Visitors advised to avoid small section of beach near Ocean Drive in Rodanthe
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) issued a public advisory on Thursday, May 16, urging visitors to avoid a small section of Rodanthe Beach due to exposed wires, septic systems, and other debris.
“Cape Hatteras National Seashore rangers, while performing periodic monitoring of the shoreline in Rodanthe on Wednesday afternoon, noted the eroded beachfront and a number of concerning hazards adjacent to Ocean Drive in Rodanthe,” stated Michael Barber, Public Affairs Specialist for CHNS, in an email to the Island Free Press.
“Newly exposed septic systems, unknown wires, and pipes prompted the Seashore to contact Dare County and Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative, followed by the issuance of [Thursday’s] public advisory. The advisory is specific to the beachfront adjacent to Ocean Drive; however, Seashore rangers have observed and picked up building materials to the north and south of Ocean Drive.”
The affected shoreline is a small area of approximately .3 miles. According to residents in the immediate neighborhood, ocean overwash and erosion have been a sporadic but persistent problem since March, with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) rebuilding the adjacent dunes three times over the past two months.
Overwash and erosion tend to surface during extreme high tides coupled with northeasterly winds, and these issues were particularly noticeable during a king tide event from May 6-9. The Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative also had to remove and relocate a power line pole at the end of Atlantic Drive on Thursday, due to damage from the pole’s proximity to the ocean.
Per the Thursday CHNS advisory, the National Park Service is working with Dare County and the Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative on the exposed hazards. Many of the septic tanks, wires, and other debris are connected to structures that are no longer in the area, (due to home collapses that occurred in recent years), or to uninhabitable homes along the oceanfront.
Residents also stated that similar issues have occurred in the past – with the high tide line touching the ends of driveways and side streets in the area – but that the beach had a habit of building back up when milder weather and southerly winds were prevalent in the summer months.
Per the CHNS, hazards, such as building materials and parts of septic systems, may also be present in other areas of the shoreline in Rodanthe, so beachgoers should use caution throughout the beaches in front of the village.