Rights on all points... which makes me think of these add-ons:
1. As time is marching on here, Camp Lejuene is coming into more and more risk since Irene is still not turning. Also MCAS Cherry Point at Havelock, although it’s 15-20 miles inland.
2. The south-facing Emerald Isle barrier Island is now in SEVERE risk... storm surge overwash is LIKELY to the east of the eye.
Indian Beach proper has large stands of Live Oak and Yaupon trees, and is wider. I’d think the potential for geography-altering damage would be minimized by that.
Emerald Isle, the town, sits upon an immense high dune field covering that whole end of the island, it actually seems hilly driving around in it, which is very unusual for the typically very flat southeast coast, save a single dune line right at the beach itself. Much of those dunes are treed as well, and oceanfront houses are typically on a high, deep dune. This would minimize problems there as well.
Salter Path is the weak point. Atlantic Beach to the east is older, more built up, near the end of the island.
All of them save Atlantic Beach are gorgeous beaches, not very well known to out of staters but well known to natives. I’d hate to see any of them damaged. But, that’s the nature of the NC coast. Those barrier islands are just glorified sandbars. They’ve always moved, new inlets cut by storms, eroding on one end and filling in on the other. Part of the beauty and attraction of them is the fragility of them, in the face of frequent wild weather.