Nor'easter takes aim at the Outer Banks as Hatteras Island visitors are ordered to leave

A slow-moving coastal storm was tightening its grip on North Carolina's Outer Banks early Sunday. Forecasters warned that the worst ocean flooding of the event would come with the high tides on Sunday and Monday. Visitors on Hatteras Island were under orders to leave. Anyone who stayed behind was told to be ready to be cut off for days.

A rare order for a nor'easter

Dare County declared a state of emergency for Hatteras Island on Friday and told every visitor to go starting at 8 p.m. that night. The order covers the seven villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras. Year-round residents were not ordered out and nothing was issued for towns north of Oregon Inlet.

Orders like this are usually saved for hurricanes. County leaders moved early this time because they expect sand and seawater to wash across N.C. Highway 12, the only road on and off the island. They also expect it to stay shut for a long stretch. A nor'easter in late September already broke up the highway near the Pea Island Visitor Center. The island went several days without direct road access and both lanes did not fully reopen until Oct. 3.

What forecasters expect

Saturday's midday high tide passed without water crossing the road, though blowing sand and sea foam coated parts of Pea Island. Forecasters said conditions would get worse overnight. They expect water to spill over weak spots on N.C. 12 again and again on both Hatteras and Ocracoke islands through Monday.

Coastal flood warnings cover both islands. The weather service expects moderate flooding on the ocean side, with major flooding possible in a few places and 2 to 4 feet of water over the ground in the lowest areas. Water had also started rising on the sound side by Saturday afternoon, with minor flooding beginning in Hatteras village. People in low spots were urged to move their cars to higher ground.

Gusts of 45 to 55 mph are expected along the coast through Sunday night, with the strongest near Rodanthe. Seas offshore could build to 15 to 20 feet near Cape Hatteras and Diamond Shoals. The ferry between Hatteras and Ocracoke stopped running on Saturday afternoon because of the weather and more disruptions are likely into the week.

A storm that may not leave soon

The low was forming off the Carolina coast on Sunday and is expected to stall there for several days and possibly as long as a week. Gusty winds could reach the Interstate 95 corridor in eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia by Monday. Gusts near 50 mph are possible in parts of coastal Virginia and Maryland and tidal flooding could reach up into the Chesapeake Bay. Falling trees could knock out power in spots.

Days of heavy surf could speed up beach erosion on the Outer Banks, where several oceanfront houses have fallen into the sea in recent years. Forecasters give the system a small chance of picking up some tropical traits later in the week as it sits over warm water. They say that would not change the threat much.

This storm is not expected to match the strength of last month's nor'easter. Its long stay is the bigger worry. Officials said anyone still on the islands should keep food, water and medicine on hand and watch for county updates about when it is safe to come back.