N.C. 12 closures prove the Outer Banks cannot hold the tide
By Daniel Okafor · Reporting from New York ·
A slow nor'easter has closed miles of N.C. 12 and eroded dunes, proving that the Outer Banks coastline is failing against long storms.
The ocean is reclaiming the Outer Banks. A nor'easter spinning off the North Carolina coast has severed the main road, closing 14 miles of N.C. 12. This is a failure. Waves crash through dunes and wash over pavement. The road is a liability. The state is losing a war against a storm that destroys without making landfall.
The cost of a slow storm
Sand and asphalt measure the damage. The N.C. Department of Transportation closed N.C. 12 from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Rodanthe. The road closed around 6:45 p.m. Monday, the Charlotte Observer reported. The agency said erosion at the Pea Island Visitor Center made travel unsafe.
The loss is concrete. NC DOT officials said a Tuesday inspection showed that 1,000 feet of dunes were lost overnight. This is the mechanism of the storm. It does not strike once. The National Weather Service called the nor'easter a long event.
The storm creates a cycle of assault. The National Weather Service said each tide cycle will continue to threaten the dunes. This pattern has caused erosion from Nags Head to Buxton. Ocean water washes over the streets in Rodanthe. The NCDOT warned drivers not to bypass signs, stating, "It’s not worth risking your life."
History repeats on the coast
This is the same mechanism that drove the Nor'easter of 1991. That storm formed on February 5, 1978, and struck New Jersey and New York. It was initially known as Storm Larry. The storm uses time and tide rather than a wind peak to break the coast.
We have seen this rhythm before. Hurricane Sandy in 2012 showed how a system moving up the coast causes flooding and erosion. Hurricane Florence in 2018 proved that a slow storm brings flooding that forces highway closures. These events are the baseline for a shrinking coastline.
The National Hurricane Center designated the system as Invest 93L. The storm has a 40% chance of becoming a tropical storm in two days, according to NBC News. It has a similar chance in seven days.
If it develops, the agency will name it Josephine. NBC News said winds will reach 44 mph in Nantucket and 39 mph in Cape Hatteras. The threat remains constant regardless of the name.
Is the sand enough?
Some argue that this is seasonal flooding. They point to the fact that the center remains offshore. They say the inspection showed no damage to the pavement.
That argument ignores the reality of the dunes. The sand protects the road. When the dunes vanish in one night, the road is gone. The National Weather Service said dunes are fragile along Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands.
The impact extends north. iHeart said the offshore low will bring gusts. NBC News said winds may cause 1-2 feet of inundation from the Jersey Shore to the Outer Banks.
The National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service coordinate the data for these closures. Their tracking shows a system that moves slowly. This lack of speed makes the storm dangerous. It allows the ocean to hammer the beach for days.
The Outer Banks are fragile barriers. They cannot withstand this assault. The closure of N.C. 12 proves that the strategy of repairs and replenishment is failing. The ocean is moving in.