Over the past few years, a devastating trend has been unfolding in the coastal village of Rodanthe, North Carolina, where ten houses have succumbed to the Atlantic Ocean since 2020, with three more crumbling just last week. The most recent collapse occurred on Tuesday, as the pilings of a home known as “Front Row Seats” gave way to the surf, eventually bumping against another house before disappearing into the waves, leaving behind a trail of debris. This slow-moving crisis has been exacerbated by beach erosion and the effects of climate change, as the shore creeps closer to homes in this remote vacation spot.
Rodanthe, a community of around 200 residents on the Outer Banks, is situated on a barrier island that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Barrier islands, like the Outer Banks, are inherently unstable environments for development due to their susceptibility to shifting sands and changing weather patterns. In the past, homeowners in Rodanthe used to relocate their houses away from the encroaching shoreline as a way to adapt to the dynamic nature of these islands.
The relentless erosion faced by Rodanthe is mirrored in other communities along Hatteras Island, where the shoreline has been receding for decades. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, for example, originally stood 1,500 feet from the ocean when built in 1870 but found itself a mere 300 feet away by 1919, prompting its relocation to a more secure location. This erosion can reach rates of 10 to 15 feet per year in some areas, gradually enveloping beaches, dunes, and eventually residential properties.
The wooden pylons supporting beachfront homes in Rodanthe are slowly undermined by the incessant waves, akin to a toothpick in wet sand, eventually leading to structural collapse. These house collapses pose environmental hazards and safety risks on the coast, with debris from a single incident capable of traveling up to fifteen miles along the shoreline, potentially harming beachgoers and causing pollution.
Coastal development regulations in North Carolina date back to the 1970s, before many of the fallen houses were constructed. At that time, with more expansive beaches, these properties likely adhered to setback requirements. However, the accelerated pace of erosion, coupled with more frequent and intense storms, has rendered these regulations insufficient in safeguarding vulnerable coastal structures, necessitating alternative solutions.
Efforts to combat coastal erosion in Rodanthe and similar areas include strategies like beach nourishment through dredged sand replenishment, property buyouts, relocation, or demolition. Though these solutions come with hefty price tags, the financial burden is exacerbated by Rodanthe’s limited tax base. Federal assistance, such as that proposed by Rep. Greg Murphy’s legislation, which seeks to allocate federal flood insurance funds for the removal or relocation of erosion-threatened homes, may offer some relief.
The broader issue of coastal erosion extends beyond Rodanthe and even North Carolina, affecting regions like California, the Great Lakes, and riverbanks across the United States. With rising sea levels and worsening erosion, addressing this national problem requires innovative solutions, substantial funding, and coordinated efforts to safeguard vulnerable coastal communities and their residents from the encroaching forces of nature.
