The wind started building not long after midnight across Nags Head. The first gusts stripped the cover off a SeaDoo and snapped a white vinyl fence. Then wind tore down a piece of a hotel sign, and sent it slicing into a minivan
The ocean churned menacingly, but in Nags Head at least, the waves never made a run at the dunes. The Pamlico Sound, however, quickly spilled its banks.
Waves crested the causeway to Manteo, shutting it several hours. One man desperate to get through, plowed through the flood on foot.
But by mid morning, the worst was over. A snappy breeze lingered, as did sound water pooling in the lowest areas. For the most part, Arthur's winds lashed trees and buildings, and stirred the sounds, but the storm moved so swiftly it didn't have time to dish more serious damage.
Dare County assessment teams say the area did not suffer the impact they were expecting. Some areas did experience flooding and there were some power outages. They say there was no serious injury or death associated with this storm.
Crews are now working to assess NC Highway 12 on Hatteras Island and the Bonner Bridge to see if they were damaged by Arthur. Right now, access to both is restricted.
The governor of North Carolina released a statement after the storm blew through the state. They say this is the earliest hurricane to hit the state since 1851 when records started.
“I want to thank our citizens and visitors for heeding our warnings and evacuating when asked, as well as the news media for disseminating weather and life-saving safety information throughout the storm,” Governor Pat McCrory said. “Although Hurricane Arthur made landfall near Morehead City as a category two hurricane, there are minimal reports of damage. Our teams have transitioned into the recovery phase and have begun damage assessments in the hardest hit areas.”
Officials in Virginia Beach say the city fared well during the storm. About 2,000 homes lost power, but crews were ready to get customers back up and running again. Although Arthur has moved out of the area, officials are urging beachgoers to stay out of the water. They say the surf is still dangerous.
Fireworks that were scheduled for tonight have been postponed until Saturday at the Oceanfront and Mt. Trashmore.
Related:
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