Two men from Franklin County are dead after their helicopter crashed while flying to the Outer Banks.

A northern Virginia man has died after his body was recovered from the surf in North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

After a cleaning service found a loaded pistol in the room of an Outer Banks beach house where children typically stay, police are urging vacationers to keep track of their guns and safely lock them when they're not being used.

For many beachgoers, getting Duck Donuts is reminiscent of a summer Outer Banks trip.

AVON, N.C. – A class-action lawsuit has been filed against a real estate company on North Carolina's Outer Banks after it allegedly refused to issue refunds for people who couldn't visit because of coronavirus-related travel restrictions. The Virginian-Pilot reported Wednesday that the suit was filed against Surf or Sound Realty. The company initially promised refunds to people who couldn't reach beach homes because Dare County closed its borders. But the Avon-based company then changed course, refusing to offer refunds but giving customers the chance to change vacation dates. He said that the county's closure and the real estate commission's refund ruling "amounted to a weapon of mass destruction for vacation rental companies."

DARE COUNTY, Va. – A popular tourist destination is about to reopen to visitors. Beginning Saturday, May 16, Dare County, as well as Hyde and Currituck counties, in North Carolina, will lift restrictions, allowing visitors. Dare County closed its borders to visitors on March 17. Entry for visitors includes the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head and Manteo; Hatteras Island; Roanoke Island; the Dare mainland; the Currituck County Outer Banks; and Ocracoke Island, according to the Dare County announcement on Wednesday morning. Even when the Outer Banks open, there will still be some restrictions in place:

DARE COUNTY, N.C. – Tourists can no longer visit a large chunk of North Carolina’s Outer Banks because of coronavirus concerns. The Dare County Control Group announced Tuesday that it is restricting all visitor access to the county, which makes up a large portion of the Outer Banks. “These restrictions may be inconvenient, disappointing and have financial impacts, however, they were made in the interest of public safety to limit the spread of COVID-19,” according to the county’s statement. [Interactive map from Johns Hopkins shows how coronavirus is spreading in real-time]There are now checkpoints at entry points to Dare County and no visitors will be allowed access, according to county government. Entry guidelines are broken down for permanent residents, non-resident property owners and non-resident employees of Dare County businesses at www.darenc.com/entry.

OUTER BANKS, NC – The cold snap in North Carolina is stunning dozens of turtles. Nearly 100 were washed ashore, after floating in the frigid waters. Turtles on the southern Outer Banks were seen surrounded by frost, stopped in their tracks. Once the turtles are rescued they are quickly warmed up and taken to a stranding center, like the one in Virginia Beach. Volunteers braving the frigid weather to make sure these turtles, many threatened, get a second chance at life.

More than two dozen wild horses from the Outer Banks were found dead in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

Wild horses along North Carolina's Outer Banks will move to higher ground and gather under sturdy trees to ride out the storm. OUTER BANKS, N.C. - A bunch of majestic horses that spend their days frolicking on the beach in North Carolina's Outer Banks will not be evacuated. With Hurricane Dorian quickly approaching, the colonial Spanish mustangs will huddle together and ride out the storm using a trick horses have used for centuries. And unlike human beings living in the Outer Banks, the wild horses are better equipped to handle a hurricane. Despite the dangers from the storm, the 100 or so wild horses in the area are resourceful and have an incredibly strong will to live, herd manager Meg Puckett said during Hurricane Florence last year.

2011: Hurricane Irene makes landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The storm would move up the East Coast and make landfall in southeastern New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York, the following day. Overall, the storm killed 47 and caused an estimated $15.6 billion in damage in the United States. Hide Caption