Inlet Hazard Areas (IHA) are one of three Areas of Environmental Concern (AEC) within the Ocean Hazard Area. Since 1979, the construction setback factor applied within the IHA is actually that of its adjacent Ocean Erodible AEC (oceanfront) that is calculated using the oceanfront shoreline long-term change methodology (end-point) and data (two shorelines); which doesn’t necessarily reflect erosion hazards at inlets.
 

In 2019, the Coastal Resources Commission’s Science Panel on Coastal Hazards and the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM) presented results from the recent study titled, “Inlet Hazard Area Boundary, 2019 Update: Science Panel Recommendations to the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission.” The purpose of this study was to develop methods for analyzing inlet shoreline change, and to provide the CRC with inlet erosion rates and updated Inlet Hazard Area boundaries for the ten active and developed tidal inlets in North Carolina (Tubbs, Shallotte, Lockwood Folly, Carolina Beach, Masonboro, Mason, Rich, New Topsail, New River, and Bogue Inlets).


For the first time, NC DCM is proposing inlet setback factors calculated using inlet shoreline change rates.

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