www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-21 19:21:00
Hurricane Erin, a Category 2 storm with 100 mph winds, is moving away from North Carolina’s Outer Banks but high tide Thursday evening threatens further damage. Storm surge of 2-4 feet and waves up to 18 feet have caused ocean overwash and sand on N.C. 12, leading to road closures on Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands. Damage assessments continue, with concerns about dune breaches near Hatteras Village. Emergency crews, including the National Guard and rescue teams, are on standby. Dangerous rip currents and coastal flooding are expected through the weekend. Erin’s near miss is fortunate as the region still recovers from Hurricane Helene’s devastation.
(The Center Square) – High tide Thursday evening could bring more damage to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, even as Hurricane Erin spins away into the Atlantic Ocean.
The tide was to come in at 7:10 p.m. Storm surge was 2 to 4 feet for the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, with waves estimated at 18 feet during the morning.
The storm’s center was just 205 miles east of Cape Hatteras at 5 a.m. and by 5 p.m. had traveled to 370 miles east-northeast of the famed lighthouse. In each of the updates from the National Hurricane Center at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., the sustained hurricane force winds of 74 mph or greater extended 105 miles from its core and sustained tropical storm force winds of 39 mph or greater were 320 miles from the center.
Put another way, a map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Center showed tropical storm force winds stretching from the North Carolina coast nearly to Bermuda. Cape Hatteras is about 650 miles from Bermuda.
Maximum sustained winds remained at 100 mph, keeping Erin at Category 2. Intensity has peaked.
At 5 p.m., the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s DriveNC.gov said all lanes of N.C. 12 are closed on Ocracoke Island between the Northern Ferry Terminal and the National Park Service Pony Pens. And, all lanes of N.C. 12 are closed on Hatteras Island from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Hatteras Village.
Each of the closures was due to ocean overwash and sand on the road. Pavement damage has yet to be determined. N.C. 12 was closed from Oregon Inlet to Hatteras Village.
A Transportation Department leader surveying damage on Thursday said just north of Hatteras Village and the north end of Ocracoke Island were the worst spots. Dare County officials feared a breach of the dunes at Hatteras Village.
The fleet of earth-moving equipment includes 19 workers, 13 front-end loaders, six bulldozers, three motor graders and two excavators, according to published reports.
Other resources are on standby, said first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. That group includes North Carolina National Guard troops, along with boats, high-clearance vehicles, and aircraft; and the North Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, colloquially known as NCHART and inclusive of North Carolina Emergency Management, North Carolina National Guard and the State Highway Patrol.
Overwash was reported by the North Carolina Department of Transportation along N.C. 12 at Rodanthe, Ocracoke, Hatteras, the north end of Buxton, and Pea Island.
Forecasters say dangerous rip currents and coastal flooding is likely through the weekend. All four ferry routes serving Ocracoke Island remained closed on Thursday.
The 5 p.m. update from the Hurricane Center included a storm surge warning remaining in effect from Cape Lookout to Duck, and a tropical storm warning from Duck to Chincoteague, Va.
The Hurricane Center also said, “Wind gusts to tropical storm force are likely along portions of the remainder of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and southern New England coasts today through Friday. Gusts to gale force are possible along the coast of Nova Scotia on Friday and the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland on Saturday.”
The storm’s landfall miss of North Carolina is particularly welcome in light of Hurricane Helene. Recovery from that storm begins its 48th week this weekend. Helene killed 107 in the state, 236 across seven states in the South, and caused an estimated $60 billion in damage to North Carolina.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article provides a factual and straightforward report on the progression and impact of Hurricane Erin in North Carolina, focusing on weather updates, government responses, and infrastructure conditions. While it mentions the political affiliation of the governor (a first-term Democrat), this reference is presented factually without editorializing or implying judgment, thereby maintaining neutrality. The content refrains from promoting any political ideology or critique and sticks to objective coverage of the event and official actions. Thus, it exemplifies neutral, factual reporting without discernible political bias.
