Mother Nature's wrath has been on full display this northern hemisphere winter.
Persistent storms, record-breaking rain, nonstop swells – the latter of which being a boon for surfers, yet a nuisance for coastal infrastructure – has been pummeling the US, fueled by a overactive El Niño system, and likely a glimmer of climate change.
In some places, the ocean is literally returning to the land.
The footage above comes from Outer Banks, North Carolina pro surfer Brett Barley. It shows rogue waves, high tides, and storm surf inundating the coast in Buxton, NC. Stilted houses are washed over by water, same with roadways filled with cars.
“When the ocean’s no longer in the ocean,” captioned Barley. “Yesterday’s ocean overwash in Buxton, NC due to strong low pressure storm offshore.”
And although there’s no official details of the flooding causing damage to homes or infrastructure, there was a report of a related traffic accident.
“A one-vehicle traffic accident was also reported on northern Pea Island at approximately 7:30 am,” according to local news outlet, Island Free Press. “It is unknown if there are any injuries at this time, but additional delays should be expected due to emergency responders at the scene.”
Elsewhere in the country, over the past few months, there’s been substantial damage – like the iconic parking lot at San Onofre being washed away, the cliffs at Santa Cruz’s Steamer Lane eroding into the ocean, and a handful of piers taking a beating.
As for the OBX, it looks like this storm system isn’t over; Island Free Press continued:
“A second low pressure system is expected to impact the Outer Banks Wednesday night through Friday afternoon, bringing the potential for heavy rain, strong winds, additional coastal flooding, and dangerous marine conditions.”
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