Dare County, NC

Dare County Emergency Management strongly urges everyone to take the following precautions to ensure safety during this period of severe winter weather:

Prepare Now for Winter Weather:

• Have emergency supplies for your home and car.
• Prevent pipe freezing by allowing faucets to drip, opening cabinet doors around plumbing and insulating any exposed pipes.
• Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Replenish fuel for your car and heating sources.
• Have multiple ways to receive warnings. (Sign up at OBXAlerts.com)
• Bring pets indoors.
• Check on elderly neighbors or those with medical conditions and ensure they have the resources they need to stay warm and safe throughout the storm. 

Limit Unnecessary Travel:
Avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary. Hazardous road conditions, including icy and snow-covered roads, are expected. Road conditions will become slippery and hazardous beginning Tuesday evening and continuing into Wednesday morning. If you must travel, ensure your vehicle is in good condition and take a winter survival kit with you, including blankets, extra clothing, water and emergency supplies. For the latest road conditions, visit DriveNC.gov.

Practice Safe Heating Methods:
If you have a backup generator, ensure that it is ready to run and that you have sufficient fuel on hand. As temperatures drop, only use approved heating sources to stay warm. If you plan to use space heaters, fireplaces or wood stoves, follow all safety guidelines to prevent fires or carbon monoxide poisoning. Keep space heaters away from flammable materials, never leave them unattended, and make sure fireplaces and wood stoves are properly vented.

Stay Informed:
For the most up-to-date weather information, visit the National Weather Service at Newport/Morehead City, N.C. at Weather.gov/mhx. For updated information regarding road conditions, follow the North Carolina Department of Transportation on Facebook at Facebook.com/NCDOT, on Twitter @NCDOTNC12 or visit DriveNC.gov. Sign up to receive customized emergency alerts—including severe weather watches and warnings—at OBXAlerts.com.

Dare County Department Cancellations & Closures 

All Dare County offices and facilities will be closed on Monday, February 2, 2026 and Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

Conditions will be reassessed on Tuesday afternoon, February 3, 2026 to determine whether operations can safely resume on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. 

The Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. on Monday, February 2, 2026 has been postponed and will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, February 12, 2026. 

Dare County Public Works:

Dare County Public Works—which provides trash collection for the unincorporated areas of Dare County, as well as the Town of Kitty Hawk—has announced a revised trash collection schedule as follows. 

Commercial trash collection will take place on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 in the following areas:*

• Kitty Hawk

• Colington

• Manteo

• Wanchese

• Manteo

• East Lake

• Stumpy Point

• Manns Harbor

• Rodanthe

• Waves

• Salvo

• Avon

• Buxton

• Frisco

• Hatteras 

*Please note that some dumpsters may be skipped if they are inaccessible due to snow and ice, in order to protect the safety of the drivers and/or truck.

Normally scheduled residential trash collection will take place on Thursday, February 5, 2026 in the following areas:

• Kitty Hawk

• Colington

• Buxton

• Frisco

• Hatteras

Normally scheduled residential trash collection will take place on Friday, February 6, 2026 in the following areas:

• Manteo

• Skyco

• Wanchese

• Manns Harbor

• East Lake

• Stumpy Point

• Rodanthe

• Waves

• Salvo

• Avon

Commercial trash collection will take place on Friday, February 6, 2026 in all unincorporated areas of Dare County, as well as the Town of Kitty Hawk.

Should there be any additional changes to the trash collection schedule, that information will be posted on this webpage and DareNC.gov/Trash.

Dare County Water:

Please report any water outages or water leaks to water@darenc.gov. Please include the location of the outage/leak, your name, and a phone number. Include pictures or video, if possible. You may also call 252-475-5990 and follow the prompts to report a water outage or a water leak.

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Dare County Parks & Recreation:

Northern Beach Division (Kill Devil Hills):

All activities and programs at the Dare County Youth Center in Kill Devil Hills will resume as scheduled on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. All Parks and Recreation games and practices at Dare County Schools facilities on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 are cancelled/postponed. For more information, please contact the Northern Beach Division office at 252-475-5850.

Roanoke Island/Mainland Division (Manteo):

All activities and programs at the Lions Club in Manteo will resume as scheduled on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. All Parks and Recreation games and practices at Dare County Schools on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 are cancelled/postponed. For more information, please contact the Roanoke Island/Mainland Division office at 252-475-5910.

