N.C. Highway 12 is open and passable on Hatteras Island; Highway remains closed on northern Ocracoke Island as of Saturday afternoon

N.C. Highway 12 is open and passable on Hatteras Island as of Saturday at 3:00 p.m. per an update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

There is some standing water and sand on the roadway from Oregon Inlet to Hatteras Village, (particularly north of Hatteras Village, which experienced ocean overwash on Saturday morning), and drivers are advised to use caution.

N.C. 12 on northern Ocracoke Island from the NPS Pony Pens to the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry terminal remains closed due to severe ocean overwash that occurred during Saturday morning’s high tide. The road will reopen, (and ferry service will resume), when conditions improve.

The Hatteras-Ocracoke, Ocracoke-Swan Quarter, and Ocracoke-Cedar ferry operations have all been suspended due to weather conditions.

The complex low pressure system will continue to bring multiple threats to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands through early next week, with the next wave of impacts starting Saturday night.

The storm will produce two surges of wind – one out of the south on Saturday, and the other out of the north starting Saturday evening. Winds gusts of 45-55 mph are possible, and northerly winds will peak Saturday night through Sunday, although impacts may linger until Tuesday.

On the oceanside, large breaking waves of 10-15 feet are expected in the surf zone for all beaches throughout the weekend and into next week, and oceanside flooding of 2-4 feet above ground level is possible from Saturday night through Tuesday.

N.C. Highway 12 may continue to be impacted by ocean overwash, especially around the times of high tide. The next high tide is approximately 7:20 p.m. on Saturday.

Minor to moderate soundside flooding is expected on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island, with flooding of 2-4 feet above ground level possible from late Saturday through Monday. 1-2 feet of minor soundside flooding is also possible throughout the day on Saturday.

A Coastal Flood Warning, Gale Warning, Wind Advisory, and High Surf Advisory are all in effect for the Outer Banks.

• 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.