By Peter Vankevch
Ocracoke woke up Friday to the worst flooding of the week as a slow moving nor’easter continued to batter the Outer Banks.
The early morning high tide, at 7:05 a.m., brought significant flooding to the village. Water slowly receded afterward, but another high tide was expected at 7:26 p.m. Friday.
N.C. Department of Transportation officials warned that similar conditions could continue through the next several high-tide cycles. Windy conditions will continue for the next couple of days.
Late Thursday afternoon, sandbags at the north end of Ocracoke were breached, allowing ocean water to spill onto N.C. 12. The highway was closed between the Pony Pens area and the Ocracoke ferry terminal, and the Hatteras Inlet ferry service was canceled.
Ben Knight captured the rushing waters below.
There was little good news regarding N.C. 12 farther north.
NCDOT reported major ocean overwash at the Pea Island Visitor Center, buckling the road there, and at multiple locations along Pea Island. In some areas, the highway was covered by as much as 4 feet of water, along with deep deposits of sand.
On Thursday, NCDOT estimated that at least 500 feet of pavement had buckled, and officials expected additional damage to be found. Once conditions improve and the road can be inspected, they will have a better idea of repair needs and reopening options.
Repairing damaged pavement will take considerably longer than removing standing water and sand, so there is no timetable for reopening.
N.C. 12 remained closed Friday between the Marc Basnight Bridge at Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe because of severe ocean overwash and pavement damage. The closure affected travel between Hatteras Island and the northern Outer Banks.
The Swan Quarter and Cedar Island ferry routes were also canceled. Ferry officials planned to assess conditions Saturday morning to determine when service could resume.
Flooding and overwash can begin several hours before high tide and continue for several hours afterward and Ocracoke should expect more flooding, lessening each time.
Saturday’s high tides will be 7:46 a.m. and 8:06 p.m.
Saturday’s forecast calls partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will become overcast in the afternoon. The high will be 74 with winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. For Sunday bundant sunshine. High 77F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
