Miles of busy coastal highway closed due to worsening storm off NC’s Outer Banks
A 14-mile stretch of North Carolina’s popular Outer Banks highway has been closed due to waves crashing through dunes and washing over the pavement, the N.C. Department of Transportation says.
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It began around 6:45 p.m. Monday, after road crews spent days battling wind and surf associated with a nor’easter.
“N.C. 12 is currently closed from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Rodanthe, due to impacts from the nor’easter. Significant dune erosion and continued overwash at the Pea Island Visitor Center have made travel conditions unsafe on the highway,” NCDOT wrote in an Oct. 19 social media post.
“Don’t drive through N.C. 12 in this area or drive around the road closure signs. It’s not worth risking your life.”
The highway remains open on Ocracoke Island, officials said.
An inspection on Tuesday morning revealed pavement has not been damaged, but “about 1,000 feet of protective dunes” were lost overnight, NC DOT officials said. Crews are working to rebuild the breached dunes.
Forecasters are calling the nor’easter “a long duration event,” that will impact the coast most of this week. It is located “a few hundred miles” off the state’s coast, and is expected to move away from the eastern United States later this week, the National Weather Service says.
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A mandatory evacuation was issued Friday for tourists staying on Hatteras Island, due to concerns of people being trapped by flooding.
“Strong winds continue to bring large surf along the coast as well as coastal flooding impacts along vulnerable locations of the coast, especially along Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands where dune structure is fragile,” the National Weather Service says.
“Each subsequent high tide cycle will continue to threaten the dunes further, and the threat of additional impacts to Highway 12 remain. … A Coastal Flood Warning remains in effect for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands and a Coastal Flood Advisory remains in effect for the Northern Outer Banks and East Carteret County.”
“Substantial” beach erosion has occurred from Nags Head to Buxton, and ocean overwash is occurring on streets in Rodanthe, officials said.
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This story was originally published October 20, 2026 at 5:10 AM.
