Post-Dorian Shoreline Change at Cape Hatteras 

National Seashore

2019 Report

Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR—2020/2205 

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Natural Resource Stewardship and Science
The production of this document cost $26,260, including costs associated with data collection, processing, analysis, and 

subsequent authoring, editing, and publication.

ON THE COVER 

Photo taken during the post Hurricane Dorian data collection on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. The photo is looking 

south and was taken on the overwash area, just north of the breach located on the northern end of Ocracoke Island, 

North Carolina (Photo taken September 16, 2019 by Lisa Cowart Baron).
Post-Dorian Shoreline Change at Cape Hatteras 

National Seashore

2019 Report

Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR—2020/2205

Lisa Cowart Baron

National Park Service

Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network

13165 Mount Pleasant Road

Jacksonville, Florida 32225

December 2020

U.S. Department of the Interior

National Park Service

Natural Resource Stewardship and Science 

Fort Collins, Colorado
ii

The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of 

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technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. 

Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established, peer-reviewed protocols and were analyzed 

and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols.

Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies 

of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not 

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This report is available from the Southeast Coast Network website and the Natural Resource Publications Management website. If 

you have difficulty accessing information in this publication, particularly if using assistive technology, please email irma@nps.gov.

Please cite this publication as:

Baron, L. 2020. Post-Dorian Shoreline Change at Cape Hatteras National Seashore: 2019 report. Natural Resource Report NPS/

SECN/NRR—2020/2205. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/nrr-2282127.

ii

NPS 603/173886, December 2020
iii

Contents

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Summary and Key Findings . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Acknowledgements . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Study Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Hurricane Dorian Impacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Standard Operating Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Shoreline Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Shoreline Change Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Water Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Facilities Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Shoreline Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Shoreline Change Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Fall 2018 to post-Dorian Shoreline Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Spring 2019 to post-Dorian Shoreline Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Facilities Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Literature Cited . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Bodie Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Hatteras Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Ocracoke Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Bodie Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Hatteras Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Ocracoke Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
iv

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing the sections of beach, highlighted in red (study area), where data is collected for the long-term shoreline monitoring project and the post-Dorian data collection. . . . . . . . 4

Figure 2. Map of Hurricane Dorian path (image taken from NWS 2019). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Figure 3. Modified histogram of transect shoreline change distances from fall 2018 to post-Dorian 

data collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Figure 4. Modified histogram of transect shoreline change distances from spring 2019 to postDorian data collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Figure A-1. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian at Oregon Inlet Boat Ramp. . . . . . . . . . . 26

Figure A-2. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian between Rodanthe and Waves in 

the Tri Villages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Figure A-3. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian at Avon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Figure A-4. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian at Buxton, north of the point. . . . . . . . . . 29

Figure A-5. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian at Hatteras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Figure B-1. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 0 and 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Figure B-2. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 2 and 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Figure B-3. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 3 and 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Figure B-4. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 4 and 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Figure B-5. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Figure B-6. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Figure B-7. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Figure B-8. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Figure B-9. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Figure B-10. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Figure B-11. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Figure B-12. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Figure B-13. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Figure B-14. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 20 and 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Figure B-15. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 21 and 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Figure B-16. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 22 and 23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Figure B-17. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 24 and 25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Figure B-18. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 25 and 26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Figure B-19. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 26 and 27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Figure B-20. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 27 and 28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
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Figure B-21. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 29 and 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Figure B-22. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 30 and 31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Figure B-23. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 31 and 32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Figure B-24. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 33 and 34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Figure B-25. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 34 and 35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Figure B-26. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 35 and 36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Figure B-27. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 37 and 38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Figure B-28. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 38 and 39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Figure B-29. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 39 and 40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Figure B-30. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 40 and 41. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Figure B-31. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 42 and 43. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Figure B-32. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 43 and 44. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Figure B-33. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 44 through 46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Figure B-34. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 45 and 46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Figure B-35. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Figure B-36. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Figure B-37. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Figure B-38. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile maker 50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Figure B-39. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Figure B-40. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 52. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Figure B-41. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 53. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Figure B-42. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 54. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Figure B-43. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 55. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Figure B-44. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 56. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Figure B-45. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 57. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Figure B-46. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 58. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Figure B-47. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 60. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Figure B-48. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 60 and 61. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Figure B-49. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 61 and 62. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Figure B-50. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 62 and 63. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Figure B-51. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 64. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Figure B-52. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 65. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Figure B-53. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 66. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Figure B-54. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 67. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
vi

Figure B-55. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 68. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Figure B-56. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 69. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Figure B-57. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 70. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Figure B-58. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 71 and 72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Figure B-59. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 72 and 73. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Figure B-60. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 68. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Figure B-61. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Figure C-1. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 0 and 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Figure C-2. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 2 and 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Figure C-3. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 3 and 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Figure C-4. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 4 and 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Figure C-5. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Figure C-6. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Figure C-7. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Figure C-8. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Figure C-9. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Figure C-10. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Figure C-11. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Figure C-12. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Figure C-13. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Figure C-14. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 20 and 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Figure C-15. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 21 and 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Figure C-16. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 22 and 23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Figure C-17. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 24 and 25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Figure C-18. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 25 and 26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Figure C-19. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 26 and 27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Figure C-20. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 27 and 28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Figure C-21. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 29 and 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Figure C-22. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 30 and 31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Figure C-23. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 31 and 32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Figure C-24. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 33 and 34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Figure C-25. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 34 and 35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Figure C-26. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 35 and 36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Figure C-27. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 37 and 38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
vii

Figure C-28. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 38 and 39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Figure C-29. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 39 and 40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Figure C-30. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 40 and 41. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Figure C-31. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 42 and 43. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Figure C-32. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 43 and 44. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Figure C-33. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 44 through 46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Figure C-34. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 45 and 46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Figure C-35. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Figure C-36. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Figure C-37. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Figure C-38. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Figure C-39. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Figure C-40. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 52. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Figure C-41. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 53. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Figure C-42. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 54. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Figure C-43. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 55. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Figure C-44. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 56. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Figure C-45. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 57. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Figure C-46. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 58. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Figure C-47. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 60. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Figure C-48. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 60 and 61. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Figure C-49. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 61 and 62. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Figure C-50. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 62 and 63. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Figure C-51. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 64. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Figure C-52. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 65. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Figure C-53. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 66. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Figure C-54. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 67. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Figure C-55. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 68. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Figure C-56. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 69. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Figure C-57. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 70. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Figure C-58. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 71 and 72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Figure C-59. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 72 and 73. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Figure C-60. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 73 and 74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Figure C-61. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
viii

Tables

Table 1. List of peak high-water levels during Hurricanes Dorian, Florence, Matthew, and Joaquin 

(USGS 2020). Peak high-water levels are in NAVD88. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Table 2. Table of the highest wind speeds in Carteret, Dare, and Hyde counties during Hurricane 

Dorian (NWS 2019). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Table 3. Table of precipitation amounts in Carteret, Dare, and Hyde counties during Hurricane 

Dorian (NWS 2019). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Table 4. List of SOPs used for shoreline position data collection, processing, and reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Table 5. High tide levels for areas within the Cape Hatteras NS shoreline assessment area. *Tide 

heights are relative to Mean Lower Low Water, Oregon Inlet Marina, NC—Station ID: 

8652587 [m—meters]. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Table 6. Table of the length and horizontal precision of the shorelines collected during 2018 and 

2019 with the mean length and horizontal precision were calculated by averaging the 

entire shoreline feature [cm—centimeters; km—kilometers]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Table 7. Fall 2018 to post-Dorian shoreline change distance data summarized by island. *Includes 

