Tag Archives: Hurricane Florence
Federal fishries disaster funds granted To NC Fishing Industry
North Carolina will receive $7.7 million in federal fisheries disaster assistance to help the State’s fishing industry recover from Hurricane Florence. An assessment from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that the September 2018 storm caused $38 million in damages to vessels and businesses and nearly $57 million in lost revenues. >click to read< 19:33
State mails final round of hurricane assistance checks to NC fishermen
Fisherman and shellfish harvesters hit by Hurricane Florence will soon receive more financial help from North Carolina leaders. On Thursday, Governor Roy Cooper’s office announced $450,000 had been sent out to more than 1,100 applicants. The funds are the last disbursements of a $11.6 million package of Hurricane Florence relief efforts specifically for commercial fishermen. >click to read<19:53
Hurricane Florence And The Fish Industry
The fishing industry in Southeastern North Carolina came to a grounding halt when Hurricane Florence pounded the coast in mid-September. Since then, officials say, the industry has rebounded thanks in part to the Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Assistance Program. Captain Dave Tilley is starting up one of his boats in the harbor at Carolina Beach. He has fished these waters for most of his life. However, Hurricane Florence forced Tilley to take a few weeks off. “When the hurricane came through, we had a lot of damage both to the infrastructure,,, >Click to read<08:26
Bickering in D.C. holds up Florence relief for N.C. fishermen
Political infighting in Washington over Puerto Rico seems to be holding up needed relief for North Carolina victims of Hurricane Florence. Keith Bruno, whose business, Endurance Seafood, sustained devastating damage, said federal dollars could drastically speed up the pace of rebuilding and get his business back on track. “People get tired of asking if I’m back in business and they just forget about you,” >Video, click to read<11:40
DMF Sends Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Relief Checks
Gov. Roy Cooper’s office announced Friday that a second round of assistance checks is on the way to North Carolina commercial fishermen affected by Hurricane Florence. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries is distributing checks from $11.6 million available under the Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Assistance Program. The latest distribution includes 1,002 checks totaling more than $7.23 million to fishermen to help compensate for October and November harvest reductions due to Hurricane Florence, according to the governor’s office. >click to read<12:13
Commercial Fishing Assistance Offered – Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Assistance Program
Some North Carolina commercial fishermen can receive financial help from the Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Assistance Program. The state Division of Marine Fisheries was to mail packets last week to those that are eligible based on October and November landings. Packets are only being sent to those fishermen who had lower landings in October and/or November 2018 as compared to their average landings from the same months in the previous three years. The second round of payments from the program, state legislature appropriated $11.6 million to DMF to help commercial fishermen and shellfish harvesters who suffered income losses from harvest reductions due to Hurricane Florence. >click to read<13:49
Fishermen say ‘hurt’ from hurricane hard to measure
Millis Seafood owner Tim Millis has been working in the commercial fishing industry for more the 60 years and remembers the devastation of Hurricane Hazel. Hazel left a path of destruction from wind and storm surge that residents weren’t prepared for in the days before the warning systems that are in place today. Hurricane Florence, he said, was different.“Others came in and were gone. This one stayed longer, pouring all that rain,” Millis said.
>click to read<11:21
NC Fisheries Hurricane Florence disaster declaration granted
US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross granted Governor Roy Cooper’s request for a disaster declaration related to damage to North Carolina’s marine fishing industry in Hurricane Florence. Recreational and commercial fishing are important economic drivers for our state and families along North Carolina’s coast. I appreciate Secretary Ross’s recognition of the damage to these vital industries caused by Hurricane Florence. We must rebuild smarter and stronger than ever and I will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to bring recovery funds to those who need them,” said Governor Cooper.>click to read<10:23
How Did North Carolina’s Commerical Fishing Industry Fare In Hurricane Florence?
While cleanup crews are getting a good idea of how much the damage Hurricane Florence will cost, it’s not yet clear what the storm might have done to North Carolina’s fishing industry. Farmers on land lost more than $1 billion worth of crops in the floodwaters from the hurricane. Jerry Schill of the North Carolina Fisheries Association says, in a way, commercial fishermen lost crops of their own. “The fish stocks that they normally fish for in the fall, those fish stocks are displaced,” he said. Schill was speaking to a committee in the Legislature this week, one of many considering Hurricane Florence relief measures. >click to read<08:29
Shrimper hoping to salvage harvest season plagued by Hurricane Florence
Stanley Hall normally welcomes hurricane season, not because of its potentially negative impacts, but because it’s harvest season for shrimping. “This is the height of the season. This is when it normally gets good,” said Hall. “We got to make it right now because shrimping won’t start back until July.” For shrimpers like Hall, who operates his 40-foot vessel, Seabrook, out of Varnamtown, right now is not so good. “All the rain from Hurricane Florence has sent the shrimp out of the river prematurely, so they had no time to grow,” >click to read<18:26
N.C. Fishermen brace for a difficult winter financially after the hurricane ruined much of their fall catch.
