Coastal low-pressure system expected during weekend cold front; evacuation order on Hatteras Island

The system that is expected to bring us the coldest air of the season will spawn an area of low pressure off the Outer Banks this weekend that could cause major headaches for days.

Authorities in Dare County are already preparing for the storm. On Friday, county officials declared a state of emergency for Hatteras Island and ordered all visitors off the island. Residents are not being asked to leave.

The evacuation order covers the following areas:

• Rodanthe
• Waves
• Salvo
• Avon
• Buxton
• Frisco
• Hatteras Village

Once the low spins up, the surf will get churned up and batter the Outer Banks and coast for most of next week, the way things look now.

We're looking at another situation where coastal flooding, up to 50 mph gusts, and major beach erosion will cause issues for residents up and down our coast, but especially in the Outer Banks. Overwash is expected along Highway 12, and the most vulnerable parts may be inundated, especially during high tides.

This has the potential to be a long-duration event, bringing more significant overwash impacts to vulnerable oceanfront areas through multiple high tide cycles through next week.

We may also see loss of homes in the more vulnerable areas of the Outer Banks.