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Table 8. Spring 2019 to post-Dorian shoreline change distance data summarized by island. *Includes Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Table 9. NPS facility buildings within 25 meters of the post-Dorian shoreline data collected. . . . . .. . . . . . 20

Table 10. NPS facility buildings within 100 meters of the post-Dorian shoreline data collected. . . . . . . . . . . 20
ix

Appendices

Appendix A. Hurricane Dorian Hydrographs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Appendix B. Fall 2018 to post-Dorian Shoreline Change Distance Maps . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Appendix C. Spring 2019 to post-Dorian Shoreline Change Distance Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
x

Summary and Key Findings 

In 2018 and 2019 the Southeast Coast Network (SECN), 

with assistance from park staff, collected long-term shoreline 

monitoring data at Cape Hatteras National Seashore as part 

of the National Park Service (NPS) Vital Signs Monitoring 

Program. Monitoring was conducted following methods 

developed by the NPS Northeast Coastal and Barrier 

Network and consisted of mapping the high-tide swash line 

using a Global Positioning System unit in the spring of each 

year (Psuty et al. 2010). Shoreline change was calculated 

using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) developed 

by the United States Geological Survey (USGS; Himmelstoss 

et al. 2018). Following the same field methods used for 

monitoring long-term shoreline change, geospatial data 

were collected as part of the Hurricane Dorian (or Dorian) 

Incident Response from September 12–16, 2019. This report 

summarizes the post-Dorian data and the previous two 

shoreline data collection efforts (spring 2019 and fall 2018).

Key findings from this effort:

• Pre-and post-storm surveys of approximately 122.04 

kilometers (75.83 miles) of shoreline indicate a 

geomorphologically dynamic beach/barrier island 

system response to a major storm system. Many areas 

of both accretion and erosion were noted in both 

the seasonal and annual shoreline change analyses 

performed. The mean seasonal shoreline change 

distance was positive (denoting accretion) for the 

seasonal analysis of Bodie and Hatteras Islands. When 

the data from all three islands area averaged, the 

mean annual shoreline change distance was negative 

(denoting erosion). The mean seasonal shoreline 

change distance on Ocracoke Island was also negative. 

In comparing the shoreline change on the three islands 

of Cape Hatteras NS, Ocracoke Island exhibited the 

most erosion on average. 

• Overall, there appears to be a short-term trend in 

shoreline erosion during the 2018 to 2019 time period; 

however, the net impact to shoreline position from 

Dorian was minimal along the ocean facing beaches. 

There was a large amount of shoreline change in areas 

near inlets.

• Of the park facilities analyzed for potential impacts of 

future storms, seven buildings were identified within 

25 meters (82 feet) of the post-Dorian shoreline and 

twenty-three buildings within 100 meters (328 feet).
xi

Acknowledgements

This report was completed with the assistance of Kelsey Mack (SECN Coastal Monitoring Intern) and Konrad Losch (CAHA GIS 

Specialist), who assisted in the data collection. Thank you all for your assistance and efforts that facilitated the creation of this 

report.

1

Introduction 

The problem of land loss and gain and landscape alteration 

at the marine edge is fundamental to the many issues 

facing coastal park resource stewards. Shoreline change is 

a prime geo-indicator of coastal environmental resource 

threats within parks. Change in shoreline position drives 

the alteration and replacement of established natural 

habitats, and shoreline retreat may destroy cultural 

resources, facilities, and other infrastructure where they 

exist. Geomorphologic change is a basic concern because 

it also influences change in other natural resource areas of 

interest within the NPS program—estuarine and subsurface 

water quality, focal species and habitats of concern, and 

recreational visitor use. Spatial variability is inherent in 

shoreline change. Early identification of changes in past 

trends, along with an understanding of normal variability, 

is key to recognizing ecological problems in coastal parks. 

For managers, an understanding of the spatial and temporal 

patterns of geomorphologic change is important for optimal 

management of any coastal park because (1) the interface 

of marine and land systems is very dynamic and is driven by 

multiple forcing mechanisms, (2) it results in alterations to 

resource patterns and dynamics at habitat and ecosystem 

levels, and (3) it will eventually result in the loss of static 

resources (e.g., facility buildings). 

To effectively monitor the diverse and dynamic coastal 

resources, the Southeast Coast Network has implemented 

a monitoring approach which consists of mapping the 

high-tide swash line along the oceanfront beaches using 

Geospatial Positioning System (GPS) equipment. The 

collected data is post processed to attain higher accuracy 

and analyzed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System 

(DSAS) created by the USGS (Himmelstoss et al. 2018). 

This approach is modeled after the National Park Service 

Northeast Coastal Barrier Network Geomorphological 

Protocol: Part 1 (Psuty et al. 2010). The post-Dorian 

shoreline survey was requested by the park as part of the 

Hurricane Dorian Incident data collection and is not 

part of ongoing vital sign monitoring of this resource by 

the Southeast Coast Network. However, the post-Dorian 

shoreline data was collected using the same methods as the 

SECN long-term monitoring protocol (Baron 2018a), except 

for the timing of the data collection window.

As part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Hurricane 

Dorian Incident response, post-hurricane shoreline 

data collection was performed September 12–16, 2019. 

This report provides a comparison of the post -Dorian 

shoreline monitoring data collected as part of the incident, 

and the spring 2019 and fall 2018 data collections prior 

to the hurricane. The spring 2019 and fall 2018 data is 

compared with the post-Dorian data collected to determine 

the seasonal and annual shoreline change. Therefore, 

two shoreline change analyses are performed: (1) Annual 

Shoreline Analysis—fall 2018 to post-Dorian (fall 2019) 

and (2) Seasonal Shoreline Analysis—spring 2019 to postDorian (fall 2019). The fall 2018 and post-Dorian shoreline 

data were collected during a similar time of the year; 

therefore, this analysis identifies areas where the shoreline 

has changed, but is not influenced by seasonal changes in 

shoreline position. The spring 2019 to post-Dorian shoreline 

data were collected during different times of the year and 

therefore are seasonally influenced. This means that the 

shoreline change identified in the seasonal shoreline change 

analysis includes the seasonal fluctuations of the shoreline 

position. In general, shorelines in the southeast tend to 

become narrower throughout the winter, as they endure 

nor’easters, until approximately March and April. Around 

March and April, the beaches start to build throughout 

the summer until approximately October and November. 

Then, the cycle repeats. Thus, seasonal shoreline change 

anticipates the shoreline to move landward in the winter 

season and seaward in the summer season (Psuty et al. 

2010). The shoreline data and analysis in this report will be 

useful for park managers in making critical decisions on the 

protection and preservation of the park’s critical resources. 

The post-Dorian shoreline change analysis report objectives 

are:

1. Determine seasonal and annual changes in mean 

high-water shoreline position (average and standard 

deviation of change in position at fixed transects, and 

cumulatively within management islands).

2. Determine the magnitude, direction (landward or 

seaward), and spatial distribution of rates of observed 

shoreline change including the identification of areas of 

highly dynamic shorelines, and areas of accretion versus 

erosion. 

3. Determine park facilities potentially impacted by future 

hurricanes that flood 25 meters (82 feet) or 100 meters 

(328 feet) inland of post-Dorian shoreline position.

3

Study Area

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a series of barrier islands 

that make up the northern portion of the Outer Banks of 

North Carolina. The seashore consists of approximately 119 

kilometers (74 miles) of shoreline. The islands are made 

up of both east- and south-facing beaches, which are very 

close to the Gulf Stream and Labrador oceanic currents, 

and encompass many points, spits and inlets, making for an 

extremely dynamic area.

