Holden Beach, NC - January 3, 2022
Sea level rise, waves and storms have caused erosion along Holden Beach, North Carolina. The result is a steep drop off, as much as 3 feet in some places, as when I found it in early January of 2022. According to some, between 3 and 8 feet of shoreline is lost each year along this barrier island.
Fortunately, the beach nourishment program is set to start back in early 2022. In that process, large quantities of sand are pumped from the ocean with powerful equipment and placed back on the beach replacing what erosion has taken away.
The practice of beach nourishment is not a permanent solution, but is preferred to building sea walls.