DARE COUNTY, N.C. — High surf along the coast of the Outer Banks this week is once again highlighting how close some homes are to the ocean. Some property owners in Rodanthe are taking advantage of a new opportunity to have more of a buffer against rising seas.
The potential relocation of about a dozen beach houses near the shore is made possible by an arrangement between the state and county to abandon Seagull Street and turn the space over to the property owners.
“So at this count, there are 12 houses that are going to be able to move back an additional sixty feet,” said Dare County Commissioner Danny Couch, who represents the area. “Is it just buying time? Inevitably, yes it is. But it’s a measure, it’s something that we have in our tool box.”
How much time depends on how fast sea levels will rise. Couch said it could be years or optimistically, a couple of decades.
He estimates it costs about $150,000 each to move the homes. While some property owners are taking on that cost themselves, others are waiting to see if they get can more assistance.
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Close by, the National Park Service agreed last fall to purchase two homes at risk of falling into the ocean. The money for that came from a preservation fund that does not involve taxpayer money.
Couch said governments can’t rely on beach nourishment alone to deal with the issues caused by erosion, so these measures are needed. He said tourism to Hatteras Island alone has a $200 million to $400 million economic impact.
“The beauties of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore shows you can have resource protection while you can also have a thriving vibrant economy,” Couch said. “They are not mutually exclusive.”
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He said the county does hope to receive some federal funding to help with paying for beach nourishment on Hatteras Island, which would make such a project more manageable.
“That cost would be cut down by as much as 60%,” Couch said. “$12 million, $15 million, $18 million is a lot more manageable than $40 million.”
