High Surf Advisory and Wind Advisory in effect for Sunday, Ocracoke-mainland ferry operations suspended

A strong cold front will move through Eastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks on Sunday, bringing high winds and the potential for coastal flooding, according to an update from the National Weather Service.

A High Surf Advisory has been issued for the south-facing beaches from Cape Hatteras to Surf City from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Large breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet are expected in the surf zone, with dangerous surf and localized beach erosion.

Minor ocean overwash is possible for vulnerable areas of N.C. Highway 12, and especially on Ocracoke Island. Ocracoke Island ferry service may be impacted on Sunday due to overwash and/or high winds.

As of Sunday morning, the Ocracoke-Swan Quarter and Ocracoke-Cedar Island ferry operations have been suspended due to inclement weather. Ferry service will resume once weather conditions have improved.

Very minor soundside water level rises are also possible along the Outer Banks, particularly north of Hatteras.

A Wind Advisory is in effect for Sunday as well, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Southwest winds of 20-30 mph are expected, with gusts up to 45-50 mph on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands.

Strong to marginally severe thunderstorms are also possible, with damaging winds gusts and periods of very heavy rains. The greatest risk of severe thunderstorms for Eastern N.C is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A list of local Outer Banks resources for additional information is as follows:

• 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 local water level forecasts from the NWS, visit https://water.noaa.gov/wfo/mhx
• 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.