Janice’s friend “Crazy Carl” had called that evening and asked the Jennettes to drive down to Hatteras Village and pick him up. He had a funny feeling about Isabelle and had sent his wife and two daughters off the island just in case it got really bad. He was looking for a couple of good buddies he could share a few drinks with to help take his mind off the coming storm. Riding out the storm didn’t worry him as much as surviving the after effects, no electricity, no water, and no supplies. Hurricanes and Nor’easters are yearly events for the small fishing and tourist villages on this stretch of the Outer Banks, so weathering a storm was second nature. Most of the townsfolk just knew to stock up on supplies and expected the water and power to be out for days, maybe even weeks. Food and supplies had been flown into the villages when previous storms had knocked out Highway 12 or the Oregon Inlet Bridge. Nearly everyone owned a boat or knew someone who did.

Since Buxton was two towns north of Hatteras Village, Carl figured it would be closer to a supply line if one were needed. Unfortunately for Carl, Janice and her husband and started drinking earlier and they had a strict policy of not drinking and driving. Later that evening, the storm picked up in intensity, and tropical force winds shook the house.
High winds didn’t bother Janice because she lived on one of the widest areas of the southern Outer Banks. She had not even purchased flood insurance because her neighborhood had never flooded for as long as anyone could remember.

Carl called several times that night and tried to talk them into driving down to get him. The wind and rain were getting so bad; the road to the next town was already under water. Heavy rains had flooded the road, shopping center and golf course in Frisco earlier that week. The couple had a nice new truck and driving it through salty ocean water was the last thing they wanted to do. Janice said if she had known how bad it was going to get for Carl, she would have done it anyway.

Carl sat in his home and listened to the driving rain. He felt his house sway with each huge gust of wind. The front side of the hurricane was bad enough, but after the eye passed over and the backside of the eye hit, all hell broke loose. The house was pounded by immense waves created by the tidal surge. It was a strong house and had withstood many a storm, but this storm was a monster. Hurricane winds exceeding 75 mph extended 130 miles out from the eye and tropical winds over 45 mph extended 300 miles out.

Powerful winds had been screaming for over 8 hours and it showed no sign of letting up. Soon the wind speeds reached 90 miles per hour sustained, meaning it never stopped blowing. Gusts of over 110 miles per hour screamed across the island creating a deep pulsing vibration in the air. Carl could hear trees cracking, and stuff hitting the house so hard it shook. The constant roar of the wind was deafening. Water started pouring into the first floor. Carl climbed as high as he could, and soon found himself on the roof. By now the tidal surge had eroded the foundation completely and he was being swept out into the sound waters. Crazy Carl was in big trouble and he knew it. He took a chance and jumped from his roof to the closest house he could see.

Doctor Seabourn Blair and Doctor Hodges were the only doctors that lived on the island, and both had thought long and hard before they left the island. The closest house to Carl was Doctor Hodge’s and Carl’s leap couldn’t have been more fortunate. Only Carl knows exactly how he got from his house to the doctor’s home, but we do know he was found in the Doctor’s house Friday morning wearing Doc Hodge’s clothes. Everyone understood he just needed to change after a night like that.

Three days after the storm, Janice was allowed access to Hatteras Village. She drove to Frisco and had to stop at the Frisco Pier and the old Life Saving Station. Sonny’s Restaurant was still standing, but it had 10 inches of water in it. Sinkholes riddled the town, which made travel past the pier impossible. The Red and White store and Beach Pharmacy had suffered wind and flood damage. Frisco Pier was still standing but much of it had been lost.

She had come to help friends carry what few possessions they had left back to Buxton where the damage was less severe. The Village of Hatteras was virtually wiped out. North Hatteras from Pelican Roost to the Ocracoke Ferry access was a wasteland. The parking lot and road leading up to the ferry was gone, covered by water so deep it looked like the sound. The village bakery, hotels, Pelican Roost, Sand Bar Grill, and many of the most popular landmarks had been destroyed or washed away completely. Many of the old homes were tilting or had collapsed completely. Spotty areas around the older part of town were still standing, but all the piers, docks, medical facilities, and stores suffered severe damage. Sinkholes made it dangerous to walk around, even on dry ground. Septic tanks had ruptured, water and power lines were split in two and the stench of destruction filled the air.