Soundside Flooding Becoming an Issue; Wednesday Afternoon Update for Hurricane Maria

Maria regained hurricane status – with maximum sustained wind speeds of 75 mph as opposed to 70 mph – and soundside flooding was reported in multiple locations throughout Hatteras Island as of Wednesday afternoon.

Despite Maria’s slight strengthening, the forecast for the Outer Banks has not changed, per the noon briefing from the National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City Office. Winds will continue to diminish through the afternoon, but will remain gusty across the Outer Banks, especially north of Cape Hatteras.

At 12 p.m., Maria was located roughly 165 miles east of Cape Hatteras, and was moving north-northeast at 6 mph. Hurricane Maria is forecast to continue to move farther away from the Outer Banks through late today.

With the steady northwest winds, soundside flooding was reported in multiple villages, including Hatteras, Frisco, and Avon. While Highway 12 is open throughout, motorists are urged to use caution through standing saltwater and ocean overwash, which will peak with this afternoon’s high tide.
Visit www.weather.gov/mhx for weather forecast information covering Eastern NC, and visit the National Hurricane Center at www.nhc.noaa.gov for information on the tropics.

The Island Free Press will continue to monitor this system and will post updates as soon as they are available.