Virginia will receive over $48 million in federal funding via the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program to upgrade infrastructure at 18 airports statewide. Funded partly by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, projects include runway rehabilitation, new hangars, improved lighting, and taxiway shifts at airports like Winchester Regional, Washington Dulles, and Richmond International. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine emphasize these investments support safety, connectivity, and economic growth, benefiting both major hubs and rural airports. Virginia’s aviation system supports 146,000 jobs and $23 billion annually, with upgrades aiming to sustain growth and competitiveness in tourism, business, and defense sectors.
Virginia is set to receive more than $48 million in federal funding to upgrade infrastructure at 18 airports, part of a nationwide effort to modernize air travel hubs and boost local economies.
The money, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration, will fund construction projects ranging from runway rehabilitation to new hangars and improved lighting. The funding is made possible in part by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“These investments will help ensure that our airports are a safe, reliable engine of connectivity and economic growth for travelers and communities around the commonwealth,” said U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, D-Va., in a joint statement.
“We’re going to keep doing all that we can to bring additional infrastructure investments to Virginia, and to reauthorize the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that makes many of them possible.”
The largest awards include $7.2 million for new lighting and a taxiway shift at Winchester Regional Airport, $6.8 million to reconstruct taxiways at Washington Dulles International Airport, and $5.2 million to rehabilitate the runway at Virginia Highlands Airport.
Other major projects include $4.9 million for runway rehabilitation at Leesburg Executive Airport and $4.7 million to improve the general aviation apron at Newport News-Williamsburg Airport.
Additional funding will support taxiway shifts at Blue Ridge Airport, new hangar construction and runway extensions at Twin County Airport, and a runway extension at Richmond Executive/Chesterfield County Airport. Norfolk International Airport will see $1.6 million to reconstruct a terminal entrance road, while Accomack County Airport will receive $1.4 million for a new taxiway and lighting.
Smaller projects include hangar development at Mountain Empire, Danville Regional, Emporia-Greensville, and Tazewell County airports; a fuel farm expansion at Hampton Roads Executive Airport; apron improvements at Richmond International Airport; a taxiway update at Suffolk Executive Airport; and rehabilitation work at Front Royal-Warren County Airport.
The announcement follows a string of federal awards directed to Virginia airports over the past year.
Just last month, Warner and Kaine announced more than $21 million for improvements at 10 airports, including runway rehabilitation in Roanoke and updated lighting systems in Southwest Virginia. In October 2024, they rolled out nearly $57 million in federal funding for revitalization efforts.
The pace of investment reflects a broader push to modernize Virginia’s aviation system, which includes more than 60 public-use airports ranging from major commercial hubs to small general aviation fields. Federal officials and state lawmakers alike have noted that many facilities — particularly in rural areas — require extensive upgrades to meet safety standards and accommodate future growth.
Airports are more than transit points; they are economic engines. A recent Virginia Department of Aviation study found that the state’s airport system supports more than 146,000 jobs and generates over $23 billion in economic activity annually.
Improvements to infrastructure are expected to help sustain that impact, particularly as the state competes for tourism, business development, and federal contracts tied to military and defense sectors.
Politically, the investments highlight the dividends of the infrastructure law, a landmark $1.2 trillion piece of legislation passed with backing from Warner and Kaine. The law has funded not only airport upgrades, but also broadband expansion, highway projects, and public transit improvements across Virginia. The senators have made a point of underscoring those returns as Congress debates reauthorization.
Warner and Kaine, both members of key Senate committees, have also framed these airport investments as part of a broader commitment to ensuring rural regions don’t get left behind. While Dulles and Richmond International draw the most passenger traffic, small and regional airports often provide critical services for medevac flights, business travel, and military operations.
For Virginia travelers, most of the changes won’t be immediately visible, but the improvements are designed to set up airports for long-term growth. As Kaine and Warner put it, “These investments will help ensure that our airports are a safe, reliable engine of connectivity and economic growth.”
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This content highlights federal infrastructure investments championed by Democratic senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, emphasizing the positive economic and community impacts of government funding. The focus on bipartisan infrastructure legislation and rural support reflects a generally favorable view of government intervention and public investment, aligning with center-left perspectives that prioritize infrastructure development and economic equity without strong partisan critique.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-20 16:32:00
Hurricane Erin, a Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds, is nearing the Carolinas’ coast, about 295 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, moving north at 14 mph. Outer bands bring tropical storm conditions and a 2-4 foot storm surge forecast from Cape Lookout to Duck, NC. Coastal communities from the Carolinas to New England are preparing, with mandatory evacuations on Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands. The storm’s path will parallel the Atlantic Seaboard, passing the Carolinas and Virginia Thursday, reaching Maine by Friday. Erin has already caused flooding on N.C. 12. Its landfall miss is fortunate, as the state continues recovering from deadly Hurricane Helene.
