Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Aerial image from NOAA’s Hurricane Irene Project, which depicts where flood waters from Hurricane Irene breached the beach and dune line on Hatteras Island, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Although, the only permanent inlet between the Virginia-North Carolina border and the southern tip of Cape Hatteras is the Oregon Inlet; it is not uncommon for strong storms to open up new inlets on the barrier islands. This breach damaged Highway 12, which is the only road that connects Hatteras Island to the mainland, and thus was repaired and reclosed.