When the Tide Blows Out ... | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Wind tides are a profound phenomenon that often do not involve the lunar influence on the tides, just a sustained wind blowing either in or out. Here in northeastern North Carolina, the only time a lunar tide is significant is when it is impacted by winds from the southeast during a hurricane spinning counter clockwise.

    The recent nor’easter, Quinn, which hit the entirety of United State's middle Atlantic to northeastern Atlantic states was a very different kind of storm, with tropical storm force winds blowing constantly from the northwest. While this powerful storm brought heavy snow in the west of these northeastern states and heavy surf, with coastal flooding, in northeastern North Carolina, the wind blew constant and hard, with 60 mile per hour gusts, for more than 24 hours after heavy rain.

    Northeastern North Carolina, and in particular the Pamlico River, incurred these unabated gusts, with the end result consisting of the tide blowing out taking much of northeastern North Carolina's brackish water with it far out to sea, leaving boats familiar with the waters of the shallow Pamlico River listing precariously their bottomed hulls. I estimate that 7 to 8 feet of the river was forced by this blustery wind somewhere far to our east.

    All succeeding images, shot in low light to give them a more eery quality, were made of the area of the Pamlico River, near the Pamlico River Trestle, where the river widens as it flows southeast; some images surreal in their unique quality of a most unusual perspective; others normal, beautiful in scope.
The Pamlico River's water is blown way far to the southeast, and all that is left are boats bottomed in the ground, and stuff buried and deposited in the river's mud long ago: Above and below.     photos by Stan Deatherage     Click image to expand.
    This post will serve to exhibit the effects of the Quinn Nor'easter on the Pamlico River in this one unique area, juxtaposed against other images here of another less blustery time. Hopefully these contrasting images shall, in some small way, create a lasting exhibit of nature's awesome power.

The scenic walk to the Pamlico River Trestle when water covered the lower ground: Above and below.     photos by Stan Deatherage     Click image to expand.
    These images are the second series showing one specific area, where nature provides a profound and dramatic presentation of its power. The most recent of these posts was here.
The scenic Pamlico River Trestle is dramatically replaced by the treacherous remains of piers, pilings, logs and debris from centuries of man's occupation of its widening shores: Above. Remarkably, this image is of excited children, cast in the glow of the sinking sun, recovering useful refuse from the bottom of this dry river bed; one child shouting: "Hey look at these three fish traps that I pulled up!" : Below.     photos by Stan Deatherage     Click image to expand.
    The manifestation of what lies beneath the shimmering waters of iconic Pamlico River can be a bit frightening in the context of what man has wrought over the years, when the river was the economic life blood of Washington, NC, formerly known as the Forks of the Tar when North Carolina was one of the original 13 colonies.
A pretty moment at sunset when a young man steals a kiss: Above. From the Pamlico River Trestle, we see that the uncovered river bottom has revealed the sawed stumps and Cypress knees of these ancient trees, suggesting that the Pamlico River was not as wide as it is now; suggesting that the river waters have been rising for some time: Below.     photos by Stan Deatherage     Click image to expand.
    The stark reality of such an abrupt change in the status quo is an incredible moment.
From the Pamlico River Trestle looking northwest toward Washington and the Moss Landing project with the river blown mostly out, and on better days at sunset: Above and then below.     photos by Stan Deatherage     Click image to expand.