Coastal Review Online

photo shows a beach on a clear, sunny day with a few tents for sunbathers with several feet in between

A changed season on the Outer Banks

August 1, 2020 by Coastal Review Online

A changed season on the Outer Banks - North Carolina Health News

This year's summer on the Outer Banks is a little bit different than previous years. The beaches are drawing tourists from all areas with higher rates of COVID-19 infections, so local businesses are having to adjust.

By Chloe E. Williams Coastal Review Online Summer on the Outer Banks is in full swing. Even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, Netflix’s hit show “Outer Banks” and Forbes’ listing the OBX as number one in the “20 Top Places Americans Are Dreaming About Right Now” have put the barrier islands on the […]

photo shows a man in a straw hat drinking from a waterbottle on a sunny day

Heat-Related Illness Cases on the Rise

July 29, 2020 by Coastal Review Online

Heat-Related Illness Cases on the Rise - North Carolina Health News

Since May, there have been 1,205 heat-related hospital emergency department visits, the North Carolina Division of Public Health reports. Here's how to stay safe.

Staff Report Coastal Review Online The state Department of Health and Human Services officials are encouraging residents to avoid heat exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses, especially on hot days. Since May, there have been 1,205 heat-related hospital emergency department visits, the North Carolina Division of Public Health reports. Last year from May 1 to Aug. 31, […]

Editorial cartoon from the early 1900s shows a man with Spanish influenza sneezing, and people in front of him falling down sick.

Historic Outbreak: Spanish Flu on NC Coast

May 2, 2020 by Coastal Review Online

Historic Outbreak: Spanish Flu on NC Coast - North Carolina Health News

A century ago, North Carolina was ravaged by a different epidemic than the one we are experiencing today. Again, it was a disease that was without treatment, spread easily and killed about 14,000 people in the state.

By Kip Tabb Coastal Review Online In April, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of the national COVID-19 task force, called out shaking hands as a particularly dangerous custom that should be relegated to the past. “ I don’t think we should ever shake hands ever again, to be honest with you,” he said in […]

A faucet with water flowing from it, as an illustration for drinking water contamination, with substances such as 1,4 dioxane and PFAS

School boards eye filtration to remove PFAS

February 28, 2020 by Coastal Review Online

School boards eye filtration to remove PFAS - North Carolina Health News

Amidst growing PFAS concerns, schools in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties are planning to install new water filtration systems in their water.

By Kirk Ross Coastal Review Online Schools in New Hanover and Brunswick counties are installing new water filling stations and special filters in reaction to continuing concerns about levels of industrial contaminants found in drinking water systems. The move to reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, comes after a nationwide report again highlighted high […]

shows a lake with pilings sticking up from the water. It's a lake contaminated with coal ash.

Researcher weighs in on Trump administration’s coal ash rule redo

November 15, 2019 by Coastal Review Online

Researcher weighs in on Trump administration’s coal ash rule redo - North Carolina Health News

Earlier this month, the US EPA announced amendments to the regulations for the disposal of coal ash. Environmentalists are saying the rollback gives industry permission to pollute longer.

By Mark Hibbs Coastal Review Online The Trump administration moved last week to rewrite part of Obama-era regulations addressing coal ash disposal, which entails risks that a Duke University researcher says are all too familiar in coastal North Carolina. But a Duke Energy spokesperson said the proposed changes will have no effect on the utility’s […]

shows a grouping of hot dog shaped bacteria, each with a single hairlike appendage, called a flagellum. It's a picture of vibrio vulnificus

Vibrio survivor, wife warn of bacteria’s risks

September 6, 2019 by Coastal Review Online

Vibrio survivor, wife warn of bacteria’s risks - North Carolina Health News

After hurricanes, floodwaters can contain bacteria such as vibrio which can kill about one in five people who contract it. Officials urge caution in the wake of storms.

By Trista Talton Coastal Review Online Fifteen minutes. That’s roughly the amount of time Richard Flaherty spent in 2 to 3 inches of flood waters helping a neighbor in Oriental the day after Hurricane Florence made landfall last year. Twenty-four hours later, Flaherty’s left leg had been amputated above the knee. His odds of survival […]

Samples suggest unreported coal ash spills

June 4, 2019 by Coastal Review Online

Samples suggest unreported coal ash spills - North Carolina Health News

Researchers from Duke University examined coal ash solids found in sediments collected from Sutton Lake in 2015 and 2018 suggesting the lake has been contaminated by multiple spills.

By Trista Talton Coastal Review Online Coal ash found in the sediment at the bottom of Lake Sutton suggests multiple, unreported and unmonitored spills have occurred for years at Duke Energy’s former coal-fired plant near Wilmington, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Duke University. Sediment samples collected from the lake in 2015 […]

shows a seemingly calm beach at sunrise, but there may be rip currents present

First responders warn of rip current risks

May 31, 2019 by Coastal Review Online

First responders warn of rip current risks - North Carolina Health News

With the "official start of summer" behind us, it's important for beachgoers to be aware of rip current risks along the North Carolina coast. Knowing how to spot a rip current before it becomes a risk is key.

By Jennifer Allen Coastal Review Online There have been seven drownings on the coast so far this year. Emerald Isle Police Chief Tony Reese said that this is the earliest they’ve seen any type of water rescues or drownings in the 20 years he’s been at the town. Usually, the water temperature this time of […]

Shows two women in a lab, manipulating tools in order to test water samples, which are arranged on the tabletop

Health, environment central in Cooper’s budget plan

March 8, 2019 by Coastal Review Online

Health, environment central in Cooper’s budget plan - North Carolina Health News

The $25.2 billion plan calls for about $748 million in natural and environmental resources spending, about 3 percent of the total budget.

By Kirk Ross Coastal Review Online A major upgrade to Department of Environmental Quality lab facilities, increased staffing for water pollution detection and oversight, and a nearly $1 billion boost in funding for clean water projects statewide are among the dozens of priorities Gov. Roy Cooper outlined in his version of this year’s budget plan. […]

shows the front of the legislative building in Raleigh, general assembly

Legislators Set to Review Storm-Relief Needs

November 26, 2018 by Coastal Review Online

Legislators Set to Review Storm-Relief Needs - North Carolina Health News

Lawmakers will be back in Raleigh this week to address issues created by this fall's election and also to address problems created by flooding and damage from storms.

By Kirk Ross Coastal Review Online Legislators are set to reconvene in Raleigh after Thanksgiving as more details are compiled in steadily increasing estimates of the damage from Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael. The General Assembly, which returns Nov. 27 for a previously scheduled post-election extension of its 2018 regular session, is expected to […]

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