Hatteras Island Division - Fessenden Center (Buxton):

All activities and programs at the Fessenden Center will resume as scheduled on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. For more information, please contact the Fessenden Center at 252-475-5650.

Town of Duck:

The Town of Duck residential curbside recycling collection for Monday, February 2, 2026 has been cancelled. Tidewater Fibre Corporation (TFC) Recycling will resume collection on Monday, February 9, 2026 and again on Monday, February 16, 2026. 

Waste Management will perform residential trash collection on Friday, February 6, 2026. 

Commercial businesses that use roll-out carts should also expect collection to occur on Friday in conjunction with residential service.

Visit ducknc.gov for more information and updates.

Town of Southern Shores:

The Town of Southern Shores will conduct both trash and recycle collection on Friday, February 6, 2026.

Town of Kitty Hawk:

Trash collection will resume the regular schedule starting Wednesday, February 4, 2026:

• Wednesday, February 4, 2026: Commercial Pick Up

• Thursday, February 4, 2026: Residential Pick Up

• Friday, February 4, 2026: Commercial Pick Up

Paul Pruitt Park is closed Tuesday, February 3, 2026 due to icy conditions.

Windgrass Circle Park has reopened. There are remaining areas of ice, please use caution.

Sandy Run Park has reopened. Exercise caution in the morning hours as the parking lot may be icy. The boardwalk is also snow covered in some areas, please use caution on the boardwalk.

The Town of Kitty Hawk’s multi-use paths still have snow and ice. Please use caution when attempting to utilize the paths.

Town of Kill Devil Hills:

All Town of Kill Devil Hills offices will reopen at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

The Dry Trash Drop Off and Recycle Centers will open at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

Due to the recent snowstorm, refuse collection has been delayed; staff are currently developing a plan to resume pickup, which will be shared with the community as soon as it is ready.

For updates or closure announcements, please visit the town’s website: www.kdhnc.com.

Town of Nags Head:

All Town of Nags Head administrative offices will reopen on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and the Board of Commissioners meeting will take place as regularly scheduled that day.

Residential and commercial trash will be collected on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 throughout the Town of Nags Head. The bulk item/brush collection yard will reopen on Thursday, February 5, 2026, as regularly scheduled. 

The dog park has been reopened. 

The temporary traffic light poles at Whalebone Junction are expected to be installed and operational by the end of today, Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Once in place, the detour will be removed. 

Thank you to those who checked on their neighbors and stayed off the streets during the storm.

Town of Manteo:

All Town of Manteo administrative offices will be open on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and the Board of Commissioners meeting will take place as regularly scheduled that day.

Residential and commercial trash will be collected on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 and Friday, February 6, 2026.

There is still some snow and ice on roads so please continue to exercise caution.

For the latest updates, please visit the town’s website, ManteoNC.gov

Main roads are looking much better in all areas of the County, but secondary roads in certain areas, especially north of Oregon Inlet, are still considerably covered. NCDOT is planning to work on those secondary roads on Wednesday. We are also expecting rain on Wednesday with temperatures predicted to remain above freezing, which should encourage additional melting.

Due to continued impacts from the winter storm, Dare County Schools will operate on the following schedule for Wednesday, February 4, 2026: 

Cape Hatteras Elementary and Cape Hatteras Secondary will operate on a two-hour delay. Hatteras students attending Dare Early College will continue participating virtually or may travel to Cape Hatteras Secondary School to complete virtual assignments, if needed.

All schools north of the Oregon Inlet Bridge, including the Dare Early College, will be on a remote learning day. Students should complete assignments from their teachers. Buildings will open for any staff who choose to work on campus, and staff should exercise extreme caution while on campus as snow/ice lingers. Staff members who elect to work remotely should communicate with their immediate supervisor as soon as possible to arrange an alternative. All after-school activities in these schools are cancelled, including ASEP, practices, and athletic events.

We will continue to monitor weather and road conditions and will communicate any additional schedule updates.

The majority of visitor facilities have resumed normal operational hours. The Oregon Inlet Campground is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. For additional updates from the National Park Service, please visit https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/severe-weather-updates.htm.

Questions?

Contact Dare County Public Information Director Dorothy Hester at Dorothy@DareNC.gov or 252.475.5903.

Protecting Your Plumbing: 

To help prevent frozen or burst pipes, allow faucets to drip, open cabinet doors to circulate warmer air around plumbing, and take other appropriate cold-weather precautions. Watch the video linked below for tips from the Dare County Water Department.

