COROLLA, N.C. — Several Corolla residents are worried about the state of the dunes and houses being threatened by the ocean. The feeling from residents is that time is of the essence when it comes to stabilizing the beach here.
Residents and members took Outer Banks Neighborhood Reporter Will Thomas to Persimmon Street in Corolla to show him where they are seeing these threats.
“There is damage, long-term damage to our dunes. We're beyond the beach now. We're worried about damage to the dunes," said Tony Cerri, a resident and member of the Corolla Civic Association (CCA).
Cerri has owned his home on Persimmon Street for more than a decade and has been a resident here for the last five years. Cerri and fellow Corolla residents are hoping to spread the word about the state of the dunes on the beaches, and concerns about several houses being threatened by the ocean as well.
“We're very concerned that they're going to go in. They are on the list from the county's beach stability study as being of concern in 10 years. Well, we're worried about them this week," said Cerri.
Currituck County has been involved in a beach stability study since 2020. However, the CCA would like a better understanding of what the county is going to do moving forward.
"We mentioned that we're the only beach that hasn't been nourished in the Outer Banks," Cerri said. "Is it going to be sand fencing and vegetation? When are we going to tell the people who are fighting alone right now to stop the loss of dune in front of their house? Is it going to be truck in sand? Where are we going to put it? When are we going to put it? Those are the kind of things that we need," said Cerri.
For residents and the civic association, this is an issue they feel needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
“The commissioners have had a session where they came up with what we think is the plan, the priorities, to focus their Currituck Beach management plan. For us, we're in a receive mode, hoping they'll promulgate it, but we also don't want our residents to just wait, because they're getting concerned. This weather is here. It's not 10 years from now. It's here now," said Cerri.
Especially knowing how important the dunes are to the houses on the beach and beyond.
“Anything to protect those dunes. Once the dunes are gone, it's all over. So we're looking for something of a plan that addresses that loss," said Cerri.
The civic association is also planning to meet with residents to brief them on what they know so far about the county’s potential plans moving forward.
"On the 25th of this month, we'll have a CCA meeting, where we'll take the studies and we'll brief ourselves. We're preparing. We've read through the briefings many of us have. Sat through the CPE briefings as well, so we understand it," said Cerri. "We will brief our residents on the studies that have been done by Currituck, and that will include the planned observations from 2024, the most recent, in which they specifically call out the beach we went on today, as a significant concern."
News 3 is attempting to set up a time to speak with Currituck County and learn how it is going to address residents' concerns.
