N.C. Highway 12 remains closed Tuesday morning on northern Ocracoke Island; Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry service suspended

While Hatteras Island had minimal ocean overwash with Tuesday morning’s 7:10 a.m. high tide, northern Ocracoke Island remains closed, with Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry service suspended, due to ocean overwash and water on the roadway.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) closed N.C. Highway 12 between the ferry terminal and the pony pens on northern Ocracoke Island at 8:45 p.m. on Monday night.

NCDOT crews will be working to clear the roadway on Tuesday morning, and the highway will reopen, (with resumption of ferry service), when it is safe to do so. For updates regarding road conditions, visit DriveNC.gov and NCDOT NC 12 on Facebook.

On Hatteras Island, N.C. Highway 12 is open and passable as of 7:00 a.m., but some standing water and patches of sand remain on the roadway, particularly on Pea Island, Buxton, northern Hatteras, and secondary roads in Rodanthe. Additional ocean overwash of 1-3 feet above ground level is possible during the next high tide cycle, which is around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Bands of heavy rain will gradually move north and east throughout the day today, with rain expected to end for all of the Outer Banks by midnight. Rain over the past week will make some low-lying areas more susceptible to flooding, while large breaking waves in the surf zone will continue to make beach erosion and ocean overwash more likely, and swimming dangerous.

A Flood Watch is in effect until 2 p.m. Tuesday, however, the Tropical Storm Warning has been lifted for the southern Outer Banks, and the Coastal Flood Advisory and High Surf Advisory are set to expire Tuesday morning.

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.