Growing risk of Coastal Flooding along the Outer Banks

Ethan Clark

September 22, 2026 at 10:11:05 PM

Our Nor’easter will start to get going by tomorrow evening. I'm still expecting a Coastal Flooding risk along the Outer Banks. Winds along the Outer Banks will gust 30-45 MPH tomorrow; coastal flooding risk will begin by tomorrow evening, but based on the data, the greatest risk of moderate coastal flooding will be with high tide Thursday morning, Thursday night, and Friday morning. We will likely see flooding along Highway 12 on Pea Island, south of Oregon Inlet and potentially in Buxton. So if you need to leave Hatteras Island because you must be off the Island Thursday/Friday or Saturday morning, I would do it tomorrow. 40-50MPH wind gusts likely Thursday into Friday along the Outer Banks.

There will be a risk of some Coastal Flooding North of Oregon Inlet, but generally less of a risk to Highway 12 in these locations.

Highway 12 at the North end of Ocracoke could also become impassable at times.

You'll have to leave Ocracoke most likely via second sound class ferry service to Swansquarter or Cedar Island, but high winds could impact that too.

I'll continue to monitor.

#noreaster #outerbanks

-Ethan

Mountains

110°F

Raleigh area

CADEN NELSON

Tropical Update: The tropics are beginning to get more active. Watching!

ncwxauthority

Aug 11

2 min read

🌀 Tropical Update: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm sure everyone is sick of working on this fine Tuesday, so as you take your scroll break from work, I thought you'd love to read my tropical update. In true fashion as we head toward the start of schools/colleges, the tropics are coming alive, and this year is no different. I am, and forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are monitoring two main areas for potential tropical development in the Atlantic Ocean and two areas in the Pacific Ocean, with one showing a potential threat to Hawaii.

In the Atlantic, we have an area of disturbed weather in the North Atlantic moving away from the United States that has a low chance 20% of some Tropical Development over the next 5-7 days, but does not pose any threat to NC!

Down in the Main Development Region of the Atlantic, we've had several tropical waves that are moving off Africa over the next 5-10 days, and some are trying to show signs of development. There is now a 70% from the National Hurricane Center that a Tropical Depression or Storm will develop in this area. There remains high wind shear and dry air, so it'll face an uphill battle as it moves generally westward across the Atlantic. Since the system has not even developed, let's take models with a grain of salt and not jump to too many conclusions, but the threat to North Carolina at this point is rather low. So there's no reason to worry at this point.

Image 2: Is a graphic I created to give you an idea how long it takes tropical systems to travel across the Atlantic Ocean (NOT A FORECAST), just an example. This location is 10-14 days away, and it may not even survive the trek across. There could be some enhanced moisture to parts of the Caribbean Islands which they very much need.

Over in the Pacific, there is an area of disturbed weather over 1k miles east southeast of the Hawaiian Islands that has a high chance of becoming a Tropical Depression or Storm. Interests in the Hawaiian Islands should closely