All areas of Dare County are now under a Tropical Storm Warning with a Flash Flood Watch and a Storm Surge Watch in effect. Residents, visitors and business owners are encouraged to take necessary steps now to secure property and ensure safety and preparedness prior to the arrival of tropical storm force winds, heavy rain, and possibly 2-4 feet of above ground soundside flooding.
National Weather Service forecasters with the Newport/Morehead City Weather Forecast Office indicate that the current forecast track will bring southerly winds at near tropical storm strength that will transition to the southwest and then to the west as Michael moves rapidly across the region Thursday night into Friday morning. While the Storm Surge Watch covers all of Dare County, forecasters believe that any impacts from soundside flooding will be seen in areas of the county north of Avon. The National Hurricane Center’s Potential Storm Surge Flooding Map can be found at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ under Hurricane Michael Storm Surge Inundation link.
Dare County Emergency Management offers the following tips and resources:
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As weather conditions worsen Thursday evening, travel only if absolutely necessary and stop if you encounter water covering the road. Turn around, don’t drown! It is never safe to drive or walk through flood waters because you will not know the depth of the water or the condition of the ground underneath.
