine, try keeping an open container of drinking water in your refrigerator. This will enable the chlorine to dissipate and reduce the taste of chlorine in your water. Remember drinking water has a shelf life. Change out the water in your refrigerated container weekly.

Note: If you have an aquarium or pond, always test the water that you add to your aquatic environment to be sure it is free of any chlorine before adding fish or other animals. Chemical additives with directions for removing either free chlorine or chloramines from water for use in fish tanks or ponds are available at pet/fish supply stores. Kidney dialysis clinics and customers on home kidney dialysis equipment should also be aware of this change.

If you have any questions regarding this process, contact Brunswick County Public Utilities at 910.253.2657, 910.371.3490, 910.454.0512, or via email, or contact your water service provider directly at pworks@hbtownhall.com.

Dog Reminders
Please remember that any time your dog is off your premise, they must be on a leash, cord or chain at all times. Also, dog owners must remove dog waste immediately after it is deposited by the dog when on public property or any private property, including vacant lots, without the permission of the private property owner. Dog waste stations are conveniently located throughout the island.

Emergency Operations Center
The EOC building is being used by Tri-Beach Fire Department while they renovate their fire station on Sabbath Home

National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On  November 12, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to January 30, 2026.

News from Town of Holden Beach
 The town sends out emails of events, news, agendas, notifications and emergency information. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please go to their web site to complete your subscription to the Holden Beach E-Newsletter.
For more information » click here

Upcoming Events 

Turkey Trot  / November 27th
Tree Lighting / December 4th
Snowman Competition / December 4th
Reindeer Dash and Santa Saunter / December 6th
Sandy Paws Dog Parade / December 6th

9. Block Q, Jordan Boulevard and Bridge Area Update – Town Manager Chadwick

Agenda Packet – page 69

 ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
The BOC reached a stalemate at the last meeting regarding the RFQ and a vote for moving forward. The staff offered to bring back a revised RFQ and path for moving forward to a stage for this budget year. After much discussion, the staff decided that it is more prudent to wait until the new board is seated to bring something forward so the board does not inherit a project and can discuss their thoughts and ideas on the topic.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
This action item is to update the board on work that was completed on this and how staff reached the above decision.

Previously reported – September 2025
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and possible action to direct staff to develop a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for technical services to develop a comprehensive plan for the Jordan Blvd, Block Q, bridge area and former pavilion properties.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
There have been several proposals for the development of Block Q with amenities such as a band stand/pavilion, pickle ball courts, boat parking and vehicle parking. However, a comprehensive plan to develop not only block Q but the surrounding parcels (Jordan Blvd, former pavilion site, bridge area) is needed to make the most efficient use of the available properties to provide these amenities. Subsequent construction of these amenities could then be accomplished in phases according to priorities and budget availability. The intent is to allow a professional design firm to bring their expertise and creativity to bear in developing the master plan, considering all the property available. The BOC should provide some initial guide lines for the RFQ but shall not constrain the firm to those guidelines in developing the master plans.

Possible motion:
Instruct staff to develop an RFQ for a comprehensive design for Block Q, Jordan Blvd, bridge area, and the site of the former pavilion to be reviewed by the BOC.

They want to develop a comprehensive plan not only for block Q but also the surrounding parcels. The Board is trying to approach the development by keeping the end in mind. The plan is to only provide the vendor with guidelines of what they would like to see there. The motion was made to instruct staff to develop an RFQ for a comprehensive design for Block Q, Jordan Blvd, bridge area, and the site of the former pavilion to be reviewed by the BOC.

Previously reported – October 2025
ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
At the September BOC meeting, the board directed staff to bring back an RFQ for a master plan for Block Q, Jordan Boulevard, the bridge area and the site of the former pavilion.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
The purpose of the RFQ is to solicit professional design firms that can bring their expertise regarding all the property available. The following document is attached for your consideration and further direction.

TOWN MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Recommend approval to distribute RFQ for a master plan as prepared by staff.

Editor’s note –
A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is a document that asks potential suppliers or vendors to detail their background and experience providing a specific good or service. In this case, the buyer is only concerned about the vendor’s skills and experience. Professionals responding will be selected solely based on their qualifications and not on price. Once a firm is selected the Town will negotiate a contract for the desired services. Therefore, the response is not a bid.

 Christy presented the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) document a comprehensive design plan for Block Q,  Jordan Boulevard, the bridge area, and the site of the former pavilion for their consideration. Commissioner Paarfus was not ready to support this document as written. The vote to approve the RFQ failed.  Mayor Holden attempted to do an end run by proposing that they bring back the previous plans so that they can move forward with a concert venue. After considerable discussion that mostly revolved around protocols the Town Manager intervened. The staff will incorporate comments from the commissioners regarding the RFQ. They will also look at moving forward with the original concert venue plan separately as another option. Staff will have something prepared for them by the next regular BOC’s meeting.

Update –
The staff decided that it would be prudent to wait until the new board is seated to discuss how to proceed.

No decision was made – No action taken

Animated Image of a Old Man with My Two Cents Text

Know the difference between wants and needs?
One of the most basic concepts of economics is want vs. need.
A need is something you have to have.
It’s something you can’t do without.
A want is something you would like to have.
It’s not absolutely necessary, but it would be a good thing to have

10. Discussion and Possible Approval of Resolution 25-08, Resolution Approving Truist Signature Card – Town Clerk Finnell (Town Manager Chadwick)

Agenda Packet – pages 70 – 71

Resolution 25-08 » click here

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and Possible Approval of Resolution 25-08, Resolution Approving Truist Signature Card.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:
Historically, the official signatories for the Town’s Truist accounts are the mayor, mayor pro tem and staff. Resolution 25-08 updates the current signature card by designating Mayor Holden, Mayor Pro Tem Myers, Town Manager Chadwick, Assistant Town Manager Ferguson and Finance Director McRainey as the official signatories.

Update –
Housekeeping item an update of signatories, adopted as submitted

A decision was made – Approved unanimously

11. Discussion and Possible Action on Moving Funds from the BPART Fund to the Beach and Inlet Fund – Commissioners Thomas and Paarfus
.   a. Ordinance 25-16, An Ordinance Amending Ordinance 25-11, The Revenues                and Appropriations Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2025 – 2026 (Amendment No. 4)

Agenda Packet – pages 72 – 74

Ordinance 25-16 » click here

ISSUE/ACTION REQUESTED:
Discussion and possible action on moving funds from the BPART fund to the Beach and Inlet Capital Reserve Fund

The Beach and Inlet Reserve fund is significantly underfunded relative to the “$10M in 10-years” goal when it was established in 2018. The fund balance currently stands at just over $5M. Transferring $4M from the SPART fund will put the sand fund back on track to achieve its savings goal while still leaving a sufficient balance in the BPART fund.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF REQUEST:

    • Holden Beach collects an Occupancy Tax of 6% on the gross receipts from rentals (S.L. 1997 – 364 HOUSE BILL 859)
      • 1 % of gross receipts from rentals is paid to Brunswick County monthly
      • 3% of gross receipts from rentals must be used for tourism development and other related programs within the town
      • 2% of gross receipts from rentals must be used for beach renourishment and protection
      • Up to half of our occupancy tax proceeds can be used for beach renourishment
    • If the 2% of gross receipts had been escrowed in the reserve fund as originally planned, the balance would now be over $7M.
    • If half of gross receipts had been escrowed, the balance would now be over $1OM
    • There is a shortfall in our savings plan
    • Currently, the BPART fund has a balance of around $8M. Transferring $4M to the Beach & Inlet Reserve fund will allow the sand fund to achieve its savings goal while still leaving a sufficient balance in the BPART

Possible Motion:
Approve the $3.3M budget amendment and execute the transfer of $4M into the Beach & Inlet Capital Reserve fund.

Update –
Commissioner Thomas explained the reasoning for the proposed transfer of funds.  This brings fund balance up to ten (10) million which is necessary to do this have funds available for beach nourishment. By moving money to Beach & Inlet fund the Town will have restricted access to these funds, preventing the money from being spent for other projects. The Board approved the Ordinance as submitted and directed staff to execute the transfer of four (4) million dollars into the Beach & Inlet Capital Reserve Fund.

A decision was made – Approved (3-2)
Commissioners Smith and Dyer opposed the motion

Animated Image of a Old Man with My Two Cents TextThe engineering firm HDR evaluated the pier and concluded that repairing it would not be cost effective. HDR recommended that the Town of Holden Beach consider only the option of replacing the pier, not repairing it. The bond referendum to fund a new pier did not pass. It is unrealistic to expect that enough funds can be raised elsewhere to construct a new pier. Initially I was concerned that the new Board of Commissioners might attempt to use BPART funds as an alternative way to fund construction of the pier. But instead, the transfer of funds will now be allocated for beach nourishment, which is essential. I support their decision to prioritize beach nourishment over building a new pier. Diverting BPART funds to build a pier would leave the town without resources for beach nourishment after storms, putting the community at risk. Beach renourishment projects are extremely expensive and the current federal administration providing funds that we would need is uncertain. Without sufficient BPART funds, the town would  most likely need to impose a special assessment on residents to pay for beach nourishment. Both the referendum and the straw poll survey showed that the residents overwhelmingly (63%) are opposed to being taxed for a new pier. If we had to do a special assessment essentially you will be taxed to pay for the pier despite that you overwhelming said NO to being taxed for a pier. Despite criticism from Commissioner-elect Smith, similar fund transfers have occurred before. Only last December we transferred almost three (3) million dollars from the BPART fund to the Beach Nourishment Fund without all the brouhaha.  Even after the transfer, there will still be almost four (4) million dollars in the BPART account a substantial amount of money available for future tourism-related expenses.

Editor’s Note –

Pier Bond Referendum:
No       351 votes (62.46%)
Yes          211 votes  (37.54%)

Straw Poll Survey:
No       568 votes (63.04%)
Yes          333 votes (36.96%)

General Obligation Bond Referendum 

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Animated Image of a Old Man with My Two Cents TextThis Board has outlined the necessary steps and costs for constructing a new pier and is presenting the decision to the community through a public referendum. The referendum allows for the public to decide whether to spend the money for a pier not just the five (5) Board members. Personally, I believe that most of the public would like to have a pier but the high cost may lead to limited public support. I just don’t think that the island property owners are willing to pay for it.

Holden Beach voters reject pier bond referendum
Voters in Holden Beach rejected a bond referendum to demolish the current pier and construct a new one. In a 351-211 vote, one precinct in Holden Beach showed voters were opposed to the bond referendum that would increase property taxes for town property owners. According to the town, the referendum included $7.3 million in General Obligation bonds, which only covers demolition and construction costs. The bonds do not cover debt from the original pier property purchase, construction of a new pier building, maintenance, or operating costs. For these reasons, voters like Mark Collman opposed the measure. “A structure like that that can’t be insured, it makes no sense to spend 12 million dollars plus on something that you can’t insure when you live in a hurricane zone,” Collman said. Other voters expressed uncertainty about the proposal’s details. “I’m just not sure if I want my taxes raised or not. I understand that but I am for doing something with the pier. I think the referendum was a little bit too early and not explained enough to voters,” said Lisa Holmes. f the referendum had passed, property owners may have had to pay an additional $31.60 per year in property taxes for every $100,000 of property value. The proposed pier would be a 996-foot wooden walkway with a covered “T” at the end, similar to the original design. The new pier would be uninsurable for wind or water damage. The town states that engineers estimate annual maintenance costs at $72,560 to keep the pier functional for 50 years. The town has not established operating revenues or determined if the pier will generate profit.
Read more » click here

Editor’s Note –
Pier Bond Referendum:
No       351 votes (62.46%)
Yes          211 votes  (37.54%)

Brunswick town voters turn down funding to build a new pier.
Here’s what’s next.
Election Day unofficial results show a tax increase to pay for a new pier was not on the agenda for most Holden Beach voters. With the majority of Holden Beach voters on Nov. 4 rejecting the town’s public improvement general obligation bond referendum, what’s next for the Holden Beach Pier? The wooden Holden Beach fishing pier at 441 Ocean Blvd. West has stood for nearly 70 years. In 2022, the town purchased the pier and pier house property for around $3.3 million financed at 3.18% over 15 years with an annual debt service cost of $260,000, per the town’s website. Plans to use the $7.3 million bond, if fully approved, included demolishing the existing pier and building a new pier. However, general obligation bonds require a voter referendum and over 62% of the total 562 ballots cast by Holden Beach voters were against the bond. Though the town would have seven years to issue the bonds, the expected term of the bond is 20 years, according to the town’s website. Results are unofficial until the Brunswick County Board of Elections canvass on Nov. 14.

Voters went against a property tax increase
If the voter majority supported the bond, the estimated property tax increase was $31.60 per $100,000 property tax value per year to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond. A Holden Beach home valued at $1 million would have to pay an additional $316 in property tax per year.

What does the pier and pier building look like today?
The pier and pier house closed to the public after the property purchase due to sea-beaten pilings and a host of safety issues. Town commissioners in March 2025 decided to demolish the pier building after being told the rotted pier structure will require extensive, costly repairs in order to be saved. The building was demolished but the pier remains standing.

What are the plans for the new pier?
Commissioners decided to have engineers design a new, taller, stronger full timber pier. The pier, if constructed, will be similar to the design of the original Holden Beach pier: 996-foot-long and pedestrian-grade, with a covered “T” at the end. The bond funds, if approved, did not include construction of another pier house. Plans to rebuild the pier house are currently undecided.

