Hurricane Erin Exposes Fragile Infrastructure and Rising Risks in North Carolina’s Outer Banks

Every storm season, the residents of North Carolina’s Outer Banks face a grim reality: a single road, NC 12, connects them to the mainland—living proof of government neglect in safeguarding critical infrastructure. With Hurricane Erin sending 20-foot waves crashing against vulnerable sand dunes this week, authorities have ordered evacuations on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands—not under a hurricane warning but because the tenuous lifeline is expected to be ripped apart.Why does it take a crisis for Washington and state officials to acknowledge the peril faced by these island communities? The Outer Banks aren’t just quaint vacation spots; they represent strategic frontlines...