North Carolina's coastal regions lure countless tourists and entice many people to call these temperate areas, "home." But as development increases along beaches and estuaries, issues such as shoreline erosion, severe storms, climate change and sea level rise have captured public attention.

North Carolina Sea Grant has funded a variety of research projects on coastal hazards and related coastal processes, including erosion control, reduction of property damage from coastal storms, and increasing awareness about climate and weather.

One of our latest partnerships in this area resulted in the Coastal and Inland Flood Observation and Warning System (CI-FLOW) project. CI-FLOW brings together state, federal and academic scientists to demonstrate an end-to-end monitoring and prediction system to reduce the number of fatalities due to flooding, the leading cause of storm-related deaths.

Coastal Hazards Our coastline is exposed to many hazards, including those that result from natural erosion and storm damage. Sea Grant has numerous resources pertaining to these issues.

Climate & Weather We enjoy a moderate coastal climate but weather, coastal tides, currents and associated seasonal impacts are all play a role on the well being of our coast and its communities.