OBX bracing for storm impacts

OUTER BANKS, N.C. (WAVY) — Outer Banks communities are making preparations ahead of an impending coastal Carolina storm that could bring with it significant flooding and the possibility of more Rodanthe homes collapsing into the Atlantic Ocean.

A tropical storm warning is in effect along the North Carolina coast for areas south of Ocracoke Inlet, with the strongest wind gusts of 40 mph to 50 mph are expected within the warning area from potential tropical cyclone eight, according to the North Carolina Department of Emergency Management. There are also small craft advisories along the Outer Banks, and an increased tornado threat for far eastern North Carolina.

Everyone is bracing for a low-pressure system to the south, and King Tides, which are higher than usual because the full moon is closer to the Earth.

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore is asking people to avoid the northern end of Ocracoke Island during high tide Monday evening. The Avon Fishing Pier has remained closed through much of the day Monday as it said they were making sure everything there is safe.

The waves are also stirring up in Rodanthe, where there are still a number of homes at danger of being lost to the ocean.

The Atlantic Ocean claimed a Rodanthe home last month after swells from Hurricane Ernesto churned hundreds of miles offshore near Bermuda, and there have been seven homes in the past four years swallowed up by the Atlantic.

The superintendent of Cape Hatteras National Seashore is keeping a close eye on what happens over the next few days in Rodanthe.

“We’ve got some concern that they may collapse, or one of them may collapse, in which case there could be a large debris field and the beach could experience a lesser quality itself,” said Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Dave Hallac. “Even at low tide, those homes are standing in the water, and their pilings are being battered by the waves every time those waves pass by the houses and come onto shore.”

10 On Your Side’s Andy Fox reported Monday afternoon that there are five homes in which the stairs have been washed away due to higher than usual tides rolling in.

“The architecture is amazing, but Mother Nature is coming to take it back,” said Glenn Maurer of Pennsylvania. “It’s the way the world works.”

Julie Wilkerson of Chesapeake, who has been coming to Rodanthe for years, said she has seen the changes take place, and not for the better.

“We’ve been coming here for all of our lives,” Wilkerson said. “I remember when the dunes used to be three of four stories high, and now, look at them, it’s kind of wasting away. It’s really sad.”

There’s uncertainty in the rainfall forecast as of Monday afternoon, though a flood watch remains in effect for much of central and eastern North Carolina through Tuesday afternoon. The amount of rain will depend on the eventual track and strength of the storm, but the heaviest rain is expected Monday into Tuesday.

The National Weather Service’s 24-hour precipitation amount from 8 a.m. Monday through 8 a.m. Tuesday has about 1.5 inches falling in Hatteras, and just under an inch in Manteo and Elizabeth City. The total forecasted rain through Tuesday night is 1.5 to two inches for Kill Devil Hills, two-to-three inches in Rodanthe and three-to-four inches in Frisco and Ocracoke.

Higher amounts of more than five inches are forecast for the southeast North Carolina coast.

NC 12 this morning was open and passable, though the road had standing water and blown sand on it in several areas, including near the Pea Island Visitor Center, north of Buxton, north of Hatteras and on Ocracoke. The North Carolina Department of Transportation called for people to slow down and give them room to work.

“We want people to remember to slow down,” said NCDOT spokesperson Tim Haas, “because there will be sand on the road, there will be water on the road, and we’ll have crews on the road working, so the best advice I have is to slow down.”

“This is amazing,” said Pennsylvania resident Amanda Vazquez, who is visiting the Rodanthe area. “I’m just speechless. It’s cool to see, [but] I feel bad for [the homeowners].”

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