Florence's Approach

To All Our Core Sound Friends Near and Far,

Many, many thanks to everyone who has called, emailed, texted or reached out to us. This week has been hard as we decide —and some folks still deciding — whether to stay, what to take, what to put in plastic, and how to best secure everything we own… what to do, what to do.

This morning’s forecast had yet another possibility of the storm stalling just off the coast — while the tide and wind pound us —and then turning south!  Bottom line: we don’t know, they don’t know! We do know for sure that a storm is coming and that we will have days of rain, tide and wind ahead. At this point, the question is “how long will it last?” — whatever it is.

In the meantime, while the sun is shining, we want thank you for caring about us. You have no idea how much it helps to know that all across North Carolina and all the way to the Chesapeake Bay, Maine, Georgia, Florida and wherever Core Sound is known, friends are concerned about us.  Thank you. Many have decided to leave — not knowing what they will come back to or when — and many are staying — which has its own terrifying questions; but here we are, ready to get Florence out of our lives so we can move forward. 

The museum, like all of Down East, is boarded up.  The museum’s priceless collection of original artwork and our most valuable decoys are packaged in plastic tubs and placed in safe places in the building. All the exhibits are covered in plastic and the computers are backed up. It will take us weeks to put it all back together, but we’ve done all we can do to keep all that our community has entrusted us to preserve as safe as possible. That beautiful, hard-earned building is strong; we planned for such a time as this, so maybe, just maybe, the roof will hold and the tide will spare us.

Many have asked what they can do to help and we appreciate knowing when this storm has gone you’ll be here to help our community move forward. We remember Isabel in 2003 and how many museum members and friends helped families throughout Down East rebuild their homes and lives by working with local schools to help get children back in their homes and with their families. That’s what we do here — we are a community, connected by a love for this place and our people. We know you’ll come through for us.  

We do not know what the needs will be on the other side of this storm but we will reach out to all of you to help in any way you can. In the meantime, Down East, like all of eastern North Carolina and now South Carolina and beyond, need your prayers. We are reassured and do believe, that whatever Florence brings to us, we will come through it stronger than before.

This year’s “Harm’s Way” exhibit reminded us of just how much this place and our ancestors have endured, adapted and how they survived storms just as mean as this one, and we are know we will too. We will be adding a page to www.harmswaystormstories.com early next year, so please share with us your stories, pictures, writings, and thoughts.

Thank you again for caring about us individually and as a community. Pam, Deb, Teresa and I are all staying home and our friend, Jeff, NPS superintendent, will remain on the Park during the storm, so we will know soon, and will let you know, what we have to do to get the museum doors open again so we can help our community get back up and running asap.  In the meantime, families first!

For All Down East, 

Karen & Crew

PS:  We will do our best to keep everyone, everywhere, updated as best we can via social media and email. For all those who are in the storm’s path, we want to hear from you too.