06/11/2024

The Drowning South

Examining the anatomy of a flood

Nothing seemed amiss on a warm late-summer afternoon in this laid-back beach town south of Wilmington.

Surfers tested the waves rolling in from the Atlantic. Kayakers drifted across the sparkling bay just to the west. Bicyclists pedaled past colorful wood-frame houses with names such as Ship Faced and Sand Dollar Retreat.

But even on this postcard-perfect day, a threat was lurking — one that is growing more disruptive, more often, in coastal communities in the southeastern United States: Sea-level rise.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.