Dare County Newsletter - June 2025

The Dare County Board of Commissioners will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Monday, June 9, 2025 at 9 a.m. The meeting will take place in the commissioners meeting room, which is adjacent to the Dare County Administration Building located at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo.

Reminder: The Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting that was previously scheduled to be held at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 2, 2025 has been moved to 9 a.m. on Monday, June 9, 2025.

View a PDF of the agenda packet for the June 9, 2025 meeting when it is published.

Sunday, June 1, 2025 marked the official start of hurricane season, and Dare County Emergency Management urges all residents, visitors and property owners to take steps now to prepare for a potentially active season ahead. Read on for important local tips to help you and your family stay safe, ready and resilient this hurricane season!

Obtain a 2025 Reentry Permit

To enter Dare County following a mandatory evacuation, everyone must present a current reentry permit or other documents showing they are eligible to reenter. Dare County’s 2025 reentry permits are available at DareNC.gov/Reentry, where a list of acceptable documents are also outlined for each reentry stage. All Dare County residents, non-resident property owners and local business owners are encouraged to visit DareNC.gov/Reentry to review reentry requirements/priorities and to submit their application for a 2025 reentry permit. Please note that expired reentry permits from previous calendar years will not be accepted.

Sign Up for OBX Alerts

Dare County Emergency Management advises all residents, property owners and visitors to visit OBXAlerts.com and sign up to receive customized alerts—including severe weather watches and warnings, countywide evacuation orders and other time-critical notifications. Individuals are also encouraged to ensure they have “Government Alerts” enabled on their mobile device so that they can receive Wireless Emergency Alerts from government officials.

Build an Emergency Supply Kit

One of the most important ways to prepare for hurricane season is to create your emergency supply kit well before any storms are forecast to affect the area, as this will ensure you have access to all of the supplies you’ll need. Your emergency supply kit should contain:

• water (1 gallon per person, per day for at least three days) 

• nonperishable food (a three-day supply per person) 

• flashlight 

• portable radio 

• extra batteries 

• fully charged power bank for cell phones 

• first aid kit

• medications/prescriptions 

• infant/pet supplies (if needed) 

• blankets 

• contact information for friends and relatives 

• important files and documents

Know Your Evacuation Zone

Dare County has two evacuation zones, as follows.  

Zone A: This zone comprises areas south of Oregon Inlet. This includes all seven villages on Hatteras Island (Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras).

Zone B: This zone comprises areas north of Oregon Inlet. This includes the Dare County mainland and Roanoke Island, as well as the towns of Manteo, Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores and Duck.

Learn Your Local Evacuation Routes

Dare County has two evacuation routes: Highway 64 West and Highway 158 North. Dare County Emergency Management encourages the use of Highway 64 West—especially for anyone evacuating from Hatteras Island, Nags Head and Roanoke Island. Highway 64 has less congestion and fewer traffic lights, allowing you to maintain a constant speed. This route may appear longer on a GPS device, but it is typically faster than Highway 168.

Have an Evacuation Plan that Includes Where You Will Go

Find places to go that will meet your needs. Inland emergency shelters should be a last resort, not your first choice. Shelters offer no amenities; they provide a safe place of refuge with no guarantee of a bed, privacy or a warm meal. Consider staying with family and friends that live away from the coast, or opt for accommodations in areas near evacuation routes that have access to services you might need. Be sure to write down your plan and share it with your loved ones.

For more information about evacuation plans, emergency supply kits and preparations you can make to your home this hurricane season, visit ReadyNC.org. To download the Dare County Hurricane Guide—which contains a wealth of important information for residents, property owners and visitors—please visit DareNC.gov/HurricaneGuide or click the button below.

Dare County is hosting a series of free Scam Jam & Shred events that are designed to raise awareness about the growing number of scams affecting individuals across the country—including those right here in the Dare County community—and to provide citizens with the tools and knowledge needed to protect themselves and their personal information. 

Geared specifically toward older adults, as well as their family members and caregivers, each of the three Scam Jam & Shred events will offer an informative and engaging look at how criminals target individuals through fraudulent phone calls, deceptive emails, online scams and other tactics designed to steal identities, money and sensitive data. Learn how to avoid the latest scams relating to Medicare, Social Security and more at the upcoming Scam Jam & Shred events, which will be held as follows.

Dare County Scam Jam & Shred Event Schedule

Manteo Scam Jam Event:

Date: Monday, June 2, 2025
Guest speakers began at 10 a.m. Free onsite document shred services will be available until 12 p.m.
Location: Virginia S. Tillett Community Center (950 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo, NC)
Details: For more information, please contact the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center at 252-475-9270 or TillettCenter@DareNC.gov. Onsite shred services available from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Buxton Scam Jam Event:

Date: Monday, June 2, 2025 at 2 p.m.
Location: Fessenden Center Annex (47013 Buxton Back Road, Buxton, NC)
Details: For more information, please contact the Fessenden Center at 252-475-5653 or Fessenden@DareNC.gov. Onsite shred services available from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Kill Devil Hills Scam Jam Event:

Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 10 a.m.
Location: Thomas A. Baum Senior Center (300 Mustian Street, Kill Devil Hills, NC)
Details: For more information, please contact the Baum Senior Center at 252-475-5635 or BaumCenter@DareNC.gov.  Onsite shred services available from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Attendees will hear from numerous experts with firsthand knowledge of these issues, including representatives from the North Carolina Department of Insurance, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office and local banking institutions. These professionals will share presentations designed to empower attendees by providing them with the knowledge needed to protect themselves and their families from various scams, including cybercrime, mail fraud, identity theft and Medicare fraud, among others. 

