NC Highway 12 closes for second time in weeks amid back-to-back nor’easters
Flooding closed the Outer Banks route Monday evening. Crews are rebuilding about 1,000 feet of protective dunes.
Strong winds from another nor’easter blew sand onto Highway 12 on North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Oct. 17, threatening the recently repaired stretch of road. A coastal flood warning is in effect.
Ocean water is washing over North Carolina’s Highway 12 again as a second nor’easter in a month forced the Outer Banks route to close just weeks after crews repaired it after September’s damaging coastal storm.
Photos and video from Pea Island show overwash along vulnerable stretches where crews worked to reinforce protective sand barriers. The highway is the only road connecting parts of the Outer Banks, making renewed flooding a threat to travel and access to island communities.
North Carolina’s Highway 12 remained closed Tuesday from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Rodanthe after ocean overwash from an offshore nor’easter breached protective dunes and flooded the road near the Pea Island Visitor Center.
Overwash and sand breaches protective dunes along Highway 12 in North Carolina after a nor'easter brought waves and coastal impacts. (Image credit: NC DOT)
The closure began around 6 p.m. Monday, disrupting travel along the Outer Banks just weeks after crews repaired damage from September’s nor’easter.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said the pavement at the visitor center has not sustained damage from the latest storm. However, crews must replace protective sand along the road’s shoulder and rebuild about 1,000 feet of dunes lost overnight.
Crews reported making progress Tuesday, but their work and efforts to restore access will depend on upcoming high tide cycles.
NC DOT crews work to build sand barriers along Highway 12 ahead of the nor'easter on Oct. 18, 2026. (Image: NC DOT)
Highway 12 remained open on Ocracoke Island Tuesday. No ocean overwash was reported on Hatteras or Ocracoke islands, although transportation crews were clearing windblown sand from the highway on both islands.
AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the slow-moving storm will bring prolonged strong winds, beach erosion and tidal flooding this week. The Outer Banks and southeastern Virginia are among the areas facing the greatest coastal impacts, along with beach communities in Maryland and Delaware.
Wind gusts exceeding 51 mph have already been recorded at Diamond Shoals, off North Carolina’s coast. Farther south, storm surge has exceeded 2.5 feet at Kings Bay, Georgia.
AccuWeather forecasts gusts of 40-60 mph from near Cape Lookout, North Carolina, to far southern New Jersey. The strongest gusts are expected from the Outer Banks to southeastern Virginia, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph.
Coastal flood warnings and advisories, along with high surf advisories, cover much of the Outer Banks through at least Tuesday night.
Another nor’easter threatens a recently repaired road
The renewed overwash comes just weeks after September’s nor’easter damaged about 1,000 feet of Highway 12, according to North Carolina Department of Transportation Communications Officer Tim Hass. Crews raced to clear debris and restore access after sections of pavement were undermined or broken near the Pea Island Visitor Center.
An aerial view of Highway 12 between Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe, North Carolina, after a coastal storm washed away chunks of the highway. (Image: NC DOT)
That closure prompted officials to activate the emergency ferry route between Stumpy Point and Rodanthe for the first time since 2013, providing a connection between Hatteras Island and the mainland while highway repairs were underway.
The current storm could also bring bouts of heavy rain from the eastern Carolinas to New Jersey if it tracks close enough to shore. AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring whether it acquires tropical or subtropical characteristics, but that distinction would not substantially change the expected impacts.
For Outer Banks communities, the immediate concern is continued ocean overwash threatening roadway access. Travelers should monitor DriveNC.gov and NCDOT ferry updates as conditions change, while visitors with upcoming Hatteras Island reservations should contact their accommodations providers before traveling, Dare County officials said.
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