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Buxton Races to Move and Demolish Homes as Dare County Expands Beach Nourishment

An expanded sand-pumping project set for mid-June seeks to buy time against storm-driven erosion worsened by rising seas.

Overview

  • A Buxton oceanfront house was torn down to prevent collapse, with crews using sandbags and an excavator as part of work tied to the nourishment effort.
  • Contractors are also shifting houses inland on steel rails and dollies, including a 141-ton, seven-bedroom home that crews inched away from the surf.
  • Dare County approved a larger plan for Buxton costing about $42.2 million to pump roughly 2 million cubic yards of sand onto 2.9 miles of beach starting in mid-June, with about $30.4 million expected from FEMA.
  • Since 2020, at least 31 houses in Buxton and nearby Rodanthe have collapsed into the ocean, including four this year after a powerful early February nor'easter.
  • Scientists say these steps are temporary, noting sea level near Buxton has risen about 8 inches in 30 years and that a 2022 sand project eroded back in under three years.