There’s a long-held North Carolina legend of a shadowy figure who appears on the beach before a major hurricane –and those who see him seem to be spared the worst.
He’s called the Gray Man and, if you believe the lore, he seems to favor Hatteras Island and Pawleys Island, S.C.
The Gray Man doesn’t speak as he walks the shore, eventually fading into the wind and sea spray.
The legend of the Gray Man has been around since the early 1900s. According to the website NC Ghosts, Hatteras locals have said he may have been a sailor returning home who died at sea, or the ghost of George Pawley, Pawley Island’s original owner, or even perhaps Blackbeard the pirate.
And there’s some speculation he appeared on Avalon Pier in Kill Devils Hill during Hurricane Florence last year.
Billy and Jim McClency of the YouTube channel “Ghost Guys Go” definitely aren’t real-life paranormal investigators, but rather spoofers of such shows. But last September, a friend was watching the livestream from Avalon Pier and saw something unusual: At the very end of the 700-foot pier, wind howling, a figure can be seen walking from one side to the other.
“As far as we know it’s real, and the guy we spoke with at the pier said the same,” Jim McClency said at the time.
Employees at Avalon Pier confirmed the video did come from their webcam. But as for paranormal activity, they couldn’t say.
Will the Gray Man appear again ahead of Dorian? Be on the lookout.
