Drone footage reveals the alarming plight of vulnerable oceanfront houses in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, as they teeter on the edge of collapse into the sea. Recorded by WRAL News in Raleigh-Durham, the footage highlights a cluster of homes in Rodanthe that have faced years of beach erosion and high winds due to rising sea levels. Sharon Troy, whose family has owned one of these homes for 16 years, said her house once stood about 100 yards away from the ocean. However, a once expansive beach now stands in the path of waves as the water continues to claim more land.
The rising waters have caused septic tanks to crack open, spilling sewage into the surrounding ocean, which has prompted insurance companies to refuse payouts for damaged homes until they collapse. Unfortunately, this issue is not confined to a single location; similar occurrences have happened along the 200-mile string of barrier islands off North Carolina and Virginia.
Dare County Manager Bobby Outten explained that as erosion continues and the beach is lost, houses can lose their foundation and collapse into the sea. In the last four years alone, seven homes in Rodanthe have been claimed by rising tides. These disasters leave homeowners struggling to salvage what they can of their financial investments, with no clear solution in sight.
Mark Gray of WM Dunn Construction has seen firsthand the rapid damage caused by waves and has contracted his company to clean up debris from at least five homes in recent years. However, as more sand is lost to the ocean, it becomes increasingly difficult for cleanup crews to access and remove debris. Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Dave Hallac noted that climate change further exacerbates the natural erosion of barrier islands, putting even more buildings at risk.
As rising sea levels inundate the neighborhood’s streets with saltwater, residents are left with little hope and a sense of urgency as they watch their community slip away into the sea. Sharon Troy expressed her despair, saying all she can do is “hope and pray.
