OUTER BANKS, N.C. (WAVY) — Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to move up the east coast over the next few days — and the Outer Banks is no stranger to big storms.
As the rain made its way to the OBX, the dark clouds and waves came crashing in on Saturday afternoon.
Debbie Bennion and her family were at the Kitty Hawk Pier.
“We love the beach right, Henry? Yea, we love the beach,” Debbie said while talking with her grandson Henry.
If it were up to Henry, he and his family would stay on the beach for the rest of their vacation, but by the look of the clouds and the harsh thunder and lightning, beach play is on hold for now.
She says she’ll face any storm that heads her way.
“We just came to enjoy family and so the weather doesn’t change family time,” said Bennion. “A little rough, maybe we won’t be able to boogie board,”she said.
No sign of Tropical Storm Isaias yet, but the Outer Banks did see some rain early today while the surf picked up and this area is no stranger to facing storms head-on.
Rick Horn was out with his family Saturday getting in some last minute beach time.
“They are definitely wicked today. Good day for surfing,” said Horn.
He says he is from Pennsylvania but now calls the Outer Banks his home and he has no plans to leave.
“People here don’t evacuate unless it’s really bad. It’s our home. It’s like I tell the people that call me from up north [who say] ‘you have to evacuate.’ I said ‘when you get 30 inches of snow, you don’t evacuate, so why should I?’”
Dare County also issued a state of emergency following a mandatory evacuation for Hatteras Island that began Saturday at noon for visitors. On Sunday, the mandatory evacuation for all of Hatteras residents and property owners begins at 6 a.m.