Dramatic video of a beach house washed away by the sea stunned viewers everywhere, but it wasn’t a first for North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It was the second house to collapse that day and the third this year.
“It doesn’t happen often, but we expect it to happen more often in the future now that there are more homes that are in this very difficult position right against the Atlantic Ocean,” he said. said David Hallac, Superintendent of National Parks for Eastern North Carolina.
The National Park Service manages 75 miles of Outer Banks coastline as part of Cape Hatteras National Coastwho set a record 3.2 million visitors Last year.
While the threat of collapse is real for a small number of precarious beach houses, Hallac and the Outer Banks Tourism Authority say it’s not something travelers need worry about.
“Outside of the handful of homes, we have thousands of vacation rental homes that provide safe and enjoyable experiences for visitors every year, every season,” said Lee Nettles, executive director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
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Why do houses fall into the ocean?
The two houses that collapsed in Rodanthe this week were unoccupied.
Hallac said Dare County officials and the Park Service contacted homeowners ahead of this week’s storms. The Park Service also took the unusual step of preemptively closing a small section of the beach in front of homes for safety reasons.
“We knew that three of the houses in this neighborhood were already in a state of potential collapse, so we closed off the area to prevent anyone walking along the beach from being injured or, even worse, killed if the house had to collapse as they were enjoying the beach,” Hallac said. “But it was just that little section and it was specifically related to the houses being in a state of potential collapse.”
He noted that the houses were probably never intended to be this close to the water, having originally been built well behind the shore, but years of erosion gnawed at the sand.
“The rate of erosion in this area that we’re talking about can be over four meters (13.1 feet) per year,” he said. “While that may not seem like a lot in a year, over a 10-year period, having 150 feet of beach that’s gone is pretty significant.”
While erosion is natural for barrier islands like the Outer Banks, says Hallac climate change can exacerbate natural ebb and flow.
“The possibility of stronger storms – more frequent and intense storms – and also just raising sea levels – having more water against the barrier island – has the potential to erode areas faster. “, did he declare.
Should travelers be worried?
Vacationers need not worry about their rentals being dragged out to sea, as county building inspectors regularly check homes deemed unsafe and alert landlords when they are uninhabitable, but Hallac warned there are has other things visitors should look out for by the sea.
“It often doesn’t take much for waves and wind action to have impacts that can pose a safety concern or certainly disrupt someone’s vacation,” he said. “Rip currents can form even on fairly calm days.”
Even good swimmers can struggle in choppy waves.
Nettles said the region’s high winds were part of what prompted the Wright brothers to conduct a test flight at Kitty Hawk, which he calls home.
“We sometimes have northeasterlies or low pressure systems that stagnate over the Outer Banks, so you know dynamic weather is part of the experience, but certainly this last storm and the effects on these homes have been extraordinary” , said Nettles. .
He and Hallac advise travelers to monitor local weather conditions and note that the weather can vary widely across the Outer Banks.
“I always explain that the Outer Banks are over 100 miles long,” Nettles said. “So it’s common, actually, even when we have extreme weather conditions, for different areas of the Outer Banks to be affected differently or not at all.”
As long as it’s safe, Hallac said, “Relax, don’t worry, and go with the flow.”
“You may have spent a day at the beach, surfing or swimming, and these may not be the right conditions to do it safely, but there are so many places to go here in Cape Hatteras National Seashore We also have two other parks nearby that we manage: the National Wright Brothers Memorial (and) Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. We have a very popular state park up the road called Jockeys Ridge State Park. And we also have areas of the coastline that are away from the Atlantic Ocean on the south side, which can be much calmer.”
Still nervous?
Travelers who may still be worried about the weather as hurricane season approaches have several options.
“The first thing I would recommend them do, especially if they are renting a house, is to talk to their real estate agents about things like holiday insurance because you really never know what’s going to happen,” Hallac said.
Travelers are urged to read the terms carefully and shop around before signing up for travel insurance plans.
“Insurance is a complicated thing,” Jeremy Murchland, president of seven corners travel insurance had previously told USA TODAY. “I don’t care if it’s auto, home, what type of insurance it is, we recommend you call and speak to a licensed agent when you purchase the insurance so he can answer your questions and make sure you’re getting the right thing.”
Some insurers may require an additional endorsement in the event of unexpected extreme weather conditions, and even then the conditions may be stringent.
“Much of the insurance only kicks in if your trip is directly affected by the path of a hurricane,” said independent personal finance expert Matt Granite, known as The Business Guy on Youtube. “If you were flying and there’s a chance your flight could redirect you three times but to layovers and you could still get to your destination around the hurricane, they might actually deny your claim.”
Granite encourages travelers to take advantage of the protections already offered by their credit card companies when booking any trip.
“Credit cards are usually your best friend where if you have a problem and you need to cancel a hotel or cancel an Airbnb equivalent, you can just tell your credit card that there’s been a massive hurricane, you can’t not travel, where you’re leaving is unsafe, and they will work to get you your money back nine times out of 10 and side with the consumer,” he said.
Vacation rental properties, the most common accommodations in the Outer Banks, and hotels can also offer flexibility in the face of extreme weather conditions.
Vrbo encourages customers to contact her 24/7 customer support team “if a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, earthquake or tornado, affects your reservation and you need immediate assistance in finding alternate accommodations.” Guests who have not yet departed for their trips are directed to contact their hosts.
While Airbnb Extenuating Circumstances Policy covers certain natural disasters, “weather or natural conditions common enough to be foreseeable at that location – for example, hurricanes occurring during hurricane season in Florida” are specifically exempted. In these cases, refund eligibility depends on the host’s cancellation policy.
“We transparently display the cancellation policy on each listing page and strongly encourage guests to consider it,” Airbnb spokesperson Ben Breit said. “We also have a search filter for “free cancellation”, which is a great option for customers traveling to locations where EC policy may not apply.”
A Hilton spokesperson told USA TODAY, “For guests whose travel plans may be affected by the forecast path of a storm, change and cancellation penalties may be waived.”
Customers are urged to seek the latest information for specific properties at hilton.com or by calling 1-800-HILTONS.
A Hyatt spokesperson said:
Hyatt hotels closely monitor weather activity that may impact guests arriving, departing, or on property. Based on the current situation, hotels will endeavor to implement emergency preparedness procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of guests and colleagues. Some precautions may include securing the exterior of properties (eg furniture, landscaping) and waiving cancellation fees. Hyatt hotels are also working with local authorities to assess situations and extend ongoing care to guests, colleagues and local communities.
USA TODAY also contacted IHG and Marriott for their weather-related cancellation policies, but received an immediate response.