In comparison with the three large-scale and historic events described above, there are more commonplace events that take place along the coast of North Carolina. Since the 1960s building regulations have made it necessary for houses built close to the sea to be constructed in a way that makes them easily moveable, there are 30-year and 60-year ‘setback lines’ behind which buildings can be moved; these are identified on the basis of average coastal recession rates. The average cost of moving a threatened property is between just US$5000 and S$11000. In terms of cost-benefit analysis, this is extremely cheap as insurance claims for houses damaged by erosion or coastal flooding have averaged US$62 000 in recent years.