Kitty Hawk, NC - Getting a stretch of the Beach Road back open to drivers in Kitty Hawk is a top priority for road crews.
A coastal storm last week wiped out part of the road and the dunes, and another storm off the coast could bring more problems to the Outer Banks.
“It can be a little unnerving. Some of the houses here especially in Kitty Hawk, the dunes wash away pretty frequently and the water comes over a lot,” says Jean Spencer.
Spencer doesn't live that far away from where the road was damaged.
When you live on the beach and it's a common occurrence, you just kind of accept it.
But when it's happening and there's storm after storm and it just keeps eating away time and time again, there's no chance of recovery for the dunes and the sand to wash back in.
NCDOT crews spent much of today rebuilding the sand and packing it down in order to repave the Beach Road and get it back open for drivers.
State officials say it could take some time to get permits to rebuild the dunes.
So for now, they're repairing the road to prevent any water from rushing in from the next storm.
Crews were also out pushing sand away from NC 12 in advance of the next coastal storm.
Trucks have also been staged in Buxton, Salvo and Pea Island in case conditions get worse, that's if the storm moves this way.
