Shifting Ground: Coastal Erosion
Drawing Battle Lines in the Sand, Surfside, TX June 18, 2008 |
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Surfside, Texas is a beach town south of Houston that has experienced some of the worst erosion on the Gulf coast. Homes that were once set back from the beach now rest at the water's edge. According to the State, these private homes now sit on the public beach, and officials have demanded that the homeowners remove their structures. Some homeowners, however, including Brooks and Merry Porter, are fighting the eviction. They say that the erosion that placed their homes on the beach was not natural, but was the result of government projects, and they contend the government is now trying to take their property unconstitutionally. This fight, which may go as far as the U.S. Supreme Court, could determine how other communities will prepare for the problems likely to result from rising seas. Whose responsibility will it be to move buildings out of the way? And who will take the hit for lost property value? Read more >> |