The seashore is made up of three separate islands; Bodie 

Island, Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. Its northern 

boundary is bordered by the Village of Nags Head and at its 

southern boundary ends at Ocracoke Inlet. Two other major 

inlets (Oregon Inlet and Hatteras Inlet) play a role in the 

seashore’s makeup. 

Major local interest lies in the protection of roadways and 

property on the island, which are under constant threat from 

storm surges, high winds and sand deposition and erosion. 

The seashore surrounds nine villages where most of this 

sensitive property is located, and also where much of the 

development pressure originates. An artificial dune line, 

which was put into place by the Civilian Conservation Corps 

in the late 1930s, has offered protection in the past, but is 

now in need of continuous maintenance due to erosion from 

storms and sea-level rise. 

Historic sites, such as the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse—already 

moved in 1999 due to threats from shoreline erosion—and 

several Coast Guard life-saving stations, are constantly 

threated threatened from sea-level rise and the island’s 

dynamic nature. The seashore is comprised of a variety of 

different habitats such as maritime forest, salt marsh, bog, 

back dune, and ocean shoreline, which allow for an array of 

wildlife to inhabit the area. The seashore has been designated 

as Globally Important Bird Area by the American Bird 

Conservancy because of the importance of the habitats to 

avian breeding, migration, and wintering (Cecil et al. 2009). 

Several threatened and endangered species use the island 

for nesting and overwintering such as the loggerhead sea 

turtle and piping plover. Preferred nesting and overwintering 

areas change as shorelines change over time. Knowledge of 

the dynamics of the shoreline and impacts from Hurricane 

Dorian will help with future planning for and protection of 

wildlife at the seashore. 

This report includes data collected from the northern 

seashore boundary near the village of Nags Head to the 

southern boundary at Ocracoke Inlet (Figure 1). This 

area includes Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, which 

encompasses 21 kilometers (13 miles) of shoreline starting 

at the south end of Oregon Inlet and ending at the northern 

end of Rodanthe village. 

3
4

Figure 1. Map showing the sections of beach, highlighted in red (study area), where data is collected for the longterm shoreline monitoring project and the post-Dorian data collection. Data is collected along the sandy beaches of 

Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island. 
5

Hurricane Dorian Impacts

Hurricane Dorian moved northward through the Caribbean 

as a category 5 hurricane, wreaking havoc on the Bahamas 

as the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall there. The 

storm moved northward and weakened, staying just off the 

southeastern U.S. coast until making landfall as a category 

3 storm near Cape Hatteras in eastern North Carolina on 

September 6 , 2019 (Figure 2). As the hurricane impacted 

Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the water levels reached 

peaks ranging from 1.07 to 2.93 meters (3.51 to 7.83 feet; 

Table 1). The hydrographs of the water levels during 

Hurricane Dorian are shown in Appendix A. 

Figure 2. Map of Hurricane Dorian path (image taken from NWS 2019).

Table 1. List of peak high-water levels, in meters, during Hurricanes Dorian, Florence, Matthew, and Joaquin (USGS 2020). 

Peak high-water levels are in NAVD88.

Location Dorian Florence Matthew Joaquin

Oregon Inlet Boat Ramp (sound side) 1.07 0.64 0.81 N/A

Tri-Villages 1.91 2.95 2.34 2.50

Avon 1.78 3.52 2.67 2.71

Buxton 2.39 N/A 2.26 1.74

Hatteras Ferry (sound side) 1.73 0.63 2.15 1.06
6

The wind and precipitation from Dorian are summarized in 

Tables 2 and 3 (NWS 2019). The eye of the hurricane passed 

Cape Lookout (Figure 2) with peak wind gusts of 110 milesper-hour (mph) reported at Cedar Island Ferry Terminal 

(Table 2). Rainfall totals within Carteret, Dare and Hyde 

counties ranged from 27.63 to 39.10 millimeters (1.09 to 1.54 

inches; Table 3). Storm-surge flooding from the hurricane 

severely impacted Ocracoke with a storm surge of 1.22 to 

2.13 meters (4.00 to 7.00 feet; NWS 2019).

Table 2. Table of the highest wind speeds in Carteret, Dare, and Hyde counties during Hurricane Dorian (NWS 2019). 

County Location Speed (mph) Time Date Provider

Carteret Cedar Island Ferry Terminal 110 05:18 AM 9/5/2019 NWS

Fort Macon (WxFlow) 89 04:21 AM 9/6/2019 WXFLOW

Beaufort 85 02:14 PM 9/5/2019 CWOP

Cape Lookout 82 06:00 AM 9/6/2019 NDBC

Cedar Island RAWS 76 05:25 AM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Beaufort (MRH ASOS) 68 08:15 AM 9/6/2019 ASOS

Piney Island (KNBT ASOS) 66 04:09 AM 9/6/2019 ASOS

Newport WFO 65 06:37 AM 9/6/2019 RSOIS

Newport 53 07:45 AM 9/6/2019 CWOP

Bogue Field (NJM ASOS) 53 02:55 AM 9/6/2019 AWOS

Cape Lookout 51 11:00 PM 9/5/2019 NDBC

Croatan RAWS 50 03:05 AM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Indian Beach 50 05:46 PM 9/5/2019 CWOP

Dare Hatteras High (WxFlow) 10 09:33 AM 9/6/2019 WXFLOW

Oregon Inlet CG (WxFlow) 99 12:20 PM 9/6/2019 WXFLOW

KHK Resort (WxFlow) 91 12:19 PM 9/6/2019 WXFLOW

Buxton (WxFlow) 91 09:34 AM 9/6/2019 WXFLOW

Oregon Inlet (WxFlow) 84 11:37 AM 9/6/2019 WXFLOW

Avon (WxFlow) 84 08:08 AM 9/6/2019 WXFLOW

Real Slick (WxFlow) 82 11:55 AM 9/6/2019 WXFLOW

Nags Head 78 11:20 AM 9/6/2019 CWOP

Frisco (HSE ASOS) 78 06:39 AM 9/6/2019 ASOS

Dare Co Gnry Ran (2DP AWOS) 72 11:11 AM 9/6/2019 AWOS

Dare Bomb Range RAWS 69 11:28 AM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Buxton (WxFlow) 62 05:49 AM 9/6/2019 WXFLOW

Manteo (MQI AWOS) 61 10:55 AM 9/6/2019 AWOS

Kill Devil Hills (FFA AWOS) 54 11:40 AM 9/6/2019 AWOS

Hyde Fairfield RAWS 60 09:17 AM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Hyde Count Airport 36 05:00 PM 9/5/2019 ASOS
7

Table 3. Table of precipitation amounts in Carteret, Dare, and Hyde counties during Hurricane Dorian (NWS 2019). 

