WASHINGTON — As Hurricane Dorian pushes up the East Coast, many people in the DMV are concerned about how it will impact one of their favorite vacation spots.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina could be susceptible to storm surge flooding if Hurricane Dorian brushes up against it along the coast.
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The Outer Banks are particularly susceptible to flooding due to their low elevation. The United States Geological Survey says the popular summer Outer Banks destination of Nags Head sits only in a range of three to nine feet above sea level.
Other storms have caused massive flooding in the Outer Banks before.
According to Dare County, North Carolina, Hurricane Irene in 2011 caused $54 million damage with partial flooding. Damage estimates for Hurricane Hermine were close to $5.4 million.
But, one of the biggest flood scenarios to inundate the Outer Banks was Hurricane Isabel in 2003. That storm brought a six-foot storm surge to the coastal islands.
The flood waters were strong enough to actually spur three sea channels through part of the Outer Banks near Cape Hatteras.