Ray Davenport knows the history of the Scuppernong River.

“It is a pretty river considering all the hurricanes we have had,” he stated.

Davenport recalled Hurricane Hazel in 1954.

Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic Hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti, before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category Four hurricane.

Other examples of hurricane devastation included Hurricane Dennis, Floyd, and Irene.

Irene brought some of the worst flooding to the area.

“The wind blew from the east so long. It blew all the water up through the Roanoke and the Chowan River. When the eye came back, the wind fell out. The water from up there rushed back down,” said Davenport.

About the time that the big surf came in at the mouth of the Scuppernong River in the Sound, the wind shifted to the north and northwest. It blew right into the mouth of the Scuppernong River. The Scuppernong River widened.

“The mouth was just like a bubble. In 20 or 25 minutes, the water rose three feet here,” said Davenport.

Davenport recalled an original bridge in Columbia that went across Bridge Street. That bridge that would now go right down Main Street was dissolved.

“When they built the bypass, they did away with the one that went right straight through Columbia,” said Davenport.

Davenport estimated that the bridge that went through Main Street has been out for over 12 years.

The Scuppernong River empties into the Albemarle Sound.  Davenport estimated that the river runs up to Cherry and runs sixty-four miles.

“From the mouth of the river to Cherry is probably twenty three to twenty four miles,” he said.

The Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula is located in northeastern North Carolina, inshore of Nags Head and the Outer Banks in the Inner Banks region. The peninsula is framed by the Albemarle Sound to the north, Alligator River to the east, and the Scuppernong River to the west.  In addition to the Scuppernong River, Tyrrell County is bordered on the north by the Albemarle Sound, one of the East Coast’s largest estuarine systems, and to the east by the Alligator River.

Davenport’s knowledge comes in handy while running a portion of the River Roaming Educational Boat Tours sponsored by the Tyrrell County Tourism Development Authority. The tours cover about six miles of the Scuppernong River.

Davenport’s tours are full of historical details. He described the landscape around the boat including information about the age of trees and animal sightings.

“Sometimes you see them. Sometimes you do not. A lot of times you see eagles and osprey. You also see egrets and nutrias,” he said.

Davenport is in his fifth year giving the tours.   He will probably guide three tours in 2013.   In addition, four more people guide tours.

Take a ride on the beautiful Scuppernong River and learn about the history and habits of the Columbia and southern Albemarle. Tours are given Fridays at 10:30 a.m. Maximum 10 riders per trip; reservations required. Free, but donations are requested for this enjoyable excursion. Children must be at least 6 years old to ride. Call (252)796-1000 for reservations. River Roaming runs April-October.