More than one million dollars in state and federal funding has been approved to purchase and demolish three Outer Banks homes in danger of collapsing into the Atlantic Ocean.
The homes are in Rodanthe, including a longtime landmark known as the Black Pearl, which has been threatened by coastal erosion for more than a decade.
According to the Island Free Press, FEMA is providing $793,000, while North Carolina is contributing another $258,000. Dare County won't have to pay anything.
The purchases are voluntary and have not been finalized. The homes must first be appraised, and the owners must agree to sell.
If the purchases go through, the homes will be demolished and the properties preserved as open space.
Since 2020, 32 privately owned homes have collapsed into the ocean in Rodanthe and Buxton, leaving debris scattered along beaches and creating hazards for people and wildlife.
