Scientists say headlines of houses being eaten by the Atlantic ocean and roads blocked by sand and surf could become more common due to climate change.
MEMBERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE PARTICIPATING ONLINE RATHER THAN IN PERSON >> EVEN WITHOUT A HURRICANE, THE OUTER BANKS MAKING LOTS OF HEADLINES THIS WEEK, INCLUDING THIS HOUSE IS EATEN BY THE ATLANTIC IN RODANTHE AND THE ONLY ROUTED IN AND OUT BIND B AND SURF WRAL’S KEENAN, WILLARD REPORTING NOW SOME EXPERTS SAY CLIMATE CHANGE MAKES THE SCENES MORE COMMON. NOW AND WE’LL BE IN THE FUTURE. >> CRASHING DOWN INTO THE ATLANTIC. IT’S THE 3RD HOUSE TO COLLAPSE AROUND RODANTHE IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS. YOU KNOW, IS THIS A PRODUCT OR CLIMATE CHANGE? PARTIALLY CERTAINLY RIGHT. EXPERTS SAY THE PROBLEM IS 2 FOLD AS BARRIER ISLANDS AND SHIPS NATURALLY IN THE OUTER BANKS CONSTANTLY MOVING THE WATER LINE AND PLACING HOMES AT RISK AND RISING SEA LEVELS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE ARE SPEEDING UP THAT PROCESS. THERE ARE MANY HOMES THAT ARE IN HARM’S WAY OR ARE MORE VULNERABLE THAN SOME OF THE OTHER HOMES AND GET THIS WON’T BE THE LAST HOUSE THAT IS LIKELY CONSUMED BY THE ATLANTIC. IF SOMETHING ISN’T DONE BY THOSE HOMEOWNERS OR OTHER PROCESSES TO TRY AND PREVENT THAT MOVING FORWARD, IT’S NOT LIMITED TO OCEAN DRIVE WHERE 8 OF 11 HOMES WERE ALREADY CONSIDERED AT RISK BEFORE YESTERDAY’S COLLAPSE. AS THIS MAP FROM NOAA SHOWS HOW SEA LEVEL RISE COULD IMPACT THE OUTER BANKS WITH OCEANS. EXPECTED TO CREEP UP BY AS MUCH AS 3 FEET IN THE NEXT 50 YEARS. A LOT OF THE LAND HERE COULD BE SWALLOWED BY THE ATLANTIC AND SOME POINT THERE’S GOING TO BE SOME TYPE OF LIFE SAFETY HAZARD WERE. >> PEOPLE’S LIVES ARE THREATENED BECAUSE THEY’RE TRAPPED OR OTHERWISE UNABLE TO EVACUATE HUGE AREAS. HE’S TALKING ABOUT HIGHWAY 12, THE ONLY MAJOR ROAD CONNECTING THE OUTER BANKS HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN BY SAND AND SEA FOR DAYS WITH CREWS STILL WORKING TO CLEAR SOME PEOPLE LIVING IN THE OUTER BANKS SAY THEY’RE DETERMINED TO WEATHER. BUT FOR OTHERS, THE BUSINESSES, TOURISM AND EVEN THEIR DAILY LIVES BECOME TOO MUCH. JUST TALK ABOUT TOWN. YOU KNOW, SOME YOU KNOW, REACH THE TIPPING POINT AND THEY’VE HAD ENOUGH AND, YOU KNOW, SOME HAVE TO GO AND MAYBE FIND SOME MORE STABLE SURROUNDINGS. KEENAN, WILLARD, WRAL NEWS NOW, THE CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE IS ASKING THE PUBLIC TO HELP CLEAN UP THE DEBRIS FROM THE 2 HOUSES THAT COLLAPSED. >> THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WILL PROVIDE SUPPLIES AND DROP
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