There is increasing confidence that an extended period of strong north to northeasterly winds behind a stalled cold front will impact the Outer Banks over Easter weekend, according to the National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City office.
Strong north to northeasterly winds with gusts up to 45 mph will develop Friday and strengthen through the weekend, resulting in dangerous surf along the Outer Banks and potential coastal flooding.
Large surf is expected for the beaches from Cape Lookout north to Corolla, particularly late Saturday and Sunday, leading to potential beach erosion, minor overwash in vulnerable areas and limited access to the four-wheel drive areas of the Currituck Outer Banks.
Soundside flooding is possible Saturday and Sunday nights for the southwestern Pamlico Sound and adjacent rivers, with up to 2-3 feet of inundation.
The highest uncertainty revolves around the intensity and direction of the winds, and therefore coastal/soundside impacts. The forecast will be refined as the weekend approaches.
National Weather Service seven-day forecasts for:
LIVE data from flood gauges at key locations throughout North Carolina, including automated email and text alerts, visit https://fiman.nc.gov/
Sign up for emergency alerts from Dare County and its municipalities.
Currituck County provides beach safety and emergency updates for Corolla and the mainland via Currituck Alert.
For the latest images from NCDOT traffic cameras on the Outer Banks and northeastern North Carolina, visit: https://wobx.com/2022/06/01/outer-banks-northeastern-north-carolina-traffic-cameras/.
LIVE video from Kitty Hawk, courtesy Twiddy & Co.:
LIVE video from Rodanthe, courtesy RodanthePierLLC.com:
Click to watch LIVE video from Corolla, courtesy Currituck County/WebCOOS