Five unoccupied houses collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday along North Carolina’s Outer Banks as Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda stirred up powerful surf offshore, officials said.
The homes, once perched on high stilts above the sand, gave way in the afternoon in Buxton, a community within Cape Hatteras National Seashore, according to The Associated Press.
Mike Barber, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, confirmed the collapses. No injuries were reported, the seashore said in a post on social media.
Videos from 13News Now showed waves battering the houses as they leaned precariously before plunging into the surf. The footage revealed debris strewn across the shoreline, from two-by-fours and cushions to pieces of entire structures tossed by the ocean.
The park service warned that “more collapses are possible” due to rough seas. Visitors were urged to avoid miles of beach south of the damage and to stay clear of debris in the water and along the shore.
The weather also disrupted travel. Ocean overwash forced the North Carolina Department of Transportation to shut down part of Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island. The ferry between Ocracoke and Hatteras islands was suspended Tuesday as well.
North Carolina’s coastline consists largely of barrier islands that have been eroding for years, a problem worsened by rising seas. Since 2020, 17 privately owned homes have collapsed on Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches, the park service said.
The majority of those — 15 in total — were in Rodanthe, just north of Buxton. Another Buxton home toppled into the waves only two weeks ago.
Storms often accelerate the danger. While Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda remained farther out in the Atlantic, their swells reached the Outer Banks. The National Weather Service issued coastal flood advisories and warnings for eastern North Carolina, noting that dangerous surf conditions would last through the week.