County Location Precipitation 

(Inches)

Precipitation 

(Millimeters)

Time Date Provider

Carteret Beaufort 0.6 SSE 6.82 32.22 07:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Cedar Island RAWS 6.55 31.95 11:25 AM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Morehead City 0.6 NW 5.70 31.10 07:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Cedar Island 0.6 SSE 5.46 30.86 07:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Morehead City 2.4 WNW 5.22 30.62 07:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

1 ESE Morehead City 5.06 30.46 01:25 AM 9/6/2019 AWS

Newport 4.95 30.35 12:42 PM 9/6/2019 CWOP

Emerald Isle 4.94 30.34 01:22 AM 9/6/2019 CWOP

Cedar Point 0.9 WSW 4.82 30.22 05:35 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Morehead City 0.1 E 4.37 29.77 08:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Morehead City 3.0 WNW 4.00 29.40 07:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Swansboro 3.0 NE 3.98 29.38 09:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Beaufort (MRH ASOS) 3.91 29.31 03:58 AM 9/6/2019 ASOS

Ocean 0.5 S 3.87 29.27 08:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

0.2 SW Newport 3.78 29.18 04:23 AM 9/6/2019 CWOP

Newport 2.5 W 3.71 29.11 08:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Croatan RAWS 3.66 29.06 12:05 PM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Emerald Isle 0.2 ENE 3.45 28.85 07:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Dare Nags Head 7.75 33.15 11:36 AM 9/6/2019 CWOP

Dare Bomb Range RAWS 4.60 30.00 12:28 PM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Frisco (HSE ASOS) 4.36 29.76 07:51 AM 9/6/2019 ASOS

Dare Co Gnry Ran (2DP AWOS) 3.26 28.66 12:42 PM 9/6/2019 AWOS

Manteo (MQI AWOS) 2.48 27.88 10:55 AM 9/6/2019 AWOS

Manteo 2.8 NW 2.25 27.65 07:35 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Hyde Nccat Campus 13.70 39.10 12:00 PM 9/6/2019 HADS

Fairfield RAWS 5.88 31.28 12:17 PM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Ocracoke 0.2 ESE 5.32 30.72 07:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Fairfield RAWS 5.22 30.62 08:17 AM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Engelhard 0.8 NW 4.90 30.30 07:00 AM 9/6/2019 COCORAHS

Fairfield RAWS 2.90 28.30 01:17 AM 9/6/2019 RAWS

Nccat Campus 2.23 27.63 12:25 AM 9/6/2019 HADS

9

Methods

Standard Operating Procedures 

Although not collected as part of SECN’s on-going Vital 

Signs monitoring efforts, this activity utilized the same 

equipment and methods to conduct the post-Dorian survey, 

except the post-Dorian shoreline data was not collected 

during a neap high-tide window (see SOP 1.3.21 Survey 

Timing and GPS Mission Planning for Coastal Shoreline 

Monitoring—Version 1.0 [Baron 2018b] for additional 

information on shoreline mapping window and planning). 

The park requested the post-Dorian shoreline data collection 

be performed as soon as possible following the hurricane to 

capture the post-Dorian impact. Table 4 lists the monitoring 

protocol standard operating procedures (SOPs) utilized in 

the long-term and post-Dorian shoreline monitoring data 

collection, processing, and reporting. These SOPs are critical 

to maintaining continuity between data sets across many 

surveys to ensure comparable results. The version numbers 

in the table apply to all 2018 and 2019 data sets. 

In all three surveys, the shoreline was mapped along the 

oceanfront sandy shoreline of Cape Hatteras National 

Seashore following survey methods developed by the 

National Park Service Northeast Coast Barrier Network 

(Psuty et al. 2010). Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS; 

Himmelstoss et al. 2018) was used to analyze the shoreline 

change. Annual shoreline change distances were calculated 

by determining the distance between two shorelines. 

Shoreline surveys were collected in fall 2018, spring 2019, 

and fall 2019 (post-Dorian); therefore, the shoreline change 

that occurred between those three shoreline surveys is 

calculated in this report.

The uncertainty of the individual shoreline survey is ± 

5 meters (16.4 feet; Baron 2018d). This value is derived 

from the (1) GPS accuracy, (2) differential tide position, 

(3) meteorological effects–wave dimension and run-up, 

and (4) interpretation of the line (Psuty et al. 2010). 

The annual comparisons, deduced using two individual 

shoreline surveys, will have a combined uncertainty of ± 

10 meters (32.8 feet; Psuty et al. 2010). Refer to Psuty et al. 

2010 for additional information regarding shoreline survey 

uncertainty.

Shoreline Data Collection

Shoreline data is collected according to SOP 1.3.22 

Conducting the Shoreline Survey—Version 1.0 (Baron 2018c). 

The high-tide swash line is mapped using a Trimble® GPS 

unit. The data collected is differentially corrected using 

Pathfinder Office software to obtain higher accuracy data 

(Baron 2018d). The corrected data is exported as an ESRI 

shapefile. The ESRI shapefile is then edited, formatted, and 

uploaded to a personal geodatabase to analyze using DSAS 

(Baron 2018b).

Shoreline Change Analysis 

The three shoreline data collections were analyzed using 

DSAS to calculate the shoreline change between two time 

periods: fall 2018 to post-Dorian and spring 2019 to postDorian. The shoreline change was performed by analyzing 

the 2018 and 2019 shoreline data collected. The fall 2018 

shoreline was collected October 20–24, 2018, the spring 

2019 shoreline data was collected March 28–31, 2019 and 

the post-Dorian 2019 shoreline was collected September 

12–16, 2019. The three shoreline data sets were analyzed by 

calculating the distance the high-tide lines of two shorelines 

moved along cross-shore transects, which are spaced 

approximately 10 meters (32.8 feet) apart. This analysis is 

termed Net Shoreline Movement in DSAS. For this report the 

shoreline change was analyzed from fall 2018 to post-Dorian 

and spring 2019 to post-Dorian.

Erosion areas were determined as areas having negative 

shoreline change distance less than the uncertainty range 

of the data (± 10 meters [32.8 feet]). Accretion areas were 

determined as locations with positive shoreline change 

distances greater than the uncertainty range (±10 meters 

[32.8 feet]).

Table 4. List of SOPs used for shoreline position data collection, processing, and reporting.

SOP Number SOP Title SOP Version

1.3.21 Survey timing and GPS mission planning 1.0

1.3.22 Conducting the GPS shoreline survey 1.0

2.3.10 Post survey GPS data processing 1.0

2.3.11 Coastal shoreline monitoring annual change analysis 1.0

2.3.09 Coastal shoreline monitoring annual reporting 1.0
10

Water Levels

The fall 2018 and spring 2019 shoreline surveys of the 

high-tide swash line included in this report were conducted 

during a neap-tide window, as outlined in the protocol. The 

post-Dorian shoreline data were not collected during neap 

tides and were within and during the full moon. The actual 

tide heights that occurred before the surveys included in 

this annual report are listed in Table 5. The post-Dorian 

shoreline data collection high tides were slightly higher than 

the spring 2019 and fall 2018 shoreline data collection high 

tides. The slightly higher high tides that occurred during the 

post-Dorian shoreline data collection can potentially cause 

the position of the shoreline to be more landward, this can 

slightly overestimate erosion and underestimate accretion, 

depending on the topography of the beach face during data 

collection. 

Table 5. High tide levels for areas within the Cape Hatteras NS shoreline assessment area. High-tide heights are relative to 

Mean Lower Low Water, Oregon Inlet Marina, NC—Station ID: 8652587 [m—meters]. 

Season Area Surveyed Survey Collection Date High Tide Height (m) High Tide Time

Fall 2018 Bodie Island 10/20/2018 0.44 05:54 AM

PINWR 10/24/2018 0.36 08:24 AM

North Hatteras Island 10/22/2018 0.38 07:06 AM

South Hatteras Island 10/22/2018 0.38 07:06 AM

Ocracoke Island 10/23/2018 0.40 07:42 AM

Spring 2019 Bodie Island 03/28/2019 0.37 02:48 AM

PINWR 03/29/2019 0.42 03:48 AM

North Hatteras Island 03/30/2019 0.39 04:48 AM

South Hatteras Island 03/31/2019 0.41 05:30 AM

Ocracoke Island 03/31/2019 0.42 05:18 AM

Post-Dorian 2019 Bodie Island 09/12/2019 0.54 07:46 AM

PINWR 09/132019 0.47 08:12 AM

Tri Villages 09/15/2019 0.55 09:18 AM

North Hatteras Island 09/14/2019 0.56 08:48 AM

South Hatteras Island 09/14/2018 0.56 08:48 AM

Ocracoke Island 09/16/2019 0.49 09:54 AM
11

Facilities Analysis

As part of this report, Cape Hatteras National Seashore 

requested a facilities analysis to determine park buildings 

that may be potentially impacted by future storms. To 

address this question, the park facilities layer was obtained 

from the park, and GIS analysis was performed to determine 

the park facilities that were within 25 meters (82 feet) and 

100 meters (328 feet) of the post-Dorian shoreline. For this 

analysis, a 25-meter and 100-meter buffer was created for the 

post-Dorian shoreline data collected. The facilities located 

within the 25-meter and 100-meter buffer were selected and 

exported.