What if Holden Beach voters approved the bond?
If registered Holden Beach voters strongly supported the bond referendum, the town would have moved forward with adopting the bond resolution in December. Bond order approval from the Local Government Commission would also be required.

What now?
“Funding the pier will be more challenging, since it is unlikely, at least in the short-term, that the Local Government Commission would approve an alternate form of financing for a project that did not pass at a General Obligation Bond referendum,” per the town’s bond counsel, as stated on Holden Beach’s website. The town website also notes that other forms of funding the pier have not been explored at this time and may be challenging based on costs outlined in the town’s capital improvement plan.
Read more » click here

Holden Beach Property Owners Association

UNOFFICIAL HOLDEN BEACH TAXPAYER STRAW POLL

HBPOA’s Role: Ensuring Every Taxpayer Has a Voice

Under its charter, HBPOA is committed to giving all Holden Beach property owners a chance to be heard whether or not they are eligible to vote in November.

To that end, HBPOA is conducting this Unofficial Straw Poll, asking each Holden Beach Household to vote Yes or No on the exact same Referendum that will be on the November 6 Ballot.

How the Straw Poll Works

    • HBPOA is sending this Unofficial Straw Poll to each of the 2000+ Holden Beach Households by email and/or US Mail.
    • Each Household may cast ONE YES or NO vote on the Referendum question regardless of the number of residents in the household or whether they are registered Holden Beach voters.
    • Each Household has a Voter ID and a Password to ensure that only one vote can be cast per Household and to assure election integrity and voter anonymity.

This Unofficial Straw Poll is being conducted using Election Runner an independent third-party service used by many nonprofit organizations.

Go to https://electionrunner.com for more information.

Unofficial Straw Poll Results
The results will be posted on HBPOA’s website: https://holdenbeachpoa.com.

Straw Poll Survey:
No       568 votes (63.04%)
Yes          333 votes (36.96%)

901 total votes were cast – with only one vote per household 

Municipal Elections 

2025 Municipal Elections
Six (6) candidates were on the ballot running for three (3) available positions

THB Election Results

Candidate                          Position                   Term            Votes
Alan Holden                      Mayor                       Tenth            394      (69.61%)
Mike Felmly                         Mayor                       First              172      (30.39%)

Sylvia Pate                           Commissioner         First              337      (30.31%)
Keith Smith                          Commissioner         First              306      (27.52%)
Chad Hock                           Commissioner         First              235      (21.13%)
Maria Surprise                   Commissioner         First              234      (21.04%)

Editor’s Note –
Off-year elections are often noted for low interest and few voters at the polls. Based on the Mayor’s candidates vote count we had five hundred and sixty-six (566) voters out of eight hundred and fifty-two (852) registered voters or some 66.43% that turned out to vote. I’d say that it was a really good turnout especially for off-year elections.

Holden Beach Election Results
Through the Years …

Official Seal for Town of Holden Beach,NC

 


Congratulations and thanks to our elected officials
for their service to the community.

 

General Comments 

BOC’s Meeting
The Board of Commissioners’ next Regular Meeting is scheduled on the third Tuesday of the month, December 16th 

A woman with a large afro smiles brightly against a blue backdrop with text.Apparently we had some website issues last month
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It’s not like they don’t have anything to work on …

The following seven (7) items are what’s In the Works/Loose Ends queue:

        • Accommodation/Occupancy Tax Compliance – 2018
        • Block Q Project/Carolina Avenue – 2021
        • Dog Park – 2019
        • Fire Station Project – 2023
        • Pavilion Replacement – 2024
        • Pier Properties Project – 2021
        • Rights-of-Way – 2021

The definition of loose ends is a fragment of unfinished business or a detail that is not yet settled or explained, which is the current status of these items. All of these items were started and then put on hold, and they were never put back in the queue. This Board needs to continue working on them and move these items to closure.

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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

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Lost in the Sauce 

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From 2024

Street Paving

Pavement Condition Survey » click here

Executive Summary
This report presents the results from a Pavement Condition Survey and analyzes the maintenance needs for the Town of Holden Beach’s street system. Right Angle Engineering, Inc. conducted a visual survey of the public (non-State maintained) streets that are maintained by the Town of Holden Beach. The results from this survey were used to determine maintenance needs and estimate their costs.

Maintenance Needs
Of the 12.8 miles of streets inspected, approximately 25% are in need of maintenance. The survey indicated a total estimated maintenance need for plant mix resurfacing of $1,021,874. This represents an average of $72,350 per mile for the entire town street system. It should be noted that this cost estimate is for pavement repair only. Additional costs can be incurred for drainage improvements, administration, utility adjustments, work zone traffic control, and other items. Please note that these costs are variable and can increase the total project cost significantly.

Previously reported –  November 2015
Shane Lippard, Right Angle Engineering presented Streets Condition Survey report   

Recommended we address it with a ten-year game plan, budgeting accordingly, tackling it on a yearly basis

Understandably we can expect our streets to continue to degrade while costs will continue to go up

In 2015 the Board implemented a tax increase of $.010 specifically for street paving and maintenance.

The penny worth of tax revenue earmarked for paving is money that is already in the budget.

Ad Valorem Tax
Estimated 2025 tax base is $2,452,110,770 with tax rate of $.14 per $100 of assessed value
.     a) $24,521,107 X $.14 = $3,432,955
.     b) $3,432,955 X 99.08 = $3,401,372
.         • Tax collection rate of 99.080%

A penny worth of tax revenue ($242,955 ) is earmarked specifically for street paving and maintenance and is already in the budget. For the last five (5) years we have on average allocated only $115K. So, why aren’t we spending the entire $243K that has been earmarked for street paving?

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Hurricane Season
For more information » click here.

Be prepared – have a plan!

No matter what a storm outlook is for a given year,
vigilance and preparedness is urged.

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No hurricanes hit the U.S. this year, but the storms that formed sent a warning
It’s the first time in a decade no hurricane has made U.S. landfall, even as near-record high ocean heat fueled monster storms.
This year marks the first time in a decade that there hasn’t been a hurricane landfall in the United States. That’s true even as several massive and menacing storms formed, many tracking perilously close to the United States. The Atlantic season, which officially ends Nov. 30, saw the likes of Hurricanes Erin and Imelda, as well as Melissa, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record that devastated Jamaica. But it didn’t take a hurricane landfall to have dangerous consequences in the United States. In July, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry contributed to deadly and devastating flooding in the Texas Hill Country and Tropical Storm Chantal caused destructive and fatal flooding in North Carolina, amid a global trend toward a moister atmosphere. “This season was a weird one,” said Philip Klotzbach, a senior hurricane research scientist at Colorado State University. Three storms catapulted to Category 5 intensity — the second-highest number on record for storms of that intensity within a single season. Four storms reached at least Category 4 strength. Four storms also rapidly intensified — Erin, Gabrielle, Humberto and Melissa — meaning that their winds accelerated by at least 35 mph in a day. Klotzbach emphasized that even a small number of intense storms could be more hazardous than many milder ones. “If those massive storms happen to hit something, the potential damage is a lot higher,” he added. In total there were 13 storms — one less than the long-term average. Early forecasts predicted as many as 19 storms this season, well above the number that have since formed. The exact number of storms is challenging to predict months in advance, so scientists often focus more on accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), which is a measure of storm wind strength and duration. Klotzbach added that the year had slightly more ACE than normal, even with fewer storms, underscoring the strength of the systems that did form. No tropical activity is expected in the next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Fueling the monster storms
This year’s powerful array of storms was linked by a factor that lies deep below the ocean — high ocean heat. This excess heat is fuel for storm intensification. More than 80 percent of the Atlantic was covered by above-average ocean heat during the season, the third-highest amount on record since records began in 1958, behind only 2023 and 2024. Part of a concerning trend, the near-record high ocean heat — in the top 10 percent of historical observations — covered almost 40 percent of the Atlantic basin. Before 2022, this metric had never been higher than 30 percent, making the recent ascension of ocean heat particularly notable. Instead of churning up cooler waters from below, violent storm winds instead found more warm water beneath the surface, enabling storms to remain or become more intense. But high ocean heat alone doesn’t cause storms to form. A tropical storm begins as a cluster of thunderstorms. When that cluster taps into an unstable atmosphere — one in which warm, buoyant air is rising — it can organize and intensify. That instability is driven by the temperature difference between the warm ocean surface and the much colder upper atmosphere. This vertical gradient, known as the lapse rate, helps set what experts call the potential intensity — the upper limit on how strong a hurricane’s winds can get. “The thing that really powers the hurricane is how fast you can transfer heat from the ocean to the atmosphere. The bigger the temperature difference, the faster you can transfer heat. The faster you can transfer heat, the more powerful the hurricane can be,” said Kerry Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But that gradient was not particularly strong this year in some parts of the Atlantic, illustrating why this temperature difference matters more than the sea temperature alone. And it forms part of the reason a warming planet may have fewer tropical storms, but more intense ones overall. “This past summer, the sea surface temperatures across much of the tropical Atlantic were warmer than normal, which is part of what led people to predict that there would be a very busy season,” Emanuel said. But because the air above was also warm, potential intensity was lower than normal. That was partly responsible for why there were fewer than normal storms originating in certain parts of the tropical Atlantic, he said. Then there was the Caribbean, where monster Hurricane Melissa formed. There, the potential intensity was high. There’s little to suggest that this extra ocean heat will subside in 2026, which means it will probably be a key factor again next hurricane season. However, one climate driver that contributed to conditions that were more conducive to hurricanes in 2024 and 2025 — La Niña — will probably fade early next year. It’s unusual to have at least two consecutive years without a hurricane landfall in the United States. It has happened only six times since records began in 1851, the last times in 2009 and 2010.
Read more » click here 

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with family and friends

and all of the memories that make you thankful!

black and white drawing for ThanksgivingNovember 27, 2025

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Lou’s Views . HBPOIN

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 .        • Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
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11 – News & Views

Lou’s Views
News & Views / November Edition

Calendar of Events 

NA

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Discover a wide range of things to do in the Brunswick Islands for an experience that goes beyond the beach.
For more information » click here.

Calendar of Events Island

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Turkey Trot
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its eleventh annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning Thursday, November 27th at 8:00 a.m. All individuals interested in participating should email Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com to register. Please bring a canned food item to donate to the local food pantry.

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Tree Lighting
Come one, Come all!
The Town of Holden Beach will hold its sixteenth annual tree lighting ceremony at Bridgeview Park on Thursday, December 4th at 6:00 p.m. with entertainment beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Snowman Competition
The Town of Holden Beach will sponsor a snowman creation competition to be judged as part of our annual tree lighting event on Thursday, December 4th. The snowman must be edible. There will be two categories: one for businesses/organizations and one for individuals. Entries should be dropped off by 4:30 p.m. at Bridgeview Park and should be picked up by 6:30 p.m. that evening or they will be discarded.

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Reindeer Dash and Santa Saunter
Don’t let the season of good treats catch up with your waistline. The Town of Holden Beach will host a fun run/walk on Saturday, December 6th at 8:00 a.m. starting at Town Hall. For those who wish to run the event, channel your inner reindeer and dress in your best reindeer attire (homemade is excellent). For those that want to move more like the jolly old guy himself, dress in your best Santa attire and saunter through the course. The approximately 2-mile route will be starting your Saturday off with a little fitness and lots of fun!

Please email christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com to register by November 28th at 5:00 p.m.

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Sandy Paws Dog Parade
Join us on Saturday, December 6th  at 9:00 a.m. in front of the Town Hall Public Assembly for our eleventh annual Sandy Paws Dog Parade. We will do a short walk around the block and back to the picnic shelter where you can have your dog’s picture taken with Santa. There is no fee but we will be accepting donations of pet supplies for the animal shelter.

Note: we cannot accept monetary donations. 

Please email christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com to register by November 28th at 5:00 p.m.

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The Chapel Choir Christmas Musical Performance
The Holden Beach Choir is preparing for its fifth annual Christmas concert with a live orchestra. On Sunday December 21st at 7:00pm, the choir will present the musical  In Adoration of the King of Kings, accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra.

A couple dancing joyfully against a city skyline.Shag Lessons
The Town of Holden Beach is taking an interest list for beginner shag lessons running for six weeks,  January 8th   8th – February 12th. The class will be held at Town Hall at 6:00 p.m. The cost is $60 per person for residents and $70 per person for non-residents. Chuck Boney and Sandy Boney will be the instructors. 

Email Christy at christy.ferguson@hbtownhall.com if you are interested.

Parks & Recreation / Programs & Events
For more information » click here

Reminders 

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Pets on the Beach Strand
Pets – Chapter 90 / Animals / 90.20

Effective September 10th

 

      • Pets allowed back on the beach strand during the hours of 9:00am through 5:00pm
      • Dog’s need to be on a leash
      • Owner’s need to clean up after their animals

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.News from Town of Holden Beach
The town sends out emails of events, news, agendas, notifications, and emergency information. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please go to their web site to complete your subscription to the Holden Beach E-Newsletter.
For more information » click here

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Paid Parking

Paid parking in Holden Beach
Paid parking will be enforced from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily with free parking before and after that time. All parking will use license plates for verification.

