THE TAKEAWAY
Communities along America's shorelines are confronting a problem that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: coastal erosion.
From Maine to Virginia and Michigan, communities are watching their shorelines change.
But the impacts are especially striking in North Carolina and California, where erosion is threatening homes, roads and other coastal infrastructure.
The two regions have vastly different landscapes, but both are seeing the ocean move closer inland.
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In North Carolina, the effects are especially dramatic. Since 2020, 31 beach homes in Rodanthe and Buxton have collapsed into the ocean as beach erosion and extreme weather events continue to reshape the shoreline.
Officials say a combination of wind and waves, storms and rising sea levels has contributed to coastal erosion along the Outer Banks.
Homes that once stood hundreds of feet from the ocean have been left dangerously close to the water.
Now, residents are left watching and wondering what will happen to their once-picture-perfect beach homes as the coastline continues to change.
About 2,500 miles away in Southern California, coastal communities are facing their own battle with erosion.
The impacts have been seen in recent weeks, with rough surf threatening oceanfront homes in Long Beach, and erosion creating dangerous conditions along other parts of the California coast.
WHAT IS COASTAL EROSION AND WHY IS IT DANGEROUS?
Earlier in September, roughly 20 at-risk homes in Long Beach were evacuated after rough waves slammed the coast and compromised a seawall.
The damage extended beyond the seawall. Officials reported damage to the boardwalk and cracked concrete between several at-risk oceanfront homes, while sand driven inland by pounding surf clogged storm drains and triggered localized street flooding.
Farther north in Carlsbad, coastal erosion is threatening the bluffs along South Carlsbad Boulevard.
During an inspection, a geotechnical expert found that the bluff was experiencing erosion and recommended emergency stabilization measures.
The city declared a local emergency Sept. 9, warning that additional erosion could threaten the stability of the bluff and nearby roadway.
The situation could become even more challenging if a strong El Niño develops this winter, bringing the potential for increased coastal impacts along California.
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Southern California and North Carolina may look different, but erosion is threatening both communities.
This is true for all residents living along America's coastlines. As sea levels rise from climate change, coastlines will remain in jeopardy.
The post Tale of two coasts: Erosion threatens homes from California to North Carolina appeared first on Fox Weather
