Provided by Dare County Joint Information Center
12:30 p.m. October 27, 2012

Dare County Emergency Management advises everyone to complete storm preparations immediately before conditions deteriorate this afternoon. All residents and visitors are urged to prepare for long periods of strong winds and heavy rains that could produce ocean and soundside flooding.

Cars should be moved to higher ground and property secured.

Hurricane Sandy continues to track well offshore, however the storm is expected to produce long periods of 35-55 MPH sustained winds with gusts of 50 to 70 MPH. Storm winds could damage buildings, cause isolated power outages, down trees and result in water and sand accumulation on roadways.

Northeasterly gale force winds (34+ MPH) should arrive on Hatteras Island around 3:00 p.m. Saturday with storm force winds (50+ MPH) developing around 1:00 a.m. Sunday. Storm winds will exit the Outer Banks around 12 midnight on Monday and gale force winds will exit by 4:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

As winds shift to the northwest on Monday, soundside flooding conditions could continue through 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

Rain accumulation over the next three days is predicted to be 7 inches with higher amounts in rain bands.

At this time there are no evacuation plans anticipated for Dare County. Visitors should check with their accommodations provider before traveling to the area.

NCDOT has suspended ferry service between Hatteras Village and Ocracoke. NCDOT is on alert and ready to activate emergency operations as needed. Ferry operations will return to normal as soon as conditions are deemed safe. NCDOT road condition information is available by calling 511 or online at www.ncdot.gov/travel.

The Dare County libraries in Kill Devil Hills and Manteo will close at 2:00 pm today. Customers are asked NOT to return library materials to any of the remote bookdrops located throughout the County or in front of the libraries during this storm event. The outdoor bookdrops are not storm proof and damage may occur to items returned.

Based on the weather outlook for Monday, October 29, Dare County Transportation will be closed for service due to unsafe conditions. Normal transportation service is expected to resume on Tuesday, October 30.

All National Park Service facilities will be closed as of 2:00 pm today, Saturday, Oct. 27th, 2012.

The Pea Island Visitor Center is closed today and Sunday, and will reopen only after condition assessments have been made some time on Monday.

The National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center on Roanoke Island will be open today until 4:00 p.m. It will be closed on Sunday.

The next scheduled update will be available at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 27. The Dare County Emergency Operations Center will be operating throughout the storm and may be reached at 252-475-5655 or visit www.darenc.com for updated information.