Strong winds push storm surge onto Outer Banks, flooding roads, video and photos show
Live video from picturesque downtown Manteo shows sea water flooding the streets under sunny skies Friday afternoon. High winds from strong storms that caused damage and power outages across North Carolina brought storm surge flooding to the Outer Banks.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore shared photos of North Carolina 12, the highway running down the Outer Banks, covered in water.
Just after 1 p.m. the National Seashore announced, “The southbound lane of NC-12 between the Bodie Island Lighthouse and the north end of Rodanthe is currently closed due to sound side flooding. North Carolina Department of Transportation will reopen the road once water levels recede.”
NC-12 has had regular problems with overwash flooding and sand getting pushed across the road in recent months after nor’easters pounded the Outer Banks in the fall and into the winter.
Communities along the coast had tropical-storm force winds, which had been whipping across the state before getting to the Outer Banks Friday morning. National Weather Service data shows the highest winds gusts hit 68 mph in Frisco and Kitty Hawk.
Much of the coast saw wind gusts hit at least 50 mph, the Weather Service said.
Fishing ship evacuated
A 78-foot commercial fishing ship ran aground before dawn Friday near Shackleford Banks, close to Cape Lookout, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The crew sent out a distress call at about 3:30 a.m. as weather conditions got worse from the storms, the Coast Guard said. Night vision video from a Coast Guard helicopter shows the large ship getting battered by wind and waves against the bank.
The Coast Guard team lifted the four crew members to the helicopter and took them to the hospital, the USCG said.
”With the deteriorating weather conditions, the situation could have gone from bad to worse,” said USCG Chief Warrant Officer Kristen Auer in a news release.
This story was originally published February 7, 2020 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Strong winds push storm surge onto Outer Banks, flooding roads, video and photos show."
