Outer Banks road reopens after weekend washout

The damage left behind by remnants of Tropical Storm Ida was slowly disappearing from the Outer Banks Tuesday.

The state Department of Transportation reopened a stretch of N.C. Highway 12 north of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island and ended emergency ferry routes used to connect Rodanthe and the Dare County mainland.

Gov. Bev Perdue toured the area Tuesday. She has said she would seek federal help for Dare County residents to clean up after recent flooding.

The county was the hardest hit when Ida drenched the coast last week. While much of North Carolina received between 2 and 5 inches of rain, most of the northeastern portion of the state and the Outer Banks received 6 to 10 inches of rain during the three-day period.

A flood warning remained in effect for Martin County Tuesday. Lingering rough surf and rip currents were present along the coasts of Dare, Hyde and Carteret counties, the National Weather Service reported.

The reopening of N.C. 12 means the end of a temporary access road available only to  four-wheel drive vehicles heading to and from Nags Head. Ferry service was expected to resume a normal schedule Wednesday morning.