Developing coastal storm to bring flooding, beach erosion to mid-Atlantic
A coastal storm is forecast to develop this weekend along the same cold front that brought the rain, wind and cooldown to the eastern U.S.
The storm is expected to develop along the Carolina coast later Sunday, bringing persistent, long-duration coastal flooding and beach erosion through mid-week.
In anticipation of this coastal storm, North Carolina's Dare County has issued a state of emergency for Hatteras Island and a mandatory evacuation for visitors on the island.
This is the same area on the Outer Banks that has produced the striking visuals of homes falling into the sea during periods of rough surf and coastal flooding from other coastal storms and systems.
Coastal flood alerts are up from Morehead City, North Carolina, through the Outer Banks and for portions of coastal Virginia and Maryland.
This includes locations such as Kitty Hawk, North Carolina; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Ocean City, Maryland.
There is a possibility of minor to moderate flooding during high tide later on Saturday through at least Monday evening, possibly into the middle of the week.
Wind Advisories have also been issued for parts of eastern North Carolina, where wind gusts up to 50 mph are possible through Monday evening.
Very rough surf and rip currents are also likely with this coastal storm. Breaking waves of 8 to 15 feet are possible for parts of the Outer Banks and coastal Delmarva.
With the coastal low likely to stall and bring several days of coastal flooding and rough surf over a focused area, significant coastal erosion is possible for the Outer Banks.
This coastal low is expected to remain offshore of the Carolinas into Monday and potentially into Tuesday or Wednesday.
Ultimately, the greatest impacts will be determined by the storm's track, but periods of heavy rain and wind, along coastal flooding, beach erosion, and hazardous surf are a concern, especially for the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic.