Rates
Parking rates for a single vehicle in all designated areas will be:

$5 per hour for up to four hours
$20 per day for any duration greater than four hours
$80 per week for seven consecutive days

Handicap Parking
A vehicle displaying a handicap license plate and/or hang tag parked in a designated handicap space is free. Any other parking space will require a parking permit via the app.

Annual Passes
Annual permits for the calendar year allow vehicles (this includes low-speed vehicles and trailers) access to designated parking.

$175 for a single vehicle

Passes can be purchased via the app, website or by telephone.

Where to Park
Per ordinance, there is no parking on the streets or rights-of-way except in designated parking spaces identified by Pay-to-Park signs. Click here to view an interactive map. The table with authorized parking can be viewed below.

Citations will be issued for:

      • Parking without an active paid permit in a designated parking area
      • Parking within 40 feet of a street intersection
      • Parking in a crosswalk, sidewalk, or pedestrian access ways
      • Parking blocking a driveway or mailbox
      • Parking facing opposing traffic
      • Parking in a no parking zone, or within right-of-way
      • Parking on any portion of the roadway or travel lane
      • Parking a non-LSV vehicle in an authorized LSV location

How Do I Pay to Park
The Town uses the SurfCAST by Otto Connect Mobile Solution. This is a mobile app downloadable for Apple and Android devices. Download the app today. Users will setup their account, enter their license plate details and pay for parking directly on the app. Alternatively, users can scan the QR Code located on the parking signs to access a secure website.

The Otto Connect customer service team will be available to help via phone and email.

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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.


Solid Waste Pickup Schedule
GFL Environmental change in service, October through May trash pickup will be once a week.

 

Please note:

Trash carts must be at the street by 6:00 a.m. on the pickup day
BAG the trash before putting it in the cart
Carts will be rolled back to the front of the house

GFL Refuse Collection Policy
GFL has recently notified all Brunswick County residents that they will no longer accept extra bags of refuse outside of the collection cart. This is not a new policy but is stricter enforcement of an existing policy. While in the past GFL drivers would at times make exceptions and take additional bags of refuse, the tremendous growth in housing within Brunswick County makes this practice cost prohibitive and causes drivers to fall behind schedule.

Solid Waste Pickup Schedule 

starting October once a week

Recycling 

starting October every other week pick-up

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Yard Waste Service
Yard debris is collected on the second (2nd) and fourth (4th) Fridays during the months of October, November, and December.Yard debris needs to be secured in a biodegradable bag (not plastic) or bundled in a maximum length not to exceed five (5) feet and fifty (50) pounds in weight. Each residence is allowed a total of ten (10) items, which can include a combination of bundles of brush and limbs meeting the required length and weight and/ or biodegradable bags. Picks-ups are not provided for vacant lots or construction sites.

Curbside Recycling – 2025A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.
GFL Environmental is now offering curbside recycling for Town properties that desire to participate in the service. The service cost per cart is $119.35 annually paid in advance to the Town of Holden Beach. The service consists of a ninety-six (96) gallon cart that is emptied every other week during the months of October – May and weekly during the months of June – September.
Curbside Recycling Application » click here
Curbside Recycling Calendar » click here

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Trash Can Requirements – Rental Properties
GFL Environmental – trash can requirements
Ordinance 07-13, Section 50.08

Rental properties have specific number of trashcans based on number of bedrooms.

* One extra trash can per every 2 bedrooms
..

§ 50.08 RENTAL HOMES.
(A) Rental homes, as defined in Chapter 157, that are rented as part of the summer rental season, are subject to high numbers of guests, resulting in abnormally large volumes of trash. This type of occupancy use presents a significantly higher impact than homes not used for summer rentals. In interest of public health and sanitation and environmental concerns, all rental home shall have a minimum of one trash can per two bedrooms. Homes with an odd number of bedrooms shall round up (for examples one to two bedrooms – one trash can; three to four bedrooms – two trash cans; five – six bedrooms – three trash cans, and the like).

Upon Further Review

Paid parking brought millions to Brunswick beach towns in 2025
After a busy summer, Brunswick County beach towns are seeing how much revenue was brought in from paid parking programs. As the holiday season is in full swing, towns are receiving year-to-date summary presentations on how well their paid parking programs did. Five waterfront towns in Brunswick County charge fees to park using OTTO Connect for their paid parking services. While some only charge the fee on a seasonal basis, one town enforces paid parking throughout the year. The towns combined to bring in more than $3 million. The municipalities of Bald Head Island, Caswell Beach, Southport, Calabash and Shallotte have not implemented paid parking programs. However, Southport considered it in 2025.

Here’s how the Brunswick County communities fared in paid parking revenue for 2025.

Oak Island
Gross revenue: $1,912,712
Total parked vehicles: 166,152
The town of Oak Island generated a total net revenue of $1,313,831 from their paid parking program, according to OTTO Connect CEO Jim Varner’s Nov. 12 presentation. Oak Island has been the only Brunswick County town with paid parking to raise its seasonal permit rate to $225. Oak Island enforces paid parking April 1 through Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Varner suggested the town consider expanding its paid parking season until October. Varner said there was an increase in parking violations in 2025 due to an increase in resident only parking spaces. Parking rates are $5 per hour, $20 per day and $80 per week per vehicle. Residents can purchase up to three resident parking permits for $10 each. Residents can start purchasing 2026 parking permits in Dec. 2025. Visitor permits will become available in Jan. 2026, per the presentation.

Where to park: All on-island public parking spaces will be considered paid parking. Details: https://www.oakislandnc.gov/residents-visitors/parking-information.

Holden Beach
Gross revenue: $1,188,392
Total parked vehicles: 66,659
As of Oct. 8, 2025, the town of Holden Beach has generated a total net revenue of $803,148 from its paid parking program, Varner said on Oct. 21. Varner said he expects the town to make $880,000 by the end of the year. This will be a small bump from the nearly $830,000 made in 2024, per Varner’s presentation. The town of Holden Beach first implemented paid parking in 2022. Originally, the town enacted seasonal paid parking from April 1 to Oct. 31 with rates of $3 per hour, $15 per day, $60 per week, or $125 per year. In 2023 and 2024, the town increased parking rates to $5 per hour, $20 per day, $80 per week and $175 for a single vehicle annual pass and transitioned to year-round paid parking. OTTO Connect counted a total of 66,659 vehicles parked on the island so far this year, a decrease of nearly 81,000 vehicles counted in 2024. Over 26,000 vehicles were counted in parking spaces in June and July alone. Annual parking permits for 2026 are to become available in December 2025. All other permits will become available in January 2026.

Where to park: Holden Beach does not permit parking on streets or rights-of-way, except where designated by signs. Map with parking details is at https://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/HB-Parking/HBParking.

Ocean Isle Beach
Gross revenue: $749,500
Total parked vehicles: 43,694
For its first time charging for parking, Ocean Isle Beach generated a total net revenue of $512,554, according to Varner’s Nov. 10 presentation. “This was probably the exceptionally best first year in a town that we’ve ever had,” Varner said. The town enforces paid parking April 1 through Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking rates are $5 per hour, $20 per day, $80 per week per vehicle and $175 per vehicle for an annual pass. OTTO Connect’s data showed the two most-used parking lots were Town Center Park and Monroe Street. Both parking lots have 30 parking spaces and Otto Connect counted over 6,700 vehicles parked at each lot throughout the paid parking season. “Most residents purchased a visitor permit and were not counted separately,” the presentation noted. Ocean Isle Beach’s paid parking season permits will become available in January 2026, per Varner’s presentation.

Where to park: Any designated parking spot on the island. Designated parking areas are free to park from 5 p.m. to midnight and 6 a.m.-9 a.m. No parking midnight to 6 a.m.

Sunset Beach
Gross revenue: $636,112
Total parked vehicles: 43,438
The town of Sunset Beach also initiated paid parking for the first time in April 2025 and fell close behind Ocean Isle Beach with a net revenue of $445,301, as of Oct. 6, 2025. “Frankly, Sunset Beach broke my model for revenue,” said Varner, noting the town exceeded his revenue expectation by almost $150,000. The town enforces paid parking April 1 through Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking rates are $5 per hour, $20 per day, $80 per week per vehicle and $175 per vehicle for an annual pass. Property owners and residents can pay $25 for up to two vehicles. However, residency is confirmed using specific Brunswick County tax parcel information. Resident permits for the 2026 paid parking season with be available in December 2025 and seasonal parking permits in January 2026, per Varner’s presentation.

Where to park: Information on parking at Sunset Beach can be found at https://sunsetbeachnc.gov.

Varnamtown
The town of Varnamtown also kicked off a paid parking program at its boat ramp in 2025 and has received a net revenue of $1,695, town clerk Sandi Parrish told the StarNews. The town did not have an end of year report detailing the program’s gross income and parking data, Parrish said. Varnamtown started the program at the boat ramp on May 5 and ended it Oct. 15. The town set its parking rates at $20 a day for single vehicles and $40 a day for truck and trailers. Property owners are allowed one free parking permit per season.

During the paid parking season, the parking lot across the road from 32 Fisherman Road is visitor parking and the parking lot at the corner of Fisherman Road and Old River Road is designated for Varnamtown property owners only.
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Corrections & Amplifications

Ocean Isle Beach Terminal Groin, Holden Beach AreaOIB Terminal Groin
Ocean Isle Beach completed construction of a terminal groin on its east end in April 2022 to help protect the beach immediately behind it. However, this structure has contributed to significant erosion at the east end near Shallotte Inlet by interrupting natural longshore drift, prompting ongoing efforts such as sandbag use to prevent ocean encroachment on properties in that area.

Coastal area with rough waves hitting the shore and buildings nearby.

View of OIB east of the terminal groin after Hurricane Erin passed offshore 

2024 OIB SHORELINE AND INLET ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT

On Holden Beach, the recent volume change rates (May 2024 to November 2024) along the oceanfront shoreline indicated erosion at 12 of the 21 monitoring stations. Similarly, the MHW shoreline change rates indicated a shoreline retreat at 15 of the 21 monitoring stations. The long-term post-construction linear shoreline changes along the Holden Beach oceanfront shoreline indicated landward retreat. However, volumetric changes indicated slight accretion (0.2 cy/ft./yr.) within this area over the long-term period. The shoreline threshold analysis results along the Holden Beach oceanfront shoreline show that the post-construction shoreline change threshold was exceeded at only one monitoring station. This is the first time a threshold has been exceeded at Holden Beach since this annual analysis started in 2022. In addition, the analysis of May 2024 aerial imagery-derived wet/dry line revealed an 885 ft. section of Holden Beach inlet shoreline that exceeded the inlet shoreline threshold by a maximum distance of 100 feet. The inlet shoreline threshold on Holden Beach was also exceeded in Year-2. This marks two straight years where this threshold was exceeded. The inlet shoreline recession is believed to likely be attributed to a combination of morphological changes within Shallotte Inlet including the position and orientation of the main channel through Shallotte Inlet and the formation of a flood channel on the inlet shoulder of Holden Beach. Regardless, as stated in the Plan, because the shoreline changes in this area exceeded the threshold over the entire 2-year confirmation period, an assessment of the proper responsive measures will be made through coordination with State and Federal regulatory officials. 

Wooden breakwater structures on a sandy beach under a clear blue sky.Sand is vanishing on east side of Ocean Isle $11M erosion fix
When the Army Corps of Engineers issued its final decision on the terminal groin project here more than eight years ago, the document conveyed a prescient warning. A terminal groin may increase erosion along the easternmost point of Ocean Isle Beach, down-drift of the structure. Today, the shoreline east of terminal groin is being gnawed away, vanishing beach in front of a neighborhood of grand, multimillion-dollar homes built shortly after the $11 million erosion-control structure was completed in spring 2022. A wall of sandbags fends off waves from reaching some of the waterfront homes on the ocean side of the gated community that advertised as luxurious coastal living. Several lots remain vacant because the properties no longer have enough beachfront necessary to meet the state ocean setback requirements. I would have never developed the property if I had known this was going to happen, said Doc Dunlap, a developer with Pointe OIB, LLC  just devastating to tell you the truth. I even had plans myself to build there, have a summer home. The caveat written in the federal record of decision all those years ago, one that was a central argument in a lawsuit to try and stop the terminal groin from being built, was not explicitly pointed out to the developers of The Pointe, they say. In an email responding to Coastal Review questions, the Division of Coastal Management said it, not aware of any specific notification to those property owners other than the standard (area of environmental concern) hazard notice. We were just under the impression that all of this was going to be extremely positive and help protect this part of the beach, said Jimmy Bell, who contributed to the planning and implementation of the community. And then, once we started experiencing this massive erosion, I started researching groins more. We had engineers and other people that were helping, and we were informed and under the impression that it was going to all be good, and now  turning out to not be quite as good. Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith pushed back on those claims. My heart breaks for them, but the developers knew that that groin was going in,  she said. They knew it was not designed to protect that area. It was not designed to harm it, but they also know that adjacent 2,000 feet west of them was a line of sandbags and most of them had been there for years. The developers are now seeking legal representation as they continue to try to figure out how to protect the oceanfront properties within the 44-lot neighborhood. Mr. Dunlap is extremely disappointed in the decisions made that resulted in the placement and construction of the terminal groin and the erosion damages it has caused, John Hilton III, corporate counsel to Pointe OIB, stated in an email. He is committed to holding those who made these decisions legally accountable and also seeking a remedy to correct the ongoing erosion. We are working to obtain local legal counsel to explore and pursue all available options.

