Coastal flooding, high surf advisories up for the Outer Banks due to distant Ernesto

The National Park Service is warning Outer Banks beachgoers to stay out of the ocean and away from threatened oceanfront houses in Rodanthe as distant Hurricane Ernesto passes by this weekend.

Coastal flood and high surf advisories are in effect through Monday morning for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands due to expected ocean overwash flooding.

The storm is forecast to bring deadly rip currents and large breaking waves of 6 to 9 feet in the surf zone, with 1 to 2 feet of inundation expected along shorelines and tidal waterways during high tides, the weather service said.

Ernesto strengthened Friday morning to a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of 100 mph as it approached Bermuda, bringing tropical storm conditions and the potential for life-threatening flooding.

The Outer Banks began to feel Ernesto’s impacts early Friday, with red “No Swimming” flags flying due to a high risk of rip currents.

“Even though Hurricane Ernesto is forecast to pass well to the east of the seashore this weekend, strong swells from the storm will combine with higher-than-normal tides,” the park service said in a news release. “Large breaking waves, life-threatening rip currents, beach erosion, and ocean overwash are all possible.”

Visitors walking on the beach or participating in water activities on the north end of Rodanthe need to be extra cautious this weekend “due to the presence of threatened oceanfront structures,” the release said.

In the past four years, six oceanfront homes in Rodanthe have collapsed into the ocean due to severe erosion, with as many two dozen more homes in danger.

The park service also warns travelers to be prepared for ocean overwash flooding on N.C. 12 during high tides, particularly at the north end of Ocracoke Island and between Hatteras and Frisco.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said Friday crews are on standby to clear sand and rebuild dunes if overwash flooding occurs this weekend.