The state of North Carolina used millions of tires from the 1970s to early 1980s to build artificial reefs to create new fishing grounds and habitat for marine life, but the long-term environmental effects were not well considered.
Eventually the tires break apart and wash ashore, especially during storms.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Erin, Emerald Isle town staff collected a pickup truck load or so of tires last week, but Town Manager Frank Rush said it wasn’t a significant number and the work didn’t take very long. He said it’s a relatively common occurrence after significant storms.
After a Nor’easter in 2023, hundreds of tires washed up in coastal communities, including Emerald Isle as well as Pine Knoll Shores and Holden beach.
