Travelers Urged To Prepare For Possible Impacts To N.C. 12 From Weather System

MANTEO – Travelers should be prepared for possible impacts to N.C. 12 and other coastal roads starting Saturday afternoon as a weather system sets up off the North Carolina coast.

N.C. 12 and other vulnerable roads on the Outer Banks and southern Pamlico Sound areas could be affected by strong winds and waves from a slow-moving cold front, according to the National Weather Service’s forecast.

Friday’s warning is a familiar refrain for coastal residents still recovering from a nor’easter in late September. That storm damaged N.C. 12 on Pea Island and prompted the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division to start up its emergency ferry route for the first time since 2013.

This time, meteorologists expect impacts to start along the coast by Saturday afternoon and possibly continue into early next week if the weather stalls offshore.

NCDOT officials are urging travelers to pay attention and drive carefully on N.C. 12, particularly during high tide cycles and overnight. The highway is vulnerable to overwash and wind-blown sand. Temporary closures of N.C. 12 and other coastal roads are possible.

Never drive through flooded roads or try to navigate around barricades. Road closure signs are there for everyone’s protection.   

As they do prior to coastal storms, NCDOT crews have fortified protective dunes on N.C. 12 on Pea, Hatteras and Ocracoke islands and worked to improve drainage on the road ahead of the weather system.

Equipment has been staged in vulnerable areas and crews are on standby to respond to any impacts.

Travelers should monitor the weather and road conditions at DriveNC.gov before traveling.

Meanwhile, people considering taking one of the state’s coastal ferries this weekend are urged to check NCDOT’s website for any schedule changes to the ferry routes or signup to receive text alerts through the Ferry Information Notification System.

Ferry staff have readied equipment and vessels and have staged trailers and signs at the Rodanthe and Stumpy Point emergency ferry terminals should it become necessary to relaunch that route again.