By Sam Walker, SamWalkerOBXNews
N.C. 12 remained closed at Pea Island and on the north end of Ocracoke Saturday morning as ocean overwash continued with the morning high tide, prolonging travel disruptions while crews waited for conditions that would allow road repairs.
The Pea Island closure extends from the Marc Basnight Bridge at Oregon Inlet to Rodanthe, cutting off public road access to Hatteras Island. The separate closure on northern Ocracoke began Friday after major overwash.
More overwash occurred Friday evening and continued during Saturday morning’s high tide cycle that peaks at 7:30 a.m. Dare County has warned that additional erosion and overwash should be expected during upcoming high tides even as the storm gradually eases.
In its latest road-access update, issued Friday afternoon, Dare County said there was still no estimate for reopening the highway.
NCDOT said portions of the road were under 4 feet of water Friday morning, with deep sand also preventing a full assessment of the damage.
“Crews will be out today working to re-establish the protective berm and clearing where they can,” NCDOT said Saturday morning.
NCDOT crews were standing by to repair the highway once conditions allowed. Dare County said crews must first determine the full extent of the damage and be able to work safely; the scope of repairs and reopening schedule remained undetermined.
NCDOT’s initial assessment Thursday found about 500 feet of undermined or broken pavement near the Pea Island Visitor Center. That assessment preceded additional damage caused by the continued high surf.
The area of broken and displaced pavement at the Pea Island Visitor Center had expanded since the damage began Thursday morning
State Senator Jerry Tillett, R-Dare, said Friday that emergency access to Hatteras Island remained available by helicopter and heavy truck transport.
Tillett said officials would assess additional access options at low tide, but further damage was possible with the next high tide. Once conditions stabilize, NCDOT will be able to assess the damage and develop a schedule for restoring normal access, he said.
He said he had spoken with the County Manager Bobby Outten and Senate oversight leadership responsible for transportation and emergency response agencies, and planned another meeting and update Saturday morning.
Although public road access to and from Hatteras Island remains closed, travel between the island’s villages remains open, Dare County said in its Friday afternoon update. Essential services, including water and communications, remained operational.
Motorists should obey barricades and traffic controls and should not attempt to drive through closed or damaged sections of N.C. 12.
Emergency ferry service remains under consideration
NCDOT is consulting with local partners and other stakeholders about whether to activate emergency ferry service between Stumpy Point and Rodanthe, according to the county’s Friday afternoon update.
Preparations are underway so service can be established if that decision is made, but emergency service has not been announced. If activated, it would likely take several days to mobilize and begin operations, the county said. Weather and sea conditions would also have to be safe for ferries to operate.
Tillett said the Ferry Division was prepared to resume operations as soon as conditions are safe.
Regular ferry routes through Ocracoke could eventually offer another option for travelers via the Cedar Island-Ocracoke and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke routes once the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry resumes and N.C. 12 reopens on Ocracoke.
The northern Ocracoke road closure prevents travelers from using that connection until the highway reopens and the necessary ferry services resume.
Ferry service from Ocracoke to Cedar Island and Swan Quarter resumed Saturday morning.the following schedule Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27:
- Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
- Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Dare County said it will announce confirmed information about highway access and any ferry operations as it becomes available.
Overwash reaches highway in Rodanthe, Waves and Ocracoke
Major ocean overwash continued to reached N.C. 12 in multiple locations in Rodanthe and Waves. The entire dune at Camp Hatteras campground has also washed away.
Elsewhere, waves continued washing up to the dunes along the east-facing beaches, with no breaches or overwash reported.
Minor soundside flooding was reported in Frisco, Hatteras village and Ocracoke village during the last several high tides.
More overwash possible as storm slowly eases
The National Weather Service’s 6:31 a.m. Saturday discussion said large waves and higher-than-normal tides will continue causing wave runup and overwash along vulnerable stretches, especially on Hatteras and Ocracoke.
That forecast, together with the county’s warning about upcoming high tides, leaves Saturday evening’s high tide a concern for additional overwash. Forecasters said the flood alerts may need to be extended depending on how winds and seas change during the day.
Conditions should improve gradually through the weekend, but the weather service has not given an all-clear for coastal flooding.
Hatteras and Ocracoke remain under a coastal flood warning through 11 a.m. Saturday. On Hatteras Island, vulnerable areas could see 2 to 4 feet of flooding above ground, with up to 1 foot of soundside flooding near Buxton and Hatteras village.
