N.C. Highway 12 Open and Passable, But Standing Water Remains

N.C. Highway 12 is open and passable on both Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands as of Tuesday morning, however standing water remains on several stretches of the highway, per a recent update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

“Good morning! N.C. 12 remains open and passable today with no major overwash issues reported,” stated the NCDOT. “However, there are several areas between Oregon Inlet and Ocracoke with standing water and sand on the roadway… Please SLOW DOWN and drive carefully!”

Ocean overwash was reported with Monday morning’s high tide in several locations, including northern Buxton and on Ocracoke Island just north of the NPS Pony Pens. Minor standing water and / or ocean overwash was also reported near the S-Curves in Rodanthe and on northern Pea Island. Standing rainwater is an issue in several additional spots along the highway, due to 1-2″ inches of rainfall that occurred along the Outer Banks on Sunday.

Per the National Weather Service Newport / Morehead City office, minor ocean overwash is once again possible along portions of the Outer Banks with vulnerable dune structures late this morning. A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect around the time of high tide, which is around 10:30-11:00 a.m.

For updated driving conditions across the state, visit the NCDOT’s website at https://drivenc.gov/.