Growing More Resilient

Growing More Resilient. . Originally constructed in 1823 and expanded in 1929, the Ocracoke Keepers’ Quarters serves as the heart of the Ocracoke Light Station. It is within these walls that the Ocracoke Lighthouse Keepers lived along with their families while stationed there. For 200 years the building has withstood the test of time and mother nature, surviving dozens of hurricanes and Nor’easters., In 2019, Hurricane Dorian brought record-setting storm surge to Ocracoke Island and flooded the entire light station grounds. The Keepers’ Quarters was flooded with 18 inches of water, causing damage to much of the interior., While Hurricane Dorian will never be forgotten on Ocracoke, the frequency of flooding will increase over the next decades, occurring ten times as often as it does today. Additionally, in the next 30 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has projected 10-14 inches of sea level rise along the east coast. It is only a matter of time before the next storm impacts the light station., In 2020, United States Congress provided funding through the 2022 Disaster Supplement to restore damage caused by Hurricane Dorian. To ensure the continued preservation of the Ocracoke Light Station, the building will be raised about four feet and the interior will be restored to a living quarters and visitor contact station. Work is scheduled to begin in winter of 2023 and completed by 2025., (caption) Rendering of raised Keepers’ Quarters and restored landscape. Image credit: Croft and Associates, 2023