Bringing The World Home To You

© 2024 WUNC North Carolina Public Radio
120 Friday Center Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919.445.9150 | 800.962.9862
91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Outer Banks' Highway 12 Breached, Broken

The state Department of Transportation says storm surge from Hurricane Irene has completely washed away segments of Highway 12 on Hatteras Island. The storm cut several channels through the road just north of Rodanthe. Highway 12 connects the island to the rest of the Outer Banks and the mainland. DOT spokeswoman Greer Beaty says much of the road is still impassible.

Greer Beaty: "We have significant issues on Highway 12. Those issues range from what we call breaches to sand covering a couple of miles of road, where basically a dune has just come across the road. There are many challenges that await us in our recovery efforts out on 12."
Routes for the general public have been cut off to Hatteras Island, which usually attracts thousands of tourists on Labor Day weekend. The DOT is using emergency ferries to get supplies and road crews to the island.

Will Michaels is WUNC's Weekend Host and Reporter.
Related Stories
More Stories