Outer Banks
The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a 200 mi (320 km) string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean. A major tourist destination, the Outer Banks are known for their wide expanse of open beachfront and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.[1] The seashore and surrounding ecosystem are important biodiversity zones, including beach grasses and shrubland that help maintain the form of the land.
The Outer Banks were sites of early European settlement in the United States and remain important economic and cultural sites. Most notably the English Roanoke Colony vanished from Roanoke Island in 1587 and was the first location where an English person, Virginia Dare, was born in the Americas.[2] The hundreds of shipwrecks along the Outer Banks have given the surrounding seas the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic. The Outer Banks were also home to the Wright brothers' first flight in a controlled, powered, heavier-than-air vehicle on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills.[3] During the 20th century the region became increasingly important for coastal tourism.
The Outer Banks are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal erosion; the effects of climate change compounds existing coastal erosion caused by poor coastal management and construction practices.[4] In some locations on the banks, sea levels rose 5 inches from 2011 to 2015.[4] Some sections have significantly eroded already, with portions of Hatteras Island at 25% of its original width as of 2014.[5] Tropical storms like Hurricane Irene in 2011 have already destroyed significant infrastructure and property.[5]
Terminology
The term "Outer Banks" refers to the islands, shoals, and spits from
Geography
A tall ridge of sand dunes that survived the melting of the Earth's glaciers gave rise to the barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks millions of years ago. By protecting the coastal mainland from the raging waves and storms of the ocean, barrier islands get their name. The Outer Banks is a string of peninsulas and barrier islands separating the Atlantic Ocean from mainland
The Outer Banks stretch southward from
The northern part of the Outer Banks, from
The Outer Banks are not anchored to offshore
Three state highway bridges connect the Outer Banks to the mainland. The
A number of ferries maintained by the
Ecology
Vegetation
The vegetation of the Outer Banks has biodiversity, although it is considered the northern limit for many southern plants such as wild scrub palms. In the northern part of the Outer Banks, from
From
A wide variety of native plants can be found at the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo on Roanoke Island.[16]
The Outer Banks are home to Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria), the roasted leaves of which were brewed into a high caffeine beverage called black drink by the Native Americans. The Outer Banks may be one of the few places where it is still consumed.[17]
Animal life
The islands are home to herds of feral horses, sometimes called "
Climate
The Outer Banks has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). The outer banks have unusual weather patterns because of their unique geographical location. As the islands jut out from the eastern seaboard into the Atlantic Gulf Stream, the Outer Banks has a predisposition to be affected by hurricanes, Nor'easters (usually in the form of rain, and rarely snow or mixed precipitation), and other ocean-driven storms. The hardiness zone is 8b.
The winters are typically milder than in inland areas, averaging lows in the upper 30s and highs in the lower 50s, and are more frequently overcast than in the summer. However, the exposure of the Outer Banks makes them prone to higher winds, often causing wind chills to make the apparent temperature as cold as the inland areas. The summer months average lows from the mid-70s to highs in the upper 80s, depending on the time of the summer. The spring and fall are typically milder seasons. The fall and winter are usually warmer than areas inland, while the spring and the summer are often slightly cooler because of the moderating effects of being surrounded by water.
Although snow is possible, averaging from 3 inches in the north to less than 1/2 inch per year in the south, there are many times when years pass between snowfalls.[18] The majority of nor'easters are "born" off the coasts of the Outer Banks.
The Outer Banks are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal erosion; the effects of climate change compounds existing coastal erosion caused by poor coastal management and construction practices.[4] In some locations on the banks, sea levels rose 5 inches from 2011 to 2015.[4] Some sections have significantly eroded already, with portions of Hatteras Island at 25% of its original width as of 2014.[5] Tropical storms like Hurricane Irene in 2011 have already destroyed significant infrastructure and property.[5]
History
The Outer Banks is one of the most culturally distinctive areas of the East Coast of the United States.
European explorers to the Outer Banks as far back as the 1500s noted encountering the friendly Hatteras Island and Outer Banks Natives, noting their hospitality to foreign explorers as well as their happiness and overall quality of life. European-borne diseases and migration to the mainland were likely the main causes for the decline of the Native population.[20] The most notable event was the attempted colonization of Roanoke by the English beginning in 1584.
Before bridges were built in the 1930s, the only form of transport between or off the islands was by boat, which allowed for the islands to stay isolated from much of the rest of the mainland. This helped to preserve the maritime culture and the
Some residents of the Outer Banks, known as wreckers, made part of their living by scavenging
Economy
Major industries of the region include commercial fishing, boat building and tourism. Since the 1990s, the rise of tourism has led the region to become an increasingly service-oriented economy.
Maritime industries
There has been a long history of fishing in the Outer Banks, dating back to the end of the 17th century.