Photo of the south end of Bodie Island at Oregon Inlet during the post-Dorian 2019 shoreline data collection. The 

shoreline is accreting under the old bridge (Photo taken September 12, 2019 By Lisa Cowart Baron).

13

Results

Shoreline Data

Three shoreline data collection events are discussed in this 

report: fall 2018, spring 2019, and post-Dorian. Fall 2018 

shoreline data collection was performed October 20–24, 

2018. Spring 2019 shoreline data collection was performed 

March 28–31, 2019. Post-Dorian shoreline data collection 

was performed September 12–16, 2019. On average, 122.04 

kilometers (75.83 miles) of shoreline were mapped during 

the three shoreline data collection events (Table 6). The GPS 

data collected had a mean horizontal positional error of 

10.92 centimeters (4.30 inches; Table 6).

Table 6. Table of the length and horizontal precision of the shorelines collected during 2018 and 2019 with the mean length 

and horizontal precision were calculated by averaging the entire shoreline feature [cm—centimeters; km—kilometers]. 

Data Collection Event Area Collection Date Mean Horizontal Accuracy (cm) Length (km)

Fall 2018 Bodie Island 10/20/2018 22.50 9.30

PINWR 10/24/2018 9.96 21.95

North Hatteras Island 10/22/2018 9.93 37.56

South Hatteras Island 10/22/2018 6.55 25.28

Ocracoke Island 10/23/2018 10.00 27.49

Spring 2019 Bodie Island 03/282019 10.05 9.40

PINWR 03/29/2019 10.00 19.93

North Hatteras Island 03/30/2019 11.57 40.03

South Hatteras Island 03/31/2019 8.79 24.61

Ocracoke Island 03/31/2019 13.75 27.59

Post-Dorian Bodie Island 09/12/2019 9.99 9.30

PINWR 09/13/2019 10.02 20.45

Tri Villages of Hatteras Island 09/15/2019 11.02 4.47

North Hatteras Island 09/14/2019 10.19 35.20

South Hatteras Island 09/14/2018 10.42 24.68

Ocracoke Island 09/16/2019 10.06 28.88
14

Shoreline Change Analysis

Fall 2018 to post-Dorian Shoreline Change

Appendix B contains maps of the fall 2018 to post-Dorian 

shoreline change distances. The annual shoreline change 

distance is displayed by the extent of each transect, clipped 

between two shorelines, and colored according to the 

shoreline change distance. A negative shoreline change 

distance denotes erosion, and is shown in warmer colors 

(red, orange, yellow). Positive shoreline change distance 

depicts accretion, and is shown in cooler colors (light green, 

dark green, blue). 

The shoreline change distance from fall 2018 to post-Dorian 

ranged from -920.07 meters to 127.45 meters (-3,018.60 

to 418.14 feet; Appendix B). The mean shoreline distance 

change from fall 2018 to post-Dorian was -12.84 meters 

(-42.13 feet) with a standard deviation of 46.70 meters 

(153.22 ft). When the shoreline change distance data is 

summarized by island (Table 7), the lowest mean shoreline 

change distance occurred on Ocracoke Island. This means 

that, on average, the highest erosion occurred on Ocracoke 

Island. Not surprisingly, the transect where the greatest 

amount of erosion was recorded also occurred on Ocracoke 

Island (Table 7). The mean shoreline change distance on 

Hatteras and Bodie Islands were both negative, suggesting 

erosion. However, the mean shoreline change distance on 

Hatteras and Bodie Islands were more than half of the mean 

shoreline change distance that was calculated for Ocracoke 

Island. 

Table 7. Fall 2018 to post-Dorian shoreline change distance summary statistics and number of transects for each island. 

Summary statistics units are in meters. *Includes Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Island Minimum Maximum Mean Standard Deviation Number of Transects

Bodie Island -106.70 49.56 -7.03 21.07 914

Hatteras Island* -286.06 127.45 -8.78 21.77 8386

Ocracoke Island -920.07 27.26 -27.82 89.21 2636

Erosion areas are represented as orange and red transects in 

the maps in Appendix B. Erosion was identified for 45.07% 

of the transects (5,320 of 11,805) in the analysis (Figure 

3). Because the transects are located approximately every 

10 meters (32.8 feet) along the shoreline study area, it can 

be inferred that erosion occurred along a cumulative 53.20 

kilometers (33.06 miles) of the study area surveyed. 

Most of the erosion areas were located at inlets and at Cape 

Point. On Bodie Island, the shoreline retreat exceeded 

25 meters (82 feet) along five sections of the beach. On 

Hatteras Island, the shoreline retreat exceeded 25 meters 

(82 feet) along the two inlets, Cape Point, and multiple small 

sections within Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and 

the Tri-Villages. On Ocracoke Island, the shoreline retreat 

exceeded 25 meters (82 feet) primarily at or near the inlets.

Accretion is represented as dark green and blue transects in 

the maps in Appendix B. Accretion was identified for 6.83% 

of the transects (806 of 11,805) in the analysis (Figure 3). 

Because the transects are located approximately every 10 

meters (32.8 feet) along the baseline, it can be inferred that 

accretion occurred along a cumulative 8.06 kilometers (5.01 

miles) of the study area surveyed. 

On Bodie Island, the shoreline advanced greater than or 

equal to 25 meters (82 feet) at the northern end of the park 

boundary and near the Oregon Inlet. On Hatteras Island, 

the shoreline advanced greater than or equal to 25 meters 

(82 feet) on the northern end of Pea Island National Wildlife 

Refuge, near Oregon Inlet, and near Cape Point. There 

are only two small sections where the shoreline advanced 

greater than or equal to 25 meters (82 feet) on Ocracoke 

Island, which was on the southwest end of the island, before 

Ocracoke Inlet. 
15

Photo of beached buoy on Ocracoke Island taken during the post-Dorian 2019 shoreline data collection (Photo taken 

September 16, 2019 by Lisa Cowart Baron).
16

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

900

950

Frequency

Shoreline Change Distance (meters)

Shoreline Change from Fall 2018 to Post Hurricane Dorian

Figure 3. Modified histogram of transect shoreline change distances from fall 2018 to post-Dorian data collection. The shoreline change distance is 

binned by 2-meter increments, except the bar representing no change (0 meters) and the first and last bins. Erosion areas are shown as red bars, transects 

within the uncertainty range (± 10 meters [32.8 feet]) are shown as grey, and accretion areas are shown as blue. The first and last bins are larger than 2 

meters (6.6 feet) because the bin ranges larger than 58 meters (190 feet) and less than -100 meters (-328 feet) have 1 or 0 transects. 
17

Spring 2019 to post-Dorian Shoreline Change

Appendix C contains maps of the spring 2019 to postDorian shoreline change distances. The seasonal shoreline 

change distance is displayed by the extent of each transect, 

clipped between two shorelines and colored according to the 

shoreline change distance. The shoreline change envelope is 

the greatest extent of the shoreline change that occurred at 

the transect location. A negative shoreline change distance 

denotes erosion, shown in warmer colors (red, orange, 

yellow). Positive shoreline change distance is depicting 

accretion, and is shown in cooler colors (light green, dark 

green, blue). The shoreline change distance ranged from 

-926.15 meters to 126.74 meters (-3,038.55 to 415.81 feet; 

Appendix C). The mean shoreline change distance for the 

area mapped was -1.93 meters (-6.33 feet) with a standard 

deviation of 47.18 meters. When the shoreline change 

distance data is summarized by island (Table 8), the lowest 

mean shoreline change distance occurred on Ocracoke 

Island. This means that on average, the most erosion 

occurred on Ocracoke Island. Not surprisingly, Ocracoke 

Island also had the lowest shoreline change distance (Table 

8). The mean shoreline change distance on Hatteras and 

Bodie island were both positive, suggesting accretion. 

