At least 6 inches of rain has fallen on North Carolina's Outer Banks since the weekend, and forecasters predict the barrier islands are in for more of a drenching this week.Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson told The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk U.S. 158, N.C. 12 and several side roads have standing water in several places in Currituck and Dare counties.
Currituck County Emergency Management Director Mary Beth Newns said N.C. 12 has flooded in places in Corolla but remains passable. A few low-riding vehicles have stalled in flooded spots such as Carova Beach north of Corolla.
The National Weather Service in Morehead City says another 10 inches of rain could fall on the Outer Banks by Thursday, and all without help of a tropical weather system.
Stormy surf has carved away several feet of the dunes just north of Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, said Chad Motz, chief of the town's ocean rescue.
The rain is keeping people out of the rough waters for now, Motz said. Red flags are up warning swimmers to stay out of the ocean and lifeguards are watching for breaks in the weather.
"If the sun comes out even for a short while, people come pouring out of their houses," he said.
The dunes are expected to level off when prevailing southeast winds return, said Nags Head spokeswoman Roberta Thuman.
Information from: The Virginian-Pilot.