Heavy rains will wrap up on Friday; N.C. Highway 12 remains open

The heavy rains that have inundated the Outer Banks for the past several days will finally move offshore on Friday morning, with only scattered showers and thunderstorms possible later this evening and again on Saturday afternoon.

While patches of sand and standing water remained on N.C. Highway 12, there were no additional reports of ocean overwash as of Friday morning in typical hotspots, including the Mirlo Beach area in Rodanthe, and northern Buxton.

Per a Thursday update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), there have been no breaches of protective dunes and no damage to the road itself during the past few days of heavy surf. NCDOT crews will continue working on clearing sand and debris on N.C. Highway 12 as needed.

Visitors can expect a dry and seasonal Memorial Day weekend, especially on Sunday and Monday. An elevated risk of rip currents remains in effect for Friday, and may continue into the weekend.

For more information on the local 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/.