"Fortunately, the renourished beaches in Avon and Buxton survived." Cape Hatteras Anglers Club president David Scarborough included that line in an Oct. 28 letter to tournament anglers. He wrote it after a second nor'easter had stalled off the coast and the rebuilt road on Pea Island had washed away again. In the same letter he described the erosion on the north beaches as significant.
In Avon, that line points to a simple fact about this fall. The pier is the landmark everyone knows, and it is currently broken. The sand pumped onto Avon's beach last summer came through two storms, and in late October anglers in Avon were landing red drum longer than 40 inches.
What the September Storm Did to the Pier
The first nor'easter hit in the last week of September. CBS 17 reported that waves over 15 feet pounded the wooden pier for two days. By midday Friday, Sept. 25, part of the structure was sagging about a third of the way from the end. At around 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, the surf took out that weakened section. The station put the pier's length at 600 to 665 feet.
Two days later, Cape Hatteras National Seashore estimated the damage as a gap of about 20 feet. It said it was working with the pier's lessee to assess the damage and decide on next steps. The pier sits on National Seashore land. CBS 17 reported that the Seashore owns it and a private company runs the concessions and the RV park next door. That arrangement is why any repair involves both the operator and the park service.
On Sept. 30, the Island Free Press reported that a crew was building a temporary barrier so visitors could walk out as far as the damaged section. Repairs on the broken part would start "as soon as conditions and access allow." The pier's operator later posted on its conditions page that the pier is open up to the damaged section and that reconstruction plans are underway. The same paper pointed anglers to the Avon Pier Facebook page for updates. The pier's own page lists typical hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and notes they change with the season and the weather.
Avon Has Seen This Before
The pier went through almost the same thing in 2019. When Subtropical Storm Melissa hit that October, the Island Free Press reported a split toward the end of the 670-foot pier. The first 300 feet or so had only minor damage. That front section and the Avon Pier House reopened on Oct. 16, 2019. The outer half stayed closed for the rest of that season while longer repairs were planned. Pier operator Joe Thompson told the Island Free Press at the time, "We'll need to put in [new] pilings in the ocean, and Mother Nature has to allow us to do that."
The difference this time is who is doing the repair. In July 2025, the Thompson family sold the 8.5-acre oceanfront property to a group of local owners: RV Owens and Derrick and Jamie Hatchell of Manteo. The sale covered the pier, which operates under a National Park Service lease, plus the Beach Klub, Pangea Tavern and the RV park, according to the Island Free Press. The paper reported that the Thompsons had added 40 new pilings during their years running it. Tami Thompson said the new owners had already shown "great interest in enhancing the lifespan of the pier." The pier opened in the early 1960s, and Avon launches its July 4 fireworks from its end. September's storm is the first major repair under the new ownership.
The Sand Was Placed Before the Storms
The beach next to the pier had already been rebuilt when the storms arrived. Dare County's beach nourishment page shows Avon's 2026 project finished on June 25, three months before the first nor'easter. Buxton's finished Oct. 3, between the two storms. The timing for the rest of the season looks like this:
- June 25: Avon nourishment complete.
- Sept. 25–26: First nor'easter. Avon Pier loses a section.
- Oct. 3: Buxton nourishment complete. The county scheduled native dune grass planting there for November.
- Oct. 20: N.C. 12 closes at Pea Island after the second storm, according to the Island Free Press.
- Oct. 29, 4 p.m.: N.C. 12 reopens as a one-lane detour and visitor restrictions are lifted.
- Dec. 15: Target date for substantial completion of the Buxton terminal groin.
Earlier in the year, the Outer Banks Voice reported that the Avon project would close the Ramp 38 parking lot through July 15. That closure has ended. The National Seashore's beach access status page, updated Oct. 30, lists both Ramp 34 and Ramp 38 open in both directions, 24 hours a day, during the Oct. 15 to April 14 seasonal off-road period. Driving rules and permits are set by the park service, and that page is the place to check them.
What the Beach Has Been Producing
The fishing reports come from the tackle shop down the road. On Oct. 31, Frank & Fran's posted its Hatteras Island report. The water was rough that day. The night before, anglers caught a 44-inch red drum and a 46-inch red drum, "both here in Avon," along with a 43-incher. The same report noted a 19-inch puppy drum at Ramp 43 and a 25-inch pup at Ramp 55, both farther down the island. The shop wrote that it was glad to "get back in the swing of things" now that the island had reopened.
The Nov. 1 report described a cool, windy day. The surf gave up some blues, small speckled trout, flounder and plenty of sea mullet, and a slot-sized drum was caught off the northern beaches. The shop added that "the bigger fishies will start coming in more and more" as the weather turns colder. Frisco Rod & Gun's Oct. 30 island report lists much the same: blowtoads, bluefish, red drum and sea mullet in the surf.
"We have fresh mullet and fresh shrimp in the coolers!" (Frank & Fran's, Oct. 31 report)
Frank & Fran's says it is open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. It also calls its walk-in humidor the only one on Hatteras Island.
The pier is open only part of the way out this November. The beach on either side of it was rebuilt in June, came through both storms, and sits in the same village where those 44- and 46-inch drum were landed.
Getting On and Off the Island
The road still affects every plan. When N.C. 12 reopened on Oct. 29, traffic on the Pea Island detour alternated one direction at a time. NCDOT told the Outer Banks Voice that sandbag reinforcement and a return to two lanes would take weeks. During the closure, emergency ferries brought fuel, groceries and mail to the island, according to the Island Free Press. Anyone with friends driving down for the fall run should check DriveNC before they leave. The pier's operator links to the same site from its conditions page.
The Rest of the Fall Around the Pier
The coming weeks on this part of the island center on the beach and the clubhouse, according to the Hatteras Island events calendar:
- Nov. 25 and Dec. 9, 7 p.m.: Cape Hatteras Anglers Club bingo at the clubhouse in Buxton.
- Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to noon: A North Carolina Beach Buggy Association beach cleanup in Avon.
Off the beach, Tugs Soundside Taphouse & Brewery is at 29450-A N.C. 12, in the building that used to be the Po House. Outer Banks This Week described it opening in 2026 as a taproom pouring 20 guest beers while it waited on brewing permits, and hosting music, music bingo and an arts market. Its own site now calls it Hatteras Island's first brewery, with rotating regional drafts alongside beers it brews itself.
Updates on the pier's broken section will come through its Facebook page. As of Oct. 30, the National Seashore listed Ramps 34 and 38 open for the seasonal off-road period that runs through April 14.
The Brad Beacham Group has followed Avon's shoreline through more storm seasons than we can count. If you own a home near the pier and want to know how this year's nourishment and storms affect its value, start with your Instant OBX Home Valuation and we'll go through the details with you.
