By Miles Layton

OUTER BANKS – Republican congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout spent part of the nor’easter on the storm-damaged coast, getting as close as law enforcement would allow to stretches of NC 12 that the wind and surf had chewed up.

Buckhout, a retired Army colonel and combat commander who is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis in the 1st Congressional District, said she went to see the damage for herself while the storm was still hitting the Outer Banks. Flooding covered many low-lying areas, and the highway, the only road link for much of the barrier island chain, was again threatened by erosion because of the sand’s invasion during the storm.

Photos come NC DOT and Buckhout.

Asked why she went to the coast while the weather was still rough, Buckhout pointed to her Army career and to her upbringing.

“I think for a lot of us, we just like to go to the sound of the guns. Maybe it’s military. Maybe it’s Mama Bear. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s growing up on a farm and knowing that when emergencies are happening, you can’t just stand back,” she said.

She said farm life taught her not to wait on someone else in a crisis. “When you’ve got a bad storm coming in and you got to get animals into shelter and stuff, you can’t you can’t wait around for someone else to do it,” she said.

Buckhout said the visit also gave her a look at a part of the district that will need attention long after the water recedes.

“It was very helpful for me to put eyes on and get perspective, so we could look at long-term solutions,” she said. “I hope I can be a part of that because I’d like to.”

While many stayed off the roads, Buckhout headed toward the worst of it.

“I was able to get down there as close as the police would let me go,” Buckhout said. She said law enforcement was glad to help, escorting her to where the road was eroding in winds of about 50 mph. “They volunteered to get me as close as possible because I think everybody out there is interested in somebody who’s going to solve problems,” she said.

Buckhout said heavy equipment was already on the job when she arrived. “The earth moving equipment was out there already and already had been doing a job,” she said, describing waves and wind that made for tough conditions.

She also stopped at the Dare County Emergency Operations Center, where she said crews were already working through their storm plan.

“The emergency services were setting up the emergency ferry schedule. The food and water were getting pre-positioned to make sure that everyone out there had food and water if they were stranded,” Buckhout said. “So clearly, Dare County is doing a fantastic job of managing the situation.”

Of the people who live and work on the coast, she said, “I think the folks out there on the coast, frankly, are just the best.”

Buckhout said the county’s response is not the problem. The problem, she said, is that the road keeps washing out and no permanent answer has emerged.

“It’s an expensive problem. It’s a dangerous problem for people who are stranded out there,” she said.

She said she worries about what a washed-out highway means for residents who need help in a hurry. “It’s a little scary if you’re stranded there in the middle of a nor’easter with fifty, sixty mile an hour winds,” Buckhout said. “I think it would be hard to get emergency transportation out there if somebody were very ill, you know, something like that. Somebody having a baby, it could be very problematic.”

She described Dare County residents as tough and resilient, but said they need more support from Washington.

“I don’t think I’m wrong in saying they could use some more help,” she said.

Asked how she would help if elected in the Nov. 3 general election, Buckhout said the key is having a representative who treats the road as a priority and pursues funding for it.

“I don’t think anyone has made fixing that road a priority for a very very long time. It’s concerning to watch,” she said. “I like to solve problems. I think I’m good at solving problems. I’ve got a track record of success in that area, and I think somebody making that route a priority is it really needs to happen on the hill, and somebody who’s willing to work, you know, across the aisle if needed.”

Moving onto the campaign trail, Buckhout said the campaign has kept her on the road across eastern North Carolina with a young staff.

“We are everywhere. I have got a great team,” she said. “I’ve got a team, a young 20-somethings, and they’re just fired up, and their energy is absolutely contagious.”

Buckhout said her approach to serving people comes from the military, where political affiliation never came up.

“I never asked anybody how they voted when I was serving with them,” Buckhout said. “You absolutely never cared. And so I feel about that way with the people I’d like to serve. I don’t care how you vote.”

She said some voters who plan to support her opponent have told her they still expect her to look after the district if she wins.

“I’ve had people say, ‘Hey, you know what? I may not vote for you. I’ll probably vote for the other guy. But if you win, I think you’re going to take good care of us,’” Buckhout said. “I’m going to fight for you, whether you vote for me or not.”

Looking ahead to Nov. 3, Buckhout described the race as a chance to serve and said she wants to hear from people in the district.

“I always listen more than I talk, and I am really looking forward to people giving me solutions and helping me make them happen,” she said.