By Cole Tomlin, Staff Writer
On Sept. 6, Category 1 Hurricane Dorian, Avalon Pier and Nags Head Pier all clashed in a battle that left the piers stumbling on their pilings.
When Hurricane Dorian first made landfall in the Bahamas, it was a Category 5, with winds as high as 183 mph. Luckily once Dorian hit the Outer Banks, the storm was only a Category 1 with winds of 40-50 mph. However, that didn’t matter when it came to the stability of the Avalon and Nags Head piers, as both local landmarks suffered extreme damage during the storm.
Avalon Pier lost about one-third of its length.
“We lost 216 feet of pier,” said Tim Lehman, manager of Avalon Pier. “Dorian did a clean break, leaving us with a 400-foot pier.”
And only a little further south, Nags Head Pier lost about one-eighth of its pier.
“We lost approximately 102 feet off the end of the pier,” said Andy McCaan, manager of Nags Head Pier.
Being that parts of both piers were found as far away as Oregon Inlet, it has also been assumed that parts of Avalon Pier may have floated down the coast during the storm and crashed into Nags Head Pier, contributing to the southernmost pier’s damage.
“The story is that Avalon is what took out the end of Nags Head,” Lehman said. “But their pier had the same waves we did crashing on the pier.”
One thing both Lehman and McCaan can agree on is that the rebuilding process will be neither short nor cheap.
Avalon Pier estimates it will cost about $250,000 to $300,000 after the lumber and labor costs needed to rebuild the pier. Nags Head Pier is estimating it will cost as much as $400,000 to $500,0000.
In order to meet these figures, Avalon Pier currently has a GoFundMe page for people to make donations. However, as of right now, Nags Head Pier does not have anything set up for donations and officials there are still weighing their options.
While these money issues are the biggest concerns for both piers, they have both received amazing support from the community, which has really shown them what they mean to the people on the Outer Banks.
“Cards, phone calls and a large amount of emotional support have been reassuring we are doing the right thing,” McCaan said.
Senior Jack Piddington went to Avalon Pier almost every day before the storm hit. He gave up some of his personal time in order to help out the pier.
“Probably a week after the storm, I went out on the beach and we collected about $10,000 worth of lumber,” Piddington said.
Piddington was not the only person affected by the damage to the pier.
“There were people actually crying when they saw the damage,” Lehman said. “Crying! Men, women, children. A lot of great memories are made fishing off of that pier.”
Looking on the brighter side, Lehman explained his hopes for the completion of repairs.
“If all goes as planned, a spring completion date is not out of the question,” Lehman said.
The rebuilding process for Nags Head Pier could start as early as November. Officials at both piers want to rebuild as soon as possible for the locals of the Outer Banks and visitors who flock to the beach every year.
“Many people have incredible memories on the pier and we want to get it rebuilt to normal for all of the friends and customers to whom it means so much,” McCaan said. “The pier is a staple of the beach and loved by so many.”
Junior Cole Tomlin can be reached at 21tomlinco11@daretolearn.org.
