If you live on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, you probably know the answer. Cape Hatteras lighthouse has been a beacon for seamen for 130 years from its perch on the north end of Hatteras Island. Sea level rise and erosion have forced the lighthouse off its roost and it is being moved a half mile inland. In order to protect billions of dollars of property and lives, few options remain for keeping a beach in place. Hatteras Island is a barrier island.
Barrier islands are massive dunes with bases below the tideline and peaks ten feet above low tide.
As sea level rises and falls over time, the islands migrate both along and perpendicular to the beach. Now, they are migrating inland as sea level rises. By the year 2088, the retreat may reach over a half a mile inland. Things are different now. By 2018, well over half the nation s population will live within five miles of a beach.