Outer Banks brace for heavy rain, high winds and floods as storm and king tides merge

Treacherous weather and a higher tide cycle (king tide) will combine this weekend to create havoc on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, according to the National Weather Service.

A half a foot of rain, gusty winds and flooding are expected, prompting Cape Hatteras National Seashore to suggest tourists rethink visiting the islands this weekend. Nearby Cape Lookout National Seashore reports flooding began on Harkers Island Friday morning.

Winds of 67 mph were recorded by the Onslow Bay Buoy as the storm moved in overnight Saturday, Nov. 6, NWS officials said.

“Visitors should take this storm seriously as it could be one of the strongest storms of the season,” Superintendent David Hallac of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina said in a release.

“If possible, visitors should avoid travel to Seashore destinations until after the storm leaves the area.”

The worst of it will be Sunday, Nov. 7, and Monday, Nov. 8, when “moderate to major oceanside overwash” could make N.C. 12 and other roads impassable on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, the park says. Beach erosion and high waves are also expected.

“All Seashore users should stay out of the Atlantic Ocean until conditions subside,” the park says.

The North Carolina coast is entering a period known as the king tide “a non-scientific term people often use to describe exceptionally high tides,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Service says.

“They are regular and predictable events that occur when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in alignment and the Moon is at its closest point to the Earth,” the N.C. King Tides Project says. “These condition cause extreme highs and lows during the daily tidal cycle.”

When combined with a storm, king tides turn dangerous, experts say.

As a result, coastal flooding and wind advisories are in place for the North Carolina coast this weekend. The National Weather Service says low-lying property and roads could be inundated by 2 to 4 feet in spots, and wind gusts could reach nearly 40 mph Nov. 6 and Nov. 7.

Up to 6 inches of rain are “probable” in some areas along the coast “with isolated amounts of 8+ inches,” forecasters say.

This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 6:08 PM.