OUTER BANKS, N.C. — On Hatteras Island, there are still countless threatened oceanfront structures. But in the coming year, three are expected to be acquired and demolished using FEMA and state funding. More than 30 homes have collapsed into the ocean in Rodanthe and Buxton combined since 2020.
In the fall of 2025, Dare County conducted outreach about the options available to homeowners with threatened oceanfront properties. One was through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which allowed homeowners to voluntarily apply to have their homes acquired and demolished.
Recently, through this program, FEMA announced that $793,000 in federal funding and another $258,000 from the state of North Carolina were awarded to acquire and remove the properties at 22909 N.C. 12, 24225 Ocean Drive and 23236 Sea Oats in Rodanthe. These homeowners voluntarily applied to have their properties acquired and demolished through the program.
The property at 22909 N.C. 12 has come to be known as "The Black Pearl," a beloved home that has stood the test of time as houses around it have collapsed over the years.
A Dare County official tells News 3 that North Carolina Emergency Management will coordinate the next steps in acquiring and ultimately removing the three properties. The homes will still need to go through an appraisal process, and the homeowners will then have to accept FEMA's offers. The demolition costs will also need to be within FEMA's budget.
A Dare County official tells News 3 that more homeowners in Buxton and Rodanthe also applied for the program.
"There were other properties in Rodanthe and Buxton which applied for grants via this program, however NCEM stated they 'could not meet the federal Benefits-Cost Analysis requirement which requires the benefits of purchasing a property be greater than the total cost to complete the project.'"
Right now, it's not clear how soon the properties will be acquired and demolished. A Dare County official tells News 3 that the acquisition and demolition process could still be months away.
For more information about FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, head here. For the FEMA press release related to the Rodanthe oceanfront properties, head to this website here.
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