Rodanthe, a small community on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, has become a striking example of the impact of coastal erosion.Known for dramatic images of houses collapsing into the sea, it illustrates the mounting pressure on coastal communities as they face the combined effects of wind, waves, storms, and rising sea levels.
Between 2020 and 2024, 11 homes in Rodanthe collapsed due to erosion.In 2023, two properties were purchased at market value to prevent further damage. Many of the affected homes were built in the 1970s through the 1990s, structures that are now rapidly approaching the encroaching shoreline.
Beyond property loss, the impacts are multifaceted: resident safety, strain on building insurance systems, and pollution from marine debris. Insurance coverage is limited. According to Dare County, the National Flood Insurance Program (managed by FEMA) does not cover the cost of relocating a threatened or damaged structure. If a home collapses, the maximum payout is $250,000 for the structure and $100,000 for its contents, amounts that may not reflect current property values or long-term recovery needs.While initiatives such as the National Park Service Pilot Program, proposed legislation, and local emergency management efforts are being explored, erosion continues to accelerate, and monitoring efforts remain a challenge. We looked at illustrating the rapid change over time. How we did it:
Annual cumulative shoreline gain and loss to analyse assets.
Landsat imagery, selecting the clearest, cloud-free imagery.
Shoreline annual transect extraction (every 100 meters).
Tidal adjustment for consistency.
Statistical approach to detect abnormal erosion patterns relative to their surroundings.
Results fall within a 95% confidence interval, indicating high certainty that the detected changes are statistically significant. This information can be updated weekly, monthly or look at before/after changes following storms to help target and monitor adaptation interventions.
