Another North Carolina home falls into Atlantic Ocean and more are at risk

Another home in an Outer Banks community has fallen into the Atlantic, making it the fourth home to wash away in Rodanthe in the past 13 months.

The oceanfront bungalow collapsed around noon on Monday amid heavy surf conditions.

In a release, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore said visitors should use caution when participating in recreational activities on the beach and in the ocean near the collapsed structure due to debris in and around the collapse site.

Officials warn that with climate change raising sea levels and producing stronger hurricanes, the sight of oceanfront homes disappearing into the surf will likely increase in the coming years if swift action isn't taken.

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What does this mean for Outer Banks residents?

For residents and property owners in Rodanthe, it's more bad news. The unincorporated village, which is part of the national seashore, has some of the highest erosion rates along the entire North Carolina coast. Areas near the village are frequently overwashed by high tides and during storm events, forcing N.C. 12 to shut down, sometimes for days at a time.

That prompted the state to build a 2.4-mile-long, $145 million bridge in the nearby sound to carry N.C. 12 around the most notorious erosion hot spots, known locally as the "S-curves."

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But there appears to be little hope for a similar outcome for Rodanthe property owners. At a meeting in January, Dare County officials said there's no money to fund a beach nourishment for the community, which could cost up to $30 million and have to be done at least every five years to be effective.

County officials said the village's tax base is too small to use property taxes, and the county's beach fund has been depleted to fund beach-building projects in other parts of the erosion-prone Outer Banks. That's left retreat as possibly the only viable option.

Is this a problem elsewhere?

Oceanfront communities up and down the N.C. coast are struggling to deal with disappearing beaches, a situation that's expected to get worse due to climate change.

Beach nourishment projects are often the favored answer, but they are expensive and need to be done regularly to be truly effective. In some cases, towns can't shoulder the cost without federal or state help − funding that's often controversial. Then there's the issue of where to find a compatible sand source. Environmental and regulatory issues also can cause issues, something Wrightsville Beach has run into regarding the use of its historic sand source in Masonboro Inlet to rebuild its worn beach.

That's prompted some communities, including Bald Head Island and Ocean Isle Beach, to look at using terminal groins or other hardened structures to stabilize erosion-prone areas. But those projects carry their own set of financial, environmental and regulatory hurdles.

Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from 1Earth Fund and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full  editorial control of the work.