Hermine Leaves Behind Flooded Roads Along NC Coast; Drivers Urged to Stay Home by
Tropical Storm Hermine left behind flooded roads, downed trees and power lines and poor driving conditions along the North Carolina coast, N.C. Department of Transportation maintenance staff reported Saturday morning. Real-time travel conditions for roads across North Carolina can be found in the Travel Information section of NCDOT.gov. Initial reports indicated that N.C. 12 was in good shape between Southern Shores and Nags Head but that parts of the highway on Pea Island was covered in sand and water. Standing water was also reported on N.C. 12 between Buxton and Hatteras — particularly at the northern end of Hatteras Village — and on Ocracoke Island, where there was 4 to 6 inches of water in the road. Crews had already started clearing sand from the highway. Drivers were urged to stay off the roads but to use extra caution if they have to be out. Meanwhile, Saturday, most ferry operations remained suspended due to high winds. For the latest information, follow the Ferry Division on Twitter or Facebook or call (800) 293-3779. Elsewhere along the coast, localized flooding and downed trees were reported in northeast North Carolina, especially in Camden and Currituck counties. A few road closures are reported in Chowan, Columbia and Tyrell counties because of standing water. Martin, Northampton, Hertford and Bertie counties have very little to no flooding with very few trees down. With strong winds expected to continue through Saturday afternoon, drivers need to remain alert to possible additional trees falling on roadways. Among the numerous road closures in the southeastern part of the state were N.C. 133 (River Road), northeast of Boiling Spring Lakes, in Brunswick County; N.C. 53/Burgaw Highway at Harris Creek Road near Jacksonville; U.S. 701 near Whiteville; and N.C. 904, east of Fair Bluff, in Columbus County. There were also numerous reports in Pender and Bladen counties of secondary roads being closed or waterlogged. Due to hazardous road conditions left in Hermine’s wake, the Department of Transportation as well as state and local officials urge visitors and residents to stay off the roads to allow transportation and power crews and fire departments to safely work on the cleanup. [Image1] ***NCDOT***