In the wake of the storm, dune damage in Kitty Hawk

By Brian Tress | Outer Banks Voice

Following the latest nor’easter, significant beach erosion was observed on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 21 north of the Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station. The storm surge and persistent onshore winds stripped away large sections of the protective dune system, leaving six-foot sand fencing fully exposed and carving a sharp escarpment along the dune line. In several stretches, the fencing has been destroyed altogether, and the escarpment now rises nearly ten feet high.

The damage underscores the continuing vulnerability of this section of Kitty Hawk’s shoreline to recurring coastal storms and seasonal erosion, despite periodic dune rebuilding and beach nourishment efforts in recent years.

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