ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD) — As sea levels rise and strong storms impact coastal areas across the country, a battle is brewing on the Isle of Palms over what homeowners can do to protect their properties.
One beachfront homeowner on the island, Rom Reddy, has taken matters into his own hands by building a wall that he says is protecting his property near Breach Inlet from beach erosion.
This comes after Tropical Storm Idalia hit the Lowcountry coast in August 2023 and a lot of the beach behind homes on the Isle of Palms disappeared.
For some homeowners, like Reddy, this meant part of their property is now regulated by the state because under South Carolina law, the Dept. of Health and Environmental Control’s (DHEC) division of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) oversees critical areas , which includes beaches.
“If Idalia comes in and erodes the property line, they [OCRM] have jurisdiction,” Reddy explained. “Another storm comes in — Nor’easter erodes it further — they have jurisdiction.”