Erosion areas are represented as light orange and red 

transects in the maps in Appendix C. Erosion was identified 

for 20.58% of the transects (2,430 of 11,805) in the analysis 

(Figure 4). Because the transects are located approximately 

every 10 meters (32.81 feet) along the baseline, it can be 

inferred that erosion occurred along a cumulative 24.30 

kilometers (15.10 miles) of the study area surveyed. 

Most of the erosion areas were located at inlets and at Cape 

Point. On Bodie Island, there was only one transect where 

shoreline retreat exceeded 25 meters (82 feet), which is 

located near Oregon Inlet. On Hatteras Island, the shoreline 

retreated exceeded 25 meters (82 feet) along the two inlets, 

Cape Point, and some small sections near the Tri-Villages. 

On Ocracoke Island, shoreline retreat exceeded 25 meters 

(82 feet) primarily at or near the inlets.

Accretion is represented as dark green and blue transects in 

the maps in Appendix C. Accretion was identified for 25.54% 

of the transects (3015 of 11,805) in the analysis (Figure 4). 

Because the transects are located approximately every 10 

meters (32.8 feet) along the baseline, it can be inferred that 

accretion occurred along a cumulative 30.15 kilometers 

(18.73 miles) of the study area surveyed. 

On Bodie Island, the shoreline advanced greater than or 

equal to 25 meters (82 feet) at the northern end of the park 

boundary, near beach access ramp 2, and near the Oregon 

Inlet. On Hatteras Island, the shoreline advanced greater 

than or equal to 25 meters (82 feet) on the northern end 

of and many locations within Pea Island National Wildlife 

Refuge, and near Cape Point. There were no areas where the 

shoreline advanced greater than or equal to 25 meters (82 

ft) on Ocracoke Island, as the maximum shoreline change 

distance is 22.23 meters (72.93 ft; Table 8).

Island Minimum Maximum Mean Standard Deviation Number of Transects

Bodie Island -26.36 71.98 19.81 17.16 914

Hatteras Island* -323.65 126.74 1.80 21.01 8327

Ocracoke Island -926.15 22.23 -21.51 89.54 2636

Table 8. Spring 2019 to post-Dorian shoreline change distance summary statistics and number of transects for each island. 

Summary statistics units are in meters. *Includes Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.
18

Photo taken at Hatteras Inlet on the north end of Ocracoke Island during the post-Dorian 2019 data collection. The 

high-tide line was in the vegetation; therefore, the crew walked the remaining distance to capture the high-tide line 

within the eroding vegetation (Photo taken September 16, 2019 By Lisa Cowart Baron). 
19

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

900

-926.15 - -80.01

-78.00 - -76.01-74.00 - -72.01-70.00 - -68.01-66.00 - -64.01-62.00 - -60.01-58.00 - -56.01-54.00 - -52.01-50.00 - -48.01-46.00 - -44.01-42.00 - -40.01-38.00 - -36.01-34.00 - -32.01-30.00 - -28.01-23.00 - -24.01-22.00 - -20.01-18.00 - -16.01-14.00 - -12.01

-10.00 - -8.01

-6.00 - -4.01-2.00 - -0.01

0.01 - 2.004.01 - 6.00

8.01 - 10.00

12..01 - 14.00

16.01 - 18.0020.01 - 22.0024.01 - 26.0028.01 - 30.0032.01 - 34.0036.01 - 38.0040.01 - 42.0044.01 - 46.0048.01 - 50.0052.01 - 54.0056.01 - 58.0060.01 - 62.0064.01 - 66.0068.01 - 70.00

Frequency

Shoreline Change Distance (meters)

Shoreline Change from Spring 2019 to Post Hurricane Dorian

Figure 4. Modified histogram of transect shoreline change distances from spring 2019 to post-Dorian data collection. The shoreline change distance is 

binned by 2-meter increments, except the bar representing no change (0 meters) and the first and last bins. Erosion areas are shown as red bars, transects 

within the uncertainty range (± 10 meters [32.8 feet]) are shown as grey, and accretion areas are shown as blue. The first and last bins are larger than 2 

meters (6.6 feet) because the bin ranges larger than 70 meters (230 feet) and less than -80 meters (-262.4 feet) have 1 or 0 transects. 
20

Facilities Analysis

The proximity of the post-Dorian shoreline data collected 

was analyzed with the facilities data at Cape Hatteras NS. 

There were two analyses run: (1) buildings within 25 meters 

(82 feet) of the post-Dorian shoreline, and (2) facilities 

within 100 meters (328 feet) of the post-Dorian shoreline 

(Tables 9 and 10). As shown in Table 9, there are seven 

buildings within 25 meters (82 feet) of the post-Dorian 

shoreline. Of those seven, six buildings are on Hatteras 

Island and one building is on Ocracoke Island. There are 

twenty-three buildings within 100 meters (328 feet) of the 

post-Dorian shoreline data collected (Table 10), which 

includes six buildings on Bodie Island, fifteen buildings on 

Hatteras Island, and two buildings on Ocracoke Island.

Table 9. NPS facility buildings within 25 meters of the post-Dorian shoreline data collected.

Island District Facility ID Building Name Latitude Longitude

Hatteras Island – 93951 BI BD Hatteras Island (Rodanthe) Pier House 35.58496077 -75.4614605

Hatteras Island – 93925 HI BD Avon Pier House 35.34728237 -75.5013464

Hatteras Island Hatteras 93941 HI BD Cape Hatteras (Frisco) Pier House 35.22558485 -75.6361742

Ocracoke Island Ocracoke – Ocracoke Day Use Area Lifeguard Tower 35.10674087 -75.9525434

Hatteras Island Hatteras – Old CAHA Lite Site Lifeguard Stand 35.25298251 -75.5218426

Hatteras Island Hatteras 28660 HI HS CAHA Original Lighthouse Ruins 35.25492196 -75.5207008

Hatteras Island Hatteras – Buxton-Schooner Coast Guard Bldg 35.25808552 -75.5199836

Table 10. NPS facility buildings within 100 meters of the post-Dorian shoreline data collected.

