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Big swells and dangerous rip currents arrived along Hatteras Island Friday, August 16.

The big swells came from Hurricane Ernesto, which was slowly moving away from Bermuda, about 650 miles east of Rodanthe.

The National Weather Service posted a Coastal Flood Advisory and a High Surf Advisory on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. Those advisories lasted until Monday morning at 10 o’clock.

The big waves came crashing in Friday. At the Rodanthe Pier, a piling was knocked loose and swept away by the north flowing current. The piling was recovered on the beach just north of the Rodanthe Bridge. At the end of the pier, waves were splashing on the pier deck.

On Friday afternoon, ocean waves snapped pilings and sent an unoccupied oceanfront house floating out to sea. Debris was spread as far north as the north end of the Etheridge Bridge in Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Cape Hatteras National Seashore estimated the debris field at 11 miles.

The tides are particularly high as the moon is at its closest orbit point to earth. The high tide is called a King tide. Lower than normal low tides enhance rip currents.

On Saturday and Sunday morning, NCDOT posted an all clear notice about NC 12. The highway was open and passable with no issues from Kitty Hawk to Ocracoke on Saturday. There was some minor overwash both days on secondary roads in Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo. On Ocracoke, some ocean water came over the sandbags.

On Saturday evening’s high tide, Atlantic Ocean water was coursing down East Corbina on to the remnant of NC 12. Videos show ocean water coming over at oceanfront houses in Mirlo Beach. Sunday morning showed more wave destruction with broken concrete slabs up against houses.

In Buxton, a similar situation developed. On Sunday morning, the national seashore stated, “Ongoing erosion and elevated surf conditions in front of the Village of Buxton have resulted in ocean overwash under many homes and into neighborhoods. Hazardous debris, broken from beachfront houses, may be present on the beach and in the water. Seashore staff have observed evidence of compromised septic systems; therefore, the Seashore is advising that the public should not go in the water until follow up inspections are made.”

Debris on beach

Very little remains of the house at 23214 East Corbina Drive. Stubs of pilings stick up from the sand. The four-bedroom house has a tax value of $356,400. It sat on a 10,000 square foot lot. The house owners live in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Initially, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore reported that the owners did not have clean-up contractor. However, a contractor was hired along with a subcontractor, who started work Saturday afternoon pushing debris up to the base of dunes in an effort to keep the debris contained.

On Saturday, very little debris was seen on the beach at the Rodanthe Pier, south of the collapsed house.

National Seashore and Refuge posted warnings

Both the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge staff strongly urged all visitors to avoid the beaches and stay out of the water around all areas of the beaches and surf in Rodanthe.

Additionally, all public entry from the northern boundary of Rodanthe up to the northern end of the Rodanthe Bridge was closed. Dangerous debris may be present on the beach and in the water.

At least six other houses are on the North Rodanthe beach with strong waves washing under them.

Three deaths blamed on Ernesto

As reported by Associated Press, at least three deaths have been blamed on Ernesto after two men drowned in separate incidents Friday off Hilton Head Island, S.C., and a 41-year old man died in a rip current in Surf City, N.C., on Saturday.

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