Video: Winter Tips for Protecting Pipes

Before the storm strikes, make sure your home, office and vehicles are stocked with the supplies you might need. Make sure farm animals and pets also have the essentials they will need during a winter storm. Know how to dress for varying degrees of cold weather.

At Home and Work:

Your primary concerns at home or work during a winter storm are loss of heat, power and telephone service, and a shortage of supplies if storm conditions continue for more than a day. In either place, you should have available:

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and portable radio to receive emergency information
• Extra food and water such as dried fruit, nuts, granola bars and other food requiring no cooking or refrigeration.
• Extra prescription medicine
• Baby items such as diapers and formula
• First-aid supplies
• Heating fuel: refuel before you are empty; fuel carriers may not reach you for days after a winter storm
• Emergency heat source: fireplace, wood stove or space heater properly ventilated to prevent a fire
• Fire extinguisher, smoke alarm; test smoke alarms monthly to ensure they work properly
• Extra pet food and warm shelter for pets
• Review generator safety: Never run a generator in an enclosed space
• Make sure your carbon monoxide detector is working correctly and that the outside vent is clear of leaves and debris. During or after the storm, make sure it is cleared of snow.
• Home fires are common each winter when trying to stay warm. Review ways to keep your home and loved ones safe.

In Vehicles:

 Each year, on average, more than 5,000 people are killed and more than 418,000 are injured due to weather-related vehicle crashes. If you need to drive in snow or cold conditions, TAKE IT SLOW IN THE SNOW. Black ice can be difficult to see. If the temperature is near freezing, drive like you're on ice—you may be!

Before you leave the house, especially before a longer trip in winter, make sure all fluid levels are full and ensure that the lights, heater and windshield wipers are in proper condition. Keep your gas tank near full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines. Avoid traveling alone. Let someone know your timetable and primary and alternate routes. Then call 511 for the latest traffic and road incidents, including construction and weather conditions and restrictions. Every state offers this Department of Transportation service. Call before you leave; it might change your plans!

Fully check and winterize your vehicle before the winter season begins. Carry a Winter Storm Survival Kit that includes the following:

• Mobile phone, charger, batteries
• Blankets/sleeping bags
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• First-aid kit
• Knife
• High-calorie, non-perishable food
• Extra clothing to keep dry
• Large empty can to use as emergency toilet, tissues, toilet paper and paper towels
• Small can and waterproof matches to melt snow for drinking water
• Sack of sand or cat litter for traction
• Shovel
• Windshield scraper and brush
• Tool kit
• Tow rope
• Battery booster cables
• Water container
• Candle and matches to provide light and in an emergency, lifesaving heat.
• Compass and road maps, don't depend on mobile devices with limited battery life

Safety is an important consideration following a winter storm. Melting snow can cause floods and partially cleared roads may be icy or blocked. Heavy snow may have knocked down power lines and caused gas leaks, both of which can be deadly, but are not obvious at first glance. 

All motorists are advised to proceed with caution. Even if roadways have been cleared of snow following a storm, any water left on the roadways may freeze, resulting in a clear sheet of ice, also known as black ice. It is most dangerous in the early morning due to below freezing nighttime temperatures. Motorists may encounter roadways where local officials need to restrict access because of potential hazards.

Immediately following the storm, damage assessment teams will travel throughout Dare County surveying the effects of the storm. Remain indoors until local authorities say it is safe to go outside. Continue to monitor the radio or TV for instructions from local officials. Information regarding reentry, road closures and areas closed to the public will be available on the Current TV Government Channel (Spectrum Channel 191).

In the event of a power outage, please contact your electricity provider. A list of providers and the are they serve are listed below.

Dominion Energy
Serving residents and property owners of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Manteo and unincorporated areas of Dare County.
Contact: 866-366-4357
Report an outage online.

Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative
Serving residents and property owners of Hatteras Island.
252-995-5616
Report an outage: 866-511-8962

Tideland Electric Membership Corporation
Serving residents and property owners in Dare County.
(800)637-1079
Report an outage: (800)882-1001 or text OUT to 85700

Please report any water outages or water leaks to water@darenc.gov. Please include the location of the outage/leak, your name, and a phone number. Include pictures or video, if possible.

You may also call 252-475-5990 and follow the prompts to report a water outage or a water leak.