UPDATE: N.C. 12 on northern Ocracoke Island will not reopen Tuesday; Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry service remains suspended.

Per a 2:00 p.m. update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), a stretch of N.C. Highway 12 on northern Ocracoke Island between the Pony Pens and the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry terminal will remain closed on Tuesday. Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry service continues to be suspended.

“Due to heavy rains and continued ocean overwash, we will NOT be reopening NC12 on the north end of Ocracoke Island today,” stated NCDOT in the Tuesday afternoon update. “The water is extremely deep and conditions are unsafe for driving. NCDOT crews will continue working to clear the road, and will re-evaluate conditions after Wednesday morning’s high tide.”

NCDOT closed N.C. 12 on northern Ocracoke Island at 8:45 p.m. Monday night due to ocean overwash. Additional 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.

N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island is open and passable, with some standing water from recent rains, and small patches of sand.

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 high risk of rip currents is in effect for all beaches along the Outer Banks.

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.