Rising Seas, Falling Funds: An Analysis of Beach Nourishment Finance in Dare County, NC

Abstract

Climate change presents considerable risk for coastal communities in the southeastern United States, driving adaptive processes, like beach nourishment, with multi-million-dollar price tags. The municipalities of Dare County, NC receive no federal subsidies, but have funded nourishment by establishing Municipal Service Districts (MSD) with additional millage rates for properties that benefit most from project implementation. Despite these municipalities’ recent success in completing projects, the relative distribution of costs and benefits was subject to great community protest and debate. This project assesses the drivers of news coverage and public concern for Dare County nourishment, and the distribution of owner-occupied properties within the MSDs of Duck, NC. Results suggest that in Dare County, news coverage and public concern increase two years after a coastal flood event occurs. In Duck, analysis of properties suggests that successful MSD construction may hinge on satisfying the interests of the voting contingency, rather than reflecting the project’s economic benefit.