Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina is experiencing worse erosion than anticipated, but officials are already working on a plan, according to WECT News.
The shoreline is monitored to stay in line with state and federal permits, and erosion has impacted a small part of the shoreline east of the sea wall.
Officials are working with agencies to determine the best course of action, which could include adjusting the sea wall or placing sand on the affected area.
The agencies' officials are working with are N.C. Division of Coastal Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
While shorelines change over time, town officials wrote in a statement, "Historical monitoring shows this area has experienced significant landward movement long before the terminal groin was built, which is why long-term monitoring and required responses were included in the permits."
Officials are required to take action regardless of whether development is nearby. Not doing so would be out of compliance with permits, could worsen the erosion, and likely cost the town more in the future.
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Ocean Isle Beach isn't the only place experiencing erosion. California is also experiencing this, too, and according to a report by the Surfrider Foundation's State of the Beach, these beaches could disappear in the next 75 years.
Erosion is natural, but the burning of fossil fuels is intensifying it due to the knock-on effect of rising sea levels. In addition to this, extreme weather events' increasing severity is also playing a part.
Unfortunately, this isn't just happening at U.S. beaches; it's affecting them across the globe.
Marine scientist Omar Defeo has warned that half of the world's coastlines could vanish by 2100. This could have dire effects on local economies that rely on beaches and will drastically change the ecosystem.
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$200 or more 💰 Beaches are made up of submerged foreshore, beach, and dune. The dune acts as a protector, but without it, homes are threatened.
While reducing society's reliance on fossil fuels is the best way to combat a warming planet, permits and reviews like North Carolina's can help manage the issue locally.
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