Friday, July 04, 2014

Arthur blasts the Outer Banks of North Carolina

Calm before Arthur: Mariners lock down boats in Nova Scotia prior to the arrival of Arthur. (CBC Nova Scotia)
The 120 mile long chain of barrier islands located off the North Carolina coast known as the Outer Banks, took a direct hit from Hurricane Arthur overnight. The low lying area is prone to flooding and that is what we are seeing this morning with water covering the only north south route, State Highway 12, under several feet of sand and water. Arthur made landfall last evening further south over mainland North Carolina near Beaufort Inlet and then crossed Hatteras Island back into the Atlantic Ocean. Peak winds across the Outer Banks were either side of 100mph overnight. The storm has since raced northeast at over 20mph and is now located off the coast in the Atlantic northeast of Kitty Hawk. Widespread power outages have also been reported but the very early assessment by emergency management has not reported any major damage or injuries so far with the exception of washed out roads. Hatteras and Ocarcoke Islands remain closed to visitors at this time. Rain and wind will slowly ease and seas subside today.

Winds whip waves across the Manteo/Nags Head Causeway in Eastern North Carolina Friday morning. The Outer Banks remain closed on this July 4th after Arthur pounded the region overnight. (13 News Now Weather)
Arthur will now move well off the Atlantic coast and brush Cape Cod before moving into Nova Scotia early Saturday morning. A tropical storm watch is in effect for coastal regions of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI. Rainfall of over 100mm, 100km/h winds and a storm surge can be expected starting late tonight and lasting into Saturday afternoon. Landfall of Arthur will likely occur near the Bay of Fundy early Saturday morning with the system crossing Nova Scotia and then heading into Newfoundland while weakening somewhat by Sunday. It will be a rainy, windy and wild weekend in Atlantic Canada.

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