retire down south? (New Bern, Washington, La Grange: construction, moving, retirement)

[hymie]

hello everyone;the wife and i are thinking of moving south from mass. when the time comes,north carolina seems like a good compromise from here to florida.we would like to be close enough to the ocean for fishing etc.
but inland enough to be relatively save from hurricanes,thinking of la grange,winterville area.any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Dire Wolf]

Why there? I've driven through La Grange on my to the coast. Not a place that really comes to mind as a retirement destination. I'd get to at least New Bern or even further east (Oriental, Washington, etc.) and have the Pamlico Sound nearby. You might need to evacuate once a decade, but the main concern from storms will be flooding (so just know what to look for with construction).