OCRACOKE, N.C. — Worsening weather conditions have resulted in a part of North Carolina Highway 12 closed and all three Outer Banks ferry services suspended Saturday afternoon.
Jamie Kritzer, spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said the portion of N.C. 12 on Ocracoke Island from the ferry terminal to the National Park Service pony pens had been closed because of heavy ocean overwash. He said the Hatteras-Ocracoke, Cedar Island-Ocracoke and the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke ferries had all been suspended for at least the rest of the day and likely longer.
High wind speeds, heavy rain and heightened tides are expected by forecasters to intensify as the weekend progresses and a coastal storm moves up along the East Coast. Wind speeds may reach 50-60 miles per hour. The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory for Dare County and a coastal flood warning for Hatteras Island until Monday morning.
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A time frame for the roadway’s reopening has not been released.
Kritzer said motorists are encouraged to use DriveNC.gov for updates.
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