RODANTHE, N.C. — A Rodanthe home nicknamed "Mermaids Song" is the fourth house that Sam Hagedon, a licensed North Carolina contractor, has moved away from the ocean over the years and he knows it won’t be the last.
“Moving the houses back is becoming more of a crisis these days, and there's many more to move because in the northern part of Rodanthe, in particular, is losing a lot of beachfront rapidly," said Hagedon.
The rapid erosion of Rodanthe’s shoreline is clear, as we’ve seen five houses this year collapse into the ocean and 10 total since 2020. Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Dare County leaders have spoken over the last few months with more than two dozen homeowners about moving their houses before it's too late.
Watch previous coverage: With or without a solution, Mother Nature poised to claim more Rodanthe houses
Just a couple miles north of "Mermaids Song," at Mirlo Beach is another owner of a house threatened by the ocean, who is getting the process started of moving his house as well.
“We have been hit since we've been down here, probably about 10 times, having to be dug out. Got as much as six and a half feet of sand under a house. I've lost three cars," said Gus Gusler, who's house was built in 1994 and he has owned it since 2017.
The constant impact of storms is what pushed Gusler to want to move his house.
Watch previous coverage: The impact Rodanthe house collapse clean-ups are having on homeowners — and the seashore
“We feel like if we can get it moved back, we've done some work, closing some streets and getting some extra room where we can get our house quite a bit further back that we'll be fine for another 20 years," said Gusler.
As a homeowner, he said having house collapses in this area isn’t good for anyone.
“The history here, this place is so important to people in North Carolina and the United States, and we just need to make sure we do everything we can to protect it," said Gusler.
Watch previous coverage: 10th house collapses in Rodanthe
A reminder he hopes inspires leaders to act.
“The local people are doing everything. We need our legislature and the feds to step up and do what we can to save this amazing place," said Gusler.
A small ask for something that Mother Nature continues to remind us is not going away.
Dare County and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore continue to search for funding sources to address the issue and agree that it's something that needs to change.
