Drum Inlet facts for kids
Drum Inlet and Ophelia Inlet are natural waterways called inlets located in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. These inlets act like important doorways, connecting the calm waters of Core Sound with the vast Atlantic Ocean. They also separate two parts of the Outer Banks: North Core Banks and South Core Banks.
What's interesting about these inlets is that their exact locations and even their names can change over time! New inlets might open up, some might merge together, and others can close completely. When people talk about "Drum Inlet," they usually mean any of the inlets found between mile 19 and mile 23 (measured from Ocracoke Inlet), even if geologists might call them by different names.
Contents
The Changing History of Drum Inlet
Inlets are always changing because of strong storms, ocean currents, and sand movement. Drum Inlet has a long and interesting history of opening and closing.
Early Days and Reopening
- 1899: Drum Inlet first opened around mile 19.
- 1919: It closed naturally, meaning sand built up and blocked the opening.
- 1933: A powerful storm called the 1933 Outer Banks Hurricane reopened Drum Inlet.
- 1971: It closed again. At this time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided to create a new inlet.
New Drum Inlet and Its Purpose
To help local fishermen, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dug and blasted a new waterway at mile 22. They called this New Drum Inlet. The idea was to give commercial fishing boats an easier way to get from the small coastal towns to the ocean. However, New Drum Inlet quickly became too shallow (this is called "shoaling") before any commercial boats could even use it.
Hurricanes and New Openings
Hurricanes have played a big role in changing these inlets:
- 1999: In August, Hurricane Dennis reopened the original Drum Inlet at mile 19. This new opening was sometimes called New Old Drum Inlet. It closed again around 2008.
- 2005: In September, Hurricane Ophelia created a brand new inlet called Ophelia Inlet just south of New Drum Inlet, at mile 23.
- 2008-2009: Over this winter, all of Drum Inlet and New Drum Inlet became completely shallow and closed up. For a while, Ophelia Inlet was the only one left open in the area.
- 2011: In September, Hurricane Irene was a very strong storm. It reopened New Drum Inlet (at mile 22) and Old Drum Inlet (at mile 19). It also made Ophelia Inlet (at mile 23) wider.
Islands That Come and Go
Because the inlets open and close, the small sections of land between them also change names or even disappear!
- When Old Drum Inlet (mile 19) is open, the land between it and New Drum Inlet/Ophelia Inlet (miles 22/23) is sometimes called Middle Core Island.
- From 2005 to 2008, there was a small piece of land between New Drum Inlet and Ophelia Inlet. This was known as New Core Island.
