Nor'easter causing flooded highways, threatening more Outer Banks homes
COMING UP. GRANT, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. THAT NOR'EASTER HAS
BEEN BRINGING SOME DANGEROUS
CONDITIONS TO OUR COASTS.
JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO
RIGHT HERE. THIS IS COMING IN
FROM BUXTON ON HATTERAS ISLAND
THIS AFTERNOON.
>> 8 HOMES COLLAPSED IN BUXTON
MORE THAN A WEEK AGO. AND THERE
ARE CONCERNS THAT MORE MAY
STILL FALL. WRAL'S. LAURA
LEVINE SHARES MORE ON THAT
HAZARDS CAUSED BY THIS WEATHER.
>> A POWERFUL FALL NOR'EASTER
SLAMS THE CAROLINAS WITH HEAVY
RAIN, DAMAGING WINDS AND
COASTAL FLOODING. YOU CAN SEE
THE OVERWATCH SWALLOWING THE
DUNES ON HIGHWAY 12 AND
OCRACOKE. OUR NUMBER ONE
CONCERN IS FOR THE PUBLIC TO
REALIZE THAT WE HAVE EXTREMELY
HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS THAT
APPEAR TO BE COMING.
>> THE SEA SHORE BEACHES, WHICH
STRETCH ABOUT 80 MILES FROM
SOUTH NAGS HEAD TO THE TIP OF
OCRACOKE ISLAND, CAPE HATTERAS,
NATIONAL SEASHORE. OFFICIALS
SAY EVEN MORE HOUSES ARE ON THE
BRINK OF COLLAPSING ON THE
SHORES OF THE OUTER BANKS, EVEN
IF THEY DON'T COLLAPSE. MANY OF
THEM HAVE THE PIECES OR PARTS
OF THE STRUCTURE THAT ARE
>> DAMAGED AND DANGLING OFF
OF THEM. 9 HOMES ALONG THE
BEACH IN BUXTON COLLAPSED INTO
THE SEA DURING AND AFTER
HURRICANE IMELDA. 12 HOMES HAVE
FALLEN IN RODANTHE OVER THE
LAST 5 YEARS. RESEARCHERS SAY
THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
ISSUE WAS LONG-TERM EFFECTS.
WE SEE THESE HOMES. I DO THINK
WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE ENTIRE
IMPACT AND CERTAINLY
>> HE'S WASTE WATER TANKS.
>> WE ARE VERY OBVIOUS WHEN
THESE HOMES ARE FALLING IN THE
OCEAN, PARTS OF THE OUTER WIND
GUSTS UP TO 60 MILES PER HOUR
AND DATA SHOWS THERE WAS MAJOR
TITLE FLOODING IN DUCK. BEXAR
COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE MANAGED
TO LOCAL CLEANUP EFFORTS, BUT
WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO
STRING OUT THAT DEBRIS THAT WE
JUST SPENT A WEEK CLEANING UP.
SO WE HAVE TO DO ALL THE COIN
UP AGAIN. SO WE'LL HAVE THAT
OUT OF HERE.
>> WE'LL TAKE A LOOK MONDAY
MORNING AND SEE WHERE WE ARE.
>> THE COUNTY PLANS TO BEGIN
A 45 MILLION DOLLAR BEACH
NOURISHMENT PROJECT NEXT SPRING
TO REBUILD THE DUNES SYSTEM
AND BUFFER HIGHWAY 12. WE
UNDERSTAND IT'S GOING TO WASH
AWAY. WHAT YOU DO IS IF YOU
WANT TO HAVE 100 FEET A BEACH
FOR NEW BEACHFRONT, THEN YOU
BUILD 100 FEET OF BEACH.
THEN YOU CALCULATE YOUR OCEAN,
RIGHT? THAT EFFORT REFLECTS A
BROADER ISSUE ON THE COAST.
HOW TO PRESERVE COMMUNITIES
BUILT ON SHIFTING SAND, RIGHT?
WE'VE CHOSEN TO MITIGATE THE
EROSION RATE TO PROTECT HIGHWAY
12 AND THEREFORE PROTECT OUR
CITIZENS. SO THAT.
THANKING, YOU KNOW, ON AND OFF
THE ISLAND WEEK. I'M LAURA
LEVINE FOR WRAL NEWS.
>> ELIZABETH HOLMES IN THE WRAL
LIVE CENTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES
AGO. NC DOT POSTED THIS PICTURE
FROM NC HIGHWAY 12 ON HATTERAS
ISLAND. YOU CAN SEE THERE'S
JUST EXTREME OVERWATCH. THEY'RE
THEY'RE NOW USING SAND TO TRY
TO BUILD UP AROUND THE ROAD.
SO THEY CAN PREVENT THIS OVER
WASH. NOW, WE DO KNOW THAT
PARTS OF THE ROAD ARE CLOSED
AT BOTH HATTERAS ISLAND AND
OCRACOKE ISLAND. CREWS ARE
HOPING TO HAVE A CLEAR BY NOON
TOMORROW. THEY SAY UNTIL THEN