by Kathy Hart 



"You change one factor, such as the water elevation, 

 and it's all out of equilibrium," he says. "The beach will 

 then make adjustments to reach a balance." 



During storms, waves suck beach and dune sand off- 

 shore and store it. After the storm, some of that sand 

 will be restored to the beach. But other sand particles 

 will be caught in longshore currents and carried 

 parallel to the shoreline. 



The result is usually a net loss of sand for the beach. 

 Fisher says. 



Besides their winds and waves, northeasters also 

 possess an enduring quality. Rogers says these storms 

 can park themselves off the North Carolina coast for 

 days, battering the shoreline on high tide after high 

 tide. 



And exactly where these storms do the most damage 

 depends on the orientation of the shoreline and the 

 position of the storm. 



The famous Ash Wednesday northeaster of the 

 1960s terrorized beach communities from the Outer 

 Banks northwcird. But the two big storms of this north- 

 easter season have wreaked havoc along the 

 southeastern shore, particularly at Topsail and Long 

 beaches. 



Now many Tbpsail and Long beach homes, stripped 

 of their dune protection, stand vulnerable to the next 

 storm. To protect the homes, these communities have 

 already begun beach nourishment and dune rebuilding 

 projects (see story, page 5). 



But these projects may only buy property owners a 

 little extra time. These beaches will continue to erode, 

 and storms such as northeasters and hurricanes often 

 show where the erosion problems are most chronic, 

 Rogers says. 



Coastal resource managers estimate that the average 



erosion rate for Tkr Heel beaches is 2 to 3 feet each 

 year 



Rogers says some areas are eroding at a faster rate; 

 others, at a slower pace. And a few miles of the state's 

 shoreline are actually building up, or accreting. 



Scientists predict that the coast will continue to 

 erode as long as sea level increases. Now sea level is ris 

 ing at a rate of 6 to 12 inches each century. 



But many scientists, including Fisher, expect that 

 rate to increase. 



Fisher says a combination of factors, including an in- 

 crease in carbon dioxide levels and industrialization, 

 will raise air and sea temperatures, melt portions of the 

 polar ice caps and raise ocean levels. 



"The rise in sea level is going to eventually magnify 

 our erosion problems," Fisher says. 



