Barrier islands form as waves repeatedly deposit sediment parallel to the shoreline. As wind and waves shift, so do these sand features. It’s no surprise, then, that Ocracoke’s dynamic barrier island, a part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore), is constantly changing in response to storm events and sea level rise.

Visitors to Cape Hatteras National Seashore are being urged to stay out of the Atlantic Ocean around all areas of the beaches at Rodanthe, North Carolina, where another house has been toppled into the ocean.

The ongoing restoration of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse relies on science, history, art, and patience.

Though Hurricane Beryl was roughly 1,200 nautical miles from Padre Island National Seashore on Tuesday, crews already were out on the barrier island's beaches searching for Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests. Any that were found were recorded with a GPS location so, in the event the hurricane took a hard swipe at the national seashore, the nests could be relocated after the storm.