A high wind warning is in effect as a nor’easter strengthens Thursday and drives coastal flooding, high surf, wind and rain up the East Coast through the weekend. In Dare County, a 16-miles stretch of North Carolina Highway 12 is closed in both directions because of ocean overwash.
Widespread gusts of 30-40 mph were ongoing Thursday morning, and peak gusts over 40 mph were reported along the coast of North Carolina. Water levels were expected to reach major flood state during high tide Thursday morning, adding more pressure to roads and beaches already taking on water.
North Carolina Highway 12 closure
The closed section runs from Sea Oats Dr to Oregon Inlet Rd in Dare County. The shutdown cuts off part of the Outer Banks while the storm continues to strengthen and move north. That leaves the affected stretch exposed to repeated overwash if tides keep running high.
Coastal flood warnings are in place for Virginia Beach, Dover and Atlantic City, with the most significant flooding expected from the southern New Jersey shore to the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina, including the Virginia Tidewater, Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. The flooding is expected at multiple high tides into at least early this weekend, and beach erosion is possible along stretches of these beaches.
Boston and New England
New York City and especially Boston need to stay weather aware this weekend. High surf advisories and coastal flood watches include Boston, while at least minor coastal high tide flooding is expected in parts of New England by late Friday into the weekend.
The heaviest rain is expected over coastal New England from Friday through the weekend, with flash flooding possible in urban areas, including the Boston metro. The storm’s rain shield is centered farther east than the New York City metro’s western suburbs; the heaviest rainfall there is expected in eastern Long Island, with less rain expected farther west in the New Jersey suburbs.
For readers along the coast, the practical next step is to plan around repeated high tides rather than a single surge. Roads, beaches and low-lying neighborhoods in the warned areas face the longest stretch of disruption through the weekend.
