17 Homes Collapsed in North Carolina's Hatteras Island

Описание: Local officials have closed down roads in preparation for another round of high tide, reaching its peak by 3:21 Wednesday afternoon. Imelda will be closer than it was yesterday, posing a risk through Saturday for high surf.

On tuesday when high tide struck, sand was pulled out from under homes causing multiple buildings to fall into the water and crash into other structures. There have been no reports of injuries. Local officials say the roads will be closed at least through Thursday.

Since 2020 a total of 17 homes have washed away on Hatteras Island. When they were built decades ago, there were more sand dunes surrounding the neighborhoods. While some areas regularly dredge in more sand, it is very costly.

A coastal restoration project in 2022, in part used property taxes to mitigate coastal erosion, however Hatteras Island remain unprotected along rows of homes. It has been suggested to move the homes at the homeowner's expense by the National Parks Service which oversees the land, and has purchased some of the properties.

While the storm was next to Florida the water was being pushed into the outer banks islands.
By the weekend, hurricane Imelda will be closer to Bermuda and pulling water and additional sand away from the shores. Waves of 6-12 feet and rip currents will continue to erode the sand peninsula islands through Saturday.