In addition to the presentations, free onsite document shredding services will be available at each Scam Jam & Shred event. Attendees are encouraged to bring old bills, financial documents, medical records and other sensitive paperwork for secure onsite destruction, as properly disposing of these materials helps to safeguard personal information and prevent potential identity theft. Light refreshments will also be provided.

Unlike a lake or swimming pool, the ocean is a powerful and constantly changing environment that can present several potentially deadly dangers—such as strong rip currents, rough shorebreak, and sudden changes in wind and wave conditions—to beachgoers, especially those who are unprepared or inexperienced swimmers. To help ensure your beach experience is not only enjoyable but also safe, keep the following essential swimming safety tips in mind every time you visit one of the beaches within Dare County.  

Swim Near a Lifeguard

Lifeguards—and the important information that is posted on lifeguard stands—provide beachgoers with valuable details about current beach conditions, as well as potential dangers in the area, such as marine activity and rip currents. Click here to find a list of lifeguarded beach accesses throughout Dare County.

Never Swim Alone

Have a buddy with you, and take a floatation device that will provide assistance if you become tired or get caught in a rip current. At unguarded beaches, don’t enter the water unless you are wearing a personal flotation device or attached to a float, such as a surfboard or bodyboard.

Avoid Swimming at Dawn or Dusk

Avoid swimming at dawn or dusk, as these are times when sharks are actively feeding and visibility is very low, making it more difficult for these dangerous predators to tell the difference between their typical prey and an unsuspecting swimmer or surfer.

When Thunder Roars, Head Indoors!

If the weather conditions indicate that a storm is approaching—particularly if you hear thunder—move off the beach immediately and seek safe shelter to avoid life-threatening lightning strikes. Remember: Many lightning deaths occur ahead of storms or after storms have seemingly passed. So when thunder roars, head indoors!

To sign up to receive a daily beach conditions forecast, text OBXBeachConditions to 77295. For a variety of additional beach and ocean safety tips for Outer Banks beaches, visit LoveTheBeachRespectTheOcean.com or click the button below.

Dare County will host a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house event on Monday, July 14, 2025 beginning at 3 p.m. to celebrate the recent completion and official grand opening of the new building located at 6677 Highway 64/264 in Manns Harbor that will serve as Dare County EMS Station 8. The event is free and open to the public.

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, an open house will be held until 6:30 p.m., providing members of the community with the opportunity to tour the new facility. In addition to self-guided tours, the open house will also feature ambulance displays, “Stop the Bleed” training, “Hands Only” CPR training, free blood pressure checks, and various educational handouts and children’s activities provided by Dare County EMS personnel. Light refreshments will also be served.

The newly constructed facility in Manns Harbor is the fourth new Dare County EMS station to be completed during Dare County’s multiphase project through which outdated EMS facilities are being modernized to better serve the residents and visitors of our community. For more detailed information about these projects, please visit DareNC.gov/EMSProjects or click the button below.

Save the Date: Dare County EMS will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house event for Dare County EMS Station 9 in Kitty Hawk on Monday, August 4, 2025 at 3 p.m.

Dare County is pleased to introduce Jessica King as Dare County’s Interim Public Utilities Director. King—who has served as Dare County Water Department Customer Service Superintendent since January 25, 2021—was named Interim Public Utilities Director on March 31, 2025, following the departure of former Dare County Public Utilities Director William Nash.

Having served as Customer Service Superintendent for the Dare County Water Department for more than four years, King has gained a wealth of knowledge, as well as the skills and experience needed to take on the role of Interim Public Utilities Director. 

In her new role as Interim Public Utility Director, King is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the operations of the Dare County Water Department; managing annual budgets for water treatment facilities; establishing and maintaining various reports for county and state regulatory agencies; and managing the department’s Capital Improvement Plan and construction projects, among many other important duties.

To contact Interim Dare County Public Utility Director Jessica King, email Jessica.King@DareNC.gov. For more information about the services provided by the Dare County Water Department, please visit DareNC.gov/Water or click the button below. 

The Dare County Board of Elections has announced that the candidate filing period for the upcoming 2025 Municipal Election—which will be held for the incorporated towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head and Manteo on Tuesday, November 4, 2025—will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, July 7, 2025, and will end at 12 p.m. on Friday, July 18, 2025. 

Unless otherwise specified, all candidates must be registered to vote in the municipality in which they are running, must have lived in that municipality for 30 days, must be qualified to vote in an election for the office sought and must be 21 years of age by the date of the election. Candidates whose notices of candidacy are accepted will be on their municipality’s ballot for the Municipal Election that will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. 

