A waves breaks at Carolina Beach, NC, where erosion has caused the government to begin beach renourishment to protect homes and buildings. Although the movement of sand is a natural (and usually gradual) process, recent storms have caused an urgency for the dredging of offshore sand to replace the shore that has been eaten away. Many barrier islands are increasingly being developed with multi-million dollar homes and resorts, even though the areas are little more than high sandbars.