Salvo, North Carolina

... Coastal Flood Advisory in effect until 9 PM EST Sunday...
... High surf advisory in effect until 4 PM EST Sunday...
... Coastal Flood Warning is cancelled...

The National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City has issued
a high surf advisory... which is in effect until 4 PM EST Sunday.
A coastal Flood Advisory has also been issued. This coastal Flood
Advisory is in effect until 9 PM EST Sunday. The coastal Flood
Warning has been cancelled.

The major coastal storm which has battered coastal North Carolina
for the past several days is weakening and drifting southeast of
the area. This will allow the northerly winds to continue to
slowly decrease today and tonight and this will help to alleviate
the impact for major coastal flooding. Lingering easterly swell
will still produce dangerous surf with 8 foot breakers and rip
currents for the next couple of days. The long period swells in
combination with high astronomical tides will also lead to a
threat for minor beach erosion and ocean overwash around the times
of high tides through Sunday.

As of 9 am Saturday... Highway 12 remained closed near Pea
Island... however forecast tidal departures during the next 2 high
tides... this evening and early Sunday morning are much less than
the past several days. Thus coastal flooding and ocean overwash
should be much less than recent flood tides with only minor water
level increases expected especially Sunday morning which is the
highest of the next 2 high tides. Water levels along Hatteras
Island should continue to drop through mid afternoon then begin to
rise again toward evening.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A high surf advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in
the advisory area... producing dangerous rip currents and
localized beach erosion.

A coastal Flood Advisory indicates that onshore winds and tides
will combine to generate minor flooding of low areas along the
shore.

Rip currents are strong... narrow channels of water that flow out
to sea. If you become caught in a rip current... remain calm. Try
to swim on a course that is parallel to the beach until you get
away from the rip... then swim at an angle in to shore. Do not try
to swim back to shore directly against the rip... since it can
exhaust and even kill the strongest swimmer.