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Powerful nor'easter threatens vunerable shore homes in North Carolina's Outer Banks
New York Post • • nation
Key Points:
- An early-season nor’easter is causing severe erosion along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, threatening dozens of homes, particularly in Rodanthe and Buxton, where 32 homes have collapsed since 2020 due to advancing ocean waters.
- The Cape Hatteras National Seashore has closed parts of the beach to protect public safety as erosion continues to endanger oceanfront structures, with officials warning that many more homes could be lost as the shoreline recedes.
- Erosion rates average 13 to 20 feet per year in affected areas, with storms accelerating damage; many homes built in the 1980s and 1990s are now at the water’s edge, leaving homeowners with limited options and inadequate insurance coverage for gradual erosion.
- Protective measures like beach nourishment are costly and temporary, with Buxton spending over $18 million in 2022 to replenish sand, only to lose substantial amounts in subsequent storms, while Rodanthe lacks sufficient funds for such mitigation efforts.
- Homeowners face a difficult situation as flood insurance rarely covers damage from gradual erosion, leaving many with uninhabitable homes and few viable solutions to address the ongoing threat from the shifting coastline.
