Cape Hatteras National Sea Shore

Environment and Human Needs : A Study of the CAHA in North Carolina

Introduction

The United States has been endowed with many tourist spots with extensive natural beauty . Some amongst these are located on the sea shores making them extremely attractive for tourists . Cape Hatteras is one such site . Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CAHA ) is a historical tourist site in the state of North Carolina in the US . It is a 70-mile long sand barrier off the coast and preserves the area of the Outer Banks of the North Carolina state from Bodie

Island and then onto Ocracoke Island . Outside this barrier islands are the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and others

On a map what one sees is a thin broken strand of islands curving out into the Atlantic Ocean and then back again , hugging the coast of North Carolina . These are the Outer Banks of North Carolina . These barrier islands have been around for thousands of years and today the long stretches of beach , sand dunes , marshes , and woodlands are what constitute the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Cape Hatteras , 2007

The Park was established on January 12 , 1953 , but was authorized by Congress in 1937 . The National Park Service (NPS ) of the US Department of Interior co-manages this area along with two other Parks , the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site There is a wealth of history relating to CAHA and this can be seen in its shipwrecks and lighthouses . The CAHA is buffeted by the strong winds and currents of the Atlantic Ocean and provides a variety of habitats for animals and birds and is an important wintering area for migrating waterfowl . It is an area known for its natural resources and is an ideal place for fishing and surfing

Wind is an ever-present factor in the visitor 's programme in CAHA . It can range from gentle , southwest breezes to strong northeast storm winds . The weather is in fact quite unpredictable because of the wind factor . Summers are usually warm and humid , and are interspersed by fast-moving , but severe thunderstorms . Winters are usually cool , though the wind increases the chill factor . In the spring and fall the weather varies , but generally fluctuates between the extremes of summer and winter . Mosquitoes can be a significant problem throughout the summer months . Remember if you are headed to CAHA take seasonal clothing should be seasonal , but be prepared for the strong winds and rain

There was a time when this place was called the Graveyard of the Atlantic ' for the currents , shoals , and storms , left many a ship wrecked . A large number of ships ran aground on CAHA because of its shifting sandbars . How did this come about ? In late September 1837 , a violent hurricane known as the Racer 's Storm ' blew up south of Jamaica , and arrived off the North Carolina coast on October 9 . By the time Racer 's Storm passed , three ships had been sunk , taking about 90 lives . This is just one historical...