Soundside flooding reported in the Tri-Villages; Additional coastal flooding likely through Tuesday

February 13, 2024 | Local News | By: Joy Crist

Salvo on Tuesday morning at around 10 a.m. Photo from Dale Stump

12:00 P.M. UPDATE: Soundside flooding has now been reported throughout Hatteras Island in Hatteras Village, Frisco, Avon (and north of Avon), the Tri-Villages, and Pea Island. Travel is not advised.

Soundside flooding was reported in the Tri-Villages communities of Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo on Tuesday morning per multiple reports, including a 10 a.m. update from the Dare County Sheriff’s Office.

“Water is starting to encroach NC12 in several areas: Salvo Fire Department, Bluebeard Rd, Midgett Way, and Camp Hatteras,” stated the Sheriff’s Office in a social media update. “The water is across both lanes of travel in some of these areas. All areas are still passable at this time. Please use caution when traveling.”

Additional soundside flooding was also reported along N.C. Highway 12 on Pea Island at approximately 10:45 a.m., between the Jug Handle and Capt. Richard Etheridge Bridges.

Ocracoke Island at 8:30 a.m., an hour or so before high tide

Minor to moderate soundside flooding is expected throughout the day on Tuesday, and inundation of 2-3 ft. is forecast, with locally higher amounts of up to 4 ft. possible, especially from Oregon Inlet to Frisco.

Minor coastal flooding of 1-2 feet above ground level is also expected for soundside areas near Hatteras Village through Tuesday, as well as for the northern Outer Banks communities. Up to 3 ft. of flooding in these areas is possible, especially in low-lying areas.

The greatest impacts are expected to occur on Tuesday morning and afternoon, and N.C. Highway 12 may be impacted later in the day.

Additionally, wind gusts of 45-50 mph are likely along the Outer Banks, and widespread 2-3″ of total rainfall is expected, but a flash flood threat remains negligible.

N.C. Highway 12 on northern Ocracoke Island is closed between the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry terminal and the National Park Service Pony Pens due to excessive flooding, per an update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Ferry service between Hatteras and Ocracoke, (as well as Ocracoke-mainland routes), has been suspended.

For more information on the local weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/mhx for weather information, or the National Weather Service office in Newport/Morehead City’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NWSMoreheadCity/.
To get notified of ferry delays or cancellations, sign up for text and/or email alerts via the N.C. Ferry System’s FINS system: www.ncdot.gov/fins. Users will get notified of any schedule changes directly from the terminal, and can unsubscribe at any time.
For updates regarding road conditions, visit DriveNC.gov and follow the North Carolina Department of Transportation and NCDOT NC 12 on Facebook. The Dare County Sheriff’s Office also shares local road condition updates on its Facebook page.