Beach houses at Rodanthe, NC, were demolished in 2023 by the National Park Service because they were at risk of collapsing. At least 7 other houses have collapsed since 2020. (National Park Service photo)
Climate change is a growing reality on North Carolina’s coast. Coastal erosion and flooding made worse by sea-level rise and more intense storms is forcing communities along the Atlantic Ocean and connected inland waterways to adapt. I took a look at the issues in my 3-part series “Rising Waters,” published in August 2024 on public media outlet WHQR in Wilmington. The stories focus on a range of issues, from beachfront structures falling into the ocean to the rising cost of stabilizing North Carolina beaches to the increasing frequency of high-tide flooding. Read and listen on WHQR.org.
Meanwhile, our first story previews a report that’s actually out now, from a state-federal task force looking at threatened oceanfront houses. It offers several recommendations, though lots more work is needed before policymakers can adopt most of them. Here’s the Aug. 30 update on WHQR, “Report looks at options for preventing coastal North Carolina’s homes from collapsing into the ocean.”
Also, listen on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 10am, as I chat with host Jeff Tiberii on “Due South” at North Carolina Public Radio-WUNC. https://www.wunc.org/show/due-south/2024-09-04/whqr-series-rising-waters-explores-sea-level-rise-ncs-coastal-communities
David Boraks 