Erosion-battered shore
The east end of the island at Shallotte Inlet historically accreted and eroded naturally as the inlet wagged back and forth between Ocean Isle Beach and Holden Beach up until Hurricane Hazel hit in 1954. When the powerful hurricane likely a Category 4 storm using the Saffir-Simpson scale developed in 1971 made landfall in October 1954 near the South Carolina border, it caused the inlet channel to move in a more easterly direction, accelerating erosion at the east end of the barrier island. Erosion has remained persistent in that area since the 1970s, according to N.C. Division of Coastal Management records. The worst of the erosion occurred along about a mile of oceanfront shore beginning near the inlet. An encroaching ocean claimed homes, damaged and destroyed public utilities, and prompted the N.C. Department of Transportation to abandon state-maintained streets. In 2005, the town was permitted to install at the east a wall of sandbags to barricade private properties and infrastructure from ocean waves. Sandbags revetments are, under state rules, to be used as a temporary measure to hold erosion at bay. In 2011, the North Carolina General Assembly repealed a decades-old state law that prohibited permanent, hardened erosion-control structures from being built on North Carolina beaches. Under the revised law, a handful of beach communities, including Ocean Isle Beach, get the option to pursue installing a terminal groin at an inlet area. Terminal groins are wall-like structures built perpendicular to the shore at inlets to contain sand in areas of high erosion like the east end of Ocean Isle Beach. These structures are controversial because they capture sand that travels down the beach near shore, depleting the sand supply to the beach immediately downdrift of the structure, stripping land that is natural habitat for, among others, sea turtles and shorebirds. Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Protection Organization Island Coordinator Deb Allen said that beach conditions east of the terminal groin have hindered turtles from nesting there this season. Escarpment, sandbags and debris that Allen believes is coming from the development have impeded turtles from accessing the sandy areas they seek to lay their eggs. As of early September, the organization had recorded four false crawls, which is when a female turtle crawls onto a beach only to return to the ocean without laying eggs, and three nests east of the terminal groin, Allen said. The potential for that type of impact to wildlife was argued in a lawsuit the Southern Environmental Law Center filed on behalf of the National Audubon Society in August 2017 challenging the Corps approval of Ocean Isle Beach project. The lawsuit claimed that the Corps failed to objectively evaluate alternatives to the terminal groin, including those that would be less costly to Ocean Isle residents and less destructive to the coast, particularly to what was then the undeveloped area on the island east end. The lawsuit, which later included the town, came to an end in March 2021 after a panel of appellate court judges affirmed a lower court decision that the Corps fairly considered the alternatives included in an environmental impact statement, or EIS, examining the proposed project. As we went through and talked about the impacts of terminal groins in the EIS, this was the central argument will the land east of the groin erode at a more rapid pace? And, everything we could point to, all of the science, said yes, said Geoff Gisler, program director of SELC Chapel Hill office. Theres only so much sand and the way that these structures operate is they keep more of it in one place and necessarily take it from somewhere else. That’s why we have seen over and over again that when you build a groin towards the end of an island, what happens is the island erodes at the end. That there is less sand going to the east end is not an accident.

Righting this wrong
Gisler said the SELC will be following how the town and the Corps respond to the erosion that is occurring east of the terminal groin. The town committed and the Corps committed to righting this wrong if it occurred and that’s what we’ll be looking at he said. Under conditions in the towns federal permit, the town is required to monitor the sand spit east of The Pointe as well as the towns shoreline and that of neighboring Holden Beach to the west. Should those shorelines erode past boundaries identified in 1999, consideration will be given to modifying the structure to allow more sediment to move from west to east past the structure, according to final EIS. The town also has the option to nourish an eroded shoreline. In the event the negative impacts of the terminal groin cannot be mitigated with beach nourishment or possible modifications to the design of the terminal groin, the terminal groin would be removed, the EIS states. The Corps and the Division of Coastal Management are reviewing the monitoring report submitted by the engineering firm hired by the town, Coastal Protection Engineering of North Carolina. That report indicates that erosion has exceeded the 1999 shoreline threshold for the area immediately east of the groin. However, the applicant is working on a modification request to alter this threshold as the shoreline had eroded landward of part of that threshold prior to construction of the groin, according to the division. A beach maintenance project scheduled for fall 2026 to inject sand west of the terminal groin is anticipated to increase the rate of sand that bypasses the terminal groin and would serve to feed the shoreline immediately east of the groin with additional material, according to the towns engineer. But The Pointe developers and property owners say they can’t wait another year. Theres got to be an exception to the standard application restrictions (i.e., sandbag placement and height) the (Coastal Area Management Act/Coastal Resources Commission) process has today to protect near term east of the groin due to emergency status and a path longer term that can get us to a point of evaluating what we can do for the groin from a redesign standpoint that would protect all both west and east of the groin, property owner Brendan Flynn said. What we’re dealing with now in my view is we need to have another review of what could be done to enhance the groins performance to benefit and protect the other part of this island. Smith said that the terminal groin is doing what it was designed to do. It is building up right adjacent to the groin, she said. It just has not built anything far enough down to protect this new development. I wish Mother Nature would reserve herself and build it up right now instead of taking it away. I wish I had some magic bullet for them too, but I don’t today. It’s really up to them to take some action. Kerri Allen, director of the North Carolina Coastal Federations southeast office in Wrightsville Beach, called the situation heartbreaking,  but not surprising. The Coastal Federation publishes Coastal Review. “When you alter the natural movement of sand with a hardened structure like the terminal groin, you might protect one stretch of beach, but you inevitably put other areas at greater risk, she said. And, unfortunately, the erosion we’re seeing east of the groin is exactly what experts warn could happen. That being said, the purpose of this groin was to protect existing infrastructure that was already at risk. Instead, new homes were built in an area thats incredibly vulnerable and these homeowners are now facing devastating losses. Moving forward, we need to focus on solutions that don’t just shift the problem from one place to another and ensure that public resources aren’t used to subsidize these risky, short-term development decisions. I think this is a pivotal moment for Ocean Isle and for other coastal towns, she continued. We have an opportunity to step back, look at the science, and commit to managing our coast in a way that protects both our communities and the natural systems that sustain them. That means resisting the temptation to build our way out of these challenges because, ultimately, the ocean always wins.
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Construction site with heavy machinery and building under cloudy sky.

 

Eroded sandy terrain with exposed rock formations under a cloudy sky.

The 'Most Interesting Man in the World' meme about saying 'I told you so'.Previously reported – August 2018
Recognition of 2018 Pelican Award from the North Carolina Coastal Federation to the Town of Holden Beach Board of Commissioners for Outstanding Leadership and Dedication to Keep Our Coast Accessible and Public – Commissioner Butler and Commissioner Freer

Logo of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League.

Group of people holding framed awards at an event.Town of Holden Beach, Dunescape Property Owners Association and the Holden Beach Property Owners Association For Outstanding Leadership and Dedication to Keep Our Coast Accessible and Public

Flanked by the beautiful Lockwoods Folly Inlet, the eastern end of Holden Beach was threatened to be forever changed by an unnecessary and expensive engineered structure. But on April 17, 2018, the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to permanently revoke the towns permit application for a terminal groin with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This historic move would not have been possible without the diligent evaluation of potential impacts by dedicated residents of the Dunescape Property Owners Association and the Holden Beach Property Owners Association  Rhonda and Tom Dixon, Tom and Vicki Myers, Jay and Denise Holden, John and Margaret Witten, Rich Weigand, Lou Cutajar and Skip Klapheke. These and other Holden Beach residents tirelessly fought to bring to light the detrimental effects the terminal groin a rock, concrete, stone or metal structure built at an inlet, perpendicular to the coast would have had on the islands natural habitat and shoreline. Their forethought and action also positioned the town to save a lot of money for a project that likely would not work. The residents of Holden Beach persevered in their opposition and are true pioneers in showing how to exercise sound coastal management decision- making and recognizing that expensive hardened structures along our beaches are not the answer to erosion.

Holden Beach, associations honored with Pelican Award
Six years ago, Holden Beach considered constructing a terminal groin. Town officials received input from Holden Beach Property Owners Association and the Dunescape Property Association to teach residents about the process and possible outcomes before commissioners ultimately voted not to pursue the project. On July 28, the North Carolina Coastal Federation honored the town and the two associations with its Pelican Award for outstanding leadership and dedication to keep the North Carolina coast accessible and public.
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A Look Back: Holden Beach’s (Un)Done Deal
A terminal groin at the east end of Holden Beach was a given.
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Terminal Groin Committee Report

Animated Image of a Old Man with My Two Cents TextAt the time that the Board was considering a terminal groin at the east end of the island there was quite the brouhaha. After considerable research and meetings, it appears that their decision not to build a terminal groin at an initial cost of thirty (30) million dollars was the right decision. US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) warned us about the very issue that Ocean Island is currently experiencing. I would be remiss not to recognize those Commissioners that prevented this situation from happening to us on Holden Beach. My thanks to the elected Commissioners then: Joseph Butler, John Fletcher, Peter Freer, Patty Kwiatkowski, and Mike Sullivan.

Odds & Ends –

Noem at odds with Trump-appointed panel over future of FEMA
Instead of further shrinking and dismantling FEMA, the FEMA Review Council wants to make it more independent.
A panel appointed by President Donald Trump to review whether to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency has instead concluded in a report that the agency should be more powerful and autonomous. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, however, wants to take FEMA in a different direction. The wrangling over the FEMA review council’s long-awaited report, which has been in the works for nearly 10 months, will help determine the fate of one of Trump’s controversial efforts to reshape the government and its ability to respond to disasters such as floods, fires and hurricanes. Noem, as the council co-chair, is responsible for finalizing the report and sending it to Trump for review. Her draft, which is not finished, recommends keeping FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security and largely removing FEMA from its direct role in disaster relief, instead turning it into more of a grant-making operation, according to five people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private deliberations. The council’s earlier draft did not recommend those changes, but rather that FEMA gets elevated to a Cabinet-level office. Noem’s office also wants to reduce the federal government’s share of disaster-related costs to 50 percent, with states having to fund the other 50 percent with cash, which some council members staunchly opposed, according to a person familiar with the situation. Under FEMA guidelines, the federal government covers about 75 percent of costs, and in extreme cases it will front nearly 100 percent for a period of time. The council is recommending FEMA keep its current cost share responsibility, which is defined by the Stafford Act. A spokesperson for DHS denied Noem was trying to alter the report. “Secretary Noem is the Chairwoman of the council and has worked with committee members collaboratively on the reform report,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. She said the council has “spent months working to provide recommendations to reshape and reform the bureaucratic mess that exists at FEMA.” The negotiations over the report are still in flux, and the president’s final decision is not yet clear, according to people familiar with the process. Since he initially floated “reforming and overhauling FEMA — or maybe getting rid of FEMA” in January, Trump has met with first responders and victims’ families in disaster areas and heard from advisers and Republican officials who oppose eliminating the agency. The final report, which carries no legal weight but is a recommendation to the president for FEMA’s next steps, is expected in mid-December. The New York Times first reported details of tensions around the FEMA Review Council’s report earlier Wednesday. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson described the council’s mandate as recommending how to make sure “the federal role remains supplemental and appropriate to the scale of disaster.” “Secretary Noem is working hard to implement the President’s vision that will best serve the American public,” Jackson said. Trump, who has been highly critical of FEMA, appointed the council in part to address criticism of the way the federal government responds to natural disasters, according to people involved in the process. The 10-member council, led by Noem and co-chaired by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, is composed of Republican state and local elected officials, a veteran FEMA official and an insurance CEO. “When we first heard about the creation of this council, I think there were concerns that it would not do its due diligence,” said Pete Gaynor, who led FEMA for a time during Trump’s first administration. “But I think the council has done some pretty good work. I think they have made some positive recommendations on turning this thing from an overly complicated recovery process to something more simplified I think meets everyone’s goals.” In early November, the council submitted a 160-page draft proposal on how to revamp FEMA and improve the country’s disaster response system — the result of about 13,000 public comments and about a dozen public and closed meetings with communities, many small and rural, from Puerto Rico to Louisiana to Wyoming to California. The overarching conclusion aligned with Trump’s impulse to push more disaster-response capabilities and decisions to states. But the council, according to a person involved in the process and a review of meetings, became more focused on improving and elevating the agency, rather than shrinking or eliminating it. “President Trump is putting Americans first by creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to methodically align and strengthen how emergency management is integrated across all levels of government,” Kevin Guthrie, Florida’s director of emergency management, said during an August FEMA review council meeting in Oklahoma City. “We don’t get an opportunity to hit the reset button often, and we’ve been given that opportunity through this committee.” Some of the council’s detailed suggestions include making it easier for disaster-stricken residents and communities to get FEMA’s Individual and Public Assistance funds by accelerating the dispersal of funding to the communities and reforming how FEMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program, according to three people familiar with the report and a copy of its table of contents. It also proposed moving FEMA out of DHS and making it a Cabinet-level department. But after the report’s submission, Noem and her top adviser, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, cut the draft proposal to fewer than 20 pages, while keeping open the possibility of releasing the rest as supplemental material, officials said. Some White House officials received a copy of the council’s unedited draft, according to two people familiar with the matter. “It’s like Edward Scissorhands,” a person familiar with the situation said of Noem’s edited version of the report. “She wants to chop it up and decentralize and really drastically limit FEMA. Many members on the council are not happy with how she has put her thumb on the scale.” Noem’s revisions also include a recommendation to further cut FEMA staff by about half and have FEMA only handle debris removal and emergency protective measures when responding to a disaster, moving most of its other work — such as helping repair damaged utilities, roads and bridges, public buildings and parks — to other agencies, according to a person familiar with the reports. In addition, about a month ago, Noem announced a desire to relocate FEMA’s headquarters from D.C. to Texas, which Politico first reported. Those ideas concerned some experts on the council who warned that state and local governments lack the resources to take over those responsibilities from FEMA and that the changes needed to be phased in to give states and local communities time to shift their budgets to better support their own emergency management capabilities. After Trump commissioned the council through an executive order in January, the administration had largely pinned FEMA’s future on what the council would suggest. The members took that mission seriously, according to people familiar with the process. While it was clear to some that Trump and Noem both desired to get rid of FEMA as it exists today, members of the council spent months sifting through feedback from all corners of the U.S., including tribes that often struggle to get federal disaster assistance, and determined that FEMA needed to make its programs more accessible to rural regions, according to people familiar with the report. The council also highlighted the need to mitigate risk by enabling communities to rebuild more safely, they said. That effort, one person said, created some tension between some council members and Noem and Lewandowski, who would often come into their meetings and interject his thoughts. One example is Noem’s proposal to move FEMA to Texas, and potentially tap Nim Kidd, the head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and a member of the council, to lead the agency. She argued that relocating the agency’s headquarters was one of Trump’s desires, according to two people with knowledge of the situation, who added that some members of the council were shocked by the proposal. That shift had not been something the council was discussing, and relocating much of the agency’s operations out West seemed counterintuitive to the council’s goal of enabling FEMA to operate more efficiently and nimbly when responding to disasters across the U.S., those people said. White House officials told some council members that the relocation was not one of Trump’s priorities. Transferring much of the agency’s operations nearly across the country would make it much harder to coordinate a federal emergency response, experts and current and former officials said, especially since one of FEMA’s key responsibilities is ensuring that the executive branch can function during a national emergency, such as a terrorist attack, and overseeing national emergency communication systems. For the last few months, there has been speculation as to whether Noem would accept the council’s outline for the future of FEMA and thus the nation’s disaster response framework. At the National Emergency Management Association’s conference last month, Guthrie, the Florida emergency management director, addressed attendees, telling them about the much-awaited council report. Cameron Hamilton, FEMA’s former acting administrator whom Noem fired this spring for going against her desire to eliminate the agency, then asked him a blunt question: “What degree of confidence do you have that [the] report that you submit to DHS will be what is submitted to the president?” “[Guthrie] sighed,” Hamilton recalled. “He said he feels confident in the report that they will submit to the Secretary. And that’s where he stopped.”
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Sunset over a serene beach with waves gently rolling in.

