VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Homes collapsing into the ocean along North Carolina’s Outer Banks have captured national attention: stark images of how quickly coastlines can change. While Hampton Roads faces a different coastal landscape than its neighbor to the south, scientists say the region is far from immune to erosion, flooding, and long-term sea-level rise.
Why the Outer Banks are especially vulnerable
The recent collapses happened on barrier islands, which are narrow, sandy landforms that naturally shift over time. According to Christopher Hein, a coastal geologist and professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, that movement is part of how barrier islands survive rising seas.
“Barrier islands do one thing: they move landward; as sea level moves up, they move landward.”
However, when homes, roads, and infrastructure anchor development in place, that natural migration becomes difficult. The result can be accelerated erosion, sometimes severe enough to undermine buildings…