States / North Carolina
North Carolina
1.2 Million
Population of State Living in Coastal Areas
$17 Billion
Coastal Employment
Annual Wages
30
Climate and Weather Disasters
(Affecting North Carolina 2010 to 2018)*
Coastal Demographics
Of the total population of approximately 9.8 million in North Carolina, over 1.2 million people live in coastal portions of the state.
Coastal Economy
Coastal North Carolina employs almost 436,000 people annually, earning a total of almost $17 billion. This equates approximately $46 billion in gross domestic product.
Natural Hazards
Six billion-dollar weather disasters affected North Carolina in 2018—and a total of 30 affected the state between 2010 and 2018. In September 2018, Hurricane Florence produced up to 35.93 inches of rainfall across eastern North Carolina, along with storm surge up to 10 feet and wind gusts over 100 miles per hour. The total damage from Florence in North Carolina was more than the cost of Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Floyd (1999) combined. Total costs for Florence (including damages in South Carolina) was $24.2 billion.*
Sources:
American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates (NOAA Data)
*Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (NOAA Website)
(All economic and demographic facts represent the latest data available [2015] and are regularly updated as new data become available)
Making a Difference
in North Carolina
NOAA Strengthens Resilience Before, During, and After Disasters
The Takeaway: NOAA initiatives and state partnership programs are making a difference throughout the nation’s coastal zone.
Learn MoreNew Metrics and Models Help Quantify Coastal Ecosystem Benefits
The Takeaway: Research reserves are using these aids to understand and communicate how their projects promote cleaner water, improve resilience, expand habitat, and more.
Learn MoreNorth Carolina Oyster Farms Provide Several Ecosystem Benefits
The Takeaway: A research team’s discoveries are helping agencies and committees guide oyster aquaculture expansion in the state.
Learn MoreNorth Carolina Partners Analyze and Address Stormwater Pollution Threats
The Takeaway: Participants in this research reserve partnership project sized up the nature of the threat and produced resources designed to lessen risks for outdoor-recreation fans and the Rachel Carson portion of the North Carolina Research Reserve.
Learn MorePandemic Presents No Obstacle to North Carolina’s Achievements
The Takeaway: In a year complicated by quarantine, the state’s research reserve personnel rack up awards and accomplishments.
Learn More