(The Center Square) – Residents of the north end of Ocracoke Island remain unable to use N.C. 12 because of Hurricane Erin’s close pass to the North Carolina Outer Banks on Thursday.
Sunday afternoon, the state Department of Transportation said overwash Saturday night unraveled the dune repairs of earlier in the day. “The roadway is undermined in one location,” the department posted to social media.
At DriveNC.gov on Monday morning, a message saying all lanes of the scenic coastal highway were closed on the island between the Northern Ferry Terminal and the National Park Service Pony Pens.
First-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has visited the Outer Banks to see damage. He was accompanied by Transportation Department Secretary Joey Hopkins, Public Safety Secretary Eddie Buffaloe, Emergency Management Director Will Ray, state National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, and a number of leaders from Dare County.
Erin was the Atlantic basin’s first major hurricane, racing from a Category 1 to Category 5 in 24 hours on Aug. 15 while still hundreds of miles from impacting the state. The storm was wide, stretching nearly from the state’s shoreline to Bermuda some 650 miles away as it came by in Category 2 strength.
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Storm surges of 2 feet to 4 feet were reported on the Outer Banks. Dangerous rip currents and life-threatening conditions were reported from the Carolinas to New England in coastal communities.
On Saturday, Dare County began a phased reentry to Hatteras Island using the Marc Basnight Bridge. Visitors started coming through Sunday evening.