Ocean overwash reported Friday morning; Coastal Flood Advisory, High Surf Advisory in effect through Sunday

A Coastal Flood Advisory and High Surf Advisory have been issued for the Outer Banks through Sunday at noon, according to an update from the National Weather Service.

For the Coastal Flood Advisory, up to two feet of inundation above ground level is expected in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways. For the High Surf Advisory, large breaking waves of 5 to 8 feet are expected in the surf zone, along with dangerous rip currents.

Ocean overwash was reported at approximately 7:00 a.m. in Buxton, before Friday morning’s 8:30 a.m. high tide. N.C. Highway 12 is open and passable, but travelers are advised to slow down and use caution as saltwater can damage vehicles.

Beach erosion and ocean overwash may continue to affect vulnerable areas along the Outer Banks, and specifically areas where overwash has been a repeated issue, (such as northern Ocracoke Island, northern Buxton, Rodanthe, and Pea Island.)

The greatest risk of overwash and flooding will be one to two hours either side of high tide, which is around 8:45 p.m. Friday, and 9:15 a.m. and 9:40 p.m. on Saturday.

A list of local Outer Banks resources for additional information is below.

• For information on the local forecast, visit weather.gov/mhx for general weather information, or the National Weather Service office in Newport/Morehead City’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NWSMoreheadCity/.
• 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.
• 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.
• For rip current information and other beach hazards, sign up for text alerts from Dare County, ocean rescue agencies, and the National Weather Service by texting “OBXBeachConditions” to 77295.