UPDATED: Strong thunderstorms knock out power, flooding reported on some roads

Flooding from heavy rain and wind-blown water from Pamlico Sound covers N.C. 12 on Pea Island on March 12, 2022. [courtesy OBX Towing]

UPDATED, 5:15 p.m.
The Dare County Sheriff’s Office reports other than occasional standing water which is still passable from Salvo north to Oregon Inlet, N.C. 12 on Hatteras Island is clear for traffic. Colington Road is also clear. As always, if approaching standing water use caution.

Top wind gusts from this morning’s thunderstorms were 86 mph at the WxFlow station in Waves on Hatteras Island, 67 mph at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, 66 mph at the Dare County Regional Airport, 61 mph in Croatan Sound, 58 mph at Billy Mitchell Field in Frisco, and 48 mph in the Pamlico Sound off Ocracoke.

A Wind Advisory remains in effect for all of the Outer Banks until 10 p.m., and a High Surf Advisory until 7 p.m. and Coastal Flood Advisory for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands continues until Sunday at 1 a.m.

UPDATED, 12:10 p.m.: Severe thunderstorms have crossed the area this morning, causing some downed limbs and trees that have led to scattered power outages.

And the combination of heavy rain and wind-blown sound water minor flooding is being reported on some roads.

From the Dare County Sheriff’s Office:

N.C. 12 from Ramp 25 to just south of Pea Island has soundside flooding from 4 inches to 1 and a half feet of water . Some areas are passable. Highest water is in the Camp Hatteras area and unpassable there. North bound lane in Salvo at Farrow is closed. Colington Harbour has had several trees fall causing the roadways to be blocked. At this time Colington Rd is passable, however, water is accumulating on the roadways. Martins Point, Wanchese, Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island are all passable. Please use extreme caution when driving.

During the height of the storms, it was a rough ride along N.C. 12 on Pea Island, due to the combination of heavy rain and the wind-blown water from the Pamlico Sound. Video courtesy OBX Towing/Facebook:

All of Hatteras village was reported in the dark by Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative just after the heaviest storms hit.

The largest outages on the north beach were reported in Kitty Hawk village (473 customers) and north of the Manteo town limits on Roanoke Island (547 customers).

With the threat of severe weather now offshore, the earlier Tornado Watch across eastern North Carolina has been dropped.

A High Wind Warning, Coastal Flood Advisory and High Surf Advisory continues for the Outer Banks, along with a Wind Advisory for inland areas.

Live view of downtown Manteo:

Live view off Corolla:

Most recent National Weather Service radar images:

The cold front passing through has brought a shift in wind directions to the northwest that has rapidly dropped temperatures by over 20 degrees in less than an hour at some locations.

National Weather Service forecast for Nags Head, as of midday Saturday:

This Afternoon
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a chance of showers between 1pm and 3pm, then a chance of rain after 3pm. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds. Temperature falling to around 36 by 5pm. Windy, with a northwest wind 24 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
A slight chance of rain and snow before 10pm. Mostly cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 26. Windy, with a northwest wind 20 to 29 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 45. Northwest wind 8 to 15 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.
Sunday Night
Clear, with a low around 38. Southwest wind 13 to 15 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 55. West wind 6 to 13 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 49.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Tuesday Night
A chance of showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday Night
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

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A strong cold front moving across the region on Saturday will have the potential to bring severe weather, high winds, minor coastal flooding through the afternoon. And don’t be surprised if there are few snowflakes in the air after the front passes.

The Newport/Morehead City office of the National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for mainland areas, and a High Wind Warning for the Outer Banks from Duck to Ocracoke.

Sustained southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph are forecast north of Oregon Inlet into the afteroon on Saturday. On Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts around 60 mph are possible.

The winds will shift to the northwest in the late afternoon as the front moves through and remain in the 20 to 30 mph range, with gusts to 40 mph, through Saturday night.

A level 3/enhanced severe weather threat is forecast for northeast North Carolina and the Outer Banks, with more numerous thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts that could produce an isolated tornado between noon and 3 p.m.

Minor flooding is possible of 2 feet above ground level, especially in the normal trouble spots soundside of the Outer Banks, is possible Saturday morning through Saturday evening. Some locations north of Oregon Inlet could get 3 feet of water above ground level.

Some ocean overwash is possible at high tide along the beaches from Oregon Inlet to Ocracoke, with minor erosion as well.

A Storm Warning is in effect for the Atlantic Ocean south of Oregon Inlet and the Pamlico Sound, while a Gale Warning is in effect for the rest of the coastal waters.

After the front passes, temperatures will plummet and precipitation may change over to snow before tapering off but no accumulation is expected due to the warm ground.

There is the possibility of some black ice forming on bridges and roadways, especially inland where temperatures will drop to near 20 degrees.

Then Sunday morning will start out brutally cold, with temps in the mid 20s and winds of 20 to 30 mph that will have wind chills in the mid teens.

National Weather Service forecast for Nags Head, as of Friday evening:

Tonight
Showers before 4am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 4am and 5am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5am. Low around 50. Light south wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday
Rain showers before 5pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Some thunder is also possible. Temperature rising to near 63 by 9am, then falling to around 37 during the remainder of the day. Windy, with a south wind 20 to 25 mph becoming southwest 32 to 37 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 49 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Saturday Night
A chance of rain and flurries before 10pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow between 10pm and 11pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 28. Windy, with a northwest wind 26 to 29 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 22 mph decreasing to 8 to 13 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
Sunday Night
Clear, with a low around 40. Southwest wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 60.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.
Wednesday
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday Night
Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday
A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

 

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About Sam Walker 1512 Articles
Sam Walker was news director for OBXToday.com, Beach 104, 99.1 The Sound, Big 94.5 WCMS and Z 92.3 from August 2011 to March 2022.