“This is an important road for North Carolina,” Stein said. “There are so many people that live there, there are so many tourism dollars that go on that road.”

"Unfortunately, Hurricane Erin's storm surge was too much for NC12 tonight," NCDOT officials wrote.

Hurricane Erin is marching north, lashing North Carolina's Outer Banks with rough waves and coastal flooding, and bringing a threat of dangerous waves and potentially deadly rip currents to the East Coast.

Hurricane Erin lashed Nantucket with strong winds and rough surf Friday as the storm moved northeast.