OUTER BANKS, N.C. — Coastal flooding guidance now covers the Northern Outer Banks from late Saturday afternoon through early Tuesday, with the National Weather Service cautioning that low ground beside tidal creeks and beaches could see roughly one to three feet of water above the ground.
The Newport and Morehead City forecast office refreshed the alert just after 5 a.m. Saturday. Officials flagged shallow water on streets, lots, parks and shoreline yards, rough surf, rip currents and patches of sand loss along the beach.
A separate coastal storm is expected to organize along the mid-Atlantic this weekend and hang around into next week, renewing erosion and high-tide flooding. AccuWeather says the heaviest shoreline trouble may center on the Outer Banks, southeast Virginia, and Maryland and Delaware beach towns.
Gusts of 40 to 60 mph are possible from far southern New Jersey down toward Cape Lookout, peaking nearest the storm center across southeast Virginia and the barrier islands. N.C. Highway 12 could again take ocean overwash and short closures, after September damage forced dune repairs before the road reopened Oct. 8.
Friday briefings from the weather service put seas at 6 to 12 feet or more and peak gusts near 50 mph while the low drifts near the coast for days. Travelers should leave extra time, skip barricades and unknown water, and keep poor swimmers out of the surf.
People in flood-prone campsites or homes should move uphill if ordered to leave. Fast water only inches deep can knock someone down, and about a foot of current can float most cars.
Filed under: Outer Banks NC Weather News
