Overwash Flooding Noticeably Receding; Sand and Standing Water Remain on Roadways

Flooding that had accompanied multiple high tide cycles during this weekend’s nor’easter had noticeably receded by Tuesday morning, however, piles of sand and standing water remained on portions of N.C. Highway 12 and adjacent roadways.

As of 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, standing water was reported on N.C. Highway 12 in northern Hatteras village, in sections of Avon parallel to Ocen View Drive, and in northern Rodanthe and Pea Island.

Patches of deep sand were reported on the highway in north Buxton, in Rodanthe, and along Ocean View Drive in Avon, but N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) were already working on clearing roadways. Many vehicles in Avon were using Ocean View Drive as a detour on Tuesday morning in order to navigate past deeper areas of standing water on N.C. Highway 12 near the Food Lion shopping plaza.

As of Tuesday morning, N.C. Highway 12 from Oregon Inlet to Rodanthe remained closed. N.C. Department of Transportation​​​ crews worked hard on Monday to assess impacts and clear portions of the road that were unaffected by ocean overwash whenever possible. No damage to the roadway on Hatteras Island has been discovered from Rodanthe to Oregon Inlet, and crews will continue efforts today.

Officials are not sure when it will be safe to reopen N.C. Highway 12, but conditions are expected to continually improve Tuesday.

Per the National Weather Service Newport / Morehead City office, the strong NE swell will continue Tuesday, although it will be subsiding throughout the day. Seas will drop below 6 ft south of Ocracoke Island by late morning, however 5-7 ft waves may still remain as winds strengthen slightly tonight.

Dare County Schools announced on Monday night that because of flooding in Avon, Cape Hatteras Elementary and Secondary Schools will be closed again in Tuesday, Nov. 19

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

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/.