Communities at Risk

Communities at Risk: The Outer Banks of North Carolina – A Case Study of the Coastal Conflicts in the U.S.

Contributed by Andrew Lade

Introduction

"Public education of both the citizens and leadership on this high energy and dynamic set of sand islands is crucial for the future of NC's coastal economy, as well as the natural resources upon which that economy is based," Dr. Stan Riggs writes via e-mail, "Most people who live on the Outer Banks appreciate the energy of their home, but all too often don't have a very good understanding of how the coastal system works."

Communities throughout the Outer Banks, NC are becoming increasingly at risk as sea level rises and storm frequency increases. A panel of 19 scientists used regional and global data to estimate that sea level will rise on the North Carolina Coast from 15 to 55 inches by 2100. The North Carolina legislature wanted an exact number. The panel settled on 39 inches. 39 inches is the highest level predicted by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (See Figure 6.8.) No matter the exact figure, sea level is rising.

×

Figure 6.8: North Carolina science panel data overlaid on IPCC predictions.
Credit: International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

During the last glacial maximum, 18,000 years ago, the North Carolina shoreline was about 410 feet below present sea level and about 15 to 60 miles seaward. (Riggs et al. 2013) As ice continues to melt, sea level continues to rise.
Tourism in the Outer Banks is a huge economic driver for North Carolina. According to North Carolina's Department of Commerce, tourism in the 20 North Carolina coastal counties brought in approximately $2.5 billion in 2009. 85% of that amount is attributable to the barrier islands. Furthermore, in the summer of 2011 almost half (47.5%) of the total visitors to the state traveled to the Outer Banks. (See Figure 6.9.)

×

Figure 6.9: During the summer of 2011 (June- August), the coastal region received 47.5% of travel to North Carolina.
Credit: North Carolina Department of Commerce, 2012

North Carolina's legislators' reluctance to acknowledge climate change may lead to a lack of emergency support when it is needed, due to risks associated with sea level rise. According to Riggs (2013), "Large cities [New York, Boston, Washington DC, Miami, and New Orleans]... will be at the head of the line for emergency support." A group called NC-20, representing the 20 coastal counties, lobbied to have a billed passed that prohibits policy makers from considering accelerated sea level rise projections until 2016. Bill 819 passed August 1, 2012. It is now illegal in North Carolina for policy makers to consider accelerated rates of sea level rise. In a PBS Frontline report entitled Climate of Doubt, Orrin Pilkey describes NC-20 as "almost criminal-like irresponsibility. We need this discussion." Riggs adds, "They're not helping North Carolina one bit."

North Carolina Representative David Rouzer defends Bill 819, "The economic value of coastal property in those counties was $1.6 billion... 8,000 ocean front structures, so when you're talking about sea level rise and the implications of this, you're talking about affecting land use, you're talking about affecting property values, and you're talking about insurance rates and everything else." In his statement Mr. Rouzer pays no attention to the reality that sea level is rising and the potentially catastrophic risks homeowners may endure if they continue to build ocean front structures.

Living on the Beach

Permanent structures (e.g. houses, hotels, restaurants) have not always existed on barrier islands. Notice how sparse development is in the top panel of Figure 6.10. Between 1932 and 1999 Nags Head developed into one of the most populous towns in the Outer Banks.

×

Figure 6.10: Development has not always existed on barrier islands. (Copied from Battle for North Carolina's Coast, originally published by Riggs and Ames 2003).
Credit: Stanley Riggs, with permission

The sustainability of having permanent structures on barrier islands is debatable. Federally-subsidized flood insurance made living on the coast financially secure according to Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense (Speaking in Ben Kalina's documentary Shored Up), because a homeowner could now insure their house for up to $250,000. Problems rose in 2005 when Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma struck. A massive quantity of claims left the program with a $20 billion deficit after 2005. When Hurricane Sandy struck, the program still had a deficit of $17 billion. $10 billion dollars from the Federal Reserve were given to the program to pay claims. "You subsidize what you want," Steve Ellis says, "Do we want to do more of this? Do we want more development on the coast?"

While looking over breaking waves, flying birds, and wild dunes in documentary film Shored Up, Stan Riggs states, "This is what we ought to be selling as a tourist resource and building with it and living with it, those energies and dynamics, not trying to control them or stabilize them or stop that system. We aren't going to stop it."