The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for all areas of Dare County due to expected impacts from Hurricane Idalia. A tropical storm warning indicates that tropical storm conditions—including sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph—are expected within 36 hours or less.
Residents and visitors throughout Dare County should expect:
- Increasing winds that should peak at 35-45 mph with gusts of up to 55 mph on Thursday, August 31, 2023, and diminishing slowly on Friday, September 1, 2023. Actions should be taken now to secure loose property to keep it from becoming a projectile hazard.
- 4-8 inches of flooding rain with locally higher amounts, as well as rainfall that could lead to flash flooding and standing water on roadways impacting travel.
- Potential tornado activity. Always have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, especially at night.
In addition, those on Hatteras Island should prepare for:
- Between 1-3 feet of above-ground storm surge inundation along the oceanfront, as well as soundside from Buxton to Hatteras Village.
- Actions should be taken to protect vehicles and property parked or stored in areas that may flood.
- Travel on N.C. Highway 12 may be impacted by ocean overwash, especially during high tide. Those in vulnerable oceanfront homes that have the potential to be surrounded by ocean water due to no existing dune structure should relocate.
For more details on the forecast for Hurricane Idalia, as well as the most up-to-date information about the storm, click the buttons below.
To sign up to receive customized emergency alerts—including severe weather watches and warnings, public safety and emergency-related warnings, countywide evacuation orders and other time-critical notifications—please visit www.OBXAlerts.com.
For the most up-to-date weather information, visit the National Weather Service at Newport/Morehead City, N.C. at www.weather.gov/mhx. For updated information regarding road conditions on N.C. Highway 12, follow the North Carolina Department of Transportation on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/NCDOTNC12or visit www.DriveNC.gov.
For more information about how you can protect yourself and your property this hurricane season, please visit www.DareNC.gov/EM or follow Dare County Emergency Management on Twitter @DareCountyEM.