Posted on October 28, 2026
Coastal officials, engineers, lawmakers, and industry representatives from across North Carolina gathered in Wilmington on Oct. 22-23 for the North Carolina Beach, Inlet & Waterway Association’s (NCBIWA) 29th annual conference, where discussions focused on beach nourishment, storm recovery, legislative priorities, and growing uncertainty surrounding federal disaster assistance.
For Hatteras Island, the timing of the conference was particularly significant.
While coastal leaders discussed the importance of protecting infrastructure and maintaining reliable access, N.C. Highway 12 remained closed between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe following the second damaging coastal storm in less than a month.
The closure effectively cut off Hatteras Island’s primary highway connection to the northern Outer Banks, underscoring many of the challenges that were discussed in-depth throughout the two-day conference.
Although North Carolina’s coastal communities face different geographic and environmental conditions, many share the same concerns, including beach erosion, storm damage, infrastructure protection, and the increasing costs of maintaining shorelines.
NCBIWA works to bring those concerns together, providing a unified voice for coastal communities seeking funding, policy changes, and long-term solutions at the state and federal levels.
Established in 1998 as the North Carolina Shore & Beach Preservation Association, the organization expanded its mission in 2005 through the merger of three groups with overlapping coastal interests.
Today, NCBIWA brings together a collection of local governments, coastal engineers, scientists, elected officials, and industry representatives to advocate for beach nourishment, inlet and waterway maintenance, coastal resilience, and other issues affecting North Carolina’s coastline.
The association also works to educate lawmakers about the economic importance of coastal communities and the need for sustained investments in protecting them.
Throughout the conference, discussions repeatedly returned to a central concern: Coastal communities face increasingly expensive storm recovery and infrastructure protection needs at a time when the future of federal disaster assistance remains uncertain.
So while solutions may be clear, the path forward – especially when it comes to funding – can be hazy.
FEMA funding and the push to reclassify engineered beaches
One of the conference’s more locally important discussions centered on the future of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding and a proposal by Dare County officials to change how engineered beaches are classified under the agency’s Public Assistance program.
During a Friday presentation, Dare County Assistant County Manager Dustin Peele and Chief Financial Officer Matt Motyka outlined the county’s experience obtaining federal assistance for the recently completed Buxton beach nourishment project.
Their presentation highlighted the lengthy and complicated reimbursement process, as well as the financial risks coastal communities face when major recovery projects depend on federal funding.
Following Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight in September 2024, FEMA determined that approximately 1.35 million cubic yards of sand had been lost from Buxton’s shoreline, exceeding the approximately 1.2 million cubic yards placed during the community’s 2022 nourishment project.
The subsequent erosion contributed to the collapse of 20 oceanfront homes in Buxton from September 2025 to June 2026.
Dare County commissioners also approved an emergency allocation of up to $2 million for debris removal during this timeframe, and the cleanup effort involved the removal of approximately 2,000 tons of debris, bolstered by waves of local volunteers.
With uncertainty surrounding federal reimbursement, the county initially moved the Buxton nourishment project forward from 2027 to 2026, planning a smaller project that could proceed using available local funding.
The county ultimately received federal approval in June, allowing the project to expand toward its full permitted volume of 2 million cubic yards, but this approval was granted close to the wire, and just a few weeks before mobilization began for the nourishment project.
Motyka said the process was complicated by FEMA’s reorganization, workforce reductions, and the federal government shutdown, although he praised the federal employees who worked with the county to advance the project.
The experience illustrated the challenges local governments face when planning multimillion-dollar coastal protection projects around federal assistance that can take months or longer to secure.
However, Dare County’s presentation also emphasized a potentially more consequential issue: how FEMA classifies engineered beaches.
Currently, eligible engineered beaches are generally classified under Category G of FEMA’s Public Assistance program, which covers parks, recreational facilities, and other facilities.
Dare County officials are advocating for engineered beaches to instead be classified under Category F, which covers public utilities.
The distinction could become increasingly important if future federal policy changes reduce assistance for facilities considered recreational rather than essential infrastructure.
Motyka argued that engineered beaches serve a much broader purpose than recreation, particularly on Hatteras Island.
“Engineered beaches are not for the purposes of maintaining beach houses,” he said, emphasizing that nourishment projects protect Highway 12 and the infrastructure serving island communities.
He noted that the highway corridor is essential not only for transportation but also for electricity, water, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Dare County Manager Bobby Outten, who also serves as NCBIWA chairman, reinforced that argument during follow-up questions after the presentation.
