Oak Island

History

Oak Island, on which much of the town sits, has been inhabited since the early 19th century when Fort Caswell was constructed on its east end in 1838. The island developed slowly, but by the late 1930s it began attracting people from nearby Southport with fox hunting popular in the areas along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). In 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck, leaving only five buildings standing on the west end of the island The island recovered quickly however, and the towns of Long Beach and Yaupon Beach were incorporated. Along with this increasing level of development came strident demands for a reliable crossing of the ICW to provide access to the island. When the ICW was completed in the late 1930s, a swingbridge initially provided this service. Destroyed by a barge strike in 1971, construction of the high rise Barbee Bridge began almost immediately; it opened for traffic in 1975 (interim service included a ferry and pontoon bridge). A second high rise structure, the Swain's Cut Bridge, was built over the ICW to the island in 2010. In 1999, Long Beach and Yaupon Beach, decided to consolidate into the Town of Oak Island, and while Caswell Beach considered the matter, it opted to stay independent. Immediately after the new town got up and running, it began to either incorporate or obtain Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) on properties located to its north on the mainland.

Geography

Oak Island is located in southeastern Brunswick County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (7.02%) is water. It is bordered to the south by the Atlantic Ocean, to the east by Caswell Beach, to the north across the ICW in part by the town of St. James, and to the west by the town of Holden Beach across the Lockwood Folly Inlet. Additions to the town in the 20 years since it was formed in 1999, located on the mainland, consist of the following: • Land mostly west of Middleton Blvd. (NC 906) either planned for or under development, the largest of which was the ill-fated Seawatch complex (1738 of the planned 4171 lots are in Oak Island). • Parcels north of Southport-Supply Rd. (NC 211), the most prominent being Midway Commons Shopping Center. Summers in the town are hot and humid with an average temperature of , although the beach front is cooled much of the time by sea breezes (the prevailing winds are from the southwest). Ocean water temperatures range from the 50s in winter to the mid 80s in summer. Winters are moderate with an average temperature in the 50s (°F), albeit with brief cold periods. Rain occurs throughout the year with average annual rainfall approximately , 45% of this falling between June and September. Tropical storms are a continuing source of concern with Hurricane Hazel being the most devastating. In the 1996−1999 period, four major hurricanes (Bertha, Fran, Bonnie, and Floyd) made landfall with Hurricane Floyd having significant effect on the town. More recently, in October 2016, the eye of Hurricane Matthew passed almost directly over the town inflicting extensive damage to the dune system, and in September 2018, Hurricane Florence caused severe flooding and wind damage in…

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• South Brunswick High
  High · Southport · 1,172 students · 17.2:1 ratio
• Classical Charter Schools of Southport
  Elementary · Bolivia · 614 students · 34.1:1 ratio
• South Brunswick Middle
  Middle · Southport · 572 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• Virginia Williamson Elem
  Elementary · Bolivia · 502 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• Cedar Grove Middle
  Middle · Supply · 434 students · 15:1 ratio
• Southport Elementary
  Elementary · Southport · 403 students · 14.4:1 ratio