September 3rd, 2010
09:01 AM ET

Reporting in the path of Hurricane Earl

CNN's David Mattingly is at the Outer Banks in North Carolina as a weakened Hurricane Earl makes its way along the East Coast.

9:00 a.m.: North Carolina Highway 12, the only way in and out of much of the Outer Banks, is flooded for at least a couple of miles in the Avon, NC and Waves, NC areas. This is the result of a reverse storm surge.  Water from the west of the island was pulled  onshore by high winds as Hurricane Earl moved north.

7:59 a.m.: This water wasn't here 45 minutes ago. The Outer Banks is getting hit with a reverse storm surge as water from the sound on the west side of the islands is being pulled on shore. Hwy 12 looks like a river and the water is still rising.

3:31 a.m.: I'm standing in the driving rain in middle of a flooded Hwy 12. We're cut off and unable to travel north from Waves, NC until the water recedes. Earl may not be making landfall but it is still strong enough to do some serious damage.

3:15 a.m.: Hit a roadblock North of Waves, NC. Water on road too deep. Have to turn back to higher ground.

2:43 a.m.: Surf coming over the dunes in Waves, NC on Outer Banks. Hwy 12 flooded.

2:37 a.m.: Just walked down to the beach on Avon, north of Hatteras. Surf pushing water all the way up to the dunes. Tropical storm force winds

1:45 a.m.: Earl making its presence known. Bands of stinging rain whipping through Outer Banks.

12:24 a.m.: A little after midnight and wind is ramping up quickly on Outer Banks. Problem right now isn't rain...it's sand! Driving on Hwy 22 at the moment and visibility is impaired by sand blowing off the beach.

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Filed under: Hurricanes • North Carolina
soundoff (9 Responses)
  1. Isoboye carrie

    I want to believe that my fear of another " hurricane katrina" hiting the u.s.a is dead ,right?

    September 3, 2010 at 4:48 am | Report abuse |
  2. Jeri Lingwall

    That is pretty scary hearing about these Hurricane's. I'm hoping & praying everyone will make it thru this alright and hopefully safe ot of harm's way.

    September 3, 2010 at 5:02 am | Report abuse |
  3. Crystal Trigleth

    Scary thought of these hurricanes coming along. I know that the good lord will be with everybody that will be effected due to these hurricanes. God Bless!!!

    September 3, 2010 at 8:23 am | Report abuse |
  4. chris clements

    i was hoping for a graph of some sort of the path of and timeline of earl to be posted. thank you.

    September 3, 2010 at 8:50 am | Report abuse |
  5. Jezzika Greatwalekr

    holay damnnn thatts krazzy.

    September 3, 2010 at 11:10 am | Report abuse |
  6. Lynn

    Hey! That reporter is standing in front of the Dolphin Den. GREAT SEAFOOD!

    September 3, 2010 at 12:09 pm | Report abuse |
  7. diane

    All people living on the Bay of Fundy have been watching and praying for all those being affected by Earl. As someone who lives on the Bay of Fundy it is disheartening to hear Reynolds say that Earl will be moving to the Bay of Fundy out of harms way. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island have a lot of residents who still don't know what impact Earl will have on us. So to disagree with Reynolds we do not feel the Bay of Fundy is out of harms way.

    September 3, 2010 at 2:23 pm | Report abuse |
    • Wendy

      I agree Diane!!! That comment is a bit ignorant. Don't mean to be rude...but it's true. The Bay of Fundy is not considered out of harms way if you live in the Maritimes provinces.

      September 3, 2010 at 5:55 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Paola

    i wanto to know if there is flood in Corolla or the hurricaine hit it????I hope not =/

    April 18, 2011 at 10:16 pm | Report abuse |
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