Highway 12 on Hatteras still closed

NAGS HEAD, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina officials said the two-lane highway on an Outer Banks island will remain closed at least through Friday as workers clear sand that Hurricane Earl dumped on the road.

Transportation Department engineer Jerry Jennings said Friday the sand is as deep as three feet on some stretches of N.C. Highway 12 in Rodanthe, a village on Hatteras Island. He said officials hope to reopen the island road by Saturday but can't promise that will happen.

Jennings said at a news conference that officials will know more after the Friday afternoon high tide, expected about 3 p.m. He said conditions could have been much worse had pavement been damaged.

Many people fled Hatteras Island before the storm hit, but some residents remained in homes and hotels.

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