Its not just hurricanes and rising sea levels over the past 153 years. Coquina mining of Fort Fisher in the 1930s expedited erosion of the coquina outcrop underpinning the shore. The mined material was used for highway construction.
More recently, in 1996, a large granite revetment was build along the coast. Anytime that hardened structures are built along a shoreline, there will be a change in sand deposition and probably accelerated erosion of a surrounding area. "Much of the fort itself falls within the shoreline embayment caused by the outcrops, resulting in accelerated erosion of the historic fortifications"
I am sure people will go down there tomorrow morning at low tide to see what the effect of Florence has been.
I heard from one of the lurkers on the forum earlier today who lives on a sandy rise in New Bern about a mile from the Neuse River. All is well with him and his house.
I also heard that the first winds of the hurricane pushed the water out of Albemarle Sound by Roanoke Island and some people were able to walk to the fortification remains from the Battle of Roanoke Island that are usually underwater.