Ocean overwash was reported in northern Buxton roughly two hours before Tuesday’s 9:05 p.m. high tide, and additional overwash before and after high tide is probable in multiple areas throughout Hatteras Island, including north of Hatteras Village, Rodanthe, the Pea Island Visitors Center, and the “Canal Zone,” south of the Basnight Bridge.
N.C. Highway 12 is open on Hatteras Island, however, travelers should use caution and watch for NCDOT vehicles as they work to clear the roadways.
The highway remains closed on northern Ocracoke Island from the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry terminal to the NPS Pony Pens due to multiple cycles of ocean overwash that have occurred since Saturday. Per an update from the N.C. Ferry System, the highway and Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry operations are expected to be closed for several more days. The Ocracoke-Swan Quarter and Ocracoke-Cedar ferries are running as scheduled.
A second low pressure system is expected to impact the Outer Banks Wednesday night through Friday afternoon, bringing the potential for heavy rain, strong winds, additional coastal flooding, and dangerous marine conditions.
Areas of heavy rainfall will bring the potential for localized minor flooding to poor drainage areas starting Wednesday night, while strong winds are expected with gusts of 40-50 mph along the coast, particularly from Thursday evening into Friday morning.
Minor coastal flooding is possible, (soundside and oceanside), Thursday night into Friday, and additional localized ocean overwash is likely for areas with vulnerable dune structures.
- For more information on the local weather 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/.
- 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. Users will get notified of any schedule changes directly from the terminal, and can unsubscribe at any time.
- 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.
