“I would say the debris field was so dense and thick, for the first quarter-mile south of the house collapse site that it was difficult to actually walk,” Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Dave Hallac said.
erosion
Commission advances rule for straw bales in lieu of fencing
The Coastal Resources Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved the fiscal impact analysis of the proposed rule, which officials don’t expect to result in a significant increase in the use of straw bales to curb erosion.
Superintendent ‘disappointed,’ unsurprised by 7th collapse
Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Dave Hallac tells Coastal Review it was no shock to learn last week that the seventh house had collapsed into the surf on park property in four years.
Measure gives Bald Head Island OK to study adding groin
Village officials say the bill allows the option to study whether a terminal groin would be viable in controlling erosion at the east end of the island’s south beach, but it remains unclear whether it will happen.
Shoreline stabilization of Snows Cut topic of public meeting
The Corps’ Wilmington District is hosting a public meeting to discuss a proposal to stabilize and protect the erosion-battered shoreline at Snows Cut in New Hanover County.
Murphy’s bill OKs flood insurance payouts ahead of collapse
Rep. Greg Murphy introduced legislation this week geared toward helping homeowners act before losing a structure to chronic erosion or unusual flooding.
Live Christmas trees can go back to nature after holidays
Now that the holidays are wrapping up, natural Christmas trees can find a new purpose, from restoring dunes to becoming mulch.
Park Service taps nonprofit fund to buy 2 Rodanthe houses
Details emerged last week on a pilot program in which the Cape Hatteras National Seashore purchased two threatened oceanfront houses in Rodanthe, but challenges remain.
Threatened houses workgroup meeting set for Oct. 12
The Division of Coastal Management and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore are set to host an interagency workgroup meeting by web conference to discuss government authorities for managing threatened oceanfront structures.
Murphy assures Dare board: Corps will do study if funded
The Corps of Engineers is committed to conducting the required feasibility study of a sand project along the highly erosion-prone Rodanthe beach on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore if funded, Rep. Greg Murphy has told Dare County officials.
Education effort aims to address erosion, sedimentation
Activities, information and workshops are among the tools available for the public and professionals to learn about erosion and sediment control to protect water quality.
Climate peril, insurance, sand costs: No easy fix in Rodanthe
A possible inflection point in property insurance markets, a proposed $40 million beach nourishment project, talk of a needed act of Congress — officials struggle with at-risk oceanfront homes in Rodanthe.
Federation, law center call for enforcement of existing law
The Southern Environmental Law Center has sent letters on behalf of the North Carolina Coastal Federation to two government agencies pressing for current laws and rules to be enforced regarding leaking septic systems on the Rodanthe oceanfront.
Buying out threatened oceanfront homes is not a crazy idea
Dr. Rob Young, director of the Western Carolina University/Duke University Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, compares the costs of a possible buyout of 80 highly exposed properties in Rodanthe to the costs of beach nourishment, which could be triple that amount over 15 years.
Solutions are few for imperiled oceanfront homes: Panel
Officials at the first public meeting of an interagency work group said that while prevention could be far less costly than cleanup, limited programs or funding options are available to deal with erosion-threatened oceanfront homes before they collapse.
Report prompts Currituck board to consider sand project
The county-contracted study of more than 22 miles of Currituck County shoreline finds 158 houses could be affected by erosion over the next 30 years.