In the mid-19th century, large-scale commercial fishing erupted, mostly due to the construction of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, which simplified shipping methods for fishermen.[23] Saltwater fishing became the cash-crop of the Outer Banks, and blossomed it into a popular tourist destination.[23] In modern times, tourists will flock to the area just for the abundance of fishing opportunities.[24] Anglers, otherwise known as fishermen, have a wide range of fishing methods, some dating back to when the first settlers arrived, to choose from in the Outer Banks.[23]
Lighthouses
There are currently six lighthouses on the Outer Banks[25]
- Currituck Beach Lighthouse, located in Corolla, North Carolina
- Roanoke Marshes Light, located in Manteo, North Carolina
- Bodie Island Lighthouse, located south of Nags Head, North Carolina
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, located in Buxton, North Carolina
- Ocracoke Light, located in Ocracoke, North Carolina
- Cape Lookout Lighthouse, located in Carteret County, North Carolina
Communities
Towns and communities along the Outer Banks include (listed from north to south):
Currituck Banks
Bodie Island
Roanoke Island
Hatteras Island
Ocracoke Island
Core Banks
- Portsmouth Island
Bogue Banks
Parks
- Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Currituck Heritage Park
- Currituck National Wildlife Refuge
- False Cape State Park
- Fort Macon State Park
- Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
- Jockey's Ridge State Park
- Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Wright Brothers National Memorial
Notable residents
- George Ackles (born 1967), professional basketball player[26]
- Grave Digger
- Marc Basnight (1947–2020), former member of the North Carolina State Senate
- Emanuel Davis (born 1989), Canadian Football League defensive back[27]
- Andy Griffith (1926–2012), actor[28]
- Cathy Johnston-Forbes (born 1963), professional golfer[29]
- Alexis Knapp (born 1989), actress
- William Ivey Long (born 1947), costume designer for stage and film[30]
- Edward Teach (1680–1718), notorious English pirate better known as "Blackbeard," raided on the North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea
- Manteo (disappeared after 1587) influential figure in the Croatoan Nation, ambassador to England and mediator
- Wanchese (disappeared after 1587) influential figure in the Roanoke Nation, opposed English colonization
See also
- Crystal Coast (Southern Outer Banks)
- Hazard mitigation in the Outer Banks
- Historic Albemarle Tour
- Inner Banks
- North Carolina Highway 12
- Outer Banks Daredevils
- Outer Banks (TV series)
References
- ^ "Campgrounds". Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "England's First Home in the New World". Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2010-10-10. Retrieved 2006-05-19.
- ^ "Telegram from Orville Wright in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to His Father Announcing Four Successful Flights, 1903 December 17". World Digital Library. 1903-12-17. Archived from the original on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- ^ a b c d "How the Outer Banks are Vanishing — and Leaving NC Defenseless Against Hurricanes". Carolina Political Review. 20 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ a b c d Peach, Sara (July 24, 2014). "Rising Seas: Will the Outer Banks Survive?". National Geographic. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Geography of North Carolina". NC State Board of Education. Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
- ^ "Geography of North Carolina". www.ncpublicschools.org. Archived from the original on 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
- ^ "Library of Congress LCCN Permalink sh85096155". lccn.loc.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-05-06. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
- ^ a b "North Carolina Gazetteer | NCpedia". ncpedia.org. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
- ^ "Outer Banks Map". OuterBanks.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ^ "Outer Banks | island chain, United States". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
- ^ "Corolla History". Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Shoring Up N. Carolina Islands: A Losing Battle?". Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Monkey Island Sabal Minor". Old Dominion University. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "Gary's Nursery". Gary Hollar. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "Elizabethan Gardens - Welcome to Our Lovely Gardens". Elizabethan Gardens. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ Dough, Wynne. "Yaupon". NCpedia. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- ^ "Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge VA Weather Forecast". WillyWeather. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-4696-1437-3.
- ^ "First Settlers". OuterBanks.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
- ^ "Graveyard of the Atlantic - North Carolina Digital History". Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ D. Moore. (1997) "A General History of Blackbeard the Pirate, the Queen Anne's Revenge and the Adventure". In Tributaries, Volume VII, 1997. pp. 31–35. (North Carolina Maritime History Council)
- ^ a b c d e "Gloucester vs. Outer Banks". National Geographic Channel. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Outer Banks Fishing". The Outer Banks of North Carolina. Archived from the original on 15 May 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ "Outer Banks Lighthouses". OuterBanks.com. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
- ^ "DraftExpress - George Ackles". Archived from the original on 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
- ^ Emanuel Davis retires from CFL Archived 2020-11-07 at the Wayback Machine. thecoastlandtimes.com. Retrieved Aug 3, 2020.
- ^ Vincent, Mal (February 17, 2008). "The real Andy Griffith lives among us, quietly". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ Cathy Johnston Forbes – Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame Archived 2020-09-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved Aug 31, 2020.
- ^ Speckman, Emma. (Mar 6, 2018). Get inside the mind (and studio) of one of NC’s most prolific creators, costume designer William Ivey Long Archived 2022-03-09 at the Wayback Machine. Charlotte Five. Retrieved Aug 3, 2020.