http://wunc.org/post/changing-carolina-coast-managing-threat-rising-water
A few years ago I read, “The Battle for North Carolina’s Coast,” by Stanley Riggs. It includes some startling pictures showing where the coast actually was a hundred years ago (in a then-and-now format) that makes it very clear how much the coastline has already changed. On some of the islands, entire blocks that used to be on land are now underwater, and have been for 60+ years.
In a war between man and mother nature, I think it’s pretty obvious which will win in the long run.
No…would be a losing battle. NC’s coast and its Outer Banks are fair game for alteration by future hurricanes. What might be a barrier island now off NC coast could be carved into two barrier islands next hurricane after storm carves a new ‘pass’ into island.
I think that anything build in those extremely unstable areas should be considered temporary, and I don’t think the federal government should subsidize it in the least.
NJ spends a fortune blowing sand onto the beaches…I think it’s federal dollars. While I understand the people there want to preserve the homes and businesses, I’m not so sure we should be fighting this battle so hard.
^Agreed–when i bought a house down the shore, I bought it on the mainland, on high ground. I think the people living on barrier islands are nuts. I am in favor of dunes, but not the yearly beach replenishment projects.
The Outer Banks is basically a sandbar. No amount of engineering will put sand in a long-term winning position against the Atlantic Ocean (or any other ocean).
The beach replenishment programs are driven by the need/desire for tourist generated revenue. That’s not going to end anytime soon. But as movemetoo has already pointed out, Mother Nature has a way of overriding our best efforts. Climate change is starting to make clear that living along the shorelines will get increasingly risky, and eventually become an unsustainable proposition. It’s so sad, because those of us who grew up on the East Coast are going to take this eventuality pretty hard. 
^ There will still be an east coast. But eventually, probably not in my lifetime, it’s going to be quite a bit more to the west.