Beach erosion is nothing new to Ocean Isle Beach, a small community in North Carolina. But this year, residents are scrambling to protect their homes with sandbags, worried the shoreline is slipping away faster than ever.
What’s happening?
Erosion is carving away the beachfront in Brunswick County, leaving houses more vulnerable with each passing season. Locals say the issue has accelerated, forcing some to secure permits for emergency sandbag walls along the shoreline, WWAY reported.
Normally, the Army Corps of Engineers pumps in new sand during a beach re-nourishment project. However, this year the contractor was unable to complete the project. That left residents to fend for themselves.
“Hopefully someone will take the job and it’ll get re-nourished out here. You’re just buying time; it’s not a fix forever,” longtime resident Mickey Cochran told WWAY.
Why is beach erosion concerning?
When natural buffers like dunes and beaches erode, homes and infrastructure lose their first line of defense against storms and flooding. Rising seas magnify the risks, which have already climbed about 8 inches globally since 1880…