The North Carolina Department of Transportation's Ferry Division is prepared for the arrival of Tropical Depression #8, which is forecast to come close to North Carolina's Outer Banks 

A tropical storm watch has been posted from Cape Lookout to Oregon Inlet. Winds associated with the storm could reach 35 to 45 miles per hour in the area, with gusts to 55 mph possible. If that forecast comes to pass, it is likely that ferry service interruptions will occur, most likely on the Hatteras Inlet and Pamlico Sound routes.

"Safety is always our top priority, so passengers should prepare for service suspensions from Tuesday Wednesday morning if wind and tidal conditions warrant," said Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin. "Hopefully this system will be on its way out to sea by Wednesday afternoon, and we'll be back to our full schedule long before Labor Day travelers arrive."

At this point no evacuations have been ordered, so all N.C. ferry routes will remain on their regular schedules until conditions deteriorate.

For real-time information on ferry schedule delays and interruptions, follow @NCDOT_Ferry on Twitter.