According to NOAA’s National Ocean Service, sea levels along the U.S. coastline are projected to rise on average 10 to 12 inches over a 30-year period, from 2020 to 2050.
Several major storms have caused damage to Carolina Beach throughout the years.
What You Need To Know
The latest storm brought historic flooding to Carolina Beach
The National Weather Service estimated one part of the town received 18 inches of rain in just over 12 hours
Carolina Beach has a renourishment plan to reduce erosion and damage from coastal storms
“I almost got stuck right here across from the lake,” said Carolina Beach resident Demetrius Farrior.
Farrior has lived in Carolina Beach for nearly 15 years and has seen his fair share of storms.
“That’s how fast the rain came down, and hard. You couldn’t see,” Farrior said.
Farrior says during past storms, he has witnessed damaging floods and even homes toppling over.
City officials, Farrior says, are diligently working on ways to combat storm erosion from destroying homes.
Carolina Beach has a renourishment plan that includes adding sand to beaches to help reduce erosion and damage from coastal storms.
“The corps of engineers, I think they’ve been fighting, dredging, putting sand here for the past couple of years since I’ve been here,” Farrior said.
The northern part of the island is where he said most storm erosion happens, but the south end of the island sees flooding from the area’s canal.
“Whenever we have a storm surge or a high tide, it comes up and over,” Farrior explained.
Farrior says parts of that area get submerged by the island’s only lake located two blocks from the ocean.
He says members of this close-knit community, however, jump in to help each other, which makes weathering any storm more bearable.
Other people who live in the area say in years past, they have seen storms deposit six feet of sand in this area.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Wilmington District, Carolina Beach’s renourishment plan includes a dune with a crown width of 25 feet and a storm berm with a crown width of 50 feet.
The dune and berm extend about 14,000 feet along the beachfront.