OUTER BANKS, N.C. (WAVY) — From rising water to howling winds, those in the Outer Banks are bracing for impact as a low-pressure system pushes its way into the coast. And for some, that means going into prep mode.
“It started yesterday morning,” said contract worker Craig Burgess. “We come in. I work six to four, until everything goes bad, then we work on what the state tells us to work on.”
Cape Hatteras National Seashore is urging drivers to be cautious on the roads and beaches ahead of the approaching system.
The system is anticipated to bring strong wind gusts, elevated tides and heavy rainfall in the area throughout the weekend. As of Thursday morning, the National Weather Service is also warning for the potential for rapid water level rises along the southside areas of Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands.
As of Friday morning, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) reported that NC 12 is closed on Ocracoke Island between Pony Pen and Point Beach due to ocean overwash.
Crews have been out all day Thursday building up sand walls, trying to hold off Mother Nature’s big show. Burgess knows the drill all too well.
“I know it’s gotten worse over the years,” Burgess said. “I have been working here close to 18 or 19 years. It’s just getting worse and worse and worse, but I reckon it’s nature, you know?”
And that work could be put to the test soon. The Dare County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of rapid water level rises that could make some roads look more like rivers.
“They’re hauling a lot of sand … because that’s another weak spot there,” Burgess said, “just trying to build up sand for when the tides get high and the winds get blown.”
The main stretch along NC 12 is expected to see ocean overwash, specifically in the southern part of the Outer Banks. But it’s not just the flooding officials are preparing for. They’re prepping for some serious winds, too.
The Dare County Sheriff’s Office said gusts could get up to 65 mph by Friday morning, with the worst of the weather expected between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday.
From Thursday night until Saturday morning, travelers are urged to use extreme caution while driving along vulnerable areas of NC 12 due to the possibility of ocean overwash. The Dare County Sheriff’s Office had already reported as of Thursday morning that overwash had occurred at the north end of Buxton Village.
Visitors of the beach are encouraged to avoid the beach between the north end of Rodanthe and South Shore Drive, as well as the north end of Buxton, due to potential of debris from several threatened oceanfront structures in the area.
While all Seashore campgrounds will remain open, campers are warned about the potential for flooding around low elevation areas.
For more information on road conditions, click here. For information on weather updates, click here.