To find the specific requirements for certain offices, visit General Candidate Requirements. For more information regarding filing for candidacy for the 2025 Municipal Election, please click here to visit the North Carolina Board of Elections website.

For more information about the upcoming Municipal Election on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, please click the button below or contact the Dare County Board of Elections at 252-475-5630, 252-475-5631 or Elections@DareNC.gov.

Registration for the Dare County Library’s popular Summer Reading Program—which will be held from June 16, 2025 through August 8, 2025—begins this month! The free program—whose 2025 theme is “Color Our World”—encourages children of all ages to read during the summer months to help maintain the reading skills they developed throughout the school year and ensure they are well prepared to enter the classroom once again in the fall. 

In addition to rewarding children who read a total of 40 days during the program with an opportunity to win prizes, the Summer Reading Program also encourages children to participate in a variety of fun, engaging and educational programs and activities scheduled to take place at each of the Dare County Library’s three branches throughout the summer. 

Based on this year’s theme, attendees will have the chance to create watercolors, art prints and pottery, work with and craft musical instruments, learn and try out photography skills, and much more. Special program guests this summer include Jef the Mime, Lizard Land, The Lost Colony Players, Jockey’s Ridge State Park Ranger Austin Paul and Magician Chuck Shields. 

Registration for the 2025 Summer Reading Program will begin on June 16, 2025 at the Kill Devil Hills Library, on June 18, 2025 at the Manteo Library and on June 19, 2025 at the Hatteras Library. Children and their parents can stop by the front desk of their local library branch during business hours anytime this summer to sign up once registration begins. For those unable to get to the library during operating hours, online registration is available at DareNC.gov/SummerReading.

The Dare County Library will host several free kickoff registration events the week of June 16, 2025 to celebrate the launch of the program as follows:

Kill Devil Hills Library

Monday, June 16, 2025 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Wednesday, June 18, 2025 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Enjoy family yard games, face painting, and snacks while visiting with children’s librarian Ms. Donna.

Manteo Library

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Join children’s librarian Miss Tammy in the Manteo Library's outdoor green space for a Kickoff Color Experience Obstacle Course. Participate in an obstacle course, a bike rodeo, and decorate a free bike helmet (while supplies last). Members of the Manteo Police Department and Roanoke Island Volunteer Fire Department will be in attendance.

Hatteras Library

Thursday, June 19, 2025 from 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Drop by for another Kickoff Color Experience Obstacle course with Miss Tammy. Join in on a scavenger hunt, crafts, bubbles and more. 

Teen Summer Reading Bingo Challenge

Manteo and Hatteras teens will have the chance to participate in their own Summer Reading Challenge Bingo running June 17, 2025 through August 8, 2025. Read books to complete lines on a Bingo card for prizes and entry tickets for a raffle drawing on August 12, 2025. 

Adult Summer Reading Bingo 

Summer Reading Challenges are not just for the kids! Those looking for something different to do this summer are invited to take on the Adult Summer Reading Bingo card. Participants will be ‘dared’ to read books and try out new resources, in print and online. Completed rows earn prizes and entries into an end-of-summer raffle. Adult Summer Reading Bingo runs June 2, 2025 through August 22, 2025. 

All programs are free and open to all ages. For more information about the Dare County Library’s 2025 Summer Reading Program—including a calendar of events and activities for each library branch—please visit DareNC.gov/SummerReading or click the button below.

Dare County, in partnership with Current TV, has released a new video highlighting the unincorporated community of Colington, a hidden gem on the Outer Banks of North Carolina made unique by its many winding roads, meandering canals, stunning scenery, and residents’ laidback, water-loving way of life.  

The video—which offers an overview of this vibrant coastal community nestled along the soundside of the northern beaches—is the latest installment in the recently released “Discover Hidden Dare” video series that is designed to highlight various services, amenities, attractions and recreational opportunities that are offered within the various unincorporated areas of Dare County. 

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby beachfront communities, the unincorporated Colington community is home to one of the largest year-round populations in Dare County, and this outdoor enthusiast’s paradise is well-known throughout the region for its deep-rooted crabbing and commercial fishing heritage that dates back several centuries. 

To view the video on Dare County’s YouTube channel and learn more about the many aspects of the Colington community that make it a true hidden gem of Dare County, please click the button below. For more detailed information about Colington, please visit DareNC.gov/Colington.

These sweet and playful kittens are full of personality, and they have plenty of cuddly charm to share! They are incredibly affectionate and ready to brighten your home with love, joy and entertainment.

Are you ready to find the "purrfect” kitten companion for you and your family?

Stop by the Outer Banks SPCA, which is located within the Dare County Animal Shelter at 378 Airport Road in Manteo anytime during the hours listed below for a meet and greet!  

Click here to watch a video produced by Current TV, or stop by the Outer Banks SPCA, which is located within the Dare County Animal Shelter at 378 Airport Road in Manteo anytime during the hours listed below for a meet and greet!

Outer Banks SPCA Adoption Hours:

Monday to Friday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for naptime)
Saturday & Sunday: By appointment only