Hurricane Lee's waves reveal historic lighthouse fence at Cape Hatteras
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built in 1870. While it was moved inland from its original location on the shoreline in 1999, its fence foundation remained behind on the shore.
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Hurricane Lee is expected to produce tropical storm-force winds along coastal New England through Saturday.
CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE, N.C. – Part of the fence foundation of the old Cape Hatteras Lighthouse site became uncovered once again as large waves from Hurricane Lee eroded the surrounding sand.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built in 1870 in North Carolina. While it was moved inland in 1999 from its original location on the shoreline, its fence foundation remained behind on the shore.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in its new location away from shore.
(Cape Hatteras National Seashore / FOX Weather)
Due to wind and water shifting sand along the shoreline, however, the fence foundation has been known to disappear and reappear over the years.
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On Friday, a portion of the more than 150-year-old fence foundation was once again revealed, as waves from Lee have been crashing onto shore and washing away sand.
The exposed fence foundation.
(Ranger C. Lampley / Cape Hatteras National Seashore / NPS / FOX Weather)
Something similar happened at the end of June 2020, exposing a section of the fence foundation. According to the National Park Service, the shifting sands covered the foundation once again during the past week.
Cape Hatteras is no stranger to the effects of an active sea, as the lighthouse was built to protect one of the most hazardous sections of the Atlantic Coast. According to the NPS, this area is home to hundreds and possibly thousands of shipwrecks, giving it the reputation as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic."
Waves from Hurricane Lee batter the shoreline of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
(Ranger C. Lampley / Cape Hatteras National Seashore / NPS / FOX Weather)
Hurricane Lee has been churning in the Atlantic Ocean for several days, creating high surf conditions along the eastern coastline of the U.S. despite locations, such as Cape Hatteras, being hundreds of miles away from the eye of the storm.