Not the way it’s supposed to look. Photo: Accuweather//Screenshot
Sadly, Outer Banks homes collapsing into the ocean during hurricane season is a frequent occurrence. On Tuesday, September 30, for example, as many as five homes collapsed within one hour in Buxton Beach. Now that Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda have begun to weaken, a tally of the damage they’ve inflicted on the area has come into focus.
According to Accuweather, at least three other homes collapsed into the ocean this week due to heavy surf caused by the dual storms. They’ve reported that the latest collapses bring the total to 20 homes giving way in the area due to severe erosion since 2020.
Photo: Accuweather
While the total tally across Buxton, South Rodanthe, and North Rodanthe is now up to 20 in just over five years, it’s worth noting that at least nine of those collapses have come in just the past month. The last Outer Banks home to collapse into the ocean was just over two weeks ago on September 17.
On Friday, Cape Hatteras National Seashore announced it deployed two dozen staff members to the area to begin cleaning up debris from the most recent collapses.
“To protect National Park Service resources and ensure visitor safety, Seashore staff will focus on collecting debris to the south of the collapse sites — between the southern end of the village and Cape Point. Property owners should prepare to remove debris from village beach areas, so that Dare County’s debris removal contractor can dispose of removed debris in the future along right-of-ways,” Cape Hatteras National Seashore said in a press release on Friday. “Further collapses are possible in Buxton, and in Rodanthe, so visitors are urged to stay away from houses in the ocean water and use caution near debris.”
