Erosion Rate 13 ft per year Mirlo Beach Rodanthe, NC

Mirlo Beach, Rodanthe, North Carolina where the erosion rate is 13 feet per year. Home owners are faced with the dilemma of paying out of pocket to move their homes as far back as possible on their current property or to a new location. Let Mother Nature take them out to sea or tear them down and lose their investment completely. Dare County contacted me last fall to use some of my photographs of many storms and the rapid coastal erosion over the years, to apply for a federal grant for a beach nourishment project in Rodanthe, NC. The almost $42 million grant application filed earlier this month (February 2024) with FEMA under the Rodanthe Storm Damage Mitigation Project.  The cost will be shared between Dare County and the federal government,  the federal government picking almost all of the cost. If my work can be used to help this part of Cape Hatteras the island I call home, then all my photojournalism will be worth it. To read more about the grant check out the article:https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2024/... few facts:The erosion rate in this area is 13 feet per year. These homes were built many years ago when there were large beaches and dunes protecting them from the ocean. The Outer Banks is a constantly changing barrier island. The homeowners are responsible for starting the moving process and funding the move out of pocket which can cost upwards to hundreds of thousands of dollars. If their home falls in the ocean they are responsible for the costly cleanup and most insurance policies only cover up to $250,000. A rebuild permit cannot be issued for these oceanfront homes, but they can be issued permits to move their home as far back from the ocean on their current property.
©Epic Shutter Photography 2024