Coastal erosion: Two N.C. homes wash away on same day

The collapses, which happened while the homes were unoccupied, highlight the growing risk from erosion and rising sea levels.

“Unfortunately, there may be more houses that collapse onto Seashore beaches in the near future,” David Hallac, superintendent, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said in a release. (Credit: National Park Service/Cape Hatteras National Seashore)

On May 10, 2022, two coastal homes in North Carolina’s Outer Banks were washed away in separate incidents, according to the National Parks Service (NPS) at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which warned that additional homes in the area may suffer similar fates. Both properties were unoccupied at the time.

As of May 17, the parks service reported debris from the destroyed homes was still spread across approximately 15 miles of beach, and the NPS deployed its National Park Service’s Eastern Incident Management Team to aid in the clean-up efforts.

A photo from the day before the two homes collapsed in Rodanthe, North Carolina. (Credit: (Credit: National Park Service/Cape Hatteras National Seashore)

The homes were the second and third properties located in Rodanthe, North Carolina, to be washed away this year, according to the parks service, which reported a home collapsed on February 9, 2022.

“Unfortunately, there may be more houses that collapse onto Seashore beaches in the near future,” David Hallac, superintendent, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said in a release. “We proactively reached out to homeowners along Ocean Drive in Rodanthe after the first house collapse and recommended that actions be taken to prevent collapse and impacts to Cape Hatteras National Seashore.”

Threats from sea-level rise & coastal erosion

In general, the area see around one inch of sea-level rise every five years, according to Burns & Wilcox. However, some portions of the Outer Banks are shrinking more than 14 feet annually, “The New York Times” reported.

Rodanthe has been experiencing ongoing sea level rise and coastal erosion, which were made worse by a nor’easter that carried strong winds and currents into the area, according to Burns & Wilcox.

In the U.S. each year an estimated $500 million in property loss and damage are caused by coastal erosion, according to the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. (Credit: National Park Service/Cape Hatteras National Seashore)

“We are seeing a lot more catastrophes occur,” Berri Willis, associate vice president, managing director, Burns & Wilcox, Morehead City, North Carolina, said in a report on the company’s site. “It is a time game, at this point, as the erosion is just continuing. Some of these homes may have to be moved. It is not just here on the East Coast; it is happening everywhere.”

Elsewhere in the report she explained that these homes were not originally built directly on the ocean, but rather feet from the sea. But time and erosion have closed the distance.

“This might be the new norm if we do not take precautions,” Willis cautioned.

In the U.S. each year, an estimated $500 million in property loss and damage are caused by coastal erosion, according to the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, which reported that the federal government spends an average of $150 million annually to mitigate coastal erosion.

Brad Turner, Burns & Wilcox’s associate vice president, national product manager, flood, said limits are going to be very important in these areas and homeowners should consider excess flood insurance limits.

“In a catastrophic loss such as a home collapse, that can allow the homeowner to be fully insured as opposed to relying on the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) limits,” he said in the report.

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