Island District Facility ID Building Name Latitude Longitude

Bodie Island Bodie 28888 BI Maintenance Shop 35.84578846 -75.56400933

Bodie Island Bodie 28887 BI Maint Carpenter Shop 35.8455291 -75.56383398

Bodie Island Bodie 28898 BI QT Q117 35.84476977 -75.56315896

Bodie Island Bodie 28900 BI QT Q118 35.84454972 -75.56291702

Bodie Island Bodie 28901 BI QT Q119 35.84403636 -75.56313332

Bodie Island Bodie 28917 BI BD Coquina Sandcastle 35.83388508 -75.55872486

Hatteras Island – 28955 BI BD Pea Island Comfort Station 35.71590466 -75.49329075

Hatteras Island – 93951 BI BD Hatteras Island (Rodanthe) Pier House 35.58496077 -75.46146051

Hatteras Island – 93925 HI BD Avon Pier House 35.34728237 -75.50134638

Hatteras Island Hatteras 28839 HI BD Frisco Comfort Station 35.22466248 -75.6434519

Hatteras Island Hatteras 93941 HI BD Cape Hatteras (Frisco) Pier House 35.22558485 -75.63617421

Ocracoke Island Ocracoke – Ocracoke Island North Area (Ferry Landing) 

Comfort Station

35.18970072 -75.77906759

Ocracoke Island Ocracoke – Ocracoke Day Use Area Lifeguard Tower 35.10674087 -75.95254336

Hatteras Island Hatteras – Old CAHA Lite Site Lifeguard Stand 35.25298251 -75.52184263

Hatteras Island Hatteras 28660 HI HS CAHA Original Lighthouse Ruins 35.25492196 -75.52070079

Hatteras Island Hatteras – Buxton - Schooner Coast Guard Bldg 35.25852031 -75.52075314

Hatteras Island Hatteras – Buxton - Schooner Coast Guard Bldg 35.25752445 -75.52079533

Hatteras Island Hatteras – Buxton - Schooner Coast Guard Bldg 35.25843783 -75.52025289

Hatteras Island Hatteras – Buxton - Schooner Coast Guard Bldg 35.25808552 -75.51998358

Hatteras Island – – Pea Island Visitor Center 35.71666572 -75.49371334

Hatteras Island – – Pea Island Maintenance 35.68387883 -75.48248867

Hatteras Island – – Pea Island Maintenance 35.68391097 -75.48217773

Hatteras Island – – Pea Island Maintenance 35.68359201 -75.48246845
21

Conclusion

Approximately 122.04 kilometers (75.83 miles) of shoreline 

data collected in fall 2018, spring 2019 and post-Dorian 

indicate a geomorphologically dynamic beach/barrier island 

system and response to a major storm system. Many areas of 

both accretion and erosion were noted in the seasonal and 

annual shoreline change analyses performed. On average, 

the seasonal shoreline change on Hatteras and Bodie Island 

was positive, denoting accretion. The seasonal shoreline 

advance during the summer is representative of the general 

seasonal shoreline change of Atlantic beaches, as they tend 

to build throughout the summer. Conversely, the overall 

annual shoreline change of Hatteras and Bodie Islands was 

erosional. Ocracoke Island not only exhibited erosion when 

the annual shoreline change was analyzed, but also when the 

seasonal shoreline change was determined. In comparing the 

shoreline change on the three islands of Cape Hatteras NS, 

Ocracoke Island exhibited the most erosion on average. The 

majority of the erosion was located near inlet areas. 

When the fall 2018 to fall 2019 (post-Dorian) cumulative 

shoreline change distance from this study (-12.84 meters 

[-42.13 feet]) is compared to the annual shoreline change 

distance from spring 2018 to spring 2019 (-1.46 meters 

[-4.79feet]; Baron 2020), the fall 2019 to post-Dorian 

shoreline change is more negative, denoting higher erosion. 

However, even though they are both annual analyses, these 

data are from different seasons. The influence of comparing 

annual analyses from different seasons of this park is still 

being determined. Therefore, the conclusion of higher mean 

erosion due to Hurricane Dorian is uncertain. Long-term 

trends in the SECN shoreline change monitoring effort 

will help put this post-storm survey event into a broader 

temporal context.

Of the park facilities analyzed for potential impacts of future 

storms, seven buildings were identified within 25 meters (82 

feet) of the post-Dorian shoreline and twenty-three buildings 

within 100 meters (328 feet) of the post-Dorian shoreline 

data collected. The potential impact of these facilities will 

be determined by the intensity of future storms and by the 

topography of the landscape between these facilities and the 

approaching storm surge. 
22

Photo of the damage sustained by Ocracoke Village residents. Due to the high water levels during the storm, most of 

the contents within the Village homes were damaged. The streets were lined with trash to be taken away. (Photo taken 

on September 17, 2019 by Kelsey Mack). 
23

Literature Cited 

Baron, L. C. 2018a. Monitoring coastal shoreline change in Southeast Coast Network parks: Protocol implementation plan. 

Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR—2018/1744. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. Available at: https://

irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2256509 (last accessed July 2020). 

Baron, L. C. 2018b. Survey timing and GPS mission planning for coastal shoreline monitoring—Version 1.0. Southeast Coast 

Network Standard Operating Procedure NPS/SECN/SOP—1.3.21. Southeast Coast Network, Athens, Georgia. Available at: 

https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2253892 (last accessed July 2020). 

Baron, L. C. 2018c. Conducting the GPS Shoreline Survey—Version 1.0. Southeast Coast Network Standard Operating Procedure 

NPS/SECN/SOP—1.3.22. Southeast Coast Network, Athens, Georgia. Available at: https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/

Reference/Profile/2253893 (last accessed July 2020). 

Baron, L. C. 2018d. Post survey GPS data processing—Version 1.0. Southeast Coast Network Standard Operating Procedure NPS/

SECN/SOP—2.3.10. Southeast Coast Network, Athens, Georgia. Available at: https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/

Profile/2253895 (last accessed July 2020). 

Baron, L. C. 2020. Shoreline change at Cape Hatteras National Seashore: 2018–2019 data summary. Natural Resource Data Series 

NPS/SECN/NRDS—2020/1281. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. Available at: https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/

Reference/Profile/2275649 (last accessed July 2020). 

Cecil, J., C. Sanchez, I. Stenhouse, and I. Hartzler. 2009. United States of America. Pp 369 – 382 in C. Devenish, D. F. Díaz 

Fernández, R. P. Clay, I. Davidson & I. Yépez Zabala Eds. Important Bird Areas Americas - Priority sites for biodiversity 

conservation. Quito, Ecuador: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 16).

Himmelstoss, E. A., R. E. Henderson, M. G. Kratzmann, and A. S. Farris. 2018. Digital shoreline analysis system (DSAS)—

version 5.0 user guide. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1179, 110 p. Available at: https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/

publication/ofr20181179 (last accessed August 2020). 

National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 2013. The center for operation oceanographic products and services. 

Available at: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov (last accessed August 2020).

National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 2015. National data buoy center. Available at: https://www.ndbc.noaa.

gov/ (last accessed August 2020).

National Weather Service (NWS). 2019. Hurricane Dorian – September 6, 2019. Available at: https://www.weather.gov/mhx/

Dorian2019 (last accessed August 2020). 

Psuty, N. P., T. M. Silveira, M. Duffy, J. P. Pace, and D. E. Skidds. 2010. Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network Geomorphological 

Monitoring Protocol: Part I—Ocean Shoreline Position. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NCBN/NRR—2010/185. National 

Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. Available at: https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/664308 (last accessed 

August 2020). 

United States Geological Survey (USGS). 2020. Flood Event Viewer. Available at: https://stn.wim.usgs.gov/FEV/ (last accessed 

August 2020).