(The Center Square) – Outer bands of Hurricane Erin are at the shores of the Carolinas, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. report on Wednesday.
Category 2 Erin has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph and was 295 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras. Hurricane force winds of 74 mph or greater were extending 105 miles from its core, and tropical storm force winds of 39 mph or greater were outward to 265 miles.
Erin was moving at 14 mph and due north preceding a forecast turn more northeast.
From the Carolinas to New England, coastal communities were in preparation. The storm’s timing comes while the 63rd annual Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships are at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront through Sunday.
Tropical storm conditions were expected overnight Wednesday into Thursday at the Outer Banks in North Carolina and up into the Tidewater of Virginia. Storm surge between Cape Lookout and Duck was forecast 2 to 4 feet; elsewhere from Charleston, S.C., to Chincoteague, Va., the rise was projected at 1 to 3 feet.
The next high tides on the Outer Banks are 6:18 p.m. Wednesday, and Thursday at 6:45 a.m. and 7:10 p.m.
Erin has already sent Atlantic Ocean water over dunes and N.C. 12, the famed 148-mile roadway linking peninsulas and islands of the Outer Banks.
Mandatory evacuations have been issued for Ocracoke Island in Hyde County and Hatteras Island in Dare County. Each county has declared an emergency.
Storm surge warnings were in effect from Cape Lookout to Duck; and a tropical storm warning was in effect from Beaufort Inlet to the Chincoteague, Va., inclusive of the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds.
The Wednesday evening high tide for coastal South Carolina, including Charleston, and southern North Carolina is being closely watched for flooding. Early Thursday evening is the expected time of coastal flooding from the southern Delmarva Peninsula and southern Chesapeake Bay down to eastern North Carolina.
The storm’s projected path through the weekend skirts parallel to moving more away from the Atlantic Seaboard. Thursday’s pass is by the Carolinas and Virginia, and Friday the storm will be moving by Maine.
As often happens with hurricanes, water began to run over N.C. 12 on Tuesday. The highway begins at U.S. 70 at the community of Sea Level and runs to a point just north of Corolla and south of the Currituck Banks North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve. Two ferries, Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island and Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island, are part of the route.
The storm’s landfall miss of the state is particularly welcome in light of Hurricane Helene. Recovery from that storm is in its 47th week. Helene killed 107 in the state, 236 across seven states in the South, and caused an estimated $60 billion in damage to North Carolina.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article provides a straightforward report on Hurricane Erin, focusing on factual information such as the storm’s location, wind speeds, warnings, and evacuation orders. It does not express any ideological perspective or use language that suggests a political stance. Instead, it neutrally presents the actions and responses of local authorities and the National Hurricane Center. The content is purely informational and does not promote or critique any political ideology, adhering to neutral, factual reporting.
Virginia lawmakers are debating legalizing iGaming, which allows online casino games via smartphones and computers. While states like New Jersey have benefited financially, concerns include increased gambling addiction, especially among young men, and negative public health impacts such as higher suicide and substance abuse rates. Illegal operators pose risks by targeting minors and avoiding consumer protections. Experts urge strong government collaboration and regulatory oversight, including establishing the Virginia Gaming Control Agency, to manage these challenges. Previous legalization efforts stalled, with further study planned before the 2026 session. Lawmakers emphasize balancing revenue potential with responsible, fair industry management.
With online gaming expanding across the country, Virginia lawmakers are wrestling with whether to legalize iGaming — a move that could bring new revenue but also new challenges.
As iGaming makes it possible for users to gamble with a tap on their phone, the tool offers both benefits and hurdles for policymakers considering how to build Virginia’s gambling market. States like New Jersey have already reaped financial rewards, with that state becoming the nation’s largest regulated online gaming market.
