Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials told visitors to east-facing beaches on the Outer Banks to exercise caution through Saturday as persistent northeast winds and breaking waves were expected to batter the coast.
The advisory was issued late afternoon Tuesday, with officials warning the weather could drive coastal erosion, damage beach houses and, in Buxton and Rodanthe, cause the partial or full collapse of one or more threatened oceanfront structures. Waves in the surf zone could reach up to 8 feet at times, the National Weather Service said, along with strong winds, dangerous rip currents and longshore currents for much of the beaches from Duck to Cape Lookout and portions of Onslow County.
The warning covers east-facing beaches in Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where the shoreline has been under repeated pressure from rough weather and shifting surf. Buxton’s beachfront is already closed because of public safety hazards tied to threatened oceanfront structures, and a public safety closure remains in place from the south end of Buxton to just north of off-road vehicle ramp 43.
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That closure underscores the concern behind the latest advisory: the problem is no longer just rough water, but the proximity of these structures to seashore lands. Officials said that proximity poses a serious risk to visitors walking along the beach or wading in the surf, especially as the wind and waves continue over the coming days.
The next test comes before Saturday, when the worst of the weather is expected to keep pressing on already vulnerable stretches of the Outer Banks. If the forecast holds, the question is not whether the surf will be rough, but whether the shoreline can hold together long enough to avoid another collapse.
