US officials debate new legislation after 9 waterfront homes collapse in span of week: 'We're trying to get people to act proactively'

A recent spate of waterfront home collapses along North Carolina's coast has sparked an urgent debate among officials for future mitigation strategies.

What's happening?

13News Now reported that eight waterfront homes collapsed in Buxton and another in Rodanthe in just one week. Both settlements are on Hatteras Island, a long, low-lying barrier island that has experienced significant coastal erosion.

It's hardly a new phenomenon; a dozen other homes have been lost since 2020, per the newscast. 

As rising sea levels and extreme weather events continue to threaten the island, tough questions are being raised. Under the current legal framework, it's often too expensive for homeowners to relocate or remove their at-risk property. 

This has prompted Washington legislators to consider a bill that would allow action before a waterfront collapses. 

The bill's sponsor, North Carolina Rep. Greg Murphy, explained to 13News Now: "[If] the home is going to fall into the ocean, and it's impending, it should be taken down before the environmental hazard occurs. … We're trying to get people to act proactively."

Why is the collapse of waterfront property concerning?

Every home that collapses results in significant expense and environmental damage caused by the debris. 

The eight collapsed homes in Buxton have reportedly caused $2.7 million in property damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Flood Insurance Program doesn't cover the costs of removal or payout until the home is destroyed, as the news report detailed.  

The crisis is in part a consequence of planet-heating pollution driven by human activity. A warmer atmosphere accelerates sea ice loss and sea level rise. While no isolated event is attributable to warming temperatures alone, warmer seas are the ideal breeding ground for more severe hurricanes. 

What's being done about North Carolina's eroding coastline?

It remains to be seen whether the proposed legislation will even make it out of committee. 

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Another possible solution is to bolster the coastline through beach nourishment, which involves adding tons of sediment to the shoreline. However, that is only a temporary solution for an exorbitant cost. 

Per CBS News, taxpayers have ploughed over $10 billion into 2,500 beach nourishment programs in the last century, the majority of which were repeats. Spending millions to save a handful of homes is difficult to justify, and that's before considering the other possible downsides, which are habitat destruction and damage to water quality.

There are some promising technological developments to combat coastal erosion, but this is a long-term problem that requires greater awareness of the issues and commitment from elected leaders to curb harmful emissions.

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