Summer in Rodanthe, a small community found on the sliver of islands that make up the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is in full swing. The peak season brings in holidaymakers who come here to enjoy its stunning waterfront. But in winter, it is not just the crowds that disappear, a little bit of the shoreline goes too.
Each year, Rodanthe loses 10 to 15 feet of its beach to erosion — one of the fastest rates on the US east coast — and the consequences are severe. Since 2020, 11 homes have collapsed into the ocean with more next in line.
It is one of many coastal communities around the world staring down a critical issue that threatens their economic future and, as climate change worsens, potentially their very existence: a lack of sand.