This research will update and refine the highway vulnerability study prepared by the Principle Investigators for NCDOT in 1991 by making use of more recent topographic data and by improving the methodology to include short term storm events. This update will be based upon the most recent (1998) aerial photographs available of the entire North Carolina coast for the base maps and the determination of long-term erosion rate. In addition, the project will make use of high-resolution digital terrain models that reflect the topographic changes that have occurred in the 1990s. Finally, the revised study will incorporate a statistical method to evaluate the risk of the combination of long-term erosion and storm damage to the NC coastal highway system. This will allow the development of a more comprehensive assessment of the vulnerability of the NC coastal highway system. The project report will provide a guide to NCDOT as to what portions of the coastal highway system will be likely to sustain damage or require mitigation for the next twenty years.
