Three houses collapse into ocean as beach washes away

Rodanthe, North Carolina, is one of the most precarious strips of coastline on America’s East Coast. 

Years ago, tall wooden houses were built on pilings along the beach, their stilts safely protected by sand dunes. But now, intense winds and sea level rise have eaten the sand away, leaving the houses at the mercy of the rapidly-encroaching tide. 

Since last Friday, three Rodanthe houses have collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean. In total, ten houses have been lost in the past four years. 

The houses were unoccupied and no residents were injured. But the homeowners have been left to grapple with the loss of one of their greatest assets. 

The owners of the homes that are still standing are now working with the local county to  move their homes further backwards away from the sea. The relocation will come at the homeowners’ expense, with estimated costs of up to $US200,000 ($AU292,297). 

“It’s either move it or lose it,” local resident Cynthia Doughty told the Washington Post. “Because if you lose it, there’s nothing you can do. It has just been so profound that people really have no choice.” 

Experts have warned that the fate of Rodanthe offers a glimpse into the future of other locations around the world over the next 30 to 40 years, as sea-level rise and extreme weather events continue to escalate. 

The National Park Service has issued an alert to community members to stay out of the ocean. 

“There is a large amount of hazardous floating debris being transported by the waves that will cause injuries to those entering the water,” park officials said. 

The National Park Service also advised locals to wear hard-soled shoes when walking along the beach to prevent injuries from nails sticking out of wooden debris.