A new report says placing hardened structures along the N.C. oceanfront could help with chronic erosion woes. But they come with plenty of risk.
North Carolina’s love-hate relationship with hardened structures along the oceanfront is heating up.
From the Outer Banks in the north to Ocean Isle Beach in the south, many portions of North Carolina’s 320 miles of oceanfront are dealing with erosion woes that are threatening homes, infrastructure and coastal economies.
Coastal officials have long complained that the state’s ban, although softened in recent years, on hardened structures along the oceanfront like seawalls and jetties leaves them with few options beyond expensive beach nourishment to deal with the shifting sands.
Environmentalists and others say the ban protects the natural beauty and feel of North Carolina’s beaches while reinforcing that there are simply some places that we shouldn’t be developing. They also note that hardened structures often do little but move the erosion woes to other parts of the beachfront.
In June 2026, the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission’s Science Panel released its draft report on the effects of hardened structures on the coast. The report, while not taking sides on the state’s four-decade-long ban on permanent structures along the beachfront, is meant to provide guidance for regulators and policymakers as they debate the emotionally charged issue.
More: NC may end coastal hard-structure ban as erosion pressures rise
How did we get here?
North Carolina’s existing rules on oceanfront construction are largely based on using a 30-year setback rule. The thinking was that a 30-year window of sand and dunes in front of a structure would give homeowners and local communities a chance to come up with a long-term solution if the ocean started encroaching on oceanfront properties.
But structures these days often last longer than 30 years, and the environmental conditions of the 1970s aren’t the same as those the coast is facing today.
Storms are bigger and more powerful than those of last century thanks to climate change, and sea-level rise is increasing. Sea level is expected to rise by a foot or more by 2050 from today’s levels, amplifying the impacts of tidal flooding and storms that aren’t even tropical in nature.
As environmental conditions grow more challenging, oceanfront homes are tumbling into the water. In Rodanthe and Buxton on the Outer Banks, more than 30 homes have collapsed since 2020. Closer to Wilmington, sandbags now line stretches of beachfront in North Topsail Beach, Figure Eight Island and Ocean Isle Beach, offering the last line of protection for million-dollar homes.
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‘Maintain a cautious approach’
With pressure mounting on officials to come up with some solutions to disappearing beaches, the science panel was asked to look into shoreline management, both in N.C. and other states, and examine the pros and cons of different measures − particularly the use of oceanfront hardened structures.
“Recent erosion impacts in several North Carolina oceanfront communities have brought shoreline management issues back to the forefront, prompting questions about whether alternatives to beach nourishment should be considered to address chronic erosion,” states the report.
But the science panel makes it crystal clear that hardening the shoreline to prevent the natural movement of beaches and dunes landward will likely lead to, first, a narrower and then likely a disappearing beach in front of the structure. Groins and jetties, while helping the beach adjacent to them, also end up “starving” beach areas downdrift of the structures. The volunteer panel, however, also noted that securing the shoreline could offer coastal communities an economic lifeline.
“The panel therefore recommends that North Carolina maintain a cautious approach to any expansion of the use of hardened structures and that any major reconsideration of the state’s oceanfront management policies include a broad and comprehensive assessment of the physical, ecological, recreational, and economic consequences of expanded use, including consideration of who will likely benefit and who will likely suffer adverse effects, prior to policy modification,” the report states.
Legislators getting involved
As erosion threatens more oceanfront properties, infrastructure, and the coast’s vital tourism industry, legislators are taking notice and proposing solutions.
A bill working its way though the N.C. General Assembly could permanently change the face of the state’s coast. Senate Bill 1009, would lift the state ban on hardened structures, including seawalls, jetties and terminal groins, low-slung structures built perpendicular to the shoreline that helps trap sand in areas of high erosion, such as near inlets.
Proponents of the legislation say times along the coast have changed, and state policy needs to match the new realities that residents, visitors and local officials are dealing with along the oceanfront.
While current rules push beach communities to favor nourishment, enhanced dune systems, and other “natural” approaches to shoreline management, some say more permanent and immediate solutions are sometimes required.
Beach nourishment isn’t cheap, with even small projects costing millions, and can be a regulatory challenge if you have to find compatible beach sand that is often in short supply. In places like the Outer Banks, officials have said trying to maintain more than 80 miles of beachfront simply isn’t feasible under current rules and regulations. And to be truly effective, nourishments have to be repeated every few years due to natural erosion and storm-related events − heaping more pressure on state and local budgets that already face a lot of funding priorities.
Environmentalists and coastal advocates say installing hardened structures to control erosion means picking winners and losers along the oceanfront, since they will end up taking sand from other parts of the beachfront. There also can be environmental impacts, such as the loss of habitat and beaches for nesting sea turtles and shorebirds.
Greg “Rudi” Rudolph, a member of the science panel, said there’s no “magic bullet” for North Carolina’s oceanfront erosion issues, with each possible solution carrying pros and cons. He also said many of the shoreline management tools need to be done in conjunction with each other to offer a truly effective long-term solution, such as a groin and periodic nourishment.
“There are trade-offs, there are benefits, and there are costs,” Rudolph said. “That’s what makes this so challenging.”
Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@usatodayco.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on X/Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from Journalism Funding Partners. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.
