RODANTHE, NC — Waves crashed against the wooden pilings of several homes in Rodanthe Tuesday afternoon, leaving many locals asking the same question: “What can be done to prevent these structures from falling into the ocean and posing a threat to public safety?”
Watch: Rodanthe House collapses into the sea
Rodanthe House falls into the sea
A working group of more than 30 North Carolina, federal and local stakeholders met three times in 2023 to address concerns surrounding these waterfront homes. Now they have released their report, which you can read in full by clicking the link below.
On 3.
2024 Threatened Coastal Structures Report for North Carolina Beaches
The 20-page document, titled “Addressing Threatened Coastal Structures: Ideas from an Interagency Working Group,” lists 11 short- and long-term ideas on what can be done. The report begins by describing the search for a resource that can specifically address this issue.
The report short-term ideas include the following:
- Consider leveraging and expanding North Carolina's efforts to acquire, relocate, or remove structures at immediate risk through existing programs such as the NC Public Beach and Waterfront Access Grants Program.
- Federal and state agencies could benefit from additional authority, funding, and partnerships with local governments and other agencies to acquire threatened coastal structures.
The report also included: long-term ideas:
- Consider approving a new state program with funds to restore threatened coastal structures.
- Beach communities may consider establishing their own compensation or financial assistance programs, subject to their own authorities and rules.
Check out previous coverage: What can be done for Rodanthe's sea-threatened homes?
Dare County manager talks about homes threatened by the sea in Rodanthe
A topic that has come up frequently recently is the question of statutory and private insurance.
Donna Creef, director of government affairs for the Outer Banks Association of Realtors, contributed to the report in May 2023.
“If you buy a home — whether it's on the ocean or anywhere in Dare County — that's in a flood zone and you have a federally backed mortgage, you have to buy flood insurance,” Creef explained. “More often, it's the National Flood Insurance Program. The private market is very tight here in Dare County, and you buy your private insurance, you buy your flood insurance, the National Flood Insurance Program, but the cap is $250,000… [for] For most homes, the home value exceeds that.”
Creef says it can be difficult to get insurance for beachfront properties.
“It’s quite a vicious circle, because you buy the policy [and] Erosion happens. You're faced with this very, very difficult situation where your insurance agent says, “Well, you can't claim flood damage because the house hasn't collapsed yet. Don't take any of it,” Creef explained. “The homeowners are forced to leave it there because it's a big financial investment for them, and so they have to wait until the house collapses — and then it becomes a public safety issue.”
Check out previous coverage: Some homeowners in Rodanthe are starting to move their homes away from the ocean
Some property owners in Rodanthe have begun moving their homes further from the sea
The insurance-related recommendations are all long-term. One recommendation in the report is:
“Consider increasing coverage for increased compliance costs (ICC) to at least $120,000 for rehabilitation of severely and repeatedly damaged structures, including relocation or demolition of flood-affected structures at risk of erosion. The current $30,000 cap is decades below the cost of building construction and rehabilitation and is insufficient to rehabilitate the structures most at risk of erosion. FEMA should also consider expanding eligibility for ICC coverage to include structures at immediate risk of coastal erosion and requiring that properties receiving ICC funds for demolition or relocation of structures be zoned for open space compatible uses.”
“It's a proactive approach. It worked in the 1980s and it just seems like a good idea to reinstate it,” Creef said. “I know Congressman Murphy has reintroduced a bill that does just that. So I hope that gets traction at the federal level.”
Many believe it would be beneficial to give local governments more power over procurement. Stakeholders know these are just ideas at the moment, but they have to start somewhere.
The Rodanthe residents we spoke with understand that finding a solution to this problem is difficult, but say something must be done.