After getting pounded by storms and offshore hurricanes, what will wounded NC beaches do?
Recent storms and hurricanes passing the N.C. coast have pounded area beaches with heavy surf, causing significant erosion and raising concerns.
On Topsail Island, chunks of sand that had been pumped onto the beaches in Surf City and Topsail Beach in the past year have washed away. In Wrightsville Beach, the pounding waves from the slow-moving early October subtropical storm left large escarpments along much of the New Hanover County town’s beach and residents worried if the town’s beach would survive until a scheduled federal nourishment project in 2027. Down in Ocean Isle Beach in Brunswick County, the recent storm and heavy surf from several tropical systems that have passed by the East Coast while staying offshore have amplified an existing erosion problem on the barrier island’s east end and raised questions about the effectiveness of a terminal groin built three years ago to stabilize the beach. But nowhere along the N.C. coast has this hurricane season’s damage been worse than on the Outer Banks, where nine homes in Buxton collapsed into the Atlantic over a two-week span in late September and early October and left highway crews struggling to keep N.C. 12, the islands’ lifeline, open on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. The damage, albeit highly localized to beachfront areas, shows that it doesn’t necessarily take a landfalling hurricane to make it a bad hurricane season for coastal communities. But experts say it also highlights that how we live, develop and try to protect our coast is increasingly becoming untenable, especially as costs for beach nourishment projects continue to rise and climate change promises to fuel higher seas and stronger storms in the coming years. The trajectory we’re on is unsustainable, said Dr. Robert Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University.

Why are the beaches so beaten?
When a large subtropical storm started forming in the Caribbean, officials knew it could be a problem for the East Coast especially since many coastal areas had already been pounded this summer by strong swells from several hurricanes that had passed by offshore. But this storm was different, from its path close to the coast to its big footprint. “This storm was a real beach-eater from Florida to Long Island (N.Y.),” Young said. The unnamed storm has left beach officials wondering what measures they can take to protect some of the most valuable real estate in their coastal communities, never mind also having an attractive asset to draw visitors back to fuel their tourist-dependent economies. But Young said damaged and, in some cases, completely eroded beaches along 1,000 miles of U.S. coastline won’t be an easy problem to fix. There are logistical issues, including a very small pool of U.S. contractors to actually do nourishment projects. Then there are the financial questions, especially in this political environment, if spending money to pump sand that might quickly wash away is the best use of taxpayer dollars. And then there’s the practical question. “We need to allow ourselves to consider slightly changing the map of our coastal communities and concentrate our money and sand on areas that can be saved,” Young said. He said this is especially true in communities where local taxpayers, sometimes with the state’s help, fund their own nourishment projects instead of having the federal government pick up most of the beach-building costs, as is the case in New Hanover County’s three beach towns. Already, officials in North Topsail Beach and in Dare County on the Outer Banks have said they don’t have the funds to nourish parts of their beachfront. And in Surf City, residents are in an uproar over a 30% increase in property taxes this year that town officials say is partly needed to help pay for beach nourishment. While surrendering erosion-prone areas of North Topsail Beach and the Outer Banks, for example, to Mother Nature might not be popular, managed retreat is really the only option if we want to save other parts of our coastal communities where it is feasible to try and protect property and vital infrastructure, Young said. “It’s already a burden for many of these small towns and the economics for continuing to do it are becoming more and more sketchy,” he said of the rising costs of beach nourishment and other erosion-control projects.

What’s going to happen?
While putting a Band-Aid on wounded beaches isn’t a long-term solution, it’s something coastal officials might have to look at in the coming weeks and months. Actions could include trucking in fresh sand; knocking down escarpments to makes beaches safer for visitors and to allow wave energy to be dissipated to some degree; and fast-tracking small beach-building projects, such as dredging sand from easily accessible inlets or other coastal waterways. Federal and state officials also could see about securing funding to help finance projects, although the current government shutdown could stymie that. But big-scale nourishment projects, the favored way of dealing with beach erosion woes, take time to plan, design and finance. Young said another option that could help coastal communities recover is to wave a century-old federal law, the 1906 Foreign Dredge Act, that limits dredging to U.S. companies. Opening beach nourishment work to foreign companies, primarily European, could help increase competition, lower prices and allow more work to be done within the sometimes restrictive environmental windows designed to protect nesting sea turtles and shorebirds. The rising cost of beach nourishment work has already been felt in the Wilmington area, with the federal project to nourish Carolina and Kure beaches delayed a year until this winter after the initial bids came in well over budget. Another option is to hope that the upcoming nor’easter season is a mild one and that a lot of the sand that has washed away is just offshore and will eventually be pushed back onshore over the next few weeks and months. Beaches naturally ebb and flow, so wide changes and shifting sands aren’t unusual. But Young said almost all of North Carolina’s beaches today have been engineered and modified one way or another by human hands. “I think it’s fair to say a lot of that sand simply isn’t going to come back,” he said. “It’s just gone.”
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This and That

Why deer-car collisions are rising in the Wilmington area, and November is the worst month
As development pushes out from Wilmington, deer-vehicle collisions are on the rise. But the number of deer also appears to be increasing as they adapt and hunting becomes more difficult in many areas
Billy Sampson said he didn’t see much before the collision. The sun had just set as he drove on Sidbury Road in northern New Hanover County headed home from work in November 2024. Just a streak crossing the road before the crash, and then a young doe sitting on his cracked windshield, her neck broken. “You just don’t have time to react,” Sampson said. “It happens before you know it.” Luckily, the damage to Sampson’s car was minimal, and he escaped the incident with only frayed nerves. But deer-vehicle collisions are an increasingly common occurrence in the Wilmington area as the region continues to boom. With subdivisions popping up in formerly off-the-beaten-track areas, deer and human interaction are rising. And with white-tailed deer among the most adaptable of all large animals in North America, in many areas their number are increasing just as the number of residents around the Cape Fear coast and other fast-growing parts of the Tar Heel State continue to rise. The result is an increase in deer-vehicle collisions on area roads after a slight downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown due to the reduction in traveling. With November the most common month for collisions, here’s a look at why drivers might want to pay a bit more attention out driving over the next few weeks and why this could be a troublesome situation that’s here to stay.

By the numbers
According to the N.C. Department of Transportation’s latest animal-related crash report, which tracked animal-vehicle collisions stretching back to 2017, last year showed a rising trend of incidents. Brunswick County saw the highest number of collisions in the Wilmington area, with 1,422 between 2022-24, ranking ninth in the state. Pender County saw 1,103 crashes over the same three-year period. The damage caused by the 2022-24 collisions was valued at $4.6 million in Brunswick and $3.4 million in Pender, with 39 total injures in Brunswick and 49 − including one fatal − in Pender. Fast-growing Wake County, home to Raleigh and Cary, saw the most animal crashes out of North Carolina’s 100 counties in the 2022-24 period, recording 2,676. Although state collision report forms don’t distinguish between animal types, data analyses shows that approximately 90% of all reported animal related crashes involve deer. In all three counties, 2024 saw the highest number of crashes − a trend that’s been increasing since 2020. While that’s partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions earlier this decade, which severely curtailed people’s traveling, the figures also likely reflect the tremendous population growth the three counties have seen in recent years. Brunswick County, for example, has seen it’s population jump from roughly 136,000 in 2020 to an estimated 175,000 in 2025. Due to its relatively small size and largely urban nature, deer-vehicle collisions in New Hanover County aren’t as high as larger counties, but are still a worry − especially as development pushes into the undeveloped northern parts of the county. According to the DOT report, New Hanover saw 86 collisions in 2024, and 250 in the 2022-24 window. That ranked 73rd in the state.

When are collisions most common?
According to the DOT report, the most collisions, 23% of the 63,487 recorded statewide 2022-24, occurred in November. Officials say a “perfect storm” of factors is to blame for this. They include November representing the height of the deer-mating season, which sees the animals on the move more than normal. Bucks especially can act erratically and with less caution as they chase does. Throw in Daylight Saving Time, which sees the clocks moved back in early November and means shorter days and more darkness during peak travel times, and it’s harder for drivers to see deer just when they are most active. According to the DOT, tips to help lower the chance of an animal collision include slowing down in areas known to be frequented by deer; driving with high beams on as much as possible; slow down and blow your horn if you see deer on the side of the road; and keep a safe distance between vehicles to help prevent you from becoming collateral damage if the car in front of you strikes a deer. After November, the three months that saw the most deer-car collisions were October (14.6%), December (12.9%) and January (8.2%). The DOT report also listed times that most crashes occur, and not surprisingly there were centered around dawn and dusk, with 6 a.m. the worst hour with 9.1% of all crashes. Next was 8 p.m., with 8.4% of crashes.