During a major hurricane, fish migrate away, oysters get contaminated and shrimp are blown to sea, scattered to deeper waters. Though sometimes unnoticed, the seafood industry takes a big hit after storms like Florence. Not only does the crop move, but fishermen often live and work in the coastal communities that take the brunt of the storm’s rage. “We get overlooked real easy. We are isolated to the coast. And unlike the agricultural industry, this affects everyone,” said Glenn Skinner, executive director of the North Carolina Fisheries Association. “Everyone who fishes is affected by this.” Their boats, gear, docks and packing houses take a blow. >click to read<20:33
After Florence: With local North Carolina shellfish likely off-limits this season, how will fisheries adjust?
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries has ruled out shellfish harvesting for the time being, a decision that its spokesperson said will likely stick around during the coming months. – As the public learns about new contaminants and spills into local waterways daily, many, including fisherman, are concerned about whether its safe to harvest in public waters in the wake of Hurricane Florence. With oysters, clams, and other shellfish likely out for the season, local fisheries are working to catch up with remaining aquaculture that’s still fair game. >click to read< 10:34
Florence floodwaters reveal fish washed up on North Carolina interstate
Floodwaters from Hurricane Florence are leaving quite a fishy situation in North Carolina. As floodwaters from the hurricane begin to recede more a week after the storm made landfall, first responders on Saturday came across hundreds of dead fish on a stretch of Interstate 40 that had been hit hard by flooding.,, The fish were discovered along a stretch of the interstate near Wallace, located about 40 miles northwest of Wilmington, where the storm made landfall. “Hurricane Florence caused massive flooding in our area and allowed the fish to travel far from their natural habitat, stranding them on the interstate when waters receded,” the fire department said. >click to read<08:22
Hurricane Florence: Commercial, charter communities are answering call for help
The commercial fishing and charter boat communities in the north east part of the state are answering the call for help from hard-hit communities south of Dare, particularly Down East Carteret County. Tuesday, led by Hatteras Island fisherman Paul Rosell, a group made the long trek to Davis in Down East Carteret County. They delivered supplies and took along equipment to help secure homes. On Wednesday, Britton Shackleford, commercial fisherman, charter boat operator and Wicked Tuna Outer Banks personality, put out a call for others to join him to go Carteret County that day to clear trees around the homes of Capt. Sonny Davis and his family members. Davis is a member of North Carolina United Watermen. >click to read<10:28
Hurricane Florence: Shrimpers talk storm damage, losses
Davis Seafood is a family owned and operated business in Sneads Ferry, a little north up the river from similarly family owned and operated businesses Mitchell Seafood and B. F. Millis & Sons Seafood. They all specialize in shrimping, although they sell clams and various fish products as well. The water is their livelihood, and all three families suffered physical and financial setbacks from the recent downpour and winds. Davis Seafood had already been out of business for a week before the hurricane, according to Davis. They were out for the week of the storm. And they were anticipating another week of cleanup and recuperation before the business was back in operation. “We know all about it,” Davis said. “We’ve done it before. It’s just part of the livelihood.”>click to read<
NCFA – More Hurricane Florence info on ice, storage facilities, hot showers and DMF info
Armistead Perry of Evans Seafood and Evans Transport said he has some freezer space available and cooler space if you need to get inventory from your facility to save it.,, Wanchese Fish Co. has offered the use of their cold storage facility in Suffolk VA for anyone that needs it.,, Regarding our industry helping others, also let us know what you may be able to do to help, such as ice or whatever else you can assist with. ,,, >click to read<10:01
NCFA – Storm Damage Info Needed – Need Cold Storage Due To Power Outage? More Info For You!!!
Wanchese Fish Co. has offered the use of their cold storage facility in Suffolk VA for anyone that needs it. If you have a fish house or packing operation and in need of cold storage to save your inventory, please let us know and we’ll make the connection. They can also arrange for trucking if needed. You can respond to this notice or call me at the number below. If you need help with cleanup or fixing your damaged home, again, please let us know! As a reminder, we need as much information on damages the commercial fishing industry has sustained as a result of Hurricane Florence! We need to know about damage done to fish houses, boats, lost gear, etc. Also damages done to your homes, vehicles, or anything connected to commercial fishing. >click to read<15:30
From North Carolina Fisheries Association – WE NEED INFO ON HURRICANE FLORENCE FISHING INDUSTRY DAMAGES!!!
