North Carolina

Damage from Hurricane Dorian, rain allows wild horses to roam NC village

COROLLA, N.C. — Several wild horses have been running free daily in a North Carolina village because a hurricane and flooding have damaged their habitat on a barrier island.

The Virginian-Pilot reports Hurricane Dorian and a subsequent rainstorm have damaged fencing and flooded areas where the animals are normally kept away from human contact.

At least nine wild horses and a wild mule enter the Outer Banks village of Corolla each day. They are corralled and returned regularly to their remote beaches north of Corolla.

The fence was built in the 1990s to keep wild horses out of the village and off of N.C. 12 so they don't get hit by vehicles.

Corolla Wild Horse Fund chief operating officer Jo Langone says specialized equipment and skills will be needed to repair the fence.