Why are collisions on the rise?
In many areas of Southeastern North Carolina, deer have always been a common part of the landscape. But as areas that used to be forest are turned into subdivisions and shopping centers, people and deer are coming into contact more often. That, however, doesn’t mean deer numbers are dropping per se. Deer, like coyotes, are very adaptable, and can easily live among human development, sharing parks and wooded areas just around the corner or even within neighborhoods. Limits on hunting in many areas due to public sentiment and safety concerns along with a lack of natural predators, aside from cars, also has allowed deer numbers to explode in many areas. That many yards and gardens include deer-friendly shrubs and flowers also has helped keep the mammals close to suburbia, since finding food is no longer a problem. According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, there are an estimated 1 million white-tailed deer in the state, a figure that’s remained relatively stable for a few decades. But while some rural areas have seen deer numbers fall slightly, the opposite has been happening in some of the state’s fast-growing metro areas. “Those areas where populations are rapidly increasing are typically urban/suburban areas where the utilization of hunting as a management tool has been greatly hindered,” the wildlife commission stated on its website. The combination of a lack of predators, a hunting ban and a deer smorgasbord of tasty garden treats saw Bald Head Island’s deer population surge in the late 1990s and early 2000s, prompting the ritzy Brunswick County island to turn to contraception to try and control its herd. But that isn’t an option, due to cost and questions of its effectiveness, for most communities. In areas where hunting remains popular, harvest numbers appear to be rising even as deer-vehicle collisions also are ticking up. In Brunswick County, for example, 2,128 deer were harvested in the 2024-25 season. That compares to 1,737 a decade before in the 2014-15 season, according to the wildlife commission. Pender County showed a similar trend, with hunters taking 3,070 deer in 2024-25 compared to 2,622 in 2014-15. Overall, N.C. hunters harvested nearly 189,000 deer during the 2024-25 season.
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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Fear the deer: Crash data illuminates America’s deadliest animal
Behold the deer, the deadliest beast in North America. Deer are responsible for the deaths of about 440 of the estimated 458 Americans killed in physical confrontations with wildlife in an average year, according to Utah State University biologist Mike Conover, employing some educated guesswork in the latest edition of “Human-Wildlife Interactions.” Those deer-inflicted fatalities are not, so far as we know, caused by deer-on-human predation. They’re the unfortunate result of more than 2 million people a year plowing into deer with their sedans and SUV’s, usually on a two-lane road, often at high speed. You might wonder: Where and when am I most likely to hit a deer? And how can I avoid it? To shed light on this herbivorous hazard, we turned, of course, to data. Specifically, we analyzed more than 1 million animal-vehicle collisions compiled by Calumn Cunningham, Laura Prugh and their colleagues at the University of Washington for a recent paper published in Current Biology. They estimate deer were involved in more than 90 percent of the collisions, which occurred in 23 states between 1994 and 2021. With a few exceptions, the data show deer are at their most dangerous in November. Indeed, the deer threat peaks just before Thanksgiving typically Nov. 7 through 14 when you’re about three times more likely to hit a deer than at any other time of year. Experienced deer hunters can probably guess why driving in November can turn into Russian roulette on certain highways and byways: In much of the country, that’s rutting season. And during the rut, deer focus on procreation, not self-preservation. Marianne Gauldin of the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division compares rutting bucks to teenage boys. “They are hyper-focused on the opportunity to breed, and they therefore lose some of their wits,” Gauldin said. “They are full tilt looking for does, chasing does and running after does for the opportunity to breed. And they are doing this with tunnel vision … literally running across the road.” Does share similar distractions. They’re either in estrus  hormonally receptive to sex and looking to breed or fleeing hot-and-bothered bucks until their cycles catch up. Collisions occur more often in states with the most white-tailed deer which experts say tend to have a shorter, sharper rut than the western mule deer and in states with long stretches of busy rural roads. Separate insurance claim data from State Farm, which is widely cited in academic research, shows a driver out minding her own business on the wending, bending roads of West Virginia had a 1 in 35 chance of hitting an animal between June 2021 and June 2022, making the Mountain State easily the most dangerous in terms of deer-car collisions. Montana and Michigan were next. D.C. drivers, by contrast, had only a 1 in 907 chance of stopping a buck while driving down Pennsylvania Avenue, or anywhere else. Fun fact: Deer are responsible for at least 69 percent of animal-related accident claims, according to State Farm. Another 12 percent of claims involve unidentified animals, many of which could be deer that bounded off before the driver got a good look at them or were mangled beyond recognition in the crash. The third-most-dangerous animals on the road are undifferentiated rodents, which are cited in 5 percent of all animal-related accident claims. However, State Farm spokesperson Dave Phillips noted that many of the drivers never make contact with said rodent: The vast majority of those accidents occur when motorists swerve to avoid a suicidal squirrel or moseying marmot. Our more calendar-conscious readers will note that peak deer-crash season coincides with another big moment in November: the first week of daylight saving time, which begins the first Sunday of the month. And the University of Washington team has found that the two events are not unrelated. To understand why, we need to spelunk deeper into their data, which breaks new ground by including the exact location, date and hour of all these deer disasters. When we glance at a chart of accidents that includes time of day and time of year, one fact strikes us right between the headlights: Evening, the twilight of each day especially in November is the hour of the  Gotterdeermmerung. Conveniently for us, the University of Washington scholars used accident coordinates and some basic weather math to calculate exactly when the sun would have risen or set at each location. It turns out that deer danger skyrockets about 30 minutes after sunset and remains extraordinarily elevated for almost half an hour. Those with deer-behavior expertise say drivers should be on high alert as darkness falls in autumn especially when careening through the deer’s favorite transitional habitats, the forest-edge ecosystem created by roads and other developments. But they urge us to take a lesson from the thousands of people who land in hospitals and body shops each year after attempting to avoid a turtle or chipmunk: If you do see a deer, don’t swerve. “Slow down as much as you can, obviously, coming up to it,” said Karlin Gill of the National Deer Association, a hunting and conservation organization. “But if it’s unavoidable and you’re going to hit the deer, don’t try and swerve out of the way. That can cause an even worse car wreck, and you still might hit the deer regardless.” Deer crashes also rise in the morning, about 30 minutes before sunrise, but the number is significantly lower than after sunset. To understand why, we need to dig deeper into both deer and human activity patterns. Biologist after biologist told us deer are crepuscular, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk. When Texas A&M University wildlife scientist Stephen Webb and his colleagues fitted GPS trackers onto white-tailed deer in Oklahoma, they found deer movement peaks at both sunrise and sunset. “Deer, unlike humans, don’t lay down for eight hours at night and then get up and move throughout the day,” said Gill , who, as a hunter, closely examines deer behavior. “They actually go through a cycle where they’ll lay down, bed, get up, eat, lay down, bed, get up, eat, and they’ll do this throughout a 24-hour period.” But if deer are equally active at dawn and dusk, why are they so much more likely to be hit in the evening? To untangle that one, we need to examine another somewhat crepuscular species: the American commuter. Our commutes also peak in the morning and evening, but we’re much more likely to be driving at dusk than we are at dawn, and we stay on the roads even as darkness falls, and the deer start moving often squarely into our headlights. It’s a matter of visibility. Deer are just as active two hours before dusk as they are two hours after, yet we’re about 14 times more likely to hit a deer after sundown than we are before. And, as Cunningham notes, right at the peak of the whitetail rut, we throw another variable into the stew: We end daylight saving time. Suddenly, as far as the deer are concerned, our 6 p.m. commute happens an hour later. Millions of drivers find themselves contending with lower visibility just as sex hormones flood the local deer population. “It’s like one of the grandest-scale natural experiments that we can come up with, where humans impose these very arbitrary and abrupt changes on the wildlife,” Cunningham told us from his native Tasmania (he’s at the University of Washington as a Fulbright fellow). People living on the far eastern side of a time zone are about 1.35 times as likely to hit a deer as folks on the far western edge, since folks in the east are more likely to be driving home in the dark. Similarly, folks in Northern states, where days are short and darkness rules the winter, are 1.86 times more likely to hit a deer than their friends in America’s sunny South. Taking these effects into account, the University of Washington team estimates that “falling back” causes a 16 percent jump in deer carnage in the weeks after the shift. It’s possible that adopting permanent daylight saving time would thus save the lives of more than 36,000 deer and 33 humans each year. On the down side, chronobiologist Eva Winnebeck of the University of Surrey argues that any gains might be offset by an increase in deaths spurred by the chronic drowsiness that would inevitably set in if our solar-powered circadian rhythms were forced to endure a never-ending disconnect between the sun and clocks set permanently to daylight saving time. Here at the Department of Data, we’ve found a strong connection between happiness and the great outdoors. So, we’re partial to any move that would give us more daylight hours to get out after work and fish, run or dominate the competitive wood-chopping circuit, circadian rhythms be darned.
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Watch out for deer
NCDOT warns motorists across North Carolina to stay alert for deer now that fall has arrived. Every year during late autumn, auto and body shops across the region brace for a bumper crop of business, comprised of an influx of cars with damage from collisions with deer. Beginning in October, roads across the state become hazardous as North Carolina’s deer population fans out, lurking on highway shoulders in search of food and potential mates. It’s the deadliest time of the year for deer, which also pose a particular danger to motorists. Nearly half of vehicle accidents involving white-tail deer occur from October to December. Deer accidents typically begin rising in October, peak in November and begin dropping off after December, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Deer are crepuscular mammals, meaning they’re most active at dawn and dusk which, following the onset of daylight savings time, places them near roads and byways precisely when large numbers of residents are commuting to and from work.

NCDOT has some helpful tips for motorists in regard to deer-vehicle crashes:

    • Although it does not decrease the risk of being in a crash, wearing a seat belt gives you a better chance of avoiding or minimizing injuries if you hit a deer or other animal.
    • Always maintain a safe amount of distance between your vehicle and others, especially at night. If the vehicle ahead of you hits a deer, you could also become involved in a crash.
    • Slowdown in areas posted with deer crossing signs and in heavily wooded areas, especially during the late afternoon and evening.
    • Most deer-vehicle crashes occur where deer are more likely to travel, near bridges or overpasses, railroad tracks, streams, and ditches. Be vigilant when passing through potentially risky landscapes.
    • Drive with high beams on when possible and watch for eyes reflecting in the headlights.
    • Deer often travel in groups, so if you see one deer near a road, be alert that others may be around.
    • If you see deer near a road, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast.
    • Do not swerve to avoid a collision with deer. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle, increasing the risk of it flipping over, veering into oncoming traffic, or overcorrecting and running off the road and causing a more serious crash.

Officials say the most crashes occur between 6 p.m. and midnight, accounting for about 45% of the overall total. With the end of daylight savings time at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, the time shift increases the chance of deer being by roadways when drivers are traveling in the dark, especially for their evening commute. If your vehicle does strike a deer, officials say do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can be dangerous or further injure itself. Get your vehicle off the road if possible and call 911.
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Factoid That May Interest Only Me 

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Gators’ more frequent appearances make splash along coast
Did you hear the one about the alligator? An alligator walks into … a road, a pool, a miniature golf course, onto a beach, underneath a car, up to the front door of a storefront, by a back entrance of a police station. Stop me if you read about this while perusing the headlines of your local newspaper, heard about it on the 6 o’clock news, or saw it plastered across social media platforms this past summer. Alligators have made quite the splash (pun intended) in recent months here in southeastern North Carolina, where seemingly numerous public appearances by these living dinosaurs have produced dramatic headlines and videos shared not only across the state, but the country. But these typically reclusive reptiles aren’t looking for all the attention they’ve been getting, experts say. They just want to be left alone. The problem is, they’re being squeezed out of seclusion as housing developments and retail centers continue to crop up along the coast. “The ever-growing population along the coast of North Carolina is the biggest threat to wildlife in general,” said John Harrelson, a wildlife biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. “Habitat loss is the biggest threat to wildlife in general, not just alligators, and when people move in and we build communities in places that haven’t historically had people, then that leads to lots of interactions.” And the more interactions that occur, the more comfortable alligators become around people. Harrelson puts alligators into one of two categories: country alligators and city alligators. Country alligators inhabit areas up the Northeast Cape Fear River. He said that those alligators generally try their best to steer clear of humans, he said. But city alligators get used to seeing people and, just like squirrels, birds, deer, and other animals, they become habituated, “realizing that people, for the most part, don’t mean them any harm and that there’s nothing to be worried about,” Harrelson said. Think of it like a cost-benefit analysis where an alligator weighs the risk of being around people and decides whether the reward is worth the risk. “And often times the reward is great enough,” Harrelson said. While development strips away their natural habitat, it tends to provide pockets of prime real estate for alligators in the form of retention ponds. Harrelson works in the commission’s District 4, which includes Brunswick County, and is home to a reported 30 scenic golf courses (think about all of the water hazards well, not a hazard from a gator’s point of view  on just one of those courses). Brunswick, Columbus, Craven, New Hanover, Onslow, and Pender counties are home to the largest populations of American alligators in North Carolina and their turf runs from the state’s coastal plains to Texas. With its barrier island beaches, proximity to Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and its numerous golf courses, Brunswick County has become a draw for retirees who, for many, move in from areas where there are no alligators. Pair that with the influx of tourists who flock to the county each summer Oak Island’s population more than quintuples between May and August and odds are high people are going to encounter alligators. Boiling Spring Lakes Police Capt. Windy Hager knows that when tourism season picks up, so too do the number of calls going into the Brunswick County town’s law enforcement center about alligator sightings. “When it’s warmer (alligators) become more active and, when you’ve got people who are not familiar with alligators they get a little excited about, ‘Oh, there’s one in the lake!’ Well, yes, that’s where they live and that’s what we have to tell them a lot of times,” Hager said. Hager has lived in the area more than 10 years. She’s accustomed to seeing alligators pretty regularly in their own habitat. But one had to be removed from a swimming pool a couple of weeks ago and the unnamed storm that pummeled Brunswick County with catastrophic rainfall Sept. 16 means there’s a lot of water in places that were previously dry. “I know that there’s two (alligators) in what used to be somebody’s front yard right now in the city because their front yard is flooded,” Hager said. “But they’re just doing their thing and the people who live there are giving them their space. The people are not messing with them and the alligators aren’t messing with the people so they’re sharing space right now.” Two days before he spoke in a telephone interview with Coastal Review, Sunset Beach Police Animal Control Officer Bill Arp had removed a small alligator hanging out underneath a car. “They’ll wind up in people’s garages and on people’s porches, underneath decks, under cars. We find them all over the place,” he said. “Unfortunately, because of such huge development down here, their habitat is starting to shrink and that’s what’s happening. People are calling us and wondering, ‘Why’s it under my car? Why are they on my porch? Why are they in my garage?’ Well, that’s why because the development is robbing them of their other habitat.” Alligator Do’s and Don’ts If an alligator settles in an area near you, wildlife and law enforcement officials have tips on how to safely cohabitate. “A lot of people think, even with birds and deer, it’s nice to feed them,” Arp said. “But alligators, you don’t. Everybody knows an alligator is an apex predator. They’re nice to watch. They’re nice to take pictures of, but to feed them, that’s not a good idea.” Remember what Harrelson said earlier in the story about city alligators? “Individual people feeding alligators is the worst thing you can do,” he said. “Alligators are wild animals and they’ve got to work for their food. An easy meal means, ‘hey I don’t have to continue to fail and fail and make all these attempts when I’m not successful. I can just wait for this person to walk over and, if I approach them, they’re going to give me chicken or bread or marshmallows, a fish scrap or whatever else they’ve got.’ We deal with this all the time, particularly with folks who aren’t locals.” It is illegal to feed alligators. It is also illegal to kill them. American alligators are protected by the Endangered Species Act as threatened. In North Carolina, a permit is required to hunt alligators. The monthlong season is limited to population control at the request of municipalities in Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Hyde, Jones, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, and Pender counties, according to the WRC website. “The Commission does not plan to issue permits to take American alligators, outside of municipality requested population reduction hunts, until further research is conducted to determine the conditions under which alligator populations would be sustained while allowing limited harvest,” the site states. Harrelson said that alligators are relocated only as a last resort because they, like other wildlife, have a propensity to travel long distances to return to where they were captured. “This is something that we face ongoing and, as biologists, something that we have to figure out how to address going forward because our agency isn’t going to pick up and move animals,” Harrelson said. “We want to let wildlife be wildlife for as long as we can and maintain the ecosystems that are out there.” As people build, alligators move. Males can occupy areas greater than 2 miles so, when they move, they’re crossing roads, ditches, and yards. An alligator may be removed from a property when it is considered a nuisance at least 4 feet long and poses a threat to people, pets, or property. To report a potential nuisance alligator, call the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401. Experts say simply spraying an alligator with a water hose usually prompts the animal to move away. If you’re taking a walk and spot an alligator in or near your path, give the alligator a wide berth and go around it. Never walk up to one or try to touch one. “When an alligator is on a sidewalk or up on a roadway, he’s not hunting, he’s not searching out food. If we give them an opportunity to make that move on their own, most of the time, they will,” Harrelson said. “Our biggest thing, of course, is to keep people safe and then let the animals be animals. That’s what we’re always striving toward.”
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A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.

