North Carolina’s coastal highway is disappearing – so I took a road trip to capture it

The islands no longer resemble what I knew as a child, as high tides and storms gnaw constantly at the road. Around here, change is non-negotiable

A few months ago, I decided I wanted to drive the entirety of Highway 12 - a slim highway that snakes along North Carolina's barrier islands - before the climate crisis alters it further.

Though I spent much of my childhood on the southern part of North Carolina's coast, these overdeveloped, humid islands have piqued my imagination for decades. I wanted to witness what remains, and what is likely to disappear.