Storm Surge/Tide — Eastern Dare, North Carolina

2012-10-28 to 2012-10-29 · Eastern Dare, North Carolina

Event narrative

Maximum wind gusts around 70 mph on Outer Banks Dare County. A 3 to 5 foot surge occurred both ocean-side and sound-side. Highest sound-side Surge, 5 feet, occurred from Rodanthe to Hatteras. Large breaking waves on top of the surge resulted in moderate to major beach erosion and over-wash along the coast from Duck to Hatteras. A large section of Highway 12 north of Rodanthe was closed due to extensive Damage to the road, caused by wave action and ocean over-wash. Storm total rainfall from seven to eight inches only compounded the surge problems. Thirteen million dollars in damages were estimated in the county related to storm surge.

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Sandy was one of the largest hurricanes on record to affect eastern North Carolina. The main impacts were felt on October 28th through October 29th as the center of Sandy passed no closer than 200 miles east of the area. The main impact was caused from a sound-side storm surge of 4 to 6 feet along portions of the Outer Banks and southern portions of the Pamlico Sound, and an ocean-side surge along the Dare County Outer Banks from Hatteras north to Kitty Hawk. Damages from surge were estimated near 13 million dollars with the main damages occurring along U.S. 158 north of Oregon Inlet in Kitty Hawk where Highway 12 was destroyed, and had to be closed. Also, fifty eight homes were were left uninhabitable with eight completely destroyed from Hatteras north to Rodanthe. Another 1 million dollars in damages was estimated from wind damage. Lowest sea level pressure, 982.7 millibars, was recorded at Oregon Inlet on 10/29/12 at 0855 UTC. The highest sustained wind, 51 knots (59 mph), and wind gust, 63 knots (73 mph) was recorded at Jennettes Pier in Nags Head on the 28th at 1845 UTC. The highest storm tide, 6.95 feet was recorded at Duck on the 28th at 1054 UTC. The highest storm surge measured, 3.94 feet, was recorded sound-side at the USCG Station in Hatteras on the 29th at 0300 UTC. A NWS storm surge team estimated the highest surge, 8.5 feet, ocean-side at Buxton. The NWS survey team was unable to access the Kittyhawk area due to storm surge related damages to Highway 12 and U.S. 158. Surges as high as 6 feet were estimated along the southern Pamlico Sound along the lower reaches of the Neuse River at Cherry Branch in Craven County. There were no direct injuries or fatalities in eastern North Carolina related to Hurricane Sandy. Rainfall was highest along Outer Banks Dare County where over eight inches of storm total rainfall was recorded.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 418336. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.