‘Eerie’ video shows the Outer Banks silent and deserted during coronavirus outbreak

The entirety of the Outer Banks is now off limits to non-residents, after coastal Hyde County joined neighboring counties in banning all visitors during the coronavirus pandemic.

That means the barrier islands are dark and deserted, with many businesses ordered closed and most people forced to stay indoors due to a statewide stay-at-home order.

It’s not unlike what the islands are like after a hurricane, but with no emergency vehicles, no rescuers and no government officials touring to assess damage.

Outer Banks photographer Wes Snyder decided to document the closure by setting up a camera in the Corolla community, known for its historic lighthouse and herd of wild horses. He recorded in the area for three nights, then condensed the video to three minutes and posted it on YouTube.

The result is best described as empty, from the roads to the trails to the beaches.

Only one human is seen briefly in silhouette, and that is Snyder himself.

“It was an eerie few nights as the only vehicle I saw pass by all night was the local sheriff and almost every single home was black and vacant due to the recent evacuation,” Snyder explained in a post with the video.

“It was an incredible site and one that I’m so happy I was able to have the opportunity to capture this area during this very unique and unusual time of history for the Outer Banks, and the entire world.”

The coronavirus pandemic has infected nearly 1.5 million people worldwide and killed about 89,000, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

Many cities and states now have stay-at-home orders to keep people from traveling unnecessarily.

More than a dozen “quarantine city videos” have been posted on YouTube in recent weeks, showing the impact of those orders. However, most focus on the empty streets and sidewalks of large cities and were recorded from above by drones.

That makes Snyder’s video unique and perhaps more intimate in showing the impact of the virus on small towns like those found on the Outer Banks.

This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 9:53 AM.