"Bounce Forward" Tourism
Resilience on North
Carolina's Outer Banks
NC STATE
EXTENSION
The Need for Bounce Forward
Tourism Resilience
North Carolina's Outer Banks (OBX) (Figure 1) have
long been a popular tourist destination because
of their unique combination of cultural and natural
resources (Seekamp et at. 2023). The remoteness
and natural beauty of the region drove record
visitation numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic,
and high levels of visitation have been sustained
(Outer Banks Visitors Bureau n.d.). This heightened
popularity further establishes tourism as an
economic driver for the region. While demand for
travel experiences in these coastal communities
rises, increasing coastal hazards (including storms,
flooding, sea level rise, and erosion) are threatening
the sustainability of the OBX tourism industry.
OBX communities such as the villages of Ocracoke
(Hyde County) and Hatteras (Dare County) are
particularly vulnerable to coastal hazards due
to their geographic location. OBX communities
regularly contend with hurricanes, flooding, and
high winds. Storms have become part of life
for multigenerational residents, newcomers,
nonresident property owners, and tourists. For
example, Hurricane Dorian severely affected
the communities of Ocracoke and Hatteras in
September 2019. In Ocracoke, Dorian caused rapid
sound-side flooding, a storm surge of 7 to 8 feet,
and winds of 90 miles per hour. Most Ocracoke
residents chose not to evacuate prior to Dorian
because they did not anticipate major impacts, but
they were trapped on the island as the floodwaters
rose (WRAL 2019). Although the damage was not
as severe on Hatteras Island, residents still had to
deal with flooding, high winds, power outages, and
transportation disruptions, including the closure of
the main route, NC Highway 12.
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Figure 7. Map of North Carolina Inner and Outer Banks I Credit : Karly
Bitsura-Meszaros).
Storm-related flooding, like what Dorian caused in
Hatteras and Ocracoke, is common in the OBX. Yet,
sea level rise is resulting in an increased prevalence
of nuisance flooding even on sunny days. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
estimates that with only 1 foot of additional sea level
rise, most of the OBX would be underwater. Such
changes create coastal hazards that typically would
happen only during major storm events but now
happen more regularly and are expected to increase
over time with climate change (Glavovic et al. 201 5).
Coastal hazards threaten the tourism industry in the
OBX by disrupting transportation flows (for example,
road closures and canceled ferry services), changing
the visual appeal of natural areas (for example,
eroded beaches), and destroying infrastructure
like bridges, lodging, and restaurants (Seekamp
et al. 2023). A disruption in the tourism industry
is problematic, as OBX communities depend on
tourism as their main economic driver. In 2023,
tourism accounted for $2.7 billion in spending in
OBX counties (Currituck, Dare, and Hyde) and fueled
