In this third in a series of blogs devoted to the history and future of the Outer Banks, I examine how the Outer Banks, Northern and Southern, are protecting their valuable and unrivaled locations.
Viewed from outer space, these barrier islands off the North Carolina coast take on the appearance of a delicate chain of elongated pearls commonly referred to as the Outer Banks. Erosion and accretion rates are not the only difference between the northern and southern Outer Banks. Today, it is quite common to see oval bumper stickers with the abbreviations OBX (Outer Banks) or SOBX (Southern Outer Banks.) These are modern terms used to promote tourism. OBX, which originated first, is generally used in the northern Outer Banks. SOBX is used primarily in Carteret County, which is also known as the Crystal Coast.
Another difference between is northern and southern Outer Banks is their beginnings and endings. While there is consensus as to the chain’s northern end, differences of opinion differ on the southern terminus of the Outer Banks. Generations of North Carolina schoolchildren learned (back when geography was integral to the curriculum) that the Outer Banks includes the state's three prominent capes: Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Cape Fear. Other sources limit the definition to two capes (Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout) and the coastal areas in four counties (Currituck, Dare, Hyde, and Carteret.) Still other references restrict the definition to the northern three counties of Currituck, Dare, and Hyde. And, it is with this last definition that we begin our review of the Outer Banks barrier islands, their experiences with erosion and their communities’ mitigation responses.
Hordes of tourists flock to North Carolina's northern Outer Banks for the gorgeous beaches, the wild horses, and the views of the iconic lighthouse at Cape Hatteras. Come September, these tourists would migrate back to their mainland homes. But what these tourists, and most everyone else did not (and still do not) know, is that the land underneath them is slowly migrating, too!
That all of North Carolina's barrier islands are migrating was becoming accepted theory by the turn of the 20th century, but it took scientists nearly 100 more years to understand the how and why these islands are moving. This movement is best evinced as a series of interactions of water and wind on the several distinct zones of a barrier island, starting with sand at the beach (or ocean side) of the island, followed by grasses and ground vegetation, moving to stands of maritime forests, that make way to salt marshes on the back (or sound side) of the island.
In tomorrow's blog, I will review the interactions between beach and water that causes the barrier islands to migrate. Stay well and stay safe. That being said, to learn more about life in Emerald Isle, NC, go to my website, www.EIHomesforSale.com and request my free Guide to Living Were You Vacation or text your email address to: 919-308-2292.
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