Storms erode dunes, flood major roadway near NC coast

Posted: Oct 10, 2019 / 10:31 PM EDT / Updated: Oct 11, 2019 / 08:45 AM EDT

RODANTHE, N.C. (WNCN) – A storm system sitting off the North Carolina coast brought flooding that closed a major roadway in Dare County, the North Carolina Department of Transportation said.

Crews have been working on NC-12 north of Rodanthe since Thursday morning. CBS 17 Chief Meteorologist Wes Hohenstein described the system as a non-tropical area of low pressure behaving similarly to a nor’easter.

The storm caused dune erosion near the roadway. An alert from NCDOT said NC-12 is closed in both directions near Blue Sead Road.

“While this storm system sits offshore, motorists should expect mild overwash,” NCDOT said on Twitter.

The road is expected to reopen by 1 a.m. Friday, per an NCDOT alert issued Thursday around 11:30 p.m.

Hohenstein said the system — which is producing strong winds, heavy rain, and flooding — will meander off the North Carolina coast for a few days before moving out. It is not expected to develop into a tropical system.