Outer Banks tourist ban brings surge of seashells to beaches
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Seashells are piling up on the beaches in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, due to the lack of tourists after a ban was put in place to combat the coronavirus.
With fewer people scouring the beach for collectible shells, the beaches are seeing a major surge.
Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather
During the summer months, traffic on I-95 can be bumper-to-bumper with locals heading south to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, but few are heading there now, as Dare County has implemented some of the strictest coronavirus restrictions in the nation.
A group of residents have filed a federal lawsuit saying the county ban, keeping non-state residents away during the coronavirus pandemic, violates the “privileges and immunities” clause of the U.S. Constitution.
RELATED: Out-of-state residents launch federal lawsuit to reclaim access to Outer Banks homes
Lawsuits emerge over beach house restrictions
During the summer months, traffic on I-95 can be bumper-to-bumper with locals heading south to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, but few are heading there now, as Dare County has implemented some of the strictest coronavirus restrictions in the nation. This week, a group of out-of-state residents who do not have access to their beach houses decided to challenge those restrictions.
If they win, Kitchen expects Dare County to reopen its borders to out-of-staters, and he says it could set a precedent if similar lawsuits are filed elsewhere.