RALEIGH – Five North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve and Coastal Reserve sites will be closed to visitors starting Friday due to possible public health risks from Hurricane Irene.
State officials are closing the following sites to protect people from the potential risks of downed trees, flooding and other hazards. The sites being closed are:
· Currituck Banks National Estuarine Research Reserve near Corolla
· Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve in Kitty Hawk
· Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Coastal Reserve in Columbia
· Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve on Hatteras Island
· Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve in Beaufort
Reserve staff will assess damage to the sites following the passage of Hurricane Irene, and determine when they will be reopened to visitors.
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