Residents on Outer Banks accustomed to storms ready to ride out Hurricane Dorian

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— The islands that make up the Outer Banks jut out into the Atlantic Ocean. And while the outer rain bands were just making their way there Wednesday night, people living there know the beautiful open-sea beaches are prime targets for Dorian.

A flash flood watch will go into effect Thursday morning at 8 and storm force winds are expected to hit by Thursday evening. Dare County officials are urging people to go ahead and leave before conditions get bad.

A hush has descended on these barrier islands.

The beach at Kitty Hawk resembles a deserted isle: long stretches drained of people. The few we found splashed in the surf and lazed in chairs, unfazed by what was coming.

Vicki Wise has lived here full time for nine years.

“I always think in the back of my mind we should go,” Wise said. “But I let my husband make that decision. And all the neighbors are staying, so we’re staying.”

But with the beach so barren and the parking lots so empty, it’s clear many tourists and locals heeded evacuation orders and headed inland. Businesses closed and boarded up their windows. Hotels traded vacationers for those whose vocation it is to handle a crisis, emergency responders and the like.

At his beachfront house, Kevin Williams and his wife are staying put. All their windows are covered in wood.

“Obviously you have to take the forecast seriously,” Williams said. “I’d rather be prepared than unprepared. So I started a couple of days ago. I’ve done most of the house, top and bottom.”

Roads, especially Highway 12 on Hatteras Island, are expected to become impassable as the storm bears down. Dare County officials plan to impose curfews and will announce times Thursday. They say those who do stay should be prepared to sustain themselves for at least 72 hours because emergency responders won’t be able to answer calls for help during high winds and flooding.