Outer Banks Erosion Case Study

Erosion at the Outer Banks is a major issue that is threatening the existence of thousands of homes, businesses and the Outer Banks themselves. Erosion is a major issue in the barrier islands, millions of dollars are spent each year trying to delay and prevent erosion. The Outer Banks are nothing more than a series of barrier islands made of sand that are narrow and barely above sea level (Rebuilding N.C. 12 Threatens Outer Banks ' Existence). With the more erosion that occurs the less land there is for the residents of the Outer Banks. Erosion damages roads, buildings, and other structures that lead to extremely costly repairs (Rebuilding N.C. 12 Threatens Outer Banks ' Existence). With storms there also comes higher rates of erosion,

Despite the prevention efforts, the Outer Banks is still suffering from erosion due to its building permits. Building, repairing, remodeling, or destroying structures causes an increase in beach erosion by shifting sand making it easier to be eroded by wind, rain, and waves. When building properties, the company must measure the oceanfront setback, the calculation of the average shoreline change rates for the next fifty years (“State of the Beach/State Reports/NC/Erosion Response”). This should allow for the company to not have to make any changes to the building for at minimum fifty years. However, due to the machinery used to complete construction the sand erodes more, causing the shoreline to move inland sooner. This causes the construction company to complete more work on the building, moving it farther inland, creating more erosion. In February of 2012, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled the Nags Head of the Outer Banks was no longer able to remove nuisance structures, leading to more erosion (“State of the Beach/State Reports/NC/Erosion Response”). Beach erosion has increased in recent years as building permits have increased. From March 2015 to March 2016 the amount of building permits in Nags Head has improved by 40% (“Building Permits-Update-Town of Nags Head”). Because building structures increase erosion, the Outer Banks should quit approving building permits to save the existence of the Outer