Dave Rebuck, a former director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, told the Joint Subcommittee to Study the Feasibility of Establishing the Virginia Gaming Commission at its meeting in Richmond about how his home state authorized and launched the nation’s first competitive internet gaming market.
One key factor Virginia policymakers will need to weigh, Rebuck said, is how to foster cooperation among state and federal leaders, backed by a clear plan.
“Based on my experience, there’s proof in concept to taking a multi-pronged approach to cracking down on the illegal market, with legalization being a critical component to every approach,” Rebuck said.
“But let’s not fool ourselves,” he added. “Unless we have tremendous support and collaboration between government agencies, including the federal government, the status quo of the illegal market and the offshore sites that are engaged in businesses, in every state, are not going to go away.”
Tuesday’s committee meeting zeroed in on iGaming — online casino games such as Blackjack, Craps, Poker, Roulette, and Slots that can be played on smartphones, tablets, or computers. Lawmakers heard multiple presentations weighing internet gambling’s advantages, drawbacks, and challenges.
Supporters argue internet gaming offers convenience by eliminating the need to travel. But critics note that it presents risks for both consumers and policymakers.
Illegal operators, for example, provide no consumer protections and contribute nothing to Virginia’s Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund. They often target minors and self-excluded individuals, according to Keith Whyte, founder and president of Safer Gambling Strategies, LLC.
Whyte added that research “consistently” shows iGaming is tied to elevated risks of gambling addiction, with the highest rates among men between 18 and 35.
Experts further briefed lawmakers on the negative impacts online gaming could have on revenue and jobs at casinos.
Brianne Doura-Schawohl, founder and CEO of Doura-Schawohl Consulting, also outlined some of the public health and economic concerns tied to online gambling, including higher rates of suicides, substance abuse, and drops in average credit scores, and rising credit card delinquency.
According to her presentation, individuals with a gambling disorder are 15 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.
Studies have also found that more teenagers are gambling online through the use of loot boxes in video games.
“I think that the federal government may never come to the table when it comes to addressing the public health issue of problem gambling,” Doura-Schawohl said, urging Virginia lawmakers to take action before considering an expansion of the gambling market.
“There’s too many things that need to be resolved before — if I were in your shoes — I would consider doing this,” she said.
During the last General Assembly Session, lawmakers considered legislation to legalize internet gaming in Virginia. Those proposals ultimately failed to advance out of either chamber, and legislators opted instead to send the issue for further study.
iGaming is currently legal in eight states and available to roughly 14% of the U.S. population, Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, said Tuesday. He added that the industry could generate an estimated $5.3 billion in new taxable revenue during its first five years.
Senate Bill 827, introduced by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, would have authorized the Virginia Lottery Board to issue licenses to casino operators for online gaming. Like other proposals, the measure was left in committee to allow for additional study.
The subcommittee plans to hold two more meetings before the next General Assembly session begins in January. The next meeting, tentatively scheduled for September, will focus on existing and planned casinos. The final meeting will address broader gaming issues, such as skill games and charitable gaming, all ahead of the 2026 session.
Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, committee chair, said gambling enforcement remains one of his top priorities. That effort, he stressed, begins with creating the Virginia Gaming Control Agency to regulate the industry.
“We need to get the VGC set up like yesterday and start enforcing the law so we can get a handle on some of these things,” Reeves said. “Personally, I’m not passing any other bills until you all help us get the VGC done, because we’re just creating more mess and every year that we don’t get it passed, creates more and more chaos.”
Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, the committee’s vice chair, echoed Reeves’ concerns.
“Gaming can continue to be a powerful engine for jobs, revenue and community investment, but it’s got to be managed responsibly without streamlined oversight,” Krizek said.
“The risks multiply predatory practices, inconsistent rules, heightened risk for problem gambling and loss of public trust. The Virginia Gaming Commission is a step we need to preserve the good, address those challenges, and build a fair, accountable and prosperous gaming industry for everyone in the commonwealth.”
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This article provides a balanced overview of the debate surrounding the legalization of online gaming (iGaming) in Virginia. It presents viewpoints from various stakeholders across the political spectrum, including Democratic and Republican lawmakers, industry experts, and public health advocates. The coverage highlights both potential economic benefits and public health risks without showing a clear partisan preference or ideological bias, aiming instead to inform readers about the complexities of the issue.
