Weather
North Carolina Weather Alert: 63% Storm Chance Targets Outer Banks and Coastal Communities Through Sunday Night
North Carolina Weather Alert: 63% Storm Chance Targets Outer Banks and Coastal Communities Through Sunday Night
By Elliot Vaughn · 2026-09-13T19:51:33.228Z
Morehead City, North Carolina – Scattered showers and thunderstorms could interrupt Sunday evening travel and outdoor plans across eastern North Carolina, with rain chances topping 60% in parts of the coastal region and continuing into tonight.
According to the National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City, precipitation probabilities valid from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday reached 63% around Columbia, 61% near the Pamlico Sound and 59% around Aurora. Chances stood at 58% near Belhaven and Duck, 57% at Morehead City and 54% around New Bern and Havelock.
Along the Outer Banks, Manteo had a 53% chance, while Rodanthe stood at 37% and Buxton at 29%. Farther south and west, Jacksonville had a 46% chance, compared with 34% at Kinston and 24% near Kenansville.
Drivers on U.S. 70, U.S. 17 and routes serving coastal communities should prepare for locally wet pavement and reduced visibility beneath heavier showers. Boaters and beachgoers should move indoors when thunder is heard and monitor weather alerts before heading onto the water.
A front crossing eastern North Carolina on Monday will bring another round of rain and a chance of thunderstorms. Behind it, cooler air arrives, with highs only in the lower 80s from Tuesday through Thursday.