An early-season nor’easter is currently striking North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where many homes are increasingly endangered by rising ocean levels. Officials caution that the situation may worsen as more properties could be next in line.
On Thursday, Cape Hatteras National Seashore announced the closure of the beach area stretching from the northern edge of Rodanthe to the town pier, citing “multiple threatened oceanfront structures that pose risks to public safety,” as stated by the National Park Service.
This scene is quite familiar for the locals. Since 2020, erosion has led to the collapse of 32 homes along the coastline, drastically altering the shoreline.
The worst impacts have been felt around Rodanthe and Buxton, small communities located on Hatteras Island, part of the Outer Banks’ collection of barrier islands.
Last November, state officials revealed they were keeping an eye on around 100 structures at risk in these towns, warning that the number could rise.
“If every one of those structures falls in,” said Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Dave Hallac, “there would be another 100 right behind them.”
Years of erosion have put more homes at the water’s edge
Since Hallac’s warning, at least five more homes are reported to have collapsed, based on records from the National Park Service. The current storm is putting additional pressure on these already threatened properties.
This Thursday, severe tides overwhelmed protective dunes on Pea Island, north of Rodanthe, damaging approximately 500 feet of roadway and leading to the closure of N.C. 12. The National Weather Service has forecast breaking waves to peak between 10 to 15 feet through Saturday evening.
The coastline is dealing with a dramatically altered landscape compared to when many beachfront homes were constructed.
Michael McDaniel purchased his Buxton beach house for about $500,000 in 2011, enjoying around 250 feet of dunes separating the house from the Atlantic.
However, in the 15 years since then, that buffer has disappeared, rendering his home unlivable.
This erosion isn’t just affecting McDaniel. As barrier islands, the Outer Banks shift continually due to the natural movement of sand caused by waves and currents.
Erosion is, unfortunately, part of that natural cycle.
In some areas of Rodanthe, the shoreline has retreated by an average of about 13 feet per year; parts of Buxton have seen even worse, with erosion rates historically exceeding 20 feet annually.
These averages can obscure sudden losses that occur during extreme weather events.
For instance, Hurricane Erin in August 2025 resulted in the damage of 75 residential structures in the two villages, and over the following months, 16 homes fell due to successive storms.
As the shoreline shifts further inland, it runs afoul of older developments built during times when the ocean was farther away. Records indicate that many of the currently threatened homes were constructed in the 1980s and 1990s.
Homeowners are running out of options
Those facing the creeping threat of erosion are finding themselves with limited choices.
While flood insurance often covers physical damages from flooding, it typically won’t cover losses merely due to erosion.
“The NFIP policy pays for a direct physical loss from flood,” explained Lisa Sharrard, a North Carolina flood insurance agent. “So there has to be a flooding event, not normal high tide.”
“The SFIP does not cover damage caused by gradual erosion,” she added.
Consequently, homeowners like McDaniel are caught in a difficult position: stuck with a home that is potentially unsafe but hasn’t endured damage that insurance would address.
“If they have a policy, the policy may pay if the house collapses due to erosion,” Sharrard noted. “In the meantime, they have a house they cannot use and debris to clean up after. Most are trying to move if they can.”
In cases where federal flood coverage is applicable, homeowners are typically limited to a maximum of $250,000 in building coverage for single-family homes—far below what many need.
One couple from Rodanthe previously told a real estate publication they had to spend more than $200,000 to relocate their house about 100 feet inland after erosion brought the ocean dangerously close. Most homeowners, however, do not have any additional land available for such a move.
Protecting the shoreline costs millions—and doesn’t last forever
So, what options remain for homeowners further from the water, and for communities striving to prevent more properties from facing the same fate?
One solution is to shield the shoreline from advancing waters.
However, North Carolina bans most permanent seawalls, forcing communities to rely largely on beach nourishment, a method that involves pumping sand onto eroding beaches to replenish the buffer in front of homes and roadways.
In 2022, Buxton invested about $18.1 million to nourish 2.9 miles of shoreline. Just two years later, a coastal storm removed an estimated 175,000 cubic yards of sand, with engineers estimating it would cost around $10.2 million to replace that loss.
This summer, dredges returned to the area; by September 16, approximately 1.5 million cubic yards of new sand were placed along Buxton, just over a week before the recent nor’easter struck Hatteras Island.
Under normal circumstances, Dare County indicates nourishment projects generally last around five years before another influx of sand is needed.
In Rodanthe, however, officials claim that even this solution isn’t financially feasible.
“In Rodanthe, there isn’t enough money to solve the problem with beach nourishment,” Dare County Manager Bobby Outten told coastal officials last November.
Meanwhile, projections indicate that the ocean will continue to rise. The Fifth National Climate Assessment forecasts a rise of 15 to 22 inches in sea levels around the Outer Banks by 2050, allowing future tides and storms to encroach even further inland.
