Dune collapses, roads and ferries close as flooding, high winds impact NC coast

By Donny Bowers, WRAL photojournalist & Heather Leah, WRAL multiplatform producer

A storm system along the coast has been bringing rain, flooding and gusting winds to North Carolina this weekend.

While the Triangle avoided most of the rain and storm’s impacts, the coast was a different story. Winds of up to 35 mph and flooding caused difficulties for visitors and residents of the Outer Banks.

The storm’s impacts caused road closures and cancelation of ferries for people wanting to travel to and from the Outer Banks. A dune has even collapsed due to the storm.

The NC DOT urged drivers to stay off NC-12, which is closed between Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe. A dune on Pea Island collapsed right next to the roadway.

They tweeted a photo showing the road covered with water as high tide breached the dune Sunday morning.

The ferries that run between Ocracoke, Cedar Island and Swan Quarter have also been suspended for the day due to high winds along the coast. Ferries between Ocracoke and Hatteras have been suspended until further notice.

Images from the coast show floodwaters filling roadways and beaches, making driving hazardous. Waters even reached front doors of some homes.

NWS Wilmington NC wrote that “tides at Wrightsville Beach reached the 4th highest level on record, 6th highest at Myrtle Beach.”

They warned that high tide on Sunday could even reach hurricane levels of inundation.