Look back at damage from past storms as Outer Banks prepares for Hurricane Erin

Billy Stinson (L) comforts his daughter Erin Stinson as they sit on the steps where their cottage once stood before it was destroyed by Hurricane Irene August 28, 2011 in Nags Head, North Carolina. The cottage, built in 1903, was one of the first vacation cottages built on Roanoke Soundin Nags Head. Stinson has owned the home, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, since 1963. "We were pretending, just for a moment, that the cottage was still behind us and we were just sitting there watching the sunset," said Erin afterward.

A Mandatory evacuation order is displayed in Kitty Hawk, N.C. on Sept. 5, 2019 due to Hurricane Dorian which is expected to impact the Outer Banks on Friday.

Eric Mennicucci, 13, left, and Blake Strydom, 13, from Kill Devil Hills, NC, fishing for trout and puppy drum from the Avalon Beach Boat Launch in Kill Devil Hills as the first bands of Hurricane Dorian with wind and rain reach the Outer Banks with the major impact of the storm to be felt on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019.

Hurricane Dorian makes impact at the Avalon Fishing Pier at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. on the Outer Banks on Sept. 6, 2019.

Rodanthe, NC police patrol the streets after Hurricane Dorian impacted Rodanthe, NC on Hatteras Island on Friday, September 6, 2019.

Sandbags can be seen in front of several of the structures along North Topsail Beach Monday Oct. 21, 2024. The sandbags help slow the effects of daily erosion from the ocean along the north end of the beach and while Rodanthe on the Outer Banks is getting all the headlines right now, eyes could turn our way soon.

Sandbags can be seen in front of several of the structures along North Topsail Beach Monday Oct. 21, 2024. The sandbags help slow the effects of daily erosion from the ocean along the north end of the beach and while Rodanthe on the Outer Banks is getting all the headlines right now, eyes could turn our way soon. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS

An unoccupied house collapsed at in Rodanthe, North Carolina late Thursday Nov. 14, 2024

An oceanfront home in Rodanthe on the Outer Banks collapsed into the Atlantic in late May. It was the sixth home since 2020 to fall into the ocean in the small village on Hatteras Island.

An oceanfront home in Rodanthe on the Outer Banks was washed away Monday.

Construction workers build a sand dune along North Carolina Highway 12, the oceanfront highway along the Outer Banks, to protect the road from high tides and waves that wash over the road.

Kellie Maier gets splashed by a passing car while kayaking on water covered Highway 12, on September 3, 2010 in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Hurricane Earl was downgraded to a category 2 before brushing the Outer Banks early Friday morning causing minimal damage.

The surf moves close the main road in the Outer Banks September 17, 2003 in Frisco, North Carolina. Hurricane Isabel is churning toward the Outer Banks, a thin band of islands off the North Carolina coast.

The deck of a house lies prone as Hurricane Isabel batters the coast September 18, 2003 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Hurricane Isabel struck September 18 on the Outer Banks, a thin band of islands off the North Carolina coast.

A Kitty Hawk Police Officer crosses flooded Highway #12, a 4-lane highway through Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, 18 September, 2003 as Hurricane Isabel comes ashore. Isabel lashed the US East Coast, ripping roofs off buildings, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of homes and bringing Washington to a standstill. Towns along the North Carolina and Virginia coasts were desolate and boarded up as the eye of the storm brought 95mph winds and started moving toward the US capital. Isabel, which was slowly weakening, headed up the Atlantic seaboard and a tropical storm warning was even issued for New York by the National Hurricane Center.

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, resident Brain Daniels pulls his wife Nikki and daughter Lexi in a small boat after checking on their parent's flooded trailer deep in water on September 19, 2003 one of the many areas flooded by Hurricane Isabel along the Outer Banks.

Carl Crabtree surveys damage to his cottage hotel Crabtree Court September 19, 2003 in Nags Head, North Carolina. Crabtree says that FEMA estimated the damage to his array of cottages and bungalows of over a million dollars. Residents of the Outer Banks spent the day cleaning up after Hurricane Isabel, which lashed the area September 18 and caused flooding and heavy damage.

Carl Crabtree surveys damage to his cottage hotel Crabtree Court September 19, 2003 in Nags Head, North Carolina. Crabtree says that FEMA estimated the damage to his array of cottages and bungalows of over a million dollars. Residents of the Outer Banks spent the day cleaning up after Hurricane Isabel, which lashed the area September 18 and caused flooding and heavy damage.

Heavy surf pounds the beach, on September 3, 2010 in Nags Head, North Carolina. Hurricane Earl was downgraded to a category 2 before brushing the Outer Banks early Friday morning causing minimal damage.

A beach-front cottage is pounded by wind and rain from Hurricane Irene August 27, 2011 in Nags Head, North Carolina. The eye of the hurricane is expected to hit Dare County, which sits along the Outer Banks and includes the vacation towns of Nags Head, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, around mid-day.

People shield themselves from blowing sand and rain as they look over the beach during Hurricane Irene August 27, 2011 in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Hurricane Irene hit Dare County, which sits along the Outer Banks and includes the vacation towns of Nags Head, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, as a category one hurricane around mid-day today.

Surfer Nick Haven looks for a place to surf near the old damaged Hatteras Pier, July 2, 2014 in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A Hurricane watch has been issued for North Carolina's Outer Banks due to approaching Tropical Storm Arthur that is expected to gain strength.

Power company trucks travel along Highway 64 after flooding caused by Hurricane Arthur July 4, 2014 in Nags Head, North Carolina. Hurricane Arthur hit North Carolina's outer banks overnight causing wide spead power outages, flooding and damage.