According to a report by Corolla Wild Horse Fund Director Karen McCalpin, the wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs of North Carolina Outer Banks on Corolla weathered the recent hurricane that tore through the East Coast exceptionally well, as their ancestors have done for centuries.
As Hurricane Irene came ashore, most of the horses took shelter in the maritime forest ridge that runs up the island. Some sheltered under vacation home carports. The northern Outer Banks was spared any catastrophic damage and the storm surge was less than some nor’easters.
The greatest damage occurred on the sound side in the town of Duck and extending south. Corolla is dealing mostly with debris washed up by waves, fallen limbs, branches, shingles off roofs, etc.
Although there was a mandatory evacuation order, Corolla Wild Horse Fund (CWHF) Executive Director and her husband, as well as the CWHF Board President and several volunteers, who are residents of the north beach where the horses are located, did not evacuate.
This enabled them to check on the herd immediately after the storm. Property owners and residents were not allowed back into the area until last night; vacationers are returning this morning at 10 a.m. Power was out for 40 hours.
Having lived on the Outer Banks for nearly 500 years, the wild horses have adapted to the harsh weather and have strong survival instincts.