We need as much information on damages the commercial fishing industry has sustained as a result of Hurricane Florence! We know there will be huge losses from a future income standpoint, but that’s not what we’re looking for at the moment. We need to know about damage done to fish houses, boats, lost gear, etc. Also damages done to your homes, vehicles, or anything connected to commercial fishing. We will be contacting federal and state officials and the first thing they want are numbers, so please help us with this information! >click to read<12:41
Shrimp boat anchored in Beaufort Co. to avoid Hurricane Florence overturns, leaks fuel
A shrimp boat anchored in the May River to avoid Hurricane Florence overturned and appears to have leaked fuel into the water, state and local officials said Saturday. Beaufort County dispatchers alerted the S.C. Department of Natural Resources about the possibility of a vessel leaking fuel on Saturday, said David Lucas, a DNR spokesman. A DNR officer and official with the Department of Health and Environmental Control visited the site and found a shrimp boat overturned off of Bull Island. >click to read< 08:53
Hurricane Florence – N.C. shrimper fleeing storm finds safety in Beaufort County after breaking down at sea
St. Helena Island — slammed by Hurricane Matthew two years ago — this time served as a peaceful safe harbor for a North Carolina shrimper fleeing Hurricane Florence. But not before a rescue at sea. Shrimper Scott Dudley of Smyrna, North Carolina, might have felt like Noah when the whole thing began a week ago Saturday, Sept. 8. People laughed when he eased his 83-foot wood-hulled trawler, the Miss Nicole, out of the Fulcher’s Seafood dock in Oriental, North Carolina. “The man at the dock told me I was crazy,” he rumbled Friday in a deep voice bouncing off the smooth waters of Village Creek, seeming to dance in this sunshine. It was only about five hours after Hurricane Florence made landfall. >click to read<22:31
Rain, floods, tornadoes hit Carolinas as Hurricane Florence makes landfall
The Carolina coast saw major storm surges, strong winds and fierce rain early Friday as Hurricane Florence arrived on land at Category 1 strength. The center of the storm arrived about 7:15 a.m. EDT near Wrightsville Beach, N.C., close to the South Carolina border, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory update. Meteorological models project up to 40 inches of rain for parts of North and South Carolina through Sunday before the hurricane disperses. >click to read<09:00
For Chesapeake watermen, storm is another challenge in a tough year
Pasadena waterman C.J. Canby and his crew of three pulled up their crab pots early Wednesday and for the most part found a healthy catch. “Oh boy,” Canby exclaimed as they hoisted one of the wire cages out of the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patapsco River. “That’s a $100-a-dozen crab.” It measured 8¼ inches across. Every so often, a trap came up empty. Canby assumes it’s because recent rain, wind and waves knocked the crab pot on its side, preventing crustaceans from sidestepping their way inside. Ahead of Hurricane Florence, he’s working to put more of his pots in deeper waters and on muddy terrain, where they’re less likely to be disturbed. >click to read<19:21
NWS National Hurricane Center – Hurricane Florence Advisory Update 200 PM EDT
Hurricane Florence Intermediate Advisory – NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL LOCATION…33.6N 76.0W ABOUT 110 MI…180 KM ESE OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA, ABOUT 165 MI…270 KM E OF MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA, MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…105 MPH…165 KM/H, PRESENT MOVEMENT…NW OR 315 DEGREES AT 10 MPH…17 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…955 MB…28.20 INCHES >click to read<14:13
Coast Guard establishes temporary maritime emergency contact numbers for North Carolina
Sept. 12, 2018 U.S. Coast Guard Hurricane Florence Response Contact: Hurricane Response Media Operations Centers Hampton Roads/Elizabeth City: (757) 295-8435 North Carolina: (252) 515-0895 – Members of the public should follow all local advisories for evacuation and for seeking safe harbor throughout North Carolina as Hurricane Florence progresses. The primary number for help should be 911, as this number allows first responders to coordinate rescues across agencies. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina has established temporary maritime search and rescue phone numbers. >click to read new contact information< 19:05
NWS National Hurricane Center – Hurricane Florence Advisory Update 500 PM EDT
500 PM EDT Wed Sep 12 2018 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL …FLORENCE MOVING STEADILY TOWARD THE CAROLINA COASTAL AREAS… LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND RAINFALL EXPECTED… LOCATION…30.9N 72.5W ABOUT 385 MI…615 KM SE OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA ABOUT 420 MI…675 KM ESE OF MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…120 MPH…195 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT…NW OR 315 DEGREES AT 16 MPH…26 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…949 MB…28.03 INCHES >click to read<17:48
Observe Hurricane Florence live from Coast Guard Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower
Want an up-close look at Hurricane Florence? Watch the video below to see live footage from an old Coast Guard light tower, 32 miles off the coast of southeastern North Carolina. If current storm projections are correct, that won’t be far from where Florence makes landfall. One camera, mounted on the tower’s helipad about 100 feet above the water, should capture long views, along with the hurricane-force winds whipping the American flag. Richard Neal, a software sales engineer from south Charlotte, is now the principal owner of the Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower. Neal bought the tower at government auction for $85,000 in 2010. Frying Pan Ocean Cam powered by EXPLORE.org Live >click to watch<17:22
NWS National Hurricane Center – Hurricane Florence Advisory Update
At 500 PM, the center of the eye of Hurricane Florence was located by satellite near latitude 27.5 North, longitude 67.1 West. Florence is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph (28 km/h). A motion toward the west-northwest and northwest is expected through early Thursday. Florence is expected to slow down considerably by late Thursday into Friday.,,, Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 140 mph (220 km/h) with higher gusts. Florence is a category 4 hurricane,,, Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km). >click to read<17:23
National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Florence Public Advisory
At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the center of Hurricane Florence was located near latitude 24.9 North, longitude 58.9 West. Florence is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days. A turn toward the northwest is forecast to occur Wednesday night or Thursday. On the
forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern coast of the United States on Thursday. >click to read<09:17
