 Although Josephine remained well offshore of the eastern United States , the storm produced strong winds and high seas in combination with an area of high pressure . On the Outer Banks of North Carolina , strong winds were reported from October 11 to October 14 . At Diamond Shoals , sustained winds were at 58 mph ( 93 km / h ) , with gusts as high as 75 mph ( 120 km / h ) . However , most of the damage caused by Josephine was due to high tides along the East Coast of the United States . On Hatteras Island , tides were 5 @.@ 8 ft ( 1 @.@ 8 m ) above the mean sea level . In addition , wave heights of 8 to 12 ft ( 2 @.@ 4 to 3 @.@ 7 m ) were reported on the island . Due to the tides , over @-@ wash occurred on highways along the Outer Banks , which in turn caused those roads to close . Coastal erosion was also occurred in that area ; most notably , the tides washed away nearly all protective sand dunes built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression , especially in the Rodanthe area . In the absence of protective sand dunes , the Outer Banks became vulnerable to future storms that would also produce high tides . Minor damage to houses were reported due to high tides near Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills ; damage was mostly from the detachment of steps and porches . 
