More fallout from Tropical Storm Ida. News reports say that currently Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina is providing detour access to travelers near Rodanthe, after Tropical Storm Ida buckled about 800 feet of roadway along Highway 12, also known as the beach road.

In addition, the Outer Banks Sentinel reports that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is abandoning their headquarters at Pea Island.

“The building foundation isn’t undermined at this point. But, the beach has eroded away so close to the building - within a few feet - that the next storm or high water could easily wash sand from under the foundation,” said Bonnie Strawser, visitor services manager for Alligator River/Pea Island National Wildlife Refuges. “It’s a brick building built on a concrete slab so all that weight on even a small portion of concrete with nothing under it could cause a wall to come tumbling down.

“Because the ocean is so close, it would not be prudent to make repairs or to continue to have employee offices there, because the outcome is inevitable. It won’t take much of a wave at this point to take the building.”

Staff will be moving to the Manteo office in North Carolina.

Tags:
wildlife refuge, Pea Island NWR, North Carolina