The days are numbered for two North Carolina beachfront homes that are teetering on the edge of collapse.
The houses, in Rodanthe, NC, are part of the Outer Banks, an area which has started to draw interest as a result of the hit Netflix show named after it.
The structures are just days away from completely crumbling into the Atlantic, as Hurricane Erin battered the fragile barrier islands in August, eating away at the coastline.
At least 11 neighboring houses have already been swallowed by the ocean since 2020 due to beach erosion and climate change, according to the National Park Service.
The two-story beachfront properties sit on stilts directly in the surf, with waves crashing against their support beams.
The tiny village of just 200 people juts farther into the ocean than any other part of the Tar Heel State, making it especially vulnerable to the sea.
But experts say it is no surprise that these homes are on the edge of collapse.
Barrier islands like the Outer Banks were never meant to hold permanent structures.
The days are numbered for the two North Carolina beachfront homes that sit in the water
The Netflix hit Outer Banks has brought national attention to the area
‘Perhaps it was more well understood in the past that the barrier island was dynamic, that it was moving,’ David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, told local news.
‘And if you built something on the beachfront, it may not be there forever, or it may need to be moved.’
Even the Outer Banks’ most iconic landmark, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, had to be relocated more than half a mile inland in 1999 as erosion gnawed away the coastline.
The National Park Service said some stretches of coastline in the Outer Banks lose as much as 15 feet of beach every year.
And it is not just homes that are affected either.
A single collapse can scatter debris for about 15 miles along the coast, clogging beaches with broken timber and septic waste.
A state report estimates that some 750 of nearly 8,800 oceanfront structures across North Carolina are at risk.
And with sea levels rising, experts warn the problem will only worsen.
At least 11 neighboring houses have already been swallowed by the ocean since 2020 (stock image)
A state report estimates that some 750 of nearly 8,800 oceanfront structures are at risk
Some stretches of coastline in the Outer Banks lose as much as 15 feet of beach every year
A single collapse can scatter debris for about 15 miles along the coast, clogging beaches
Outer Banks follows a group of working-class local teenagers searching for treasure
There is a stark social divide in the show between wealthy seasonal residents and the locals, nicknamed the ‘Kooks’ and ‘Pogues’
The area has never been more popular and has gained lots of new visitors since the Netflix series debuted in 2020
David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, told the Daily Mail that ‘dozens’ of homes are considered at risk of falling into the ocean.
‘Dozens are currently in a fragile state,’ he said, adding that the two ready to buckle could even happen as soon as Wednesday.
Hallac said they recommend to the owners of at-risk homes to do demolition themselves before the property falls, but people rarely do.
‘If there is a house at risk of imminent collapse we then have to close the beach area around it as a buffer,’ he said.
All of the threatened homes rest on stilts stuck into the sand like ‘toothpicks’ he added.
But some locals say the doomsday narrative is limited to one region only.
Outer Banks realtor Tim Lancsek insists most of the Outer Banks is stable – even thriving – and that when a house collapse happens it triggers alarm bells across the country.
‘They take one little section of a 120-mile stretch of island and make it sound like it’s happening everywhere,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘It’s such a small area on the beach, but it gives the whole Outer Banks a bad rap.’
Outer Banks realtor Tim Lancsek insists most of the Outer Banks is stable, even thriving
The Outer Banks’ most iconic landmark, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, had to be relocated more than half a mile inland in 1999 as erosion gnawed away the coastline
Locals pointed out that buyers often see opportunity in the beachfront homes as rentals
He added that while newcomers to the area always ask about erosion, seasoned visitors and local buyers are not deterred.
‘Most of the people buying here have been coming for years. It’s really just a quarter-mile stretch in spots like Buxton or Hatteras Island.
‘The rest of the coastline is doing fine.’
Rather than fear, Lancsek pointed out that buyers often see opportunity in the beachfront homes.
‘If someone wants to roll the dice, they’ll pick one up for $500,000 and generate $100,000 a year in rentals. Even if it only lasts five years, they’ve made their money back. If more, they make a profit.’
He said the area has never been more popular and has gained lots of new visitors since the Netflix series debuted in 2020.
‘The Outer Banks brand has exploded,’ Lancsek added.
‘Between the Ford Bronco Outer Banks edition and the Netflix show, people are finding out how amazing this place is. It’s beautiful, it’s special – and people still want to be here.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .