OUTER BANKS, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency in Dare and Hyde counties over the damage caused to N.C. 12 by back-to-back coastal storms.
N.C. 12 was heavily damaged again this past weekend due to a nor'easter, resulting in significant overwash and weakening of protective dunes.
News 3's Outer Banks reporter Will Thomas extensively covered the damage to N.C. 12 and Dare County's response, including a mandatory evacuation of Hatteras Island visitors last Friday and an emergency ferry in late September after another coastal storm.
Watch previous coverage: ‘There is no time to waste’: Calls for action after N.C. 12 damaged for second time in four weeks
Stein said the state of emergency will allow the state to coordinate the work necessary to restore the highway into working order.
"We need long-term solutions because NC 12 is essential," Stein wrote on Facebook.
Stein is asking the Federal Highway Administration to work with the state on immediate repairs, and to accelerate long-term solutions for the "vital stretch" of highway, Stein said.
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