Epic%20Shutter%20Photography___.jpg)
Photo Credit: Epic Shutter Photography
Cape Hatteras National Seashore has been known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” for centuries due to the dangerous shifting sandy shoals that led to the demise and destruction of many a vessel navigating along the coast of North Carolina, but the moniker has taken on a whole new meaning as homes continue to be sacrificed to the sea under the accelerating impacts of intensifying storms related to climate change.
As a rugged nor’easter made its way up the Atlantic seaboard, snow, heavy surf, and ice blanketed the ribbons of sand along Cape Hatteras National Seashore, leading to the collapse of four more homes in the Buxton community. After a devastating fall along the barrier islands that saw the collapse of more than 15 homes into the ocean, this most recent storm event is a reminder that the barrier island chain is vulnerable to erosion and the increasing impacts of climate change year round — particularly as no clear pathway for protection, or rather, adaptation, along this dynamic coastal area has emerged since homes in Buxton started collapsing in the fall.
This is by no means the first year or season of erosion leading to environmental devastation on North Carolina’s prized beaches. Since 2020, more than 31 homes have fallen. Each one has polluted the Atlantic Ocean with wreckage from these homes and everything contained within and outside of them, including dangerous debris, appliances, furniture, and have contaminated ocean waters with wastewater, fuel, and other toxic substances. The sandy beach and ocean waters that have warmly welcomed millions of tourists in the summers to swim, surf, beachcomb, fish, sunbathe, and kiteboard are now increasingly hazardous for recreation and relaxation.
The Surfrider Foundation Outer Banks Chapter seeks to stop the collapse of homes that harm our ocean and beaches, while supporting their local communities in identifying and uplifting the best adaptation pathway to protect the future of the environment and coastal communities in North Carolina’s barrier islands. Chloe Evans, Marketing Coordinator for the Outer Banks Chapter, explains:
Each home that collapses here in the Outer Banks after a major storm event displaces families, puts public beaches at risk, and leaves behind debris and pollution that harm the ocean our communities depend on. It’s truly heartbreaking to witness. Climate change is no longer a distant or theoretical concern; it is unfolding in real time in our neighborhoods and on the beaches that define us. As someone who has dedicated my career to ocean advocacy and conservation and has chosen to call the Outer Banks home, I understand how complex adaptation on a barrier island can be. Continuing to rely on outdated approaches that prioritize short-term fixes over sustainability only deepens the problem. We need science-based and equitable solutions that recognize the dynamic nature of our coastline. With proactive planning, and stronger policy leadership, we can improve coastal resilience and better protect both people and the ocean we love.
As local residents have sought to reckon with the consequences of losing homes that have been fixtures of their community and economy for decades, the question of what to do to preserve what remains, and who is going to do it (and ultimately pay for it), lingers. Historically, the community has relied on beach renourishment to stave off the inevitable erosion and migration of the barrier islands. This has come at a high price tag for the community when a nor’easter or offshore storm can (and has) wiped away millions of dollars’ worth of sand in a few hours or days, calling into question the financial sustainability of continuing to dump sand on Buxton’s beaches. Community members have further called to rebuild groins in an effort to capture and retain sand that is placed. While increasing structural solutions along the seashore is alluring given the recent devastation and cost of continued sand renourishment, armoring will not guarantee sand retention, and may accelerate beach loss elsewhere. Furthermore, to do so would require changing North Carolina’s rules around coastal armoring, which would have cascading and disastrous effects on sandy beaches statewide.
Existing “solutions” or approaches to coastal management in this dynamic environment have only led to the current crisis of unmanaged retreat on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This is the most dangerous, expensive, and harmful approach for the beach and all who enjoy it. These are also not the only options on the table. There is still time to move what remains of the most vulnerable homes and infrastructure out of harm’s way and prevent more devastation, via a state or locally administered buyout program. While there is not a plan in place to lead such an effort, at the federal level, legislation has been introduced that would allow for National Flood Insurance Program payouts to homeowners to demolish and remove homes that are in imminent danger of collapse. In tandem with a state or locally funded buyout program, there is the opportunity to support homeowners financially through the difficult decision to move away from eroding shorelines to protect the beach for all who enjoy it.