The Atlantic Ocean is churning and frothing right now and there is going to be some overwash on coastal roads tonight and into tomorrow. Nothing at all like the Atlantic seaboard is facing north of Norfolk, but there will probably be some road closures tomorrow.
Most likely place for the road to be impassable are the S Curves just north of Rodanthe. There is also another area on Hatteras Island at the north end of Buxton that is prone to ocean overwash. Adding to the misery, the southern end of Hatteras Island may see some soundside flooding because of wind direction.
It’s a fairly complex weather pattern that has set up right now. Early in the week there was an almost tropical system that was a nor’easter spinning off New England, that’s well out into the Atlantic, but it brought higher tides than usual.
Fast on its heels is a low pressure system that blew through last night. That is not offshore, but the spin of the system is pushing waves onto the shore.
Right now in the surf zone, waves are running 6-9’. Way too much chop to make for good surfing conditions, but waves that big push high tide way up on the beach.
There is no danger with the system as moves farther out into the Atlantic. In some ways it is what makes living on the Outer Banks so fascinating. There are very few places where the forces of nature are so apparent and have such an immediate impact on daily life.
Things should calm down by Saturday afternoon. By Sunday night we should be able to do some stargazing again.
The beauty of the Outer Banks is a never ending panorama. Take some time and explore life on this sandbar while staying in a Brindley Beach Vacations home.