On Hatteras Island, part of North Carolina's Outer Banks, homes are being moved on wheels to escape rapidly eroding coastline. Since September, 19 houses have collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean, prompting residents to hire house mover Barry Crum. Crum, a lifelong local, has seen a surge in demand, with over a dozen homes scheduled to be moved or raised on stilts.
Coastal erosion has long affected the Outer Banks, but recent losses have stunned residents. In Buxton, the entire beach and sand dunes vanished, and on 30 September, five houses collapsed within 45 minutes. Hunter Hicks, who filmed a collapse in February, described the sound as 'like a bomb went off.'
Laura Moore, an expert at the University of North Carolina, calls the Outer Banks a 'canary in the coalmine' for other east coast communities facing sea-level rise. She notes that there is no long-term solution to hold the shoreline in place.
Despite the losses, residents show resilience. The Cape Hatteras lighthouse was moved in 1999, and Highway 12 is occasionally severed by flooding. Visitors can buy humorous T-shirts or visit the Swept Away Cafe, reflecting the community's adaptability.
