NC 12 closed on Ocracoke Island due to coastal storm, high surf
As many families prepare to head to the beach for Easter weekend, authorities on the Carolina coast announced parts of the Outer Banks are dealing with significant disruptions.
Portions of N.C. Highway 12 on the north side of Ocracoke Island will be closed until Saturday.
Overwash on N.C. 12 between the National Park Service pony pens and the South Dock ferry terminal has caused a disruption in ferry services. Ferry service between Hatteras and Ocracoke will remain suspended until the highway reopens, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said.
The Ferry System’s Pamlico Sound routes are currently operating on the following daily schedule:
- Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
- Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
- Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m
The coast dealt with storms over the weekend, and areas like Bruxton on Cape Hatteras continue to deal with damaging surf.
At least four homes on the north end of Rodanthe are in the surf, but officials said there is no collapse risk yet.
“It can be very frustrating for property owners,” said Cape Hatteras resident Jan Dawson.
Dawson has been coming to the Island 60 years ago, and she’s seen the coastline erode over time.
“We all like to say, 'it’s life on a sandbar,' which is true," she said. "It's the nature of where we're living, and things have changed since I started coming here."
People are bracing for more rain on Wednesday, with a high tide in the morning and another low-pressure system on the way.
The NCDOT said the road is expected to reopen Saturday by noon, but that time frame has been pushed back repeatedly.