More than bearly existing: Why black bears are thriving at the NC coast
Black bears at the beach? Yep, and they are some of the biggest in the world. Here’s how NC brought the animals back from the brink, and why they are now thriving
The North Carolina coast is well-known for its wildlife. Dolphins are frequently seen entertaining boaters and beachgoers, and a lucky few even get to see manatees traversing the Intracoastal Waterway and whales migrating offshore. On land, bobcats and turkeys can often surprise folks, and in the sky ospreys can often put on a show while hunting for fish in local waterways. Eagles are even beginning to show up in greater numbers, with a pair that raised an eaglet at New Hanover County’s Airlie Gardens this year causing quite a social media stir. But bears? Unless you’re a farmer or a hunter, it might come as a surprise to find out that more black bears live in the state’s coastal plain than in the higher elevations of Western N.C., where the Appalachians rise up and Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the nation’s most popular national park and Ursus americanus is its unofficial mascot. Here are some things you might now know about one of Eastern North Carolina’s most unique residents, and how climate change could be changing how bears behave in the coastal region.

Beach bears?
The ability of the bear to bounce back in the state is one of North Carolina’s great wildlife success stories. Unregulated hunting and loss of habitat led to bears being driven into the most isolated pockets of swamp forests and mountain areas for most of last century. But starting in the 1970s with the establishment of bear sanctuaries, strict management strategies, and educating the public about the state’s omnivorous residents, bear numbers have surged back. Today, more than 20,000 bears are estimated to roam North Carolina, and more than half are in the eastern part of the state. Coastal North Carolina is also home to some of the largest black bears in the world, thanks to an ample food supply of farmers’ crops, a relatively mild climate and many large, protected areas  like state game lands such as Holly Shelter in Pender County and federal wildlife refuges like Alligator River near the Outer Banks that offer the bears valuable habitat. The size and number of Eastern N.C.’s black bears also fuels a successful hunting season and helps support the economy in many rural areas. According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the numbers of bears harvested by hunters has increased from fewer than 300 in 1980 to more than 4,500 on 2023, the last year figures are available. In the Wilmington area for 2023, hunters took 34 bears in Brunswick County, seven in New Hanover County, and 92 in Pender County. The leading state that year was Hyde County near the Outer Banks, with 288 animals harvested by hunters.

Bears on the hunt
But humans aren’t the only ones on the hunt these days. Bears are beginning to fatten up as they prepare to hibernate in the late fall and winter. In a process called hyperphagia, which means “extreme appetite,” bears will travel long distances and be very opportunistic in looking for food sources. “In late summer through fall, black bears are consuming a variety of hard and soft mast species, from acorns and hickory nuts to pokeberry, cherry, grapes and black gum, said wildlife commission biologist Jenna Malzahn in a release. They’ll also take advantage of agricultural crops, such as soybeans and standing corn, as well as bird feeders and unsecured garbage and compost. With this level of food consumption, which can last through early winter, bears can put on 3 pounds per day and gain anywhere from 20% to close to 100% of their summer weight, according to the commission. With bears traveling so much, human-animal interactions including vehicle strikes peak over the next few weeks.

Will they hibernate at the N.C. coast?
Maybe. But they’ll still often eat even if the weather doesn’t trigger them to hibernate for very long or at all. Even in warmer climates, such as our state, a bears biological clock will still activate this fall feeding frenzy, even for those bears that hibernate briefly or not at all, as natural food scarcity in winter months, not temperatures, has been a key driver for activating the hyperphagia and hibernation process, said Colleen Olfenbuttel, the wildlife commission’s game mammals and surveys supervisor. Even bears that won’t den until January or February still look for food practically around the clock and eat as much as they can find. However, in areas where bears have found dependable year-round supplies of human-provided foods, they may not hibernate at all but will eat as if they are going to. Female bears at the coast have generally been recorded hibernating longer than males, and will give birth during their hibernation, only waking up and emerging with her cubs in the spring when they are able to walk and feed on solid food. Males may den for short periods but may also exhibit lethargic behavior during the winter if they stay awake.

Where will they hibernate in Eastern N.C.?
With few rock formations to den in or under in Eastern N.C., coastal bears will often hibernate in thick vegetation on the ground. They also have been found to use tree cavities and burrow under fallen trees and logs. Bears finding accommodations under abandoned or seldom used human structures, like porches and barns, also has been observed, according to the wildlife commission.

How will a warming climate impact bears?
As warmer weather becomes the norm, North Carolina’s coastal black bear might start to mimic behavior patterns of bears in other Southern states that already deal with a hotter, year-round climate. According to the N.C. State Climate Office, five of North Carolina’s top six warmest years have happened since 2016, and each year in the past decade ranks among the top 22 warmest on record dating back to 1895. That could mean shorter, or no, hibernation for male bears in the state, increased pressure on winter food supplies, and a greater chance of human-bear conflicts as both species share the same space for longer periods of time.
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Black bears are common along the NC coast.
Here’s why and what to know about their habits.
More bears live in the state’s coastal plain than in North Carolina’s mountains. They also are generally larger. And yes, they do hibernate
When people think of bears in North Carolina, most thoughts probably drift to the mountains in the higher elevations of the state and places like Great Smoky Mountain National Park. But black bears the only bear species found in the Tar Heel State are found across North Carolina, and their population is actually larger in the state’s coastal plain than in the mountains. Potentially even more surprising to some is that many bears at the coast, especially females, hibernate like their brethren where frost and snow is a lot more common.

Bears at the coast?
Yes, there are bears lots of them near North Carolina’s beaches and in its coastal forests and swamps. The ability of the bear to bounce back in the state is one of North Carolina’s great wildlife success stories. Unregulated hunting and loss of habitat led to bears being driven into the most isolated pockets of swamp forests and mountain areas for most of the last century. But starting in the 1970s with the establishment of bear sanctuaries, strict management strategies, and educating the public about the state’s omnivorous residents, bear numbers have surged back. Today, more than 20,000 bears are estimated to roam North Carolina, and more than half are in the eastern part of the state. Coastal North Carolina is also home to some of the largest black bears in the world, thanks to an ample food supply of farmers’ crops, a relatively mild climate, and many large, protected areas like state game lands and federal wildlife refuges that offer the bears valuable habitat. According to the wildlife commission, the largest bear ever killed in North Carolina was an 880-pound male taken in Craven County in 1998. The state’s propensity for lots of bears also attracts hunters and fuels economies in many rural areas, with more than 4,000 animals taken during the 2022 bear season  up 11% over 2021 figures. Of those, more than 2,500 bears were taken along the coast. Around the Wilmington area, hunters harvested 34 bears in Brunswick County, 92 in Pender County, and seven in New Hanover County. The popularity, size, and sheer number of bears in Eastern North Carolina also has spawned its own festival, the National Black Bear Festival, which takes place every June in Plymouth, Washington County.

What is hibernation?
In its very basic form, animals enter hibernation as a way to reduce their metabolism in response to a decrease in food supply and sometimes falling temperatures. When bears, in this case, enter hibernation, their internal body clocks slow down. That leads to lower heart rates, reduced breathing, and lower oxygen consumption. The animal’s temperature also drops. According to biologists, this can be by as much as 15 degrees for bears. To prepare for hibernation, bears step up their eating, putting on up to 3 pounds a day in the fall and sometimes into winter. That can mean foraging for a meal for up to 20 hours a day, and they are typically most active at dawn and dusk.

Why do N.C. coastal bears hibernate?
While black bears in colder, northern climates can hibernate for six months or longer, it is generally for shorter periods in North Carolina. But they do hibernate even along the N.C. coast, especially female bears. Males may den for short periods but may also exhibit lethargic behavior during the winter if they stay awake. “Bears studied in eastern North Carolina by radio-telemetry entered dens as early as November and as late as January. These same bears exited dens as early as February and as late as April,” states information on the wildlife commission’s website. “This results in the possibility of bear sightings and roadkills in all months and the misconception that coastal bears do not hibernate. Only human disturbance interrupts these periods of hibernation in North Carolina’s bears.” Females will give birth during their hibernation, only waking up and emerging with her cubs in the spring when they are able to walk and feed on solid food.

Where do they hibernate?
With few rock formations to den in or under in Eastern N.C., coastal bears will often hibernate in thick vegetation on the ground. They also have been found to use tree cavities and burrow under fallen trees and logs. Bears finding accommodations under abandoned or seldom used human structures, like porches and barns, also has been observed.

What about the impact of climate change on N.C. bears?
Scientists are clear that North Carolina is facing a warming climate in the coming years. The only real question is by how much temperatures will increase. As warmer weather becomes the norm, North Carolina’s coastal black bear might start to mimic behavior patterns of bears in other Southern states that already deal with a hotter, year-round climate. That could mean shorter, or no, hibernation for male bears, increased pressure on winter food supplies, and a greater chance of human-bear conflicts as both species share the same space for longer periods of time. But black bears also have proven time and again to be very adaptable to changing conditions, including human encroachment on their habitats. That ability has seen them spread to all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, with number increasing even as the state’s population also continues to rise quickly.
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Bears are smart animals
Time to be smarter than the bear. Elimination of regular and easy food sources is the best deterrent and will cause him/her to move out of our location faster than any other reason. If the bear discovers the pattern of garbage cans going out in the evening, he/she will look for the cans each evening. Consider putting garbage cans out in the morning hours just before the truck arrives so that the bear does not discover cans full of food each week. Please reconsider feeding any other animals during warmer months with an outdoor supply of food because the bear will find it and eat what you put out, thus strengthening his/her reason to remain here. Bird feeders may also be destroyed for the bear to secure the stored grains.

Consistent patterns in OR will help to move the bear to new territory. If some food sources remain available, he/she will find them and remain here. Keep the food sources out of his/her reach. Please consider staying with this habit until the acorns begin to drop in the fall. We have few oak trees within OR, so that source of food is limited. The bear will seek an area with a greater source of food prior to winter.

Bears roam approximately ten miles in all directions to obtain food or shelter. If sources outside of the OR provide him/her with regular food, and our area provides the best shelter, he/ she will remain until late fall once again. Be aware of choices and be aware of walking in forested areas with dogs, etc. Black bears will avoid humans and dogs, but if you accidentally run into one at close proximity, do the following:

If you and he /she are walking toward each other, change your direction and do not run.Constantly check over the shoulder to see if the bear is following you or continuing in another direction.

    • If you happen to get REALLY close to a bear, you can make yourself look as large as possible and yell loudly. A black bear will usually change direction.
    • If there is a bear cub with a mother bear, stay as far away as possible. She will protect the cub at all costs, and you can be in great danger.
    • Review the pamphlet put out by the NC Department of Wildlife:
      https://www.ncwildlife.org/media/1458/download?attachment

Stay aware, stay smart, and stay safe.

Storm Events –

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Hurricane Vehicle Decals
Property owners were provided with four (4) decals that were included in this month’s water bill. It is important that you place your decals in your vehicle or in a safe place. A $10 fee will be assessed to anyone who needs to obtain either additional or replacement decals. Decals will not be issued in the 24-hour period before an anticipated order of evacuation.

The decals are your passes to get back onto the island to check your property in the event that an emergency would necessitate restricting access to the island. Decals must be displayed in the driver side lower left-hand corner of the windshield, where they are not obstructed by any other items. Officials must be able to clearly read the decal from outside the vehicle.

Property owners without a valid decal will not be allowed on the island during restricted access. No other method of identification is accepted in an emergency situation. Click here to visit the Town website to find out more information regarding decals and emergency situations.

EVACUATION, CURFEW & DECALS

NC General Statute 166A-19.22
Power of municipalities and counties to enact ordinances to deal with states of emergency.

Synopsis – The governing body may impose by declaration or enacted ordinance, prohibitions, and restrictions during a state of emergency. This includes the prohibition and restriction of movements of people in public places, including imposing a curfew; directing or compelling the voluntary or mandatory evacuation of all or part of the population, controlling ingress and egress of an emergency area, and providing for the closure of streets, roads, highways, bridges, public vehicular areas. All prohibitions and restrictions imposed by declaration or ordinance shall take effect immediately upon publication of the declaration unless the declaration sets a later time. The prohibitions and restrictions shall expire when they are terminated by the official or entity that imposed them, or when the state of emergency terminates.

Violation – Any person who violates any provisions of an ordinance or a declaration enacted or declared pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Hot Button Issues

Subjects that are important to people and about which they have strong opinions

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Climate
For more information » click here.

 

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear

Top Scientists Find Growing Evidence That Greenhouse Gases Are, in Fact, a Danger
The assessment contradicts the Trump administration’s legal arguments for relaxing pollution rules.
The nations leading scientific advisory body issued a major report on Wednesday detailing the strongest evidence to date that carbon dioxide, methane and other planet-warming greenhouse gases are threatening human health. The report, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, is significant because it could complicate the Trump administrations efforts to revoke a landmark scientific determination, known as the endangerment finding, that underpins the federal governments legal authority to control the pollution that is driving climate change. The finding dates to 2009, when the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that planet-warming greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare and so should be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The Obama and Biden administrations used that determination to set strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants and other industrial sources of pollution. But in July, the Trump administration proposed to rescind the endangerment finding and contended that subsequent research had cast significant doubt on its accuracy. The proposal is one of President Trumps most significant steps yet to derail federal climate efforts. If the move is held up in court, future administrations would have no authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The new National Academies assessment contradicts the administrations claims. The 136-page report, assembled by a committee of two dozen scientists, concludes that the original endangerment finding was accurate and has stood the test of time. It says that there is now even stronger evidence that rising greenhouse gas levels can threaten public health and well-being, and that new risks have been uncovered. The report notes that multiple lines of evidence now show that human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation are producing greenhouse gases that are heating the planet, and that climate change is exacerbating a wide variety of health risks like intense heat waves and increased wildfire smoke. Climate-driven changes in temperature and rainfall patterns have also led to negative effects on crops and less water availability in some places, among other disruptions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is a nongovernmental body that was originally chartered in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln to advise the nation on scientific and medical questions. The influential body issues roughly 200 reports per year on a range of topics from particle physics to neurobiology, and its members are elected each year. In August, the National Academies announced that it was fast-tracking its study on the endangerment finding so that it could inform the E.P.A.‘s decision-making process. Under federal law, the E.P.A. needs to solicit public comment on its proposal to revoke the finding and then must respond to all of the comments it receives. Some Republicans in Congress criticized the National Academies for racing to complete the report. Representative James Comer of Kentucky, the leading Republican on the House Oversight Committee, wrote in a recent letter to the body that the decision was a blatant partisan act to undermine the Trump Administration and said that some of the members overseeing the report had shown partisan bias. The committee that oversaw the report was led by Shirley Tilghman, an emeritus professor of molecular biology and public affairs and former president of Princeton University. While the committee was largely made up of academics, it also included a former employee of Chevron and a former executive at Cummins, a manufacturer of truck engines. This study was undertaken with the ultimate aim of informing the E.P.A., following its call for public comments, as it considers the status of the endangerment finding, Dr. Tilghman said in a statement. We are hopeful that the evidence summarized here shows the strong base of scientific evidence available to inform sound decision-making. In response to the report, Carolyn Holran, an E.P.A. spokeswoman, said, The endangerment finding has been used by the Obama and Biden administrations to justify trillions of dollars of greenhouse gas regulations covering new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines. As we saw in the 16 intervening years since the endangerment finding was made, many of the extremely pessimistic predictions and assumptions E.P.A. relied upon have not materialized as expected. She said the E.P.A. looks forward to responding to a diverse array of perspectives on this issue, when the public comment period ends on Sept. 22. To justify its proposal, the E.P.A. cited a variety of legal and technical arguments, saying among other things that the greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles on American roads are only a small sliver of total global greenhouse gas emissions. But the agency also tried to argue with the mainstream scientific view that climate change poses a significant risk to humanity. It cited a report that the Energy Department commissioned by a working group of five prominent researchers who dissent from the mainstream scientific view of climate change. They were handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and while their report acknowledged that the Earth is warming, it said that climate change is less damaging economically than commonly believed. In response, a team of more than 85 scientists wrote a 439-page reply, saying that the Energy Department analysis was riddled with errors and cherry-picked data to fit the president’s political agenda. Separately, two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court charging that the formation of the Energy Departments working group violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act and that the E.P.A. should not rely on its analysis. That case is ongoing. Mr. Wright disbanded the working group this month in the wake of the lawsuit. But the Energy Department has said it has no plans to withdraw its report. In a statement, Andrea Woods, an Energy Department spokeswoman, said that the agency had determined that the working group had achieved its purpose, namely to catalyze broader discussion about the certainties and uncertainties of current climate science. We will continue to engage in the debate in favor of a more science-based and less ideological conversation around climate science. Some legal experts said that the Trump administrations attempts to argue against longstanding scientific findings on climate change could create problems in court for its deregulatory efforts. It might have been a better strategy if they tried to sidestep the arguments about climate science altogether, said Patrick Parenteau, an emeritus professor at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. Instead, they’ve taken shots at climate science and thats triggered an enormous response from scientists, and now they’re going to have to carefully respond to all of these comments, Mr. Parenteau added.  And if they shortchange any of them, that creates a legal vulnerability. Courts are going to be very leery if the E.P.A. tries to ignore or reject the findings of the National Academies of Sciences.
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Flood Insurance Program
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National Flood Insurance Program: Reauthorization
Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. On  November 12, 2025, the president signed legislation passed by Congress that extends the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) authorization to January 30, 2026.

Congress must now reauthorize the NFIP
by no later than 11:59 pm on January 30, 2026.

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GenX
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Homeowners Insurance
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Hurricane Season
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Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30

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No hurricanes hit the U.S. this year, but the storms that formed sent a warning
It’s the first time in a decade no hurricane has made U.S. landfall, even as near-record high ocean heat fueled monster storms.
This year marks the first time in a decade that there hasn’t been a hurricane landfall in the United States. That’s true even as several massive and menacing storms formed, many tracking perilously close to the United States. The Atlantic season, which officially ends Nov. 30, saw the likes of Hurricanes Erin and Imelda, as well as Melissa, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record that devastated Jamaica. But it didn’t take a hurricane landfall to have dangerous consequences in the United States. In July, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry contributed to deadly and devastating flooding in the Texas Hill Country and Tropical Storm Chantal caused destructive and fatal flooding in North Carolina, amid a global trend toward a moister atmosphere. “This season was a weird one,” said Philip Klotzbach, a senior hurricane research scientist at Colorado State University. Three storms catapulted to Category 5 intensity — the second-highest number on record for storms of that intensity within a single season. Four storms reached at least Category 4 strength. Four storms also rapidly intensified — Erin, Gabrielle, Humberto and Melissa — meaning that their winds accelerated by at least 35 mph in a day. Klotzbach emphasized that even a small number of intense storms could be more hazardous than many milder ones. “If those massive storms happen to hit something, the potential damage is a lot higher,” he added. In total there were 13 storms — one less than the long-term average. Early forecasts predicted as many as 19 storms this season, well above the number that have since formed. The exact number of storms is challenging to predict months in advance, so scientists often focus more on accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), which is a measure of storm wind strength and duration. Klotzbach added that the year had slightly more ACE than normal, even with fewer storms, underscoring the strength of the systems that did form. No tropical activity is expected in the next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Fueling the monster storms
This year’s powerful array of storms was linked by a factor that lies deep below the ocean — high ocean heat. This excess heat is fuel for storm intensification. More than 80 percent of the Atlantic was covered by above-average ocean heat during the season, the third-highest amount on record since records began in 1958, behind only 2023 and 2024. Part of a concerning trend, the near-record high ocean heat — in the top 10 percent of historical observations — covered almost 40 percent of the Atlantic basin. Before 2022, this metric had never been higher than 30 percent, making the recent ascension of ocean heat particularly notable. Instead of churning up cooler waters from below, violent storm winds instead found more warm water beneath the surface, enabling storms to remain or become more intense. But high ocean heat alone doesn’t cause storms to form. A tropical storm begins as a cluster of thunderstorms. When that cluster taps into an unstable atmosphere — one in which warm, buoyant air is rising — it can organize and intensify. That instability is driven by the temperature difference between the warm ocean surface and the much colder upper atmosphere. This vertical gradient, known as the lapse rate, helps set what experts call the potential intensity — the upper limit on how strong a hurricane’s winds can get. “The thing that really powers the hurricane is how fast you can transfer heat from the ocean to the atmosphere. The bigger the temperature difference, the faster you can transfer heat. The faster you can transfer heat, the more powerful the hurricane can be,” said Kerry Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But that gradient was not particularly strong this year in some parts of the Atlantic, illustrating why this temperature difference matters more than the sea temperature alone. And it forms part of the reason a warming planet may have fewer tropical storms, but more intense ones overall. “This past summer, the sea surface temperatures across much of the tropical Atlantic were warmer than normal, which is part of what led people to predict that there would be a very busy season,” Emanuel said. But because the air above was also warm, potential intensity was lower than normal. That was partly responsible for why there were fewer than normal storms originating in certain parts of the tropical Atlantic, he said. Then there was the Caribbean, where monster Hurricane Melissa formed. There, the potential intensity was high. There’s little to suggest that this extra ocean heat will subside in 2026, which means it will probably be a key factor again next hurricane season. However, one climate driver that contributed to conditions that were more conducive to hurricanes in 2024 and 2025 — La Niña — will probably fade early next year. It’s unusual to have at least two consecutive years without a hurricane landfall in the United States. It has happened only six times since records began in 1851, the last times in 2009 and 2010.
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Inlet Hazard Areas
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Lockwood Folly Inlet
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Seismic Testing / Offshore Drilling
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Offshore Wind Farms
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Things I Think I Think

A massive hurricane seen from space with a distinct eye.Eating out is one of the great little joys of life.

Restaurant Review:
The Dinner Club visits a new restaurant once a month. Ratings reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, ambience and service, with price taken into consideration.
///// October 2025
Name:           La Cucina Italian Grill
Cuisine:        Italian
Location:     1780 Chandlers Lane, Sunset Beach NC
Contact:       910.579.9777 / https://www.lacucinasunsetbeach.com/
Food:             Average / Very Good / Excellent / Exceptional
Service:        Efficient / Proficient / Professional / Expert
Ambience:   Drab / Plain / Distinct / Elegant
Cost: $25   Inexpensive <=20 / Moderate <=26 / Expensive <=35 / Exorbitant <=60
Rating:         Three Stars
La Cucina is a local classic Italian restaurant, serving traditional Italian cuisine with a broad-based menu that offers something for everyone. It’s a comfortable, friendly, casual environment, nothing fancy, but very welcoming and the wait staff are very accommodating. Since it’s a small busy place, with seating for only fifty (50) people, if you want to eat there making reservations is advisable. We have always enjoyed the dining experience there. They are serving some of the best Italian cuisine in the area, it’s as good as it gets here. The food is very good, the portions are generous, and the prices for both the food and wine are reasonable. It’s an exceptional value, what’s not to like?

Dining Guide – Local
Old places, New faces
Name:         The Wharf
Location:   1045 B-Var Road, Supply NC
Contact:     910.842.9999 / https://www.thewharfinhb.com/
This spot on the intercoastal waterway was once known as Betty’s Waterfront Restaurant. SmacNally’s has permanently closed, after just two (2) years, and a new eatery The Wharf was announced for the space.

Dining Guide – Local * Lou’s Views

Dining Guide – North * Lou’s Views

Dining Guide – South * Lou’s Views

Restaurant Reviews – North * Lou’s Views

Restaurant Reviews – South * Lou’s Views

Book Review:
Read several books from The New York Times best sellers fiction list monthly
Selection represents this month’s pick of the litter

Cover of the novel 'Shore' by Charlotte featuring an abstract ocean wave.WILD DARK SHORE by Charlotte McConaghy
The novel is set on Shearwater Island, a remote subantarctic desert island that serves as a research station. Scientists have been studying environmental changes there, but the island is receding under rising seas and will soon disappear. The researchers have recently departed, leaving behind a family of four who are the last caretakers. They are preparing to evacuate the island with the world’s largest seed bank. One day, a shipwrecked woman washes ashore unconscious but alive. She recovers under the family’s care, but an atmosphere of tension and distrust arises among them. Facing intensifying storms, the family and the woman must decide if they can trust each other to protect the precious seeds and overcome their past tragedies to build a new future together.

That’s it for this newsletter

See you next month

Lou’s Views . HBPOIN

                    • Gather and disseminate information
                    • Identify the issues and determine how they affect you
                    • Act as a watchdog
                    • Grass roots monthly newsletter since 2008

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