OCRACOKE ISLAND, N.C. (AP) — A highway linking barrier islands on North Carolina’s Outer Banks has reopened after water churned up by a tropical storm flooded the road and piled sand as high as 6 feet (2 meters) over the pavement.

N.C. 12 reopened to traffic at noon Thursday after it was closed near Hatteras and Ocracoke islands for days as crews worked to clear the remnants of flooding from Hurricane Teddy off the roadway, the state Department of Transportation announced.

The storm did not make landfall in the U.S. but generated high winds and waves off the coast, with high tides repeatedly sending tons of sand and water over the road. Some motorists reported being stranded last weekend, authorities said.

The Transportation Department said the highway did not suffer any structural damage.

The agency warned drivers Thursday to drive slowly as standing water and sand might still be present in some locations along the highway.