Topsail Area Healthcare Guide: Urgent Care, Walk-Ins & ER (Fall 2025)

Scott's Hill Emergency Department Entrance (Photo, July 2025)

This guide is for general information and isn’t a substitute for professional medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. On This Page Quick Contacts When To Go Where Care Near Topsail If You’re Visiting: What’s Best? For Locals: Back-To-School Readiness Seasonal & Common Issues In Topsail Respiratory Season & COVID County Health Departments Urgent Care: … Read more

Hampstead Bypass: Roadwork, Closures & Back to School Squeeze

Hampstead Bypass: Roadwork, Closures, and the School-Year Squeeze

With just one week before students return to Pender County schools, drivers through Hampstead are still feeling the squeeze of ongoing work on the $182 million Hampstead Bypass project. Lane shifts and overnight closures near Topsail High School and the Hampstead water tower have become routine, but as morning traffic ramps up for buses and … Read more

Monday Outlook: Hurricane Erin Stays Offshore While Surf Builds on Topsail

Monday Outlook: Hurricane Erin Stays Offshore While Surf Builds on Topsail

Latest Update (Tue, Aug 19): We’ve published a fresh briefing with today’s track and the next 24–48 hours for Topsail. Read today’s Hurricane Erin update → Hurricane Erin remains a large and powerful hurricane east of the Southeast Bahamas this morning. The latest National Hurricane Center advisory places the center near 23.1 N, 70.5 W … Read more

Erin Rapidly Intensifies Into Major Hurricane – Topsail Weekend Outlook

Hurricane Erin Rapidly Intensifies: Saturday Briefing for Topsail Island

Latest Update (Tue, Aug 19): We’ve published a fresh briefing with today’s track and the next 24–48 hours for Topsail. Read today’s Hurricane Erin update → Hurricane Erin intensified overnight and is now a major hurricane over the open Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center reports Erin is moving W/NW- pushing northeast of the Leeward Islands … Read more

Topsail Island Fishing Report – Week of Aug 15–22, 2025

Soundside Park in Surf City, NC has several fishing access platforms like the one shown. Here, the family of the Topsail Guide Editorial Team is taking in the views of the Surf City Bridge while enjoying some light fishing action, perfect for anglers of all ages!

Storm Watch & Safety: Tropical Storm Erin is expected to graze north — not make landfall — but still generate strong southeasterly swells, rough surf, and dangerous rip currents into next week. Always check the National Hurricane Center, NWS Marine Forecast, and local advisories before heading out. Conditions can change fast; wear a life jacket, … Read more

Tropical Storm Erin Intensifies: Should Topsail Be Concerned?

Hurricane Erin Update

Tropical Storm Erin is gaining strength and heading westward through the tropical regions of the Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center forecasts it will become the first hurricane of the 2025 season as soon as tomorrow, with a strong possibility of reaching Category 3 major hurricane status by late Saturday. You can follow the official … Read more

Pender County Water Quality Update: Discoloration, Odor & Resident Frustration

Pender County Water Quality Update: Discoloration, Odor & Resident Frustration

Water That Smells, Stains, and Frustrates Residents across Pender County are still dealing with tap water that is discolored, foul-smelling, and damaging to appliances—issues that have lingered for years despite repeated reports to utility providers. In the Emerald Ridge neighborhood, one resident, Greg Lovell, described, “The water was brown and discolored all the time and … Read more

Hampstead Bypass Update: $182M Contract and Local Concerns

Hampstead Bypass Update: $182M Contract and Local Concerns

The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $182 million contract to S.T. Wooten Corp. to complete the final seven miles of the U.S. 17 Hampstead Bypass, running between NC 140 and NC 210. Construction could begin in late August 2025 and is expected to be finished by 2030. View the NCDOT Project Page. Status … Read more

Summer 2025 Beach Nourishment Update: Chief’s Report and Concerns

Drone Footage of North Topsail Beach Dredging & Beach Nourishment

Chief’s Report Marks a Turning Point On July 15, 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed the long-anticipated Chief’s Report for the Surf City Coastal Storm Risk Management project. The plan outlines a new dune system and beach nourishment for roughly six miles of shoreline, aimed at improving resilience against storms and sea level … Read more