25

Appendix A. Hurricane Dorian Hydrographs
26

Figure A-1. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian at Oregon Inlet Boat Ramp. Information is from USGS Short-Term Network Monitoring 

(https://stn.wim.usgs.gov/STNPublicInfo/#/SensorPage?Site=6940&Sensor=10010 last accessed June 03, 2020)
27

Figure A-2. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian between Rodanthe and Waves in the Tri Villages. Information is from USGS Short-Term 

Network Monitoring (https://stn.wim.usgs.gov/STNPublicInfo/#/SensorPage?Site=12709&Sensor=10095 last accessed on June 05, 2020)
28

Figure A-3. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian at Avon. Information is from USGS Short-Term Network Monitoring (https://stn.wim.usgs.

gov/STNPublicInfo/#/SensorPage?Site=6911&Sensor=10054 last accessed June 05, 2020).
29

Figure A-4. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian at Buxton, north of the point. Information is from USGS Short-Term Network Monitoring 

(https://stn.wim.usgs.gov/STNPublicInfo/#/SensorPage?Site=12790&Sensor=10039 last accessed June 05, 2020).
30

Figure A-5. Hydrograph of the water level during Hurricane Dorian at Hatteras. Information is from USGS Short-Term Network Monitoring (https://stn.wim.

usgs.gov/STNPublicInfo/#/SensorPage?Site=6896&Sensor=10026 last accessed June 05, 2020).
31

Appendix B. Fall 2018 to post-Dorian Shoreline Change Distance 

Maps 

The following maps show the shoreline surveys collected and the fall 2018 to post-Dorian shoreline change at Cape Hatteras 

National Seashore. These maps show the post-Dorian (solid black line), fall 2018 (hatched line), and spring 2019 (dotted line) 

shoreline data collected for Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island. Additionally, these maps show the net shoreline 

movement (NSM) in meters from fall 2018 to post-Dorian shoreline data collection. The red, orange, and yellow transects denote 

erosion and the light green, dark green, and blue transects denote accretion. The background image of these maps is from the 

2012 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP). The inset map in the middle of the figure contains a red box that displays 

the location of the two map views, on the left and right side of the figure, within the park area. 
32

Bodie Island 

Figure B-1. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 0 and 1.
33

Figure B-2. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 2 and 3. 
34

Figure B-3. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 3 and 4. 
35

Figure B-4. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 4 and 5.
36

Hatteras Island 

Figure B-5. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 1. 
37

Figure B-6. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 2.
38

Figure B-7. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 3.
39

Figure B-8. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 4.
40

Figure B-9. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 5. 
41

Figure B-10. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 6. 
42

Figure B-11. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 7. 
43

Figure B-12. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 8. 
44

Figure B-13. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 19.
45

Figure B-14. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 20 and 21.
46

Figure B-15. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 21 and 22.
47

Figure B-16. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 22 and 23. 
48

Figure B-17. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 24 and 25.
49

Figure B-18. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 25 and 26.
50

Figure B-19. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 26 and 27.
51

Figure B-20. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 27 and 28.
52

Figure B-21. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 29 and 30.
53

Figure B-22. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 30 and 31.
54

Figure B-23. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 31 and 32.
55

Figure B-24. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 33 and 34.
56

Figure B-25. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 34 and 35.
57

Figure B-26. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 35 and 36.
58

Figure B-27. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 37 and 38.
59

Figure B-28. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 38 and 39.
60

Figure B-29. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 39 and 40.
61

Figure B-30. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 40 and 41.
62

Figure B-31. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 42 and 43.
63

Figure B-32. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 43 and 44.
64

Figure B-33. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 44 through 46.
65

Figure B-34. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 45 and 46.
66

Figure B-35. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 47.
67

Figure B-36. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 48.
68

Figure B-37. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 49. 
69

Figure B-38. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile maker 50.
70

Figure B-39. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 51.
71

Figure B-40. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 52.
72

Figure B-41. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 53.
73

Figure B-42. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 54.
74

Figure B-43. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 55.
75

Figure B-44. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 56.
76

Figure B-45. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 57.
77

Figure B-46. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 58.
78

Ocracoke Island 

Figure B-47. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 60.
79

Figure B-48. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 60 and 61.
80

Figure B-49. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 61 and 62.
81

Figure B-50. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 62 and 63.
82

Figure B-51. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 64.
83

Figure B-52. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 65.
84

Figure B-53. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 66.
85

Figure B-54. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 67.
86

Figure B-55. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 68.
87

Figure B-56. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 69.
88

Figure B-57. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 70.
89

Figure B-58. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 71 and 72.
90

Figure B-59. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 72 and 73.
91

Figure B-60. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 68.
92

Figure B-61. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 74. 
93

Appendix C. Spring 2019 to post-Dorian Shoreline Change 

Distance Maps 

The following maps show the shoreline surveys collected and the spring 2019 to post-Dorian shoreline change at Cape Hatteras 

National Seashore. These maps show the post-Dorian (solid black line), fall 2018 (hatched line), and spring 2019 (dotted line) 

shoreline data collected. Additionally, these maps show the net shoreline movement (NSM), in meters, from spring 2019 to postDorian shoreline data collection. The red, orange, and yellow transects denote erosion and the light green, dark green, and blue 

transects denote accretion. The background image of these maps is from the 2012 National Agriculture Imagery Program. The 

inset map in the middle of the figure contains a red box that displays the location of the two map views, on the left and right side 

of the figure, within the park area.
94

Bodie Island 

Figure C-1. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 0 and 1.
95

Figure C-2. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 2 and 3.
96

Figure C-3. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 3 and 4.
97

Figure C-4. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 4 and 5.
98

Hatteras Island 

Figure C-5. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 1. 
99

Figure C-6. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 2.
100

Figure C-7. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 3.
101

Figure C-8. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 4.
102

Figure C-9. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 5. 
103

Figure C-10. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 6.
104

Figure C-11. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 7. 
105

Figure C-12. Shoreline change in the vicinity of the north end of Hatteras Island, section 8.
106

Figure C-13. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 19.
107

Figure C-14. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 20 and 21.
108

Figure C-15. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 21 and 22.
109

Figure C-16. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 22 and 23. 
110

Figure C-17. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 24 and 25.
111

Figure C-18. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 25 and 26.
112

Figure C-19. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 26 and 27.
113

Figure C-20. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 27 and 28.
114

Figure C-21. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 29 and 30.
115

Figure C-22. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 30 and 31.
116

Figure C-23. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 31 and 32.
117

Figure C-24. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 33 and 34.
118

Figure C-25. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 34 and 35.
119

Figure C-26. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 35 and 36.
120

Figure C-27. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 37 and 38.
121

Figure C-28. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 38 and 39.
122

Figure C-29. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 39 and 40.
123

Figure C-30. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 40 and 41.
124

Figure C-31. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 42 and 43.
125

Figure C-32. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 43 and 44.
126

Figure C-33. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 44 through 46.
127

Figure C-34. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 45 and 46.
128

Figure C-35. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 47.
129

Figure C-36. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 48.
130

Figure C-37. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 49.
131

Figure C-38. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 50.
132

Figure C-39. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 51.
133

Figure C-40. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 52.
134

Figure C-41. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 53.
135

Figure C-42. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 54.
136

Figure C-43. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 55.
137

Figure C-44. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 56.
138

Figure C-45. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 57.
139

Figure C-46. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 58.
140

Ocracoke Island 

Figure C-47. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 60.
141

Figure C-48. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 60 and 61.
142

Figure C-49. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 61 and 62.
143

Figure C-50. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 62 and 63.
144

Figure C-51. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 64.
145

Figure C-52. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 65.
146

Figure C-53. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 66.
147

Figure C-54. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 67.
148

Figure C-55. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 68.
149

Figure C-56. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 69.
150

Figure C-57. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 70.
151

Figure C-58. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 71 and 72.
152

Figure C-59. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 72 and 73.
153

Figure C-60. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile markers 73 and 74.
154

Figure C-61. Shoreline change in the vicinity of mile marker 74.


The Department of the Interior protects and manages the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and 

other information about those resources; and honors its special responsibilities to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated 

Island Communities.

NPS 603/173886, December 2020
National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Natural Resource Stewardship and Science 

1201 Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 150 

Fort Collins, Colorado 80525 

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