“Our dunes and our beaches are the equivalent of levees in other places,” Outten said. “They protect everything landward of the ocean.”
“To call it recreation is a misnomer and minimizes what beach nourishment and the work that we do on our beaches are,” he added.
Outten said Dare County has already discussed the proposed reclassification with FEMA personnel, some of whom have expressed support for pursuing the change.
The financial implications could be substantial.
Dare County received approval for approximately $30 million in FEMA assistance for the Buxton and Avon projects, and the county’s long-term beach nourishment funding model relies in part on federal reimbursement following qualifying storm events.
Motyka explained that Dare County dedicates 2 percentage points of its occupancy tax to beach nourishment, with funds supporting debt payments and periodic maintenance projects.
Additional funding comes from municipalities and property taxes designated for beach nourishment.
However, the financial model depends on nourishment projects occurring on a predictable cycle, generally about every five years.
When severe erosion forces projects to occur more frequently, the financial strain increases considerably.
Tourism-related revenue can also decline following major storms, creating additional challenges when recovery expenses are highest.
Outten warned that without FEMA assistance, the county’s existing financial model would no longer be sustainable.
“We can’t do what we’ve been doing over the years,” he said.
The county’s proposal is particularly relevant as FEMA’s disaster assistance programs face federal review and potential changes.
The proposed reclassification for beach nourishment projects has not been adopted, but FEMA has not announced an elimination of assistance for engineered beaches either.
Nevertheless, county officials argued that recognizing engineered beaches as critical infrastructure could help protect federal funding as FEMA’s disaster assistance policies evolve.
N.C. 12 remains a critical concern
Although Highway 12 was not the subject of a dedicated conference session, the ongoing closure on Pea Island remained a relevant backdrop to discussions about coastal infrastructure, storm protection, and long-term resilience.
During Friday’s legislative panel, state Rep. Frank Iler, whose district includes portions of Brunswick County, said the repeated damage to N.C. 12 requires a longer-term solution, referencing photographs of the highway provided by an NCDOT representative.
The remarks came as NCDOT crews continued repairing storm damage near the Pea Island Visitor Center, where repeated overwash had damaged pavement and protective dunes.
The October closure followed another major storm in late September that also damaged the same section of highway, forcing transportation officials to establish temporary emergency ferry service between Rodanthe and Stumpy Point.
For Hatteras Island, the repeated closures highlight the relationship between beach and dune protection, transportation access, emergency services, and the broader coastal economy, and those concerns were echoed by multiple speakers at the NCBIWA conference.
Buxton and Avon nourishment projects highlighted
Hatteras Island’s recently completed beach nourishment projects were also featured during a Thursday’s conference session.
Patrick Barrineau of Coastal Science & Engineering presented an overview of the 2026 Avon and Buxton projects, including construction challenges, environmental considerations, and the performance of the newly nourished beaches during recent coastal storms.
The Avon project, completed in June, placed approximately 375,000 cubic yards of sand along about 6,000 feet of shoreline, primarily addressing a vulnerable section near the Avon Fishing Pier.
Barrineau said the restored beach and dune system had performed well during recent storms, reducing wave energy and protecting the vulnerable section of shoreline.
At Buxton, approximately 1.9 million cubic yards of sand were placed along about 8,600 feet of shoreline, with the final sand placement occurring Oct. 3.
The project followed a period of accelerated erosion that resulted in widespread property losses and left portions of the community increasingly vulnerable to storm impacts.
Barrineau said the 2022 Buxton nourishment project had experienced substantially greater sand losses than anticipated, particularly during the 2024-2026 storm seasons.
Only about 30% of the 2022 project remained within the original project area before the latest 2026 nourishment effort, he said.
The new project also faced challenges involving funding uncertainty, environmental restrictions, and the approaching fall storm season.
Construction at Buxton ended on Oct. 3, slightly short of the project’s planned 2 million cubic yards of sand, after the operation reached its permitted limit for incidental impacts to sea turtles.
Barrineau explained that 10 sea turtles were affected during the Buxton project, compared to three during the earlier Avon project. Despite environmental monitoring measures, including observers aboard dredging vessels and routine equipment inspections, the number of sea turtle interactions increased significantly during the final days of construction.
Barrineau said the increase may have been associated with unusually high concentrations of sea turtles in the area that were attracted by a wave of jellyfish coinciding with warmer waters near Cape Hatteras. He noted that four or five turtle interactions occurred within a period of approximately four or five days in early October.
Following coordination with regulatory agencies, the decision was made to conclude dredging operations rather than continue toward the project’s full planned volume.
By that point, approximately 1.9 million cubic yards of sand had been placed along 8,600 feet of shoreline, substantially completing the nourishment project ahead of the fall storm season.
Despite all those challenges, the newly completed project provided significant protection during the late September coastal storm and the October nor’easter.
Dare County officials reported no ocean overwash or dune breaches in the nourished Buxton project area during the September storm, even as Highway 12 sustained significant damage farther north on Pea Island.
More formal studies on nourishment sand retention are expected in the near future, and following this latest October storm.
State funding and legislative priorities
Another recurring topic was the need for a reliable, recurring source of state funding for coastal storm damage mitigation.
NCBIWA Executive Director Kathleen Riely emphasized the importance of establishing a dedicated funding mechanism rather than requiring coastal communities to seek new appropriations from the General Assembly each year.
During Friday’s legislative discussion, Riely said the association’s goal is to secure recurring funding for the state’s Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund, which helps support projects such as beach nourishment.
State Sen. Norm Sanderson agreed that the current approach presents challenges.
“In trying to collect that money or to get that money appropriated on a yearly basis is an awful way to do it,” Sanderson said.
He acknowledged that legislators face limitations in available recurring revenue but said identifying a dependable funding source remains an important objective.
The legislative discussion also highlighted a nearly $400,000 appropriation to update North Carolina’s Beach and Inlet Management Plan.
On Oct. 22, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality announced that it was seeking a contractor to update the plan, with proposals due Nov. 2.
The updated plan will examine North Carolina’s approximately 320 miles of oceanfront beaches and 19 active tidal inlets, evaluating coastal management needs, economic impacts, and strategies for maintaining the state’s shorelines and waterways.
The previous plan was substantially updated in 2016, and the new version is due to the General Assembly by July 1, 2027.
NCBIWA officials said updated economic information could strengthen future requests for coastal funding by demonstrating the financial benefits that coastal communities provide to the entire state.
During Thursday’s opening remarks, Riely noted that property ownership along North Carolina’s coast extends well beyond the coastal counties themselves.
She said residents of 98 of North Carolina’s 100 counties own property along the coast, illustrating the statewide economic connections to coastal communities.
The updated management plan is expected to provide new information about the economic value of coastal infrastructure and the potential return on investment from beach nourishment and related projects.
Other legislative discussions included proposed ferry tolls, fisheries management, coastal water quality, and infrastructure protection.
Ferry tolling remains a particularly significant issue for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, where residents and local officials have raised concerns about the financial and logistical consequences of expanding tolls to previously free routes.
During the legislative discussion, former Sen. Bobby Hanig said he remained opposed to the expanded toll requirements and was optimistic that changes could be made to the legislation.
He indicated that discussions were underway concerning potential concessions, although no final changes had been announced.
Flood insurance and changing disaster assistance
Federal disaster policy was also a central theme during a Thursday presentation by flood insurance specialist Lisa Sharrard, who discussed the National Flood Insurance Program, changing federal policies, and the importance of preparing for disasters without assuming federal assistance will be available.
Sharrard urged coastal communities to consider the potential consequences of disasters that do not receive federal declarations or qualify for individual or public assistance.
She also highlighted concerns about gaps in flood insurance coverage, the limitations of existing flood maps, and the importance of educating property owners about flood risks.
Her presentation reinforced a broader message heard throughout the conference: Communities and property owners may need to assume greater responsibility for preparing financially for future storms, particularly as federal disaster programs undergo review and potential changes.
A unified voice for North Carolina’s coast
Beyond the individual presentations, the conference illustrated the value of collaboration among North Carolina’s coastal communities.
From Currituck County to Brunswick County, local governments face many of the same financial and environmental challenges, even when the specific conditions differ.
Beach nourishment, storm recovery, navigation improvements, and infrastructure protection frequently require coordination among multiple levels of government, as well as sustained advocacy to secure funding.
Through its regular conferences and legislative outreach, NCBIWA works to keep those issues before state and federal decision-makers.
The association’s efforts are particularly important as coastal communities contend with rising project costs, repeated storm impacts, and uncertainty surrounding federal assistance.
For Hatteras Island, where Highway 12 remained closed throughout the conference, (and is still closed today), the multiple discussions also underscored the urgency of protecting the infrastructure that coastal communities depend on.
While individual towns and counties may face different immediate challenges, the broader questions remain much the same: How can coastal communities maintain essential infrastructure, recover from increasingly costly storms, and secure the funding necessary to prepare for the next one?
More information about the North Carolina Beach, Inlet & Waterway Association